Q. I can’t get my kids to really listen to each other. They are always blurting over each other.
A. You have to use the Classroom Rules with a smile. Every time. Each and every time there is blurting or talking over, simply take a deep breath, walk calmly and slowly over to the Classroom Rules as if it is the most important thing to you in the world – because, really, it is – and, with a smile, point to the rule that is being broken and smile perhaps quickly explain to the class for the umpteenth time in English the reason for the rule. You can’t be weak on that. There is no other way. If the kids haven’t learned how to do this kind of work, this critical work of listening, from other teachers, you have to be the first one to teach them how to build things together in the language. Keep using the classroom rules until they start policing each other. They soon will, because your calm consistency will become very boring very fast. They will see that they cannot get your goat and grow bored of seeing your smiling, unflappable enforcement of the rules.