Improving Classroom Management: The Power of Consistency

After many years in college learning how to be a teacher, I realized I had learned English, lesson planning, teaching methodology, and theories about learning. However, when I started teaching, I noticed that much of the theory was not very related to classroom management. Maybe it is due to the different contexts we face in the classroom or the fear professors have to talk about this topic.

On my teaching career, I have had to figure out different ways to improve my classroom management and students’ discipline in my class. Whereas adults tend to be very disciplined in EFL classes because they are taking the course due to their own decision, students at school and high school are in our classes because it is another subject they have to pass in order to achieve one more step in their education process.

Over the years, and after trying so many different things, I have noticed that being consistent is key to having a good classroom management. If we look up on a dictionary, it is defined as “adherence to the same principles, degree of firmness, solidity, and harmony”.

Being consistent is not an easy task because I might be running against time to achieve objectives, or tired after a whole week of teaching, or feeling pressured due to upcoming evaluation; nevertheless, consistency is key for students to behave and learn what is expected from them.

When we are consistent in rules, routines, or demands from our students, they develop clear expectations about teacher’s needs, they feel safer, and (most important) they get the sense of being treated equally.

Being consistent can go from not answering a question to a student who did not raise his hand and waited for his turn, to not checking the work of someone who stood up interrupting the flow of the class, to stop giving instructions if a group of students seem to be inattentive, to not letting someone go outside the classroom if permission is not requested in the target language.

Up to this point, I want to clarify that being consistent does not mean we cannot be flexible if the situation requires us to be. Still, we need to think about those rules we can skip and the ones that will never be flexible at all.

Once rules are set as a team, it is necessary that we apply them consistently so that students remember them to a point they be internalized. If possible, we need to agree with the rest of the faculty on those rules that will be applied consistently by everyone. As a matter of fact, I know many schools that are successful and models in terms of discipline due to the consistent application of institutional policy.

One more advantage is that students will definitely develop autonomy because they will learn how to behave and the teacher does not have to be on them at all times.

Just as we need to be consistent while learning the language by getting ourselves exposed to English, students need to see that the teacher is consistent in what he does for them in the classroom.

Again, I have found myself not being consistent either because I am very tired or students are pushing the limits too hard. Nevertheless, whenever I am not consistent I see that students take advantage of it and later on it is difficult for me to re-implement the rules that were broken.

No matter what our rules or routines are, I firmly believe that being consistent on the application of those is key to having a successful class and positive environment.

#Ideas