Managing Interruptions Without Losing the Lesson: Practical Tips for Exhausted Teachers

Ann Potter, MSM, MEd — 4 minute read
Teaching is exhausting! As educators, we are expected to do more and more with less and less support. We used to be charged with generating lesson plans and helping our students to master all the essential skills identified at our grade level. For the most part, students came to us prepared to learn.
Students today seem to present more difficulties during instruction than they did during the past. They come to school facing considerably more challenges – from undiagnosed learning struggles to underdeveloped social skills to family pressures to all the complications amplified on social media. It’s no wonder that there are days I come into the classroom feeling exhausted, and when I feel exhausted, I know I am not on my A-game. 

Managing Interruptions During Instruction

So, what do I do when I am diligently trying to teach a lesson and engage my learners, and the same two students keep interrupting and leading my carefully constructed lesson off the rails? These interruptions disrupt the lesson's continuity, distract the other students, and make me feel that I am losing control of the class. When I am exhausted, I get irritated, the lesson is derailed, and I lose valuable instructional time and learning opportunities. 

Because interruptions seem to be a recurring reality rather than an occasional exception, I need a plan for how to persevere through repeated interruptions. I am now particularly diligent about developing and teaching clear classroom expectations. I make no assumptions about students' ability to behave in a classroom setting.
So, what do I do when I am diligently trying to teach a lesson and engage my learners, and the same two students keep interrupting and leading my carefully constructed lesson off the rails? These interruptions disrupt the lesson's continuity, distract the other students, and make me feel that I am losing control of the class. When I am exhausted, I get irritated, the lesson is derailed, and I lose valuable instructional time and learning opportunities. 

Because interruptions seem to be a recurring reality rather than an occasional exception, I need a plan for how to persevere through repeated interruptions. I am now particularly diligent about developing and teaching clear classroom expectations. I make no assumptions about students' ability to behave in a classroom setting.
Because interruptions seem to be a recurring reality rather than an occasional exception, I need a plan for how to persevere through repeated interruptions. 
Ann Potter, MSM, MEd

Establishing Clear Expectations and Redirection Strategies

I work with my students to co-develop what is acceptable behavior for speaking during lessons, raising hands (or other established cues) to get attention, listening respectfully, and engaging in learning in the classroom. We focus on defining what to do. That way, when students' behavior strays from those norms, I redirect them to the expected behavior.

I avoid saying “Stop, <fill in the blank>.” It leaves too much discretion for alternative behaviors. Having established and communicated clear expectations opens the door for me to use a wide variety of techniques to keep instruction moving during interruptions. I try my best to avoid interrupting the flow of the lesson. I want to maintain focus on the purpose of the lesson for the majority of the class engaged in learning. I do not want to give focus to those trying to derail the lesson. I have been effective in using quiet cues to redirect interruptions – stand near the students, make eye contact, use hand signals, and make quiet comments delivered directly to the offending student when I am standing near them. I try to use only a measured, calm, quiet voice when working to correct student behavior. I will only yell at a student from a distance away if there is an emergency or a safety-related issue. I have found that many of my students do not respond to loud voices because they are used to being yelled at and just tune them out. If I speak calmly and quietly, they are more likely to pause their behavior and engage to change what they are doing.

Recently, I have been reminded of the power of positive reinforcement. I have become more intentional about noticing and commenting on appropriate behavior than I have in the past. Many of my students are so used to being called out for poor choices that it catches them off guard when I call them out for making a positive choice.

Balancing the number of times I comment on a positive choice with the number of times I correct a student goes a long way toward building a relationship with the student. It is a step forward in creating an environment where all students are valued, and no one is a “bad kid” unable to contribute effectively to their classroom. One caveat is to be aware of those students who are averse to public recognition. In those cases, I still call out positive choices- I just do it quietly when standing near the student or with an appropriate facial cue or hand signal. The goal is to have a plan so that when “that student” is on my last nerve and I am exhausted, my response is calm, consistent, and intentional.
 Many of my students are so used to being called out for poor choices that it catches them off guard when I call them out for making a positive choice.
Ann Potter, MSM, MEd

Understanding and Addressing Underlying Causes

There will be students for whom these quiet interventions alone will be ineffective. When that happens, I need to probe deeper to try to understand why the disruptions are occurring. This involves documenting behaviors so I can look for patterns.

When does the behavior happen? Is it during periods of boredom or confusion? Is it at the same time of day? Is it during a particular subject, type of lesson, or student interaction? What is happening just before the behavior? What is scheduled to come next during the day? Is there something going on outside of the classroom that impacts behavior inside the classroom?

Looking for the cause of behaviors also involves having conversations with the student to express concern rather than frustration and to work toward building a relationship so that I can collaborate with the student to help them better engage in lessons. By digging deeper to identify behavioral triggers, I can proactively design my lessons and structure my day to provide students with greater opportunities for success in the classroom.
Looking for the cause of behaviors also involves having conversations with the student to express concern rather than frustration and to work toward building a relationship so that I can collaborate with the student to help them better engage in lessons. 
Ann Potter, MSM, MEd

Maintaining Instructional Flow and Long-Term Success

Ultimately, my goal is to engage all my students in lessons that advance their understanding of the material… and minimize interruptions that derail the process. Interruptions are going to happen, but by establishing and practicing clear classroom expectations, using quiet cues for redirection, embracing positive reinforcement, building strong student relationships that help me to understand what triggers student behavior, and maintaining my own calm, consistent, intentional responses, I am better able to keep the lesson moving and manage interruptions that could possibly derail the lesson. Over time, these approaches will lead to fewer disruptions and help students develop the self-control and respect needed to participate productively in the classroom.
written by

Ann Potter

Ann Potter is an instructional coach specializing in early childhood development, play-based instruction, and early elementary instructional practices. She has been a reading specialist, general education co-teacher, inclusion teacher for students with emotional disorders, extended school day lead teacher, grade-level technology lead, and paraprofessional supporting elementary technology instruction, but she started her career as a software engineer for a computer consulting firm. Outside of her professional work, she enjoys traveling and has continued to support her community as a reading tutor and daycare provider. Ann is an Instructional Coach for Early Learners with her Bachelors in Business Administration, Master of Science in Management, and Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction.


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