As you and your students head back into the building after the unannounced fire drill, you realize you’re already 15 minutes behind in your lesson. As soon as you get the students’ attention back, a voice bellows over the intercom, proclaiming this semester’s honor students. The list is long. Only minutes later, the phone rings. Such is the day in a teacher’s life: Interruptions happen.
Disruptions within the classroom are a topic of its own — e.g., talking out of turn, cell phones, loud noises, and the like, but outside classroom interruptions seem to be on the rise. In fact, a 2021 study by Kraft and Monti-Nussbaum revealed that classroom interruptions accounted for a loss of 10-20 full days of instructional time per academic year. While the pandemic certainly served as a wake-up call to loss of student learning, an enduring disruption of classroom instruction has continued to be a chronic problem in America’s schools.
Although classroom interruptions will never realistically vanish completely, teachers and school communities can do a great deal to mitigate these disruptions and increase instructional time.
Get the School Community on Board.
Recognizing the problem is the first step, and school leaders should take concrete measures to address and improve the dilemma.
Although it may seem counterproductive — an added disruption — have teachers monitor their class interruptions: the time of day, type, and duration of the intrusions. Then, during a PLC or staff meeting time, have teachers compare their data and report on the findings. This process can be easily compiled into a spreadsheet or other short-form document revealing where the main issues lie.
Creating a realistic picture of school-wide interruptions can help the administration plan for them and consider alternatives, such as short grade-level assemblies for important announcements or posting information on online platforms such as learning management systems and billboards. As well, intercom announcements can become emails, and drills can be scheduled at times where they will least affect instruction.
When administrators and teachers become proactive participants in solutions, whole-school and classroom disturbances can be greatly alleviated.
Implement Your Own Protocols.
In addition to getting schools on board, teachers can do much within their own classrooms to assuage disruptions. Be proactive, and have a plan to address what you can control within your own domain.
Tardies are the number one cause of class interruptions, and not addressing this daily problem up front can severely cut down on instructional time. This scenario has happened to the best of us: Tammy comes into class 10 minutes late with a Starbucks cup, chattering on her cell phone. “What do I do with my tardy slip?” she asks, as your train of thought is broken. Meanwhile, several students beg Tammy for a drink of her latte, and the noise level quickly escalates. It takes you five minutes of redirection to get the group back on task.
Having a streamlined tardiness process in place is a game changer. If it doesn’t contradict safety concerns, leave the door unlocked to prevent the time it takes for you to unlock and relock the room for late entries. Have a designated bin or basket near the door where students know to put their tardy slips. The key here is to implement the expectation at the beginning of the year so that a tardy only means you look up to say, “Welcome, Tammy!” as you proceed to discuss the process of photosynthesis or the quadratic equation. A similar process can establish smooth transitions for known early dismissals as well. Before class starts, tell students that you know will be leaving early to just quietly get up and leave the room when they need to go.
If possible, turn your ringer off or at least turn off notifications except for those required from school personnel in case of an emergency or unplanned change in the day’s schedule.
Check Yourself.
It is crucial that you communicate your desires to your co-workers, administration, and parents. The second most prevalent cause of class interruptions is the informal “pop in visit,” whether the visitor is a fellow teacher, principal, or student from another classroom.
Even though it’s nice to see another adult once in a while on a day filled with teenage angst or preschool tantrums, gently let your teacher and principal buddies know that you really covet your entire instructional time. The key here is to make it about you and not about them. Explaining that your Advanced Placement students need every minute of preparation the week leading up to their exam won’t offend anyone. Rather, your peers will applaud your commitment to your students. Likewise, make sure that you aren’t part of the “pop in” problem by respecting the boundaries of others’ classroom time.
Plan for the Unexpected.
Interruption frequency always increases as the holidays or a big school break approaches, so you should plan for them. If you know students are going to miss class due to sports, drama, or other practices or performances, communicate your expectations to them ahead of time. Similarly, on the days you know interruptions will abound — such as school pictures — plan collaborative activities where the rest of the class stays on task while others are away.
Unfortunately, even the best-laid plans to thwart interruptions can go by the wayside, especially in the case of an emergency. However, the positive and patient manner in which you react to these situations not only helps you grow as a teacher and as a human, it models the exemplary behavior we as teachers desire to cultivate in our students.
