Classroom silence – Why keeping students quiet isn’t always the answer
A quiet classroom can often accompany periods of intense focus and learning – but it can also provide your students with a veil to hide behind…
- by Adam Riches
Traditionally, silence has been (incorrectly) seen as an indicator of focus.
We all know that silence may mean compliance, but we also know that silence doesn’t necessarily mean engagement. That said, silence has its place in the classroom, so long it’s managed effectively.
1. Understand silence
If we think about the use of silence from a cognitive load perspective, it seems obvious that reducing auditory distractions should, theoretically, reduce extraneous load. For some students this may be the case, but for others, the opportunity to call upon their peers or teacher is diminished when working silently.
There are times where silent work is effective – for example, when applying a concept or skill individually, or as a part of independent practice – but it’s important to remember that silence doesn’t guarantee students can concentrate better.
2. Uphold expectations
If you have planned a silent phase in a lesson, ensure you uphold that expectation. It’s important that learners know silence means silence. The first and most crucial step here is to use clear, unambiguous language. Don’t just say ‘Quiet!’ or ‘No talking!’. Use the term ‘Silence!’ and if necessary, explain precisely what you mean by that.
Students will habitually respond to the routine once they establish the association with the linguistic marker, so make it easy for them to be successful by keeping your expectations high.
Visual indicators that allow you to communicate with learners using minimal voice are also helpful during silent tasks. This may be a symbol on the board, or the word ‘silent’ in bold. You must also model the silence yourself. Don’t talk to other members of staff unnecessarily, and if you’re talking to students, keep it to a minimum. Noise breeds noise.
3. Use it sparingly
Silence should be used sparingly during learning. Realistically, if students were to be silent for hours on end, they’ll start to detach from their learning. The collaborative aspects of learning are important for building schema and understanding perspectives other than your own; too much silence can profoundly affect a learner’s experience of your subject.
It’s also worth remembering that silence has an important place in the classroom, but that we can’t let students hide behind it.
Adam Riches is a senior leader for teaching and learning; follow him at @teachmrriches
