Italy doesn’t always run on time. And neither do its students. Predictably, there are always a few students who walk into the classroom after the lesson has begun, disrupting the flow of the current activity and distracting the others.
Here are five ways for teachers who teach English in Italy to manage the situation without slowing the pace or sacrificing attention and learning.
1) Play a game around taking attendance to encourage students to show up on time, or even a bit early, so as to participate in the fun. For example, make it known that every time you do role-call you will ask each student to say his or her name with a different emotion (ie: “I‘m Antonio Toro and I‘m surprised!”), or pair it with an action. (ie: “I’m Sabrina Materassi and I’m drinking milk.”) Each student can act out a different emotion or action when his or her name is called.
2) Plan an activity that doesn’t introduce the main objective or learning activity of the lesson. You may want to have the students start with worksheets that revise the last lesson’s key points or vocabulary. Try to choose a worksheet activity that the students are familiar with and which needs little explanation. When students are working with worksheets, books and other materials on their desks, they are less likely to notice or be distracted by a latecomer.
3) Leave a few seats open near the door for the latecomers. That way, their arrival won’t distract the others, and they will know exactly where to sit. If you allow the students to choose their own seats, this can be another motivation for a latecomer to arrive on time; the only seats left will be the ones in the back, and not the one they may have chosen had they been more punctual. Teaching English in Italy effectively involves a lot of student encouragement and motivation.
4) Write the instructions for the beginning activity on the board very clearly in English. At the beginning of the class ask the students questions to be sure they completely understand what they are to expected to do. If the instructions are unclear in any aspect, write the extra information in Italian on the board to clarify. When late students arrive, have them sit in their seats, hand them a worksheet and point to the board.
5) In the upper right hand corner of the board, draw a small square and put a number indicating the amount of time the class has to finish the activity and update it every five minutes. If the latecomers don’t finish in time, they will have to complete the worksheet at home. Many students are motivated to change a habit or behavior if they can avoid homework.
As a teacher, you won’t be in control of when your students come to class, but you can control the class. If you teach English in Italy, the suggestions above can encourage your Italian elementary school students to arrive more punctually.
