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Proximity is a non-disruptive classroom management technique that doubles as an engagement strategy. It generally refers to the use of a teacher's location as a way to curb behavior and is most commonly seen when a teacher briefly moves to an area and stops a problem simply by standing nearby. Johnny is whispering to Billy? Walk over in their direction and they are likely to stop. Easy peasy! However, you can take proximity to the next level by incorporating movement with body language, interaction, observation, and eye contact. Combining all of these things allows a teacher to quickly identify and proactively handle potential issues within the classroom before they even occur; thus, supporting student engagement.
Teachers who effectively use proximity:
- Have a classroom that's easy to move through
- Have access to all students and materials (the set up of the room is strategically organized)
- Plan or consider their location and role during each part of a lesson
- Anticipate behavior issues throughout each part of a lesson
- Use a mix of verbal and non-verbal cues to redirect
- Always observing classroom environment, multi-taking with this as necessary
ZONES OF PROXIMITY
Are you a visual person? Check this out! Zones give teachers something to think about as they track where they have been and where to go next. Zones move with the teacher, so as the teacher is constantly moving throughout a lesson, all students get that little reminder to stay on task and while having the opportunity to discretely ask for help. Watch video for more info-
Red = 100% engagement, immediate teacher feedback and interaction
Yellow = students are noticing teacher is nearby, might be sneaky about being off task
Green = most likely to be off task or distracted
⭐️ How can proximity benefit your students? Reflect & Grow!⭐️
Positioning & Mobility
- Where are you positioned within your classroom during each part of your lesson?
- Can you move easily throughout your classroom?
- Do you have access to all of your students? Desk/table set up and organization matters!
- Identify students who need more frequent facilitation and consider their placement in relation to your positioning.
Physicality & Presence
- During each part of your lesson, what is your role?
- What behavioral issues are you anticipating and what are you doing to curb those?
- Where can your presence be most beneficial during each part of a lesson?
- How are you interacting with students in a way that facilitates learning and appropriate behavior during each part of your lesson?
- What non-verbal cues are you using in your classroom to correct/redirect?
Visual Scanning
- Do you have "eyes in the back of your head"?
- It's easy to get wrapped up in whatever your main task is, but don't forget to LOOK around frequently to build your awareness. The teachers who best utilize proximity are instructing, observing, and interacting simultaneously.
When done actively, with purpose and awareness, proximity has been proven to have a positive correlation to student engagement because it keeps students on task AKA engaged in work in a non-disruptive way. Proximity also supports consistent follow through of expectations by preventing and handling issues in real time. Finally, proximity can even build student confidence since it's easier to check in when a teacher is close by and ask a question that might be otherwise intimidating.
Proximity is something that's low risk to try in your classroom but has the potential for high reward output.