How we change what others think, feel, believe and do

Cuing

Disciplines > Teaching > Techniques > Cuing

Description | Example | Discussion | See also

Description

Train them to recognize particular signals for when you want them to do particular things, such as be quiet and pay attention or work quietly.

Do this by consistently using non-verbal signals such as standing quietly, raising your finger to pursed lips, closing a book, and so on.

Also have a signal that says to individuals 'If you do not be quiet and attend, I will attend to you in a way that you may not like.' Also have signals for other sanctions that act as subtle warnings before you need to act.

Done well, this will let you control a class with a simple movement or look.

Example

A teacher presses lips together and frowns slightly when she wants silence. When she wants the class to work quietly, she steps from behind her table and paces around the room.

Discussion

When you connect a behavior to a signal, you are doing what Pavlov did with his dogs in his experiments in conditioning.

The secret of making cuing work is consistency. If you vary your cues or behavior then it will not be anchored properly.