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Posted on September 21, 2012 12:36 pm
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Jennifer Hong
Jennifer Hong
Reps: 46
Passing notes
How can I stop some of my students that are passing notes during my instruction?
 
     
     
 
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Solution 1
Posted October 2, 2012 3:20 pm

JemyWe
JemyWe
Reps: 132
Keep your instruction interesting and engaging. Those students who are passing notes might be bored or lost because of how your are teaching. Make sure that the activities and lessons you are teaching are about 15-20 minutes because children need to be transitioning and moving. Always make sure that your are circulating the classroom so that the students know you are present. If you do find a note, do not read it just throw it away and possibly talk with that student after class. You can always threaten to read the note to the class or teacher meetings to stop this from happening again.
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Jenna Herberson
Jenna Herberson
Reps: 200
I agree with your post, sometimes we do not realize that we've lost the students until they start acting out. Keep them engaged and they wont have time to pass notes.
  Posted on: February 22, 2018 7:28 pm

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Solution 2
Posted October 2, 2012 2:53 pm

Courtney Morra
Courtney Morra
Reps: 118
One possible solution for stopping the passing of notes is sitting those students away from each other but close to you or in direct eye contact with you. If it becomes a more severe problem behavior you can give them a detention. I do not feel as if making them an example in front of the whole class is a good idea. So I would not recommend reading the note out loud or posting the note on the board.
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Candice Greene
Candice Greene
Reps: 201
This is a good suggestion.
  Posted on: March 1, 2015 5:59 pm

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Solution 3
Posted October 2, 2012 5:10 pm

Ashlyn Eddinger
Ashlyn Eddinger
Reps: 121
Depending on the grade level of the students (in a K-5 setting) you could allow the students to have their own mailboxes. Students can write and distribute mail to the boxes, such as the last two minutes before lunch, the last few minutes before specials, and at the end of the day as they were completing their planners and gathering there belongings. Of course you would have to set some ground rules up, such as having ALL of your homework and daily work completed, you could not send anyone a message that would be unkind or hurtful, and no foul language could be used. The students would love the system. You can also use it as a teacher by leaving notes, saying things like "You did a great job keeping your math group on task today" or "I really enjoyed hearing you read your creative writing aloud today".
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erugyn
erugyn
Reps: 100
This is a great solution.
  Posted on: October 18, 2014 8:27 pm

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Solution 4
Posted October 11, 2012 2:53 pm

Vivian Winston
Vivian Winston
Reps: 123
I would make sure that the students are not sitting near each other first. If they continue to pass notes I would first remind them that passing notes is not allowed and if their behavior continues they will have to face the necessary consequences.
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Solution 5
Posted October 12, 2012 5:30 pm

Rachel Ressler
Rachel Ressler
Reps: 121
Read them! If a student knows that you are going to read their secret words they will never pass another note again. If it is still going on, explain that you will put the note on the elmo and the class will help to correct grammer and punctuation. It sounds mean, but notes are usually filled with talk about other students and it just isnt right. Notes can start rumors, tell about fights that may be happening, there are a lot of tings that teachers do not want p0assed around the class, colds and notes are the top two!
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Candice Greene
Candice Greene
Reps: 201
I don't think this is a great suggestion, because it could really embarrass the students.
  Posted on: March 1, 2015 5:59 pm

Brittany Doxsey
Brittany Doxsey
Reps: 207
I agree I do not think reading the note out loud is a good idea, it could definitley embarrass the student and it could reveal information that that student does not want everyone to know. It could contain sensitive information about the student or others and reading the note out loud is not worth the potential problems it could create.
  Posted on: October 3, 2018 1:33 am

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Solution 6
Posted October 4, 2012 8:21 pm

uremev
uremev
Reps: 109
I would first try and seat these students away from one another. I would also remind the students that class time is for learning and if they are not focused on the instruction they could miss something important.
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Solution 7
Posted October 7, 2012 3:01 pm

amaJud
amaJud
Reps: 114
I can remember my 7th grade teacher taking a note that I was passing. He read it aloud to the class but made it seem like I was writing a love note about him. He did not punish my or write me up but by him making a scene like that I was very embarrassed and never passed another note in his classroom. This might be a consideration you want to make if all the other suggestions do not work.
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Edward Gibbs
Edward Gibbs
Reps: 100
I would use this in my classroom. Great solution and it would solve the problem I feel like.
  Posted on: October 19, 2014 7:48 pm

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Solution 8
Posted October 2, 2012 3:15 pm

uNaBeZ
uNaBeZ
Reps: 131
I would first recommend to remind students that they should be focused on the task at hand. If the behavior persist, I recommend you confiscate the note, keep it confidential, and speak with the students after class.
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Solution 9
Posted October 13, 2012 5:45 pm

vemybu
vemybu
Reps: 119
I would read the notes out loud to the class when they are caught. My teacher used to do this when I first started middle school and I hated it so much that I didn't do it again.
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Solution 10
Posted October 2, 2012 3:14 pm

vusyHa
vusyHa
Reps: 112
If students are caught passing notes I would pull them aside and conference with them asking what is so urgent to talk about and how we can redirect the behavior.
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Solution 11
Posted February 26, 2015 5:28 pm

yGyPaZ
yGyPaZ
Reps: 101
Make sure your lessons are hands on and engaging. As for the students I would just simply walk up discretely and take the note and throw it in the trash.
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Solution 12
Posted October 14, 2016 9:48 pm

yNubas
yNubas
Reps: 101
I would agree I think that if you keep you instruction interesting this should help the students focus on your lesson. Make the classroom room topic fun and interesting. Keep them busy so they will not have a reason to pass notes.
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Solution 13
Posted October 4, 2018 5:48 pm

uDyJeZ
uDyJeZ
Reps: 203
Seat the students away from each other, and in the front of the room so that you can keep an eye on them. Also make sure they only have the materials they need for the lesson such as a worksheet, book or graphic organizer.
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Solution 14
Posted February 22, 2013 3:41 pm

ypedeD
ypedeD
Reps: 102
Seperate the students!! As a student, my teachers would read our notes outloud to the class if we wererer passing them during instructional time. This was embarassing, but we never passed notes again!! Lesson learned
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Solution 15
Posted October 16, 2012 11:15 am

BeLyGe
BeLyGe
Reps: 110
Notes are confidential but if they are caught passing notes in my class I will be sure to post them on the bulletin board because this is what one of my teachers did to me and it was the most awful feeling that I never wanted to do it again. But in my class I will be sure not to unfold it so the other students cant read it but just so the students get the point.
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Edward Gibbs
Edward Gibbs
Reps: 100
I do not agree with this solution. I don't think the notes should be put on display.
  Posted on: October 19, 2014 7:55 pm

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Solution 16
Posted February 24, 2015 6:56 pm

Victoria Horn
Victoria Horn
Reps: 201
Take the note from them while they are doing it. I would talk to them and tell the student that this is not allow while I am instructing. If it continues, I would talk to the parents or take disciplinary action.
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