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Are you looking for strategies to encourage struggling students to wait on assistance from the teacher? If so, keep reading.

1. Connect with the learner’s parents to disseminate information about the learner’s progress. The parents may reinforce the learner at home for waiting properly for assistance from an instructor at school.

2. Assess the appropriateness of the task to ascertain (a) if the task is too easy, (b) if the task is too complicated, and (c) if the duration of time scheduled to finish the task is sufficient.

3. Inform the learner that you will assist them as soon as possible (e.g., “Stephen, I’ll be with you shortly.”) to increase the likelihood that the learner will wait properly for assistance.

4. Select a peer from whom the learner may seek assistance.

5. Try to assist immediately. As the learner shows success, slowly increase the duration of time the learner must wait for assistance when the instructor is helping another learner, instructing, etc.

6. Get the learner to ask for clarification if they do not understand instructions that are given orally or in writing.

7. Praise the learner for waiting properly for assistance from an instructor: (a) give the learner a concrete reward (e.g., classroom privileges, passing out learning materials, 10 minutes of free time, etc.) or (b) give the learner an informal reward (e.g., praise, handshake, smile, etc.).

8. Converse with the learner to explain (a) what he/she is doing wrong (e.g., leaving their seat, talking to other students, etc.) and (b) what they must be doing (e.g., waiting quietly for assistance, remaining seated, etc.).

9. Create classroom rules: • Remain on-task. • Complete assignments quietly. • Remain in your seat. • Finish tasks. • Meet task expectations. Examine rules often. Praise students for following the rules.

10. Praise those students in the classroom who remain seated in designated areas and remain quiet while waiting for assistance from the instructor.

11. Praise the learner for waiting properly for assistance from an instructor based on the duration of time they can be successful. As the learner shows success, slowly increase the duration of time required for reinforcement.

12. Select a peer to model appropriate behavior (e.g., remaining in seat or designated area, remaining quiet, etc.) when waiting for assistance from an instructor for the learner.

13. Urge the learner to go to the next problem, go to another part of the task, begin a new task, etc., when waiting for assistance from an instructor.

14. Give constant, positive reinforcement for appropriate behavior. Ignore as many unacceptable behaviors as possible.

15. Consider using a classroom management app. Click here to view a list of apps that we recommend.

16. Consider using an adaptive behavior management app. Click here to view a list of apps that we recommend.

17. Consider using Alexa to help the student learn to behave appropriately. Click here to read an article that we wrote on the subject.

18. Click here to learn about six bonus strategies for challenging problem behaviors and mastering classroom management.