Speak Softly Because You Can't Carry A Stick Anymore

Problem: You walk into a classroom and there is a loud chatter going on. How do you quiet down the students without stressfully shouting your brains out?

Solution: With this idea I am taking a page from the old adage “Speak softly but carry a big stick,” except that I’m leaving out the stick part.

Stand directly in front of the class and begin speaking in a low soft tone of voice somewhat above a whisper.

First one student will notice you are saying something, then several others will see this happening. What occurs most often is that one of those students will tell the others to be quiet.

The nice thing about this idea is that it allows you to control the class and conversation with a minimum of expended energy.

This is especially effective in the upper grades and at seminars where there is a greater lever of maturity in the audience.

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