Enter any classroom, and straight away it’s quite easy to assess quickly whether the teacher is in total control and, of course, whether the children are on task and learning. Often, this is down to the presence of the teacher. Skilled teachers use their body language and positioning to always ensure their pupils get their best from every lesson.

Now, many of these skills are innate to every teacher, but it’s always useful to have a reminder. 

The flaw that trips up most teachers is an inability to regularly stop to look at what exactly is happening in the classroom, rather than assuming that what they think is happening is true. All teachers appreciate the pressure of “delivery of content”, but if there aren’t periods of “pupil review”, we miss opportunities to see those who have wandered off task, who aren’t getting it (or who are just being a pain).

The voice

Body language is crucial from the moment that pupils appear at your door. Welcome them with a voice that shows calmness but control.

If they’re being too noisy, try the “I’ve lost my voice” ploy. How surprising and pleasing it is when the class responds to you losing your voice by being quiet, too…

The stance

Use the classroom well: design it so that you can move around easily, and don’t use a desk as a barrier between you and the pupils. Create a classroom triangle in your head, and make sure you can see all of your pupils from whichever point you’re stood. Constantly move around these points delivering the lesson. From these different vantage points, you will be in far more control of each and every class member.

If you have disruptive pupils, use this movement to turn their behaviour on its head and disrupt them. Stand by them to deliver elements of the lesson - a quiet word in their ear is better than giving them the whole-class attention they crave.

But remember, while getting down to the kids’ level as often as possible is important, don’t use your body in a confrontational way by invading their body space. 

The look

Your face is your most crucial body-language tool, so use it well. While mine might be wrinkled and weather-worn, it can still conjure a smile that is reassuring to all pupils. I’ve also mastered the thinking expression, the perplexed expression and, of course, every teacher’s favourite, the disappointed expression.

Teachers appreciate that sometimes they are actors and their stage is the classroom. Like any good actor, they need to analyse how they use their own body language and ask themselves whether their audience - the pupils - gain the most they can from every lesson.

Colin Harris has led a school in a deprived area of Portsmouth for more than two decades. His last two Ofsted reports were “outstanding” across all categories

To read more of Colin’s articles, visit his back catalogue