My mum's favourite phrase: "How many times have I told you?"
My answer, to myself: "Loads of times. And look how much attention I'm paying."
My answer, out loud: silence, shuffle, look at shoes.
"Repetition is the death of impact." — Bob Fosse
Think about it. The more often you say something, the less powerful it becomes. The first time you ask a class to be quiet, they might respond. The tenth time you ask in the same lesson, nobody hears it anymore. Not because they are being defiant — but because your words have become background noise.
Repetition is the enemy of impact. Every time you repeat an instruction without consequence, you are training children to ignore you.
Two rules to live by:
1. Say it once. Give an instruction clearly, once. Then wait. If it is not followed, act — don't repeat.
2. Don't narrate the obvious. When a child is misbehaving, they already know. Telling them what they are doing rarely helps. Telling them what you want them to do instead might.
Save your words. Use them purposefully. When you do speak, mean it — and back it up.