Online Workshop Video 2: Chaos to Awesome – Top 2 Discipline Tips

This video is now in the new brand newΒ Teacher Training Academy!

Richard Graham

Hello, I'm Richard Graham. When I was a kid I found school to be sooooo boring... So I transformed my way of teaching. I listened to what the kids were really wanting to say and taught it in ways they really wanted to learn. The results were magical. Now I help teachers just like you teach amazing lessons and double your incomes!

66 Responses to “Online Workshop Video 2: Chaos to Awesome – Top 2 Discipline Tips”

  1. sawsan

    Richard Richard Richard. I love you, you’re my genki superhero, and I like your videos in which you show us the amazing ways and methods, I promise to send you my workshop video as soon as possible. And I’d really appreciate if you supply us with such videos. Peace ✌

  2. sawsan

    I wonder if I could save this video to show to my colleagues.

  3. sawsan

    It would be great if you supply us with the pdf. Thanks

  4. Salaamah

    Hi, this was my first year of teaching and just watched your warm up. I’m so excited about my next lot of kids. Can’t wait to try it out. Infact. I’m gonna do it with my class when they falling asleep. Thanks

  5. Maartje

    Hey Richard, your website and videos are awesome! thanks so much for sharing all your knowledge! This Β΄warmupΒ΄, do you repeat it every class? I suppose young children enjoy to do it every class, but teenagers and adults may not…?
    I was just thinking that it would be really great if you could offer a certified online Genki teaching course one day!

  6. Katya

    Hi, your training is the best investment I made in my post college education. I could triple my income and enjoy teaching a lot more after attending your seminar. I am still reading and watching every training video! Thank you. Need more. Pdf would be helpfull too.

  7. Samira

    Hi Richard,

    Thanks for this free training video! You’re right to underline the importance of eye-contact and body language. Could you please give the link to your TEDx presentation video?

  8. Trevor Lawless

    This stuff really does work. I also recommend, after a couple of practices, getting the kids to do the stand up, sit down etc.. commands. Richard mentioned doing it in small classes, but I also do it with kids from grade 1, in classes of 35. The kids really enjoy it.

  9. gumby

    As always great tips! I completely agree that teachers need to believe in their students. Another piece of advice that stays with me is that when communication breaks down for whatever reason, the teacher is the only one who can initiate a change.

  10. Andrea Mio

    This video is really great and motivating! Should be a MUST for all teachers teaching a foreign language. A pdf would be cool and very appreciated. I am probably one of the older teacher in this comunity but am still entusisastic about learning new stuff concerning teaching techniques. Genki English influenced my teaching in a really positive way and I am a great admirer of Richard and his being so Genki about English teaching:-)

  11. Roberta Boschi

    Hi Richard, great video, as usual. I’d love to have the pdf of the lesson as well.
    I keep on adding new elements and ways of learning English to my students.
    Many thanks

  12. Suha Khader

    Dear Richard,
    Thank you so much for your great, innovative and exciting teaching strategies. I am an EFL teacher in Jordan and I still remember the first time I taught third graders; I was really panic for not being qualified to teach them. I started watching your teaching videos and some of them were about a teaching workshop. I read through many website articles by you . I found teaching kids nice but challenging, too. Teaching kids for me is more fruitful than teaching adults. This year, I am teaching kindergartners, 6th graders, 11th graders and 12th graders. As you see, there is a wide gap between the learners I teach. I actually teach at a secondary school that has only one class for each level or grade, so I have to be a good challenger and teacher. I am a fan of this website and admirer of Richard!

  13. Valery

    I really like your videos and techniques. Looking forward to the next one. This techniques really works, kids like playing and having fun)))
    I really like TPR methods and use them every lesson.
    I’d like to have pdf as well

  14. Marina

    The only thing I wanna say is THANK YOU!!! Your videos are really helpful and I enjoy using your activities.

  15. Elmira

    Hi Richad!
    Thanks for your great idea and fantastic methods
    As my first year of teaching
    I do watch your videos and your methods
    It’s fantastic and very such great fun
    Thanks again .

  16. Luzia

    When I first started I didn’t really know how to make learning a language fun and easy… until I listened to you and everything changed. Learning can be fun. I’m looking foward to the next video.

  17. Harold Wilson Hubert

    Wonderful! Will kick start every class.

  18. Natalia

    Richard, you are a star! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! Working on my transformation into a super-genki-teacher!

  19. Lisa

    Great! Thanks! Can’t wait to try it!

  20. Linda Smittle

    Thanks for your enthusiasm and great ideas! I look forward to the discipline video.

  21. Gabriele

    I’m teaching German to a group of 8 first graders in California . They love the stand up,sit down etc a lot. I model it like Simon says , but use German words they learned the week before., like Die Kuh sagt:’ Setz’ dich!’ I try to make my lessons very “crazy” The kids love it and learn a lot. Thanks for your constant energy jolts I get when I open your emails! I need them!!

  22. Kim Dammers

    I will be showing this to my fellow teachers as part of a work-shop I will do. I will encourage them to subscribe.

    I want our school to buy the complete Genki set even though I don’t go along with all the pedagogy, being someone who uses a lot of TPRS. There is more than one way to skin a cat.

  23. Rammy

    Hi Richard,

    Thats indeed awesome, can prove Ice Breaker -)

    Thanks
    Rammy

  24. Shari

    Yes yes! I love the eye contact first thing. SO important. I also have the kids do 3 minutes of fun exercise to get them relaxed, laughing, and get the blood to their brains so they can focus. They love it. (My ELL class is a mix of ages from 7 to 23.)

    In the country where I teach, teachers who have a B Ed are taught that their back on the kids, go to the board, and write the date and the course name. Such a dull start! I’d love to share this video with people here but I’m not sure they would catch the fast English so a pdf would be terrific. Thanks for all your life-filled ideas.

  25. Bee

    I found your website a long time ago and used the games in my English classes. After years (maternity leave) I came back and found a very different website with so many great things to explore. Thanks for your work and for your videos which are an inspiration – not only for English teachers.

  26. Julia

    Hi Richard!
    I never cease to amaze how much you do and above all how much you give just for free!!
    I would highly recommend all the teachers who want to love what they do to watch your videos every day after breakfast to get the inspirational boost from you!!
    What I gained since I’ve met GenkiEnglish is the opportunity to be myself, do what I like and like what I do. Thank you for that!
    The best of luck!

  27. Greta Silberberg

    Hi Richard,
    thanks for sharing these technics with us. I pay much attention to the words I use and try to turn them into constructive and empowering ones instead of ones that let me down. So instead of calling a class with trouble-makers so, I train myself to call it “the class that is giving me the opportunity to learn how to teach rules and manners to the two smart students that challenge me to become a better teacher”.

    I’ll keep in mind that: “there’s no such thing as a bad class or student”. I smile to myself thinking of “The Gruffalo” children book by Julia Donaldson where the mouse says: “there’s no such thing as a Gruffalo” just to find one in front of him in the woods… and now what?! He’s clever enough to find a way both not to be eaten by the monster and being respected and taken seriously by all the animals in the forest.
    PS: I would really appreciate your discipline technics in the next video and pdfs. Thank you!

  28. Rebeca

    Hi Richard! It will great if you send the PDFs that way we can always go back to freshen up the information and in turn put it into practice !!

  29. rosa

    THANK YOU; THANK YOU; THANK YOU…I think I am just falling in love with your methods. I would greatly appreciate to watch the rest of the videos and to have a PDF available. Grazie ancora

  30. Lindsay

    Thank you so much for this teaching course Richard! Already from having watched the first video, I can see it is going to be very valyable. A PDF writeup of the course would be great! The stand up/sit down warmup and games have done wonders too for me in my young student classes. Thank you!

  31. Lisa Brown-Olsen

    I definitely use these techniques and mindset. I love the kids other teachers say are bad. They very often are the most fun to have around.

    Having students say things back until they get it good and load sets a great expectation for my classes that everyone is involved and just sliding by is not what we do.

    I want to share this with my colleagues! I am the one who gets us all inspired and problem solves so it will be nice to share someone else’s voice and vision with them!

  32. lucia

    I love your videos, your energy and especially your teaching tips. I’m really looking forword to watching your next videos…

  33. Angelika

    Hi Richsrd,
    It’s always a pleasure to watch your videps.
    Two weeks ago I syarted a course for adults,total beginners and .I started teaching them with conventional material but for the very first time I’m mixing it with the Genki songs .It is really working well and the people like it.Thanks Richard.

  34. John

    Hi Richard. I particularly liked hearing the rationale behind your technique. Particularly, that we do the “Hello!” loud so that the shy kids also feel able to speak.

  35. Helen

    Thanks for the energy, useful advice and inspiration! Looking forward to workshop in Kiev!

  36. Frances Thiele

    Hi Richard. Your enthusiasm is amazing. I use the stand up sit down with kids, even in the middle of a class when they are getting too rowdy. It always calms them down & the volume control works really well. It’s great to go from a full-on roar to silence is a couple of seconds. I have to admit, I’m a bit shy about doing it with the adults but I have a group of teanagers. I don’t know why I don’t do it with them. I’m going to give it a go!

  37. Marie

    One word Richard – EPIC!
    I love the info you share with us.
    I live in France and their attitude to learning English is not the best. Although, it’s not true that they don’t try – they do try very hard and they don’t realise how many words we share πŸ™‚
    Do you have any plans to introduce Genki to France? I think they’d love it!

  38. Susana

    I just love your activities. Since I met Genki English activities I’ve improved my students motivation to learn on a fluent and happy way.
    Please, do continue.

  39. Richard Graham

    Wow, wow, wow, thank you so much for all the amazing comments. It is so, so nice to see!

    We also had a few questions, so let me try and answer those too before I get to work editing the next video!

    @Marie: This video was actually filmed in France last week! (And Arizona!)

    @Samira: My TEDx isn’t actually online yet!

    @Maartje: You do the same technique in each lesson but you keep adding to the content as you go through your curriculum. If you’re up for it, here’s a ninja level video that takes things further!

    http://genkienglish.net/teaching/how-to-review-10-lessons-in-5-minutes/

  40. Virginia

    I always get an adrenalin peak when I watch you in action – you are fabulous !

    I’m starting a new group of students aged 4 to 6 next Wednesday and will put these tips into action.

    Thank you so much for your support.

  41. Andrea Mio

    Thank you so much Richard for the video and the pdf coming along with it. I am so GENKI about your teaching tips and techniques. I am sure they get most out of the kids considering any language learning.

  42. Dacha

    Hello Richard,
    you’ve got such a great response already- I had to keep scrolling down the comments!:) I’ve read through your PDF (twice) and it is very valuable! Thank you . I have to get back to making videos of myself – with my most challenging classes. Thank you again.

  43. duongphat

    Thankyou Richard, I learn so many things from you. have a good day.

  44. Alsu

    Richard! Your video is amazing! It reminded me of miracles in Life!!!

  45. Alla

    Hi Richard! Thank you for your videos and organizing this wonderful community here! In response to your question about what student I’d like to have I can tell that I want create friendly environment where students support each other and happy for each others achievement rather than competing and being envious which unfortunately happens in my classes. Hope I’ll find a way to be a teacher to create friendly environment

  46. Romaana lambat

    Hi Richard

    Yes I did like it. Your work is fantastic and your tips brilliant.
    Coming closer definitely has its effect and works.

    Changing myself is something I have had to deal with and it has had an impact on my teacher student relationship and performance of children. It’s something I’m still working on but I feel good knowing that I now have a better relationship with the kids.

    Thank you for all your hard work and enthusiasm.
    God bless.

  47. Marie

    Pure MAGIC baby! Yeah!
    I think changing what you normally do does the trick. Also, as you mentioned in your previous video – blocks of silence works like a charm.
    And to answer your question about what type of students I would like. I would like student who care for each other and help each other out.
    Thank you Richard.
    P.s. What are you up to in France? It’s not cold down in the south west (Biarritz), I went for a dip in the Atlantic yesterday. Brrr…! πŸ˜‰

  48. Sawsan

    I liked it very much. And also I appreciated showing my comments at first, I was very happy and i showed everyone I know this video, also I invited my colleagues to join us in genki English last seminar we did. Your work is my salvation, infact, you’re my salvation. I hope you supply us by other beautiful helpful videos. Thanks 1 billion times.

  49. Phil

    Hi Richard,
    I am still so very grateful for all your help with our Zambia English project. It is going stronger than ever. Regarding your second video, I think it is great and your are “spot on” with the attitude change. As far as a suggestion, you might give a couple of examples. Thanks again, Richard, for everything and the best to you and your tremendous work.

  50. duongphat

    I like your ideas very much, it helps me alot in teaching english for kids. thankyou Richard.

  51. LE XUAN

    Thank you very much for your video. I love the way you teach. I learn alot from your video.

  52. Leonardo Dias

    Well, I have just watched the second video and I have to admit it was even more surprising than the first one. For sure, I have never tried to apply the second technique, but the first one usually works, but that really depends on how many students that are not that motivating you have and where they are sitting. Too close, or rather distant from their best talk friends… But proximity works, when it does not work for all discipline problem we might have, it does for the listening difficulties the students might have… The second one is REVOLUTIONARY. It is about one of the principle or value you usually state here: trustfulness. Well, Do I do my part before I charge my students? If I am not good, am I trying to get better, so that my students can follow my development and go along?

    Super cool video. I will think it out for some days…

  53. Judith

    Hi Richard

    I have been a fan for a while and recently bought the teachers set which has made such an enormous difference to my classes. I do the line game at the start of all my classes and the kid’s fluency is really improving. This week I added in the naughty or nice element which has been great fun. I only have 8 per class (lucky me) so I had to take out a lot of “nices” to keep the game going!
    I like your discipline tips and have another to add – I write the names on the board and if the kids misbehave I remove a letter from their name which they hate BUT if they behave well I add the letters back. I always try to finish the class with everyone’s name written in full – I still have noisy classes but I’m OK with that.

  54. Mari

    Hi Richard! Thank you very much for the nice videos. I love them both. I use the 1st strategy that I move around the students is an obviously difference in students attitude! Also I use your warm up technique to have nice start it makes change a lot for kids attention! I do need more effort to be a great teacher like you but as you told in this video, I would like to change my attitude positively I hope it makes difference. Now I am trying so if it worked I will let you know in here. Thank you very much Richard. You are always amazing but you said you were like one of us who is struggling to teach 25 years ago… it gives me energy and hope I might be like you! 25 years from now on makes me become grandmother(sadly), but …I will keep going to aim that I can be like you someday! Richard you are really Kamitteru! (The most popular word of the year in Japan that was made up by one of the baseball coach meaning you are like a god!) Thank you again Richard.

  55. Suha

    You are really our Genki super-hero. Thanks for your amazing ideas!
    Suha

  56. Susie Zemler

    Dear Richard..thank you for your wonderful in the classroom teaching videos.It is vital and important to experience you yourself teaching your methods and seeing you in person acting teaching jumping laughing and so much more.It is so very helpful to see how you Richard, act out the teaching songs that you created…its a pleasure and a learning experience for all teachers of Genki.

  57. Chiew Pei

    Thanks for sharing. I learnt so much from the videos on discipline. Thanks again!

  58. Eleni Fytili

    Eleni,
    dear Richard, many thanks for your video. Teaching is sharing ourselves with others. Your approach is a very sophisticated and intelligent one.

  59. Mary Di Pasquo

    Hi, Richard.
    I’ve found your videos (I and II) really helpful. The strategies you teach in them are great. I also like the way you demonstrate what you say with your body language.
    The scenarios you select for your talks are beautiful! Everything contributes to make us feel inspired to do as you challenge us to do. I do wish I were able to be the kind of teacher my students need.
    Thank you for so much help,
    Mary

  60. Amina Khalfi

    Dear Richard,
    I believe you are the ideal trainer all teachers, and students need to make education useful and amusing. I see how you can understand us, and identify the problems with our students. It is brilliant to have somebody sharing your experiences, and thoughts with you.
    I love your techniques
    Thanks!

  61. Jenni

    A very good reminder to move more around the classroom Richard – I tried it today with success. You haven’t mentioned it here but I know that you use consistent routines too which help a great deal in keeping the students motivated and involved in the lessons. I’d add that praising any signs (no matter how small) of ‘good’ behavior from the ‘bad’ students can also be helpful. Looking forward to video 3.

  62. Michelle

    Richard! Thanks for sharing. Genki English is the best investment I’ve ever made! But what I appreciate the most is that you are always there with your experience ready to support , train and teach. You are an amazing person.
    Arigatōgozaimashita!

  63. Sam Lantzsch

    Yes! The proximaty trick works. It really is amazing how the Kids gather themselves together and start to join in and learn again but when I have more little pockets of mucking arounders, I feel like I am worling the classroom energies up by moving from the left to the right and back again. Should I tell the Kids where to stand or sit and gather all the shy and unenthusiastic together?

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