Get up, Stand up!

During many learning walks, I have noted that a surprising number of teachers remain static, often seated behind their desks or standing solely in front of the whiteboard. During these observations, I have often wished or secretly urged the teacher to stand up and, better yet, walk around the classroom.

There are three reasons I feel this mobility is important:

• Increased Presence: When a teacher stands, they are more visible and consequently have a stronger presence in the room.

• Proactive Management: Moving allows teachers to see exactly what is happening. They can observe and react to off-task behaviours immediately before they escalate, often with a simple look or a non-direct script (see my blog on Cross Talk).

• Individual Connection: Moving around the room enables the teacher to connect with the class as a whole and with pupils individually.

It is crucial for a teacher to exert their presence in the classroom; however, this does not mean they need to be an authoritarian figure. Catching behaviours before they escalate maintains a positive classroom climate and helps pupils develop strong learning habits. The phrase “nature abhors a vacuum” is particularly apt here. As Tom Bennett states in Running the Room (2020), “The room must be run. If the teacher does not run it then the students will.” If there is a leadership vacuum, pupils will attempt to fill it. By being a visible and mobile figure, the teacher stays aware of the room dynamics and can act quickly to de-escalate issues.

Sometimes, teaching from the back of the classroom can also have a major impact. While pupils face the whiteboard looking at worked examples, the teacher can talk through the problem-solving stages from the rear of the room. This keeps the environment fresh and introduces an element of healthy unpredictability.

While the majority of teacher-pupil interactions happen at a whole-class level, moving around the room provides vital opportunities to give individual pupils a moment of 1:1 attention—something they will remember. This is especially important for pupils with Social, Emotional, and Mental Health (SEMH) needs, who often require more targeted attention than their peers.

A good metaphor for supporting SEMH pupils is “spinning plates.” If the plates do not get an occasional spin, they will wobble, fall, and smash. Regular connection provides these pupils with reassurance and a reminder that the teacher is holding them in mind. This can be achieved by simply standing near them or providing contingent touch, ensuring this is always in line with whole-school safeguarding policies.

Class culture and expected learning behaviours must be explicitly taught, modelled, and reinforced. For many pupils, this process is straightforward. However, for an increasing minority, it requires developing entirely new habits. These habits need constant reinforcement before they become embedded behaviours. Therefore, catching pupils being on task, recognizing compliance with agreed routines, and providing meaningful feedback is crucial. To do this effectively, the teacher must be mobile enough to see the behaviour in the first place.

In conclusion, standing up and moving (though not necessarily all the time!) is a simple, high-impact strategy. It powerfully supports classroom management without adding to a teacher's already extensive workload.