{"id":{"repo_id":"rowan","oai_identifier":"oai:rdw.rowan.edu:etd-1053"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/rowan/oai:rdw.rowan.edu:etd-1053","repository":{"repo_id":"rowan","name":"Rowan University","base_url":"https://rdw.rowan.edu/do/oai/"},"display":{"title":"A nonverbal signal system: minimizing the effects of student interruptions, maximizing instructional time, and sustaining momentum while teaching","abstract":"With instructional time being interrupted by both in and out-of-class disturbances, research shows that approximately 30% of instructional day is wasted. Students are more likely to be unengaged and off-task when the teacher is interrupted than at other times and most classroom interruptions are initiated by the students themselves. The goal of this study was to decrease student interruptions and transition time by implementing a nonverbal signal system as a component of the classroom management plan. Student interruptions were tallied and student transitions were timed during social studies and science in a fourth grade classroom. Reflections of the study were recorded and written student responses from pre-intervention and post-intervention focus groups were collected. Individual student grades before and after the system's implementation were compared. Data analysis showed that nonverbal signals decreased student interruptions and transition time, thus increasing the quantity of instructional time, and more importantly, nonverbal signals minimized the effect of student interruptions that occurred, thus sustaining momentum while teaching. With this system, the teacher addressed the students' needs quickly and quietly with minimal interruption to the classroom. However, further research over a longer period of time is necessary to determine whether the system's effects positively influence student achievement.","abstract_html":"With instructional time being interrupted by both in and out-of-class disturbances, research shows that approximately 30% of instructional day is wasted. Students are more likely to be unengaged and off-task when the teacher is interrupted than at other times and most classroom interruptions are initiated by the students themselves. The goal of this study was to decrease student interruptions and transition time by implementing a nonverbal signal system as a component of the classroom management plan. Student interruptions were tallied and student transitions were timed during social studies and science in a fourth grade classroom. Reflections of the study were recorded and written student responses from pre-intervention and post-intervention focus groups were collected. Individual student grades before and after the system's implementation were compared. Data analysis showed that nonverbal signals decreased student interruptions and transition time, thus increasing the quantity of instructional time, and more importantly, nonverbal signals minimized the effect of student interruptions that occurred, thus sustaining momentum while teaching. With this system, the teacher addressed the students' needs quickly and quietly with minimal interruption to the classroom. However, further research over a longer period of time is necessary to determine whether the system's effects positively influence student achievement.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Heimlich, Mallory"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"M.S.T. Teaching","degree_level":"Thesis","degree_discipline":"Teacher Education","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Lee, Valarie"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2010,"date_issued":"2010-08-12T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2010-08-12T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T04:12:49Z","subjects":["Classroom management","Elementary Education and Teaching"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://rdw.rowan.edu/etd/54","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Lee, Valarie"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Heimlich, Mallory"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2020-03-03T19:58:34Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Teacher Education"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["M.S.T. Teaching"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Classroom management","Elementary Education and Teaching"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://rdw.rowan.edu/etd/54"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["With instructional time being interrupted by both in and out-of-class disturbances, research shows that approximately 30% of instructional day is wasted. Students are more likely to be unengaged and off-task when the teacher is interrupted than at other times and most classroom interruptions are initiated by the students themselves. The goal of this study was to decrease student interruptions and transition time by implementing a nonverbal signal system as a component of the classroom management plan. Student interruptions were tallied and student transitions were timed during social studies and science in a fourth grade classroom. Reflections of the study were recorded and written student responses from pre-intervention and post-intervention focus groups were collected. Individual student grades before and after the system's implementation were compared. Data analysis showed that nonverbal signals decreased student interruptions and transition time, thus increasing the quantity of instructional time, and more importantly, nonverbal signals minimized the effect of student interruptions that occurred, thus sustaining momentum while teaching. With this system, the teacher addressed the students' needs quickly and quietly with minimal interruption to the classroom. However, further research over a longer period of time is necessary to determine whether the system's effects positively influence student achievement."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["A nonverbal signal system: minimizing the effects of student interruptions, maximizing instructional time, and sustaining momentum while teaching"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Lee, Valarie"],"dc:creator":["Heimlich, Mallory"],"dc:date.available":["2020-03-03T19:58:34Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["With instructional time being interrupted by both in and out-of-class disturbances, research shows that approximately 30% of instructional day is wasted. Students are more likely to be unengaged and off-task when the teacher is interrupted than at other times and most classroom interruptions are initiated by the students themselves. The goal of this study was to decrease student interruptions and transition time by implementing a nonverbal signal system as a component of the classroom management plan. Student interruptions were tallied and student transitions were timed during social studies and science in a fourth grade classroom. Reflections of the study were recorded and written student responses from pre-intervention and post-intervention focus groups were collected. Individual student grades before and after the system's implementation were compared. Data analysis showed that nonverbal signals decreased student interruptions and transition time, thus increasing the quantity of instructional time, and more importantly, nonverbal signals minimized the effect of student interruptions that occurred, thus sustaining momentum while teaching. With this system, the teacher addressed the students' needs quickly and quietly with minimal interruption to the classroom. However, further research over a longer period of time is necessary to determine whether the system's effects positively influence student achievement."],"dc:identifier":["https://rdw.rowan.edu/etd/54"],"dc:subject":["Classroom management","Elementary Education and Teaching"],"dc:title":["A nonverbal signal system: minimizing the effects of student interruptions, maximizing instructional time, and sustaining momentum while teaching"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Teacher Education"],"thesis:degree_level":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["M.S.T. Teaching"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T04:12:49Z"}