[nobe-l] proctoring large rooms of students

[Georgie S.]

Hi there. Can anyone can give me some advice on proctoring a large
room of students, visually monitoring them to insure they're on-task
and behaved? I normally work with students in small groups, where I
find it easy to keep them hard at work, but my schedule has shifted,
so that now I'll be monitoring a group of 25 students for a 75-minute
period of independent work, where students are expected to work
silently and independently the entire time. In case you're curious,
these students are sixth-graders and sighted. I'm working with one
other teacher who is sighted. I'm worried I won't be able to catch the
students and redirect them when they start acting silly, because I
will not see it from across the room. I also see some possibility that
students will realize this and take advantage of it.
I'm sure many people on here have proctored. I'd love to hear from you
about your experience and any strategies you may have developed.
Thanks,
Georgie