"We want to do something fun."
That's interesting as I try and make all my sessions fun. Revision - can be done in the form of games where each person revises a fact or recalls a concept and explains it after each of their turns on the game. I create my own games with a reel of magnetic tape and a magnetic board to put the game on. you can do it with whiteboard markers or make your own and put magnets on the back to keep it attached. I use a cheap jenga set that I put numbers and letters on, and the revision questions are based around the numbers and letters they pull out. I make session related games based on popular games, hangman, top trumps etc - and it's all about revising key concepts.
Not being a meanie but if you are not engaging them, that is a reflection on you, not them. Make an effort, and make it fun for them. Get them to come up with games based on the revision they have to do. Get them to play out some of the key scenes in the curriculum. Make a set of letters cards [W, X, Y, Z] and use them to split them up into groups and change it each time [you control who is in what group to prevent fallouts] and give them challenges that involve one being team leader and organising activities. Split them into groups and get them to come up with 10 killer questions for the other groups. All revising is about recall so anything you can do to recall and make connections in their brain in any weird way helps them remember.
And mindmap about the key concepts - you put the key concept in the middle and each person comes and writes a word or sub-concept and draws where it fits in and explains it. Can be done on the board, or better on the wall in the form of a set of large posters. Keep adding to it and keep going back to the Killer Question quiz and relate where each fits into the key concept posters. Give the groups A3 paper and get them to mindmap a concept each and then present the paper to the rest of the class.
I don't have backchat in my classroom to be honest, I make it fun and if someone does start I turn it into a gag of some description. If someone is really not wanting to join in they get one chance and then have to go explain themselves to some scarey person [there is always one in each school].
One of the easiest ways of differentiating is using task cards - if you haven't heard of them then google and do some research. Create a set of activity based task cards and you may never have to break a sweat again.
One way of quick de-escalation is if gobby chatty sweary person just won't shut up * - say very sternly 'hang on a minute class...X has something really important to tell us. Lets all be quiet, right X - we are all ears'. It usually shuts them up pretty quick. If not, let them start and then interrupt with 'Er, has this got anything to do with the topic today? Well, if that's the case, you need to go see scarey person and ask them if it is ok for me to not teach X today, but to sit and listen to you. Off you go, Penny, can you take so and so to see scarey person please'. They usually slink back down and start to join in.
You know your students, use that knowledge to your advantage and get them busy doing their own revision with a range of activities. At this stage it should be facilitating not teaching.
- Note this doesn't work if the person has Tourette's. If you have that in class and I have, you need a whole other set of skills.