Classroom Management And The Power Of Your Personality

‘We can be us just for one day.’ –David Bowie, Heroes

The common notion that you have to forgo your personality to effectively manage your classroom couldn’t be further from the truth.

In fact, sharing your uniqueness, your charisma, and your joie de vivre with your students makes classroom management easier, not harder.

It’s your personality that draws students in, makes you worth listening to, and gives them a compelling reason to want to behave.

If you’re stiff, boring, and spiritless, then no matter how committed you are to following your classroom management plan, you’re still going to struggle with behavior.

You see, there is no magic in the plan itself.

It’s all the other stuff—your likability, your rapport, your consistency, your trustworthiness, and more—that gives you the leverage you need to transform your class.

But many teachers find it difficult to tap into that part of themselves that only their closest confidants and family members see.

So what follows are a few suggestions to help you step beyond your comfort zone and into a stronger, more influential relationship with your students.

Be yourself.

A classroom is the perfect place to be more you than just about anywhere else. Because of the stark difference in generations, you’re free to throw off the social constraints of your age, peers, and professional acquaintances. You can be the real you without the threat of judgment.

Loosen up.

Your students will appreciate any attempt to lay down your guard and have some fun for their sake. So loosen up. Tell some stories. Have a laugh together. And never be afraid to show your passion for teaching. For these are the qualities that make building rapport effortless.

Stand tall.

Stooped shoulders, hands on hips, deep sighs. Defeatist behavior constrains your personality and makes you less like the leader they want to follow. How you present yourself to your students matters. So stand tall, be confident, and resolve to not let anything get under your skin.

Be present.

You don’t have to be a martyr who stays late and toils on the weekends for her students. You don’t have to be grim-faced and driven, straining for every incremental improvement in behavior. But you do have to be ‘on’ while with your students. You do have to awake, alive, and fully present.

Maintain your focus.

Continually remind yourself to enjoy the rewards that come with working with students. Cherish every minute with them—teaching, interacting, inspiring, creating a safe haven. This is your focus. The meetings, trainings, collaborations, and such? They’re just not very important.

Join in.

Joining students in a game or activity they enjoy is a simple way to show off your personality and build easy rapport. So jump in at recess one day for foursquare or soccer, and then notice how differently they look at you and feel about you afterward.

Close the distance.

We talk a lot on this website about not taking misbehavior personally, about how it undermines classroom management. But it also creates distance between you and your students. Your personality, on the other hand, is what draws them closer and endears you to them.

Let It Shine

Showing your personality is an easy, natural way to build influence and leverage with your students.

So does this mean you have to be silly all the time?

Not at all. To a certain degree you still have to pick your moments. But I think most teachers would be amazed at the amount of fun that takes place in well-run, high-achieving classrooms.

Just this morning (I’m writing this on a Tuesday) I walked into a third grade classroom during a math lesson.

The teacher was relaxed and cheerful and looked like there was no place in the world she’d rather be. The students were sitting up straight, smiling, and quick to laugh.

I knew walking in that this teacher was one of the best. Her students love her, their behavior is superb, and every year they make extraordinary academic progress.

And so despite being in the middle of a lesson, we joked and laughed. I told a story. The students were attentive and lovely. It was a pleasure being in their company and experiencing this remarkable teacher’s dream class.

So what’s her secret?

It’s simple, really.

She is uncompromising with her classroom management plan.

Her belief in her students, both behaviorally and academically, is off the charts.

And her personality shines into every corner of the room.

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