There is a trait great teachers share. It isn’t something you can see, not at first glance anyway.
But every student can sense it. They can feel it viscerally while in their teacher’s presence.
It’s something lasting, highly influential, and part of who the teacher is. It’s woven into their manner and demeanor.
It’s integral to everything that they say and do and stays with them wherever they go.
More importantly, it makes managing behavior far easier for them than those who don’t share the same trait.
So what is it?
It’s commitment.
You see, teachers who are uncertain or dubious about their classroom management approach always struggle. Because they continually waver about . . .
—–where their boundary lines are.
—–what rules and consequences work best.
—–when to enforce a consequence.
—–how much noise or talking they should allow.
—–how to interact with difficult students.
—–whether their expectations are too high or too low.
The result is that they lack the confidence and authority needed to influence and shape behavior.
Students know fear and weakness in their teacher when they see it, even if it lies below the surface. They can smell it from across the playground.
It fills the air like the scented static of a coming storm, signaling unmistakably that misbehavior is open for business.
Although those with the proclivity to misbehave are sure to exploit this vulnerability to the nth degree, even well-behaved students will drift unintentionally into the many gray areas.
It’s a phenomenon that develops in every classroom led with hesitancy. It also transfers to parents, who tend to complain, demand, and become aggressively unhappy.
This is, of course, remarkably stressful. Questioning, second guessing, and worrying over decisions is particularly taxing and can drain you of your passion and enthusiasm for teaching.
It’s important to mention that a lack of commitment isn’t necessarily a personality trait.
You can be confident and surefooted outside of the classroom and find yourself perplexed and struggling for air within it. Teaching can be especially unforgiving in this way.
So what’s the solution? How do you go from uncertain to certain, from wishy-washy to fully committed?
You follow one approach to classroom management.
I believe strongly in SCM and our core belief that clear accountability in a setting of love, respect, and kindness is the secret to having a well-behaved class—regardless of where you teach or who is on your roster.
But even if you choose to follow a different school of classroom management, you’re better off going all in than being inconsistent.
You’re better off embracing one methodology than following your own hybrid system or an approach you don’t fully understand.
When it comes to effective classroom management, your confidence, clarity, and decisiveness are half the battle—because they communicate to students that you’re a leader they can put their trust in.
Which puts them at ease, removes their excitability, and frees them to settle down, settle in, and focus on learning.
PS – For a simple overview of SCM, please check out The Total Classroom Management Makeover. For details and more depth, see our other books and guides or peruse the archive.
Also, if you haven’t done so already, please join us. It’s free! Click here and begin receiving classroom management articles like this one in your email box every week.
Hello, Michael:
I feel like this is my problem. It’s my first year teaching an special course for teenagers that didn’t finnish highschool in Spain. I find it really hard to manage the class to the point that I am wasting lots of time, the boys don’t take me seriously and I Feel bad because the kids aren’t learning what they are supposed to learn and it’s my fault.
I have made many mistakes, for instance, telling a student to leave the class and since he didn’t want to I just ignored it, or just allowing too many missbehaviours in the class. Now it’s a mess.
What do you recommend? Can I fix the situation?
Thank you.
Consider finding time to speak to these boys out of class.
Hmmm…sending a student out of the classroom is dangerous because that “period” belongs to you and anything can happen to that child during that time. You could be held responsible for it because at that point in time, that child BELONGS TO YOU AND “UNDER YOUR CARE”. Don’t send him out! Engage him for like two minutes,throwing questions at him. It doesn’t matter I he gives the right answer. Those questions may put him under your absolute control. Say ‘well done….’that’s a good try….’ etc. He may just be seeking your attention. Never mind if he tries to monopolise your time a bit, at least it would keep your class under control. Finally, let the class applaud him for his attempt. Remember, YOU ARE IN CONTROL.
Ada
Are you a teacher? If so sometimes you need to ask a student to step out. Where are you teaching or sending your children where it is not safe to ask them to step out or go to the office?
Michael I am also a first year teacher and I have a lot of tips for you to try. I would love to share them with you but I just typed a very long comment and it was deleted so feel free to hit me up on social media Facebook or Instagram my name is Salematu Morray hope my tips will help
How do you handle your class, which is well behaved for you (the main teacher) when they misbehave for substitutes or special teachers?
I hear the students’ side of the story before jumping to conclusions and then I talk to the substitute (if it’s a teacher at your school) and then decide what appropriate action to take. There have been cases when the substitute doesn’t explain the assignment instructions or some type of interruption occurs beyond anyone’s control. Always listen to their side of the story before taking any action. If it’s determined the students should’ve known what to do and there were no interruptions (fire drills, lockdowns, etc.) Hold them accountable. At least then you can tell them you listened to their side of the story beforehand.
Tell them in advance that you can’t be there, why you can’t be there, and that there behaviour and learning reflects back on you. Bizarrely, it could be the kids are misbehaving to show YOU how much they care about YOU.
Hello, for me, they are held accountable for choices in all areas of the school. We are a school that has house, like in Harry Potter. They earn points for following expectations and accountability. Maybe if you and the resource and specials teachers work together and the students know you are all on the same page/team it will help. My students know we are a team and it helps with my class.
Thankfully, I’m a fan of military history, so when I read this, I made the connection really fast. How could soldiers go into battle knowing the general has no idea what he’s doing? Or how about being a passenger on an airplane and hearing a pilot panic during a bout of turbulence? If you lead a classroom of students, you have to be cool and confident and be comfortable giving instructions or “giving orders” so to speak. Part of leading students and holding them accountable sometimes means they will not “like you” for a brief period of time. But I know plenty of teachers who are “liked”, but their students don’t respect them. On the other hand, there are teachers who are not liked, but their students respect them. They immediately follow these teachers’ instructions and know these teachers mean business. For teachers who struggle with classroom management, ask yourself if you would rather be liked or respected. Ironically, students end up preferring teachers they don’t like, but they respect. That’s because these teachers know what they’re doing and they can effectively control their classes.
Love you. Moira Farrelly I read everything that you post it. You are a great guide and leader.
I have started to implement CHAMPs behavior plan for music Middle School classes since the beginning of year.
Some seating charts, activities transitions, all expectations explained, but some classes have been so disruptive manly for the boys. When we applied a timeout for the struggling kids, teh lasses could run so much easier. Probably, every group of the problematic students has a leadership and some times it is hard to figure who is. They copy and transmit behaviors patterns between them. And besides of all they consider each other, friends, although the “good intentioned” guys dont realize they are following a bad leader in the classroom.
Anyway, the consequences that me and the other teacher have established were not followed in a sharp way. So the students got confused and they felt open to ignore some rules and have pushed out beyond our boundaries, sometimes with no respect, breaking some rules. Anyway, how long we should spend to implement classroom routines, like example: get in the classroom quiet, having a seat and not play the musical instruments immediately.
Merry Christmas.
Hi Jane,
What I tell my students right from the beginning of the school year is that my expectation of respect, work ethic and obedience to a substitute teacher is no different from my classroom rules when I am there.
In my school teachers are no longer allowed to have consequences. Subs are directed to send a student directly to the office and to call the office to tell them a student is on their way down. I have no idea what happens in the office.
Hi
I’m a specialist art teacher at a elementary/middle school. When children misbehave they are given a warning and issued a yellow card, if their behaviour continues they get a red card. Sometimes their teachers say put them on red straight away if they get out of line. The 5th graders don’t seem to care about this system and misbehave regardless. I’m at my wits end and dread teaching them every week. Don’t think their teacher has a handle on them either. What do I do?