There is statement I hear again and again from teachers struggling with classroom management.
It’s often used as a reason for not holding students strictly accountable or justification for the chaos they’re experiencing. In reality, however, it reveals a profound misunderstanding of effective classroom management.
It is this: “My students don’t care about consequences.”
It’s said as a statement of fact, as if an unchanging part of who the students are. But if this were really true, if repercussions for misbehavior mean nothing to them, then the game is essentially over. There is no point in even trying.
But, of course, it isn’t true.
The problem isn’t the students. It isn’t the day and age we live in or the many negative worldly influences. It isn’t even the form of consequences you use.
It’s the meaning you attach to your consequences.
Providing you’re consistently following your classroom management plan, which is le plus important, there are three strategies to making your consequences matter to students.
1. Explain where.
Your students must know precisely where your boundary lines are and what rules define them. If they don’t, if there is a scintilla of uncertainty, they’ll push and push until or unless they find them.
It’s human nature.
Through your modeling, explicit detail, and clarity, you must make every possible instance of rule-breaking a choice students know full well they’re committing beforehand.
This provides the psychological hurdle they need to pause and consider a better course of action.
2. Explain why.
In her pioneering work, Harvard research psychologist Ellen Langer showed that when we use the word ‘because’ and attach a reason to our requests—even if the reason makes little sense—it results in significantly greater compliance.
This underscores the importance of giving students the respect they crave by explaining the ‘why’ of your rules. My way or the highway doesn’t work in today’s world.
You must explain how the rules and consequences of your class benefit them. Why are they needed? What purpose do they serve? How are they a good thing?
Your students don’t have to agree with your rationale. They just need to know that there is a reason that is in their best interest.
3. Explain how.
The third key is to show how disruptions, interruptions, impoliteness, and the like trample on the right of every student to learn and enjoy school.
When you can demonstrate and model frustration, and put rule-breakers in the shoes of their classmates, the seeds of empathy begin to weigh on even the most egregious transgressors among them.
Add your passion, determination, and commitment to safeguard your students and their future and it can be an impactful lesson that changes how they view the sacredness of the classroom.
They must feel a palpable weight of responsibility and reverence upon crossing the threshold into the learning environment.
The Secret
There is one more strategy.
It’s a strategy we’ve talked about innumerable times here at SCM. In fact, it’s one of our cornerstone principles. In its presence, a mere gentle warning becomes a polar gust of reproach and self-reflection.
It’s a love of class.
When your students love being part of your class, when they like you and look forward to coming to school, then you have the keys to the kingdom.
Combined with your consistency and the three strategies above, no group of students in the world can resist its behavior-changing allure.
It’s the answer, the solution, the secret to effective classroom management.
PS – For more on this topic, check out The Classroom Management Secret.
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All true…to effective classroom management…love and respect …goes both ways…
Gosh I love reading your emails. Thank you!. Over the years you have helped me establish a classroom that is safe and one where students are happy to be. However in recent times I’ve returned to relief teaching and find it near impossible to create this safe and happy place with the time I have. Not knowing the students is another hurdle. Most teachers who graduate in the state I live in will be working in relief roles. So the struggle is real. What can we do?
After twenty-nine years I know the ins and outside of classroom management. I’ve had to deal with the unruly student and, occasionally, the unruly class. Not until I came across one of your articles did I realize, I KNOW that! So why am I doing it wrong? I have fallen into some ruts and traps that I should not have. Reading your posts helps keep me on my toes and my students on the edge of their seats in a very good way.
Thank you for the reminders.
Cyndi, what are examples of the consequences you have when a student breaks a rule? I supply and teach long-term occasional, I have rules, but have weak and limited consequences (phone home, send to office). I need help!
I have this same question. Is there an answer I missed?0
Could you advise though on how to install this behaviour amongst children so that when you leave them in the presence of another adult or supply teacher, they still want to make the right choice. Currently, my class largely behave according to the expectations that I have set, but when I’m away, it flies out the window for some of them.
This is all relevant in a general ed classroom, but not for BD classsroom.
Being consistent, EXACTLY consistent every minute of every day, is really difficult for my personality. I re-think things whenever there is a new circumstance, and I just haven’t been been able (in three years of trying) to be consistently consistent. I know kids see this, but there are so many things going on, and so many new circumstance that come up every day. Teaching has to be the most difficult job in the world. On top of that, I got a pretty bad performance review. I am a chemist working as a teacher, not a teacher who happens to teach chemistry, physics, and physical science.
Thank a lot. It really helps me as a teacher.
I absolutely love reading your articles! I have learned a lot from them!
My question is this: what should be done for students who can behave and follow rules within the classroom, but who fall apart when they leave for lunch, recess, and specials?
I really dislike having to “punish” my students for their actions when I did not witness them and have only the students or other adults relaying events that happened. Often times, however, these events completely disrupt the classroom when students return because they are so worked up over them and I am forced to address what happened (which can also escalate the issues).
Any thoughts on this? Thanks!
Michael, have you ever thought of doing videos modeling for US how to model for students? I did an alternative route program and never was a student teacher so I missed out on watching others do this. I’d love to see exactly what you mean. I struggle to know where my line is and it would help to just see what others do.