A Critical Mistake Teachers Make On The First Day Of School

smart classroom management: a critical mistake teachers make on the first day of school

If you’re a regular reader of SCM, then you’ll no doubt take your time teaching your classroom management plan.

You’ll model what is and isn’t okay. You’ll provide examples. You’ll shore up gray areas and show your new class what not to do.

This is all good. Check, check, and check.

But at some point you’ll have to start enforcing. And herein lies a landmine.

You see, there is a mistake teachers make during the window of time between teaching their plan and enforcing their plan.

For example, let’s say you just finished your final check for understanding. Your students have no more questions. They’ve proven to you that they get it. You’re satisfied and ready to move on.

Again, all good.

But that first time a student breaks a rule, what do you do? What do you really do? If you’re like most teachers, you hesitate. In the moment, confronted with the real thing, it’s not uncommon to lose your resolve and give a reminder instead of following through.

You may even use that first incident of misbehavior as an example. A teachable moment, I think they call it.

Makes sense, right? Doesn’t seem like a big deal. You can chalk it up to the time students need to transition to a new teacher, a new grade level, and new expectations.

But here’s the thing: You just got finished emphatically teaching your rules and consequences and explaining their supreme importance. You just promised to follow through no matter what.

And then a student breaks a rule and you . . . let it go. You freeze up. You feel bad or awkward and say something like, “Now, this is a great example of breaking rule number two.”

This is so, so common. De rigueur for the first day of school in thousands of classrooms.

But it’s a critical mistake. No matter how unpleasant it may seem at the time, if a student breaks a rule, you must enforce. There is no window of time. No grace period. No kinda-sorta easing into it.

No transition or teachable moment.

The second you finish teaching your classroom management plan you must go live. You must send the message that you mean what you say. If a student misbehaves right away, you should celebrate.

It’s a good thing—because it’s an opportunity to prove on the first day of school that you mean what you say and that you’ll protect their right to learn and enjoy being in your classroom.

When you don’t follow through you communicate to your new students that you’re a pushover who can’t be trusted, doesn’t mean what they say, and isn’t serious about classroom management.

Teaching your plan thoroughly and promising to follow it is fine and good. A great start to the year. But now you’ve got to go and do it. You’ve got to live up to your promises, without delay.

Or else you’ll put yourself behind the eight ball before the first day of school is even over.

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.

33 thoughts on “A Critical Mistake Teachers Make On The First Day Of School”

      • We don’t read an article to have to search for another article. Even one example is better than zero. Tracy made a valid point.

        Reply
      • I’ve imperfectly attempted to follow SCM for awhile now, and in my experience, this doesn’t make me seem weak. My escalation of consequences is reminder-warning-move seats-lunch detention. So the first consequence doesn’t even reach “warning” level! However, if students on the first of second day of school hear me unemotionally say, “That’s your reminder to follow Rule 1,” a few things happen: 1) most kids, even those this wasn’t directed toward, realize I’m serious. This keeps the majority of students, whose behavior can be swayed based on the behavior of the teacher, from acting out, no matter who the reminder is directed toward.

        If the reminder is directed toward someone who really wants to push the limits, never fear: he or she will break the rules enough times at some point in the first week to get to the move-seats level. Every other student sees me follow the plan when this happens, and it keeps them in line. In some cases, it fixes the behavior of the kid who wants to push as well. In other cases, I’ve had to assign three or four lunch detentions before the student finally gives in and decides to follow the rules.

        This occurrence of events is usually repeated in October/November and again in February or so.

        Reply
      • Not at all, Jane. I work with high school (previously in an alternative day-school) and offering that first warning (mine was typically nonverbal, like a tap on the desk) shows you empathize…and sometimes our students just lack that frontal lobe control. Ha. The second was a conversation (sometimes in the hall, sometimes a seat change, sometimes at their desk). And that third warning was a phone call home, referral, or Admin involvement. Again, depends on the severity of their behavior, and depends on your grade level. Hope this helps- just my offerings.

        Reply
    • Hi Tracy,
      I’d shy away from the clip chart. Depending on the grade you teach depends on how you enforce. For example, in K-1, you’re teaching how to line up. A kid gets out of line, starts yelling, etc. etc. You stop. Gather back at the carpet and discuss the procedure. No calling out of the student. It’s good for all to hear again and again and again until routine. That’s what I do. But this article is a good reminder, especially in the first month. Enforce the procedure and routine. Go slow to go fast (later on when all the routines are in place).

      Reply
    • It should depend on the age of the child. The teacher should set the consequences when discussing the classroom management plan. I wouldn’t expect the author of this article to have the consequences spelled out for us.

      Reply
  1. Hi Michael, thanks for another great article. I’m just wondering if it’s okay to tell students there will be a period of say 3 days where you will be practising and telling them when they will receive a consequence after the 3 days during those practice times? I especially have done this in the past to have a chance to let parents read and sign the behaviour packet before any letters arrive home, especially as letters are quite likely the first week as students test the boundaries.

    Reply
    • It’s never too late to stop and reset. I have done and it works. Stick to the plan, review the rules and consequences throughout the day. Michael’s plan really works. Don’t give up.

      Reply
    • So use this for a future year or a time when you need to re-address your classroom management plan. The comment sounds ungrateful.

      Reply
  2. Great article! Thanks for posting the videos in a publicly accessible space – ifs wonderful to actually see and hear your enthusiasm and not have to sign up for social media sites for those of us who avoid them…

    I was wondering what your thoughts are on the dynamics of especially large classes? I have an extremely large group of 5th graders (30) in a small classroom. Do you make any changes or do you have any management advice when dealing with the stress of large elementary classes?

    Reply
  3. I love to read your articles. In my opinion, if you let a student break a rule and no enforce consequences,the rest of the students will think teacher is permissive and a joke. Other thing is that enforcing rules is exhausting. you give up or students give up. Just the stronger survive.

    Reply
  4. When my son was in first grade, he tossed (didn’t throw) a pencil to another student instead of handing it to them and got sent to the principal for a double D (dangerous and destructive). It was the first day of school!!!! As parents we thought it was a bit severe, but as teachers we understood why it was important and supported it for the reasons you cite.

    Guess what? In the end that was my son’s favorite teacher at that school!

    Reply
  5. As a shop teacher, and the health and safety rep. I let nothing slide. I had a three strikes you’re out process. First was a warning on the student record that they had to sign, second was a warning to parents that the parent had to respond to, informing them of the two safety infractions and that a third would mean being banned from powered tool use. Over the years, I had banned a dozen students and they were also unable to take another ship class with me. Rules are rules..only a poor teacher let’s things slide.

    Reply
  6. Hi Michael,

    Could you, please tell me your thoughts about the following approach? Thanks.

    I find at least in the schools that I work in, students generally find me a lot stricter than their previous teachers. Because of this, they find it challenging not to side-talk, call-out and rest their heads on their desks in the first few lessons, because most of their previous teachers were lax on this. Their struggle with bad habits is understandable.

    Is it not reasonable to tell them that I expect them to follow the rules from the get go, and though they will lose marks for breaking rules, straight away, the higher level consequences (detention/informing parents) will not be enforced until the second week? This will give them the first week (three lessons) to get used to the higher expectations of behaviour. I generally have about three forty-five minute classes a week with each different class of students.

    Alternatively I could enforce consequences from lesson one, but instead of the main consequences (detention/ call parents) being implemented from the fourth transgression which is my plan, how about allowing them six transgression in the first week, only, and from then moving up to four transgressions? If this was told to the students in the first class it would not compromise me because I would still be doing what I say I would do, and the students would get a reasonable period to adjust to higher behavioural expectations. Either way the full implementation of rules would not occur until the second week, but this would be told in advance.

    Thanks.

    Reply
  7. This article is just what I needed! Every year I struggle with this dilemma, so your article was very helpful. Thanks:-)

    Reply
  8. Always great stuff! I print ‘em out and have them on my door to my classroom so they are the first and last thing I see.
    One thing that helps me is I have a picture of an NFL ref in the back of my room. It reminds me that the best refs let nothing slide etc… Best of luck everyone this year!

    Reply
  9. I teach HS Algebra, so time outs are not the truth for them. Although check writing and using a register for the checking account is somewhat obsolete. It still has adding and subtracting integers incorporated. Many students need this reinforcement. Attendance deposits 5pts in their account, there are other incentives/rewards that I perhaps give throughout the class, however behaviors have deductions within their accounts. Such as, unprofessional language(foul, sexual explicit, gang related words, etc.), Tardy more than twice in that week, didn’t walk in and prep at prep station(grab, paper, pencil, calculator). Teach at Alternative Charter school, we provide their materials. You get the point. Other things. At end of semester, their accounts are totaled and I take 5% of the points and add it to their semester grade. TRUST ME, the most points one received was 2 points. Each student used 3 rows within my grade book; I kept a running ledger. Bottom line, it is very successful for the population of students I teach.

    Reply
  10. What if you have autistic students and some on the autism spectrum?
    Students don’t understand why other students behave the way they do and the consequences can’t be the same…especially if they have an IEP or 504. Help!!! I’m NOT a SPED teacher, but my district has placed SPED students in the Gen Ed classrooms with NO help. The SPED teacher wouldn’t send her students to Gen Ed because she didn’t want them picking up behaviors.
    Students screaming, throwing things, hitting, cursing, running away from your class, etc. AND when they go to the office they watch movies, play with Legos, color, etc….NO consequences! When their parents are called they justify their behavior because of their diagnosis. They are in the wrong placement and we’re ALL negatively affected. I’m dreading going back and it saddens me tremendously because I LOVE what I do, but not this…this is not what I signed up for.

    Reply
  11. Great article once again!

    I have a suggestion for the website I think would help. You began the article with “If you’re a regular reader of SCM…” yet some viewers are not regular readers or may have recently stumbled upon SCM. I notice often in the comments, new readers express confusion or ask questions that clearly indicate they are not familiar with the SCM approach.

    To help with this, I suggest a page on your website dedicated to providing new readers with a brief overview of the core SCM principles or perhaps a list of key articles for them to read first before perusing the archives.

    Just an idea, keep up the great work!

    Reply
  12. Great article. If you state your rules and your consequences, enforce them immediately. I have been following your plan and reading your articles. I am experiencing nothing but success. I always notice when I get misbehavior, it’s because I am not being consistent in following through with consequences. The rules and consequences must be stated throughout the first day and weeks of school. I also noticed students who are frequently late to class miss out on this important information. So it is super important to review rules/consequences at different times of the day.

    Reply

Leave a Comment

Privacy Policy

-