When I first entered the classroom as a first-year teacher, I didn’t know what I was doing.
Then, as now, teacher ed programs did a terrible job preparing new teachers. However, either by chance or by providence, I had an advantage.
And this made all the difference.
The advantage was two particular principles (or beliefs) I held at the time, which together I would soon learn were essential for effective classroom management.
The first principle I developed as a youth sports director. During summers from high school through college I worked at a recreation center teaching kids how to play team sports.
The program was part of a larger science camp whose organizers believed a more well-rounded experience was beneficial. Predictably, few of the campers had any interest in sports, or breaking a sweat for that matter.
As I meticulously taught the finer points of swinging a baseball bat or completing a bounce pass, they daydreamed of model rockets and microscopes. Lots of yawns and wandering off to observe the ever-present butterflies.
That is, until I found the secret to capturing and keeping their attention: Pure and simple fun. Fun is universal and will draw in even the most distracted future Goodall or Edison.
So I broke down every sport into miniature (and very silly) games. I told jokes. I imitated cartoon characters and embraced having fun myself. And they loved it. My class became the most popular in the program.
Thus, principle #1 is fun.
The second principle I learned the hard way from a number of mentors growing up: Plain and clear accountability.
- A hockey coach who benched me when I played selfishly.
- A father who withheld allowance if chores were done poorly.
- A professor who threw me out of a mid-term exam for being late.
I also had a high school English teacher who was the GOAT of accountability. His class was riveting and his instruction was next level. But if you didn’t do your reading before class, he let you flounder.
He’d call on you to explain the intricacies of character decisions, and then call on you again to make his larger point. He’d also frequently spring pop quizzes at the end of class.
The lesson wasn’t what these people did specifically. It was that accountability, when applied in a leveraged environment, was a powerful motivator.
I wanted to play more. I wanted money to go to the movies. I wanted to do well on my exams. Want is the key lever for accountability to work.
Fun predictably provides that want-lever for every student.
Principle #2 is accountability.
So when I stepped into the classroom for the first time I knew I wanted my class to be fun. I wanted it to be something my students badly wanted to be part of.
Every day I sought to fulfill that goal.
Combined with a commitment to hold every student accountable for behavior that interrupted learning, I had a surprisingly smooth and peaceful first year of teaching.
Now, it’s important to mention that since founding SCM, both principles and their many supporting strategies and methods of implementation have been thoroughly tested and perfected to make them easy to use and maximally effective.
By following the simple guidelines laid out in our books and guides, they’ll transform any classroom—no matter how chaotic, disrespectful, or unmotivated.
PS – Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel. The latest video is How Classroom Environment Improves Student Behavior.
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.
Fun is the most important. If learning isn’t fun, then only a few per class are going to care. If the class isn’t fun, then your students aren’t going to care if they get a time out or miss part of class.
Looking for what to do if a student calls you a racist.
first ask why they said that…let them thoroughly and completely explain their logic. Most times their logic is flawed and they realize that along the way and stop talking, hence admit they are wrong. But hearing them out on how they got there I feel is really important. Can’t change minds that aren’t listening AFTER they have been heard. Just my two cents.
Not fun. Been there. Ignore it but be very reflective. I have a bad habit of calling out the same kids over bad behavior when it’s more than just them. That can lead to that thinking even when it’s far from the truth. My two cents
Hello Julie,
I was reading here in the comments section from Mr. Linsin’s article, and I saw your comment.
Could you provide some context? (Ex: what prompted this, in front of the entire class or in private, age group, class, etc)
Context would help anyone on here to help offer some insight on the matter.
In education,
Justin
Yes, Julie, context, please. My middle schoolers love to throw that word around. They are testing the water without realizing the ramifications of that accusation. But also they are very sensitive to feelings of fairness and justice, and if they *perceive* that something isn’t “fair” they might associate that with racism.
How do you get stents to WANT to succeed when they don’t NEED to. They will pass no matter what.
I agree on the fun principle 100% but where I struggle is how to make ‘unfun’ standards more fun.
I feel like I can make history and science fun all the time. I work hard to make math fun, but some students just don’t like any math. We play games, do partner work, explore collaboratively in groups, etc. but there needs to be some explicit instruction and I see eyes glazing over. This is just one example of many.
Don’t even get me started on writing!
Yes to this. Also, (CRT) if they’re disregulated and ready to harass the CRT from the start, how do I turn that into “fun?”
This article really nails what so many classroom management conversations miss: it’s not either fun or accountability; it’s the deliberate pairing of both. Fun creates the “want”, but accountability gives that want direction and meaning. Without accountability, fun turns into chaos; without fun, accountability feels punitive and hollow.
I also appreciate the emphasis on leveraged environments. That idea, that accountability only works when students actually care about being part of the class, is powerful and often overlooked. You don’t motivate students by forcing compliance; you motivate them by making the classroom something worth investing in, then holding the line when expectations aren’t met.
This is a refreshing reminder that effective management isn’t about personality or luck; it’s about clear principles, applied consistently. Simple in theory, transformative in practice.
Fun is what I try to do as often as I can as a second grade teacher. Even math reviews. The kids actually get excited for the review lessons because I try to make them into games (Jeopardy, Wheel of Fortune, Candy Land). Honestly it’s just some slick Google slides that makes it look like they are playing a game when really it’s questions, they write the answers on their boards, and keep track of their own points. A lot of it is trial and error (they loved this one, this one was a colossal failure so how can I fix it) which keeps me on my toes.
I wholeheartedly agree. Learning should be fun and teachers should have a sense of humor. Joy is contagious! Give your students a reason to love coming to school. They have enough problems in their life already.