Two things happen the third week of school that conspire to increase misbehavior.
Some teachers never recover from it.
The first is that the honeymoon ends. Students become more comfortable. Initial enthusiasm wanes. Self-motivation dissipates.
They fall back into their old ways.
The second is that teachers let their guard down. They assume that the class they’ve had the first two weeks is the same one they’ll have all year.
So they relax their standards. They cut corners. They think they don’t have to be such a stickler anymore.
Eventually, a month or so later perhaps, the teacher begins to grasp that they’re losing control. They realize to their chagrin that this year is looking more and more like last year.
They start asking . . .
- How did this happen?
- Where did I go wrong?
- Why do I keep getting stuck with difficult students?
The class they “loved” not a month before they no longer even like. They think back to the first week of school, conclude they did everything right, and decide it must be the students yet again.
- It’s like teaching hyenas.
- The Covid generation strikes again.
- Social Media has ruined them.
They seek out colleagues to lament the bad hand they’ve been dealt. They sigh and resign to their fate of stress and martyrdom. They long for retirement.
This exact scenario will be repeated in thousands of classrooms over the next several weeks. And it’s all avoidable.
They key is just three things:
1. Awareness
The honeymoon period is real. It happens every year in every classroom unless you stick to the same precise standards, rule definitions, expectations, routines, policies, and consequences.
You can never let your guard down, ever, ever, ever—from the first minute of the first day of school until the last student leaves campus on the last day of school.
2. Shrewdness
If you let up in any area—give in, ease up, slack off—you’ll pay for it in spades. If you give students an inch, they’ll take a mile. Even if you recognize it a month later, it’s tough to reverse.
You must be as shrewd as a viper, sharp and on your game every day. Accept only excellence in fulfilling whatever you ask of your students.
3. Progress
There is no stasis. You’re either getting better or you’re getting worse. You must push for more, higher, and greater progress each day. You must force the envelope continually.
This is how to make a leap in improvement with even the most challenging class. This is how you turn a disparate, ragtag, undisciplined group of students into your dream class.
Stop the Slide
You must stop the slide before it begins. You must draw your line in the sand on the first day of school and then hold it as if you’re Leonidas at Thermopylae.
The best part is that your students will rise to the challenge.
It’s in their DNA to seek more. The same DNA that drove Boone through the Cumberland gap and Hilary to the summit of Everest. Yes, it’s dormant in a lot of our students. But it’s there.
The key is your own expectations of excellence.
It’s in your own desire to seek out, overcome, and stand victorious in the end. It’s in your own belief in young people and what they’re capable of. It’s in the quiet moments of truth tugging at your heart as the sun rises on another school day.
PS – Check out this week’s YouTube videos:
1. Why Your Class Gets Harder to Control as the Year Goes On
2. How to Stop Students Breaking the Same Rule Again and Again
3. How to Calm a Class That Won’t Settle Down
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This is completely unrelated, but yesterday I had an issue in class that I’m still trying to figure out how to deal with. The whole class is quiet. Compliant. Behaving. And then when my back is turned to right on the board, one child calls out a noise. I honestly don’t even know how to handle it. If I say, “Who made that noise?” I know that no one will fess up. And if I ignore it, it’s like I’m allowing the behavior.. any advice??
I would thank everybody for their cooperation and say I was disappointed in the 1 student for this misbehavior. And then continue.
If I knew who it was, then I would use my consequence chart or ladder, but since I don’t, then there’s nothing I can do until I do catch them.
Sorry to hear about that.
Install a long mirror slanted above the whiteboard so you can see the class when your back is to them- like what buss drivers have.
I’ve seen these in several classrooms, so you wouldn’t be the only one with this.
I am trying to find some assistance for a 4 year old who misbehaves when the rest of the class is following directions, and keeps getting worse if ignored. But it is only me in the classroom and I have a hard time interrupting instruction to constantly redirect. Or he refuses to do whats asked of him, or refuses to go to time out and knows that I am trying to deal with 17 other children. I try to prevent the misbehavior by giving the student things to do or be a helper, but that doesnt always help. The answer to everything i say is “no.”
If anyone can point me to an article or video that would be appreciated. Thanks.
Caden, can you give more information? Eighteen 4 year olds in a class with one adult is a lot. They are so little, and some of them have never been in a classroom environment before. What kind of class is it and what do you do during the day? Story time, art time, music time, etc.
This article is exactly correct–especially the “shrewdness” part. You have to stay 100% consistent while still appearing calm and confident.
Just finished week 5 of the school year. Weeks 3 and 4 were rough, honeymoon was definitely over and they were pushing every boundary; exhausting! Every morning I reminded myself of all that I have learned from SCM and we made it! Week 5 was pretty good with only a handful of students pushing the envelope while the rest watched to see if I would continue following through. Again exhausting, but it’s getting easier. More students are falling into place as they watch the pushers get the consequences and realize it isn’t worth it to act a fool. I was actually able to do 2 labs, a variety of hands-on messy activities and station rotations that get them up and moving around the room without any problems because I finally had a SCM plan in place that I could fall back on. I teach 7th grade science. It’s going to be a good year. Thank you Michael.
Something I am thinking about as a new teacher is my ability to recognize in the moment when a behavior violates a rule or expectation. You used the analogy of “being a referee” in another post I read. I think this is interesting. I recognize just how much skill is involved in having the awareness that a particular behavior was disrespectful, for example. Sometimes being disrespected shows up as a low-grade hum that we choose, at times unbeknownst to us, to turn a blind eye to. In these instances we sometimes cannot outwardly name why we feel stressed or bothered. This is the fascinating thing about holding another person accountable– the level of awareness, clarity, and confidence that is involved.
Michael, there are moments when reading your work when things seem so easy in theory, then it comes to carrying it out in practice and I fall flat on my face. As a new teacher, I am trying to remember that I am still learning. It does not feel simple, for me, to suddenly flip a switch and not care what students think of me, follow through with consequences, not take work home, and many other things you write about that I wish I was better at.
That said, I do find myself coming back to this idea of choosing how I respond to challenges. Staying measured despite standing on what feels like shaky ground. It is easy to point out all of the instances when I’ve struggled or mishandled something, but I want to reflect and learn from these instances. Ultimately, I am committed to teaching more engaging lessons, managing my classroom effectively, and finding and holding onto the joy of teaching. I know it takes time. I know it is a process.
Hi Ben,
I wish I had time to respond to everything you’ve written, but your self-reflection tells me you’re on the right track.
Can you suggest a consequence chart or ideas for second graders? I have 1 or 2 students that consistently try to entertain the others.