There is a secret to classroom management no one talks about. Most have never heard of it.
Yet, it’s remarkably effective.
It takes discipline. But it’s there for the taking. It’s simple, direct, and works for every teacher at every grade level.
This secret effortlessly draws students to their work and the challenges you place before them rather than the temptations of misbehavior.
So what is it?
It’s high competence. In other words, it’s your excellence at running every area of your classroom.
- schedule
- organization
- preparation
- presentation
- consistency
- clarity
- order
- detail
- precision
- simplicity
- neatness
- personal dress
The idea is to be so good at these controllables that students know beyond any doubt that they’re in safe hands.
People in general and kids in particular are impressed by highly competent people. The reason is because it’s rare, especially on a school campus. (Sorry, but it’s true.)
Thus, you’ll stick out like a White Rhino.
This signals to students that they can trust their teacher implicitly. A true leader is in charge. Therefore, they can let down their guard.
They can let go of their anxieties, fears, frustrations, excuses, and resentments. They can throw away their urge to disrupt and misbehave.
Within the safety of your prowess, they can simply be and enjoy learning.
Of course, you still must have a classroom management plan you follow to a tee. Your rules must be clear and nonnegotiable. Your consequences enforced like an NFL referee.
For you must be exceptional at every area within your control. It’s your pushing the far reaches of excellence across a wide range of competencies that makes the message resonate.
In reality, however, you only need one trait: discipline. Because you don’t work on being organized, for example, or work on being neatly dressed. You either are or you aren’t.
How you do anything is how you do everything.
But here’s the best thing about this secret: Its effect is magic. Effortless. Smooth as a Zamboni. Cool as the other side of the pillow.
Simply prove to your students that you’re a highly competent leader and it all happens naturally.
Their behavior, their politeness, their own drive for excellence will appear like a bolt from the blue because you dedicate yourself to being exceptional every day of the year.
PS – Check out this week’s YouTube videos:
1. How to Handle Students Who Never Take Responsibility
2. Why Students Behave for Some Teachers but Not Others
3. The First Thing to Fix When Your Classroom Starts Falling Apart
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