Readers have asked this question again and again over the years.
And I can certainly understand why.
It’s a decision that can cause you to second guess yourself either way. Darned if you do and darned if you don’t.
However, there is a third option.
It’s an option that removes the guesswork and places the decision of whether or not you allow them to participate with the student.
Removing you from the equation.
Moreover, it can also result in improved behavior from both the student in question and your entire class.
So what is it?
It’s to lay out ahead of time the conditions that must be met by all students in order to participate in the activity.
Now, if you’re using the elementary plan we recommend, this is easy. If a student is in time-out when the activity begins, then they remain in time-out. That is, until they meet the time and behavior requirements needed to rejoin their classmates.
In other words, nothing changes.
Whether or not they participate, and for how long, has nothing to do with you. You’re just a referee calling ’em like you see ’em, continuing to be consistent regardless of the activity.
But what if you have something really special planned, like a party or once-a-year event? Or what if you’re using our high school plan?
In this case, several weeks before—if not the first week of school or semester—you would lay out precisely what misbehaviors, or frequency of misbehavior, would preclude them from participating.
Put it in writing as part of your classroom management plan and syllabus or information packet you send home for parents to sign. If need be, you can even create a separate document specific to the activity.
Get everyone on record ahead of time so there are no arguments or misunderstandings. Turn the responsibility of whether and how much they participate over to your students.
Place it firmly on their shoulders, where it rightly belongs.
In this way, if you must keep them from participating, instead of blaming you for what otherwise might appear to be an arbitrary or subjective decision, they’ll be compelled reflect on their misbehavior.
They’ll see the error of their ways and resolve not to make the same mistake a second time.
Again, your only role is that of an impartial referee following through on your promises, which effectively removes the stress and doubt that come with trying to make the right decision.
It also removes the possibility of your students seeing you as either unfair . . .
Or a pushover.
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.
I agree! laying out the specific conditions prior will help the students intrinsically desire to meet the expectations and soar higher. As a result, you will put out far less fires. 🙂
PS…Michael I keep referring people to you. I appreciate the wisdom you share.
Thanks Anthony!
Do you offer workshops for schools?
Not at this time, Laura, but thanks for your interest!
Hi Michael,
I love your blog and get lots of great ideas from you.
Much of this article is amazing however I wonder if you’ve considered rethinking your thoughts on “time out”. Current research has proven it really doesn’t work, especially with children who have experienced or are experiencing trauma and/or toxic stress. Children need connection (“time In”) not exclusion. I would love to see you address that in your blog.
Hi Betsy,
I assume you’re referring to parenting research, which I’m very familiar with. The way in which we recommend time-out for classroom use is a different animal altogether and, done right, is extremely effective. It also mitigates the concerns associated with its use in the home. I will, however, put this topic on the list of future articles.
I see that you have a high school plan and an elementary school plan, but what about a middle school plan?
Hi Velma,
When you get a chance, please read the FAQs.
In the classroom I have been working in this year, there are two places for “time to think”– one is a money stool with a feelings chart and a squeezy ball and little basket. The other is in the “vestibule” made by a bookcase perpendicular to the door, where a giraffe height chart is on the door and there is a chair. There are two rules posted on the board– Listen Carefully to instructions and follow them, and Wait Patiently for your turn. We recite them during morning meeting. Out of 21 children, there are 5 who consistently and continuously fail to meet these expectations and are asked to choose a “Thinking Spot” every single day, get notes home every single day, and end up with an office referral at least twice a week. It’s January, and we got a new student this week. He’s only spent a few hours in the classroom in 3 days; because his behavior was so off the charts he’s spending transition time with the counselor or social worker. I had him manage to be successful for 1 hour a 45 minutes before he started to spin, and the rest of the day was shot.
Two major problems I am still having with 2 of the kids. They just randomly blurt out with loud nonsensical noises. Kid 1 is a wanderer, impulsive; pulled a girl out of a chair, tackled her and pinned her to the floor (phone call home). “Time to think” only works when they cooperate, because we are not allowed to physically touch the children and cannot make them get in a chair. Technically, I am not allowed to touch them to remove the boy from the top of the girl, but I admit I did that anyway, because she was half his size. Kid 2 wanders around to take other kids’ work and crumple, tear or mark on it. Kid 2 opens his mouth and just bellows every single time I start to speak.
I am not their regular teacher, I was her co-teacher for a month at the beginning of the year when there were 33 in the classroom before they hired another teacher and split up the classes. I have been her sub since then. She is a master teacher and her plan is pretty much your plan, and I of course toe the same line.
Now, since I can’t order the kids to be taken to cognitive behavior therapy what else can I do?
Hi Amy, I would love to known the answer to your question as I am in a similar situation, although my class is smaller (it’s an intervention class). One of the pupils just does what he wants and if he decides to leave his safe space and come and tease everyone, call them names and distract them, there’s not much I can do. He’s not reacting to any instructions, and I cannot physically remove him from the class. He’s just ruining everyone else’s learning experience…
Hello from Vancouver, B.C.
I have been in hundreds (yes, no kidding) of classes teaching on call, K-12 over 17 years. I currently teach a Grade 3 class; last year I taught full time Gr. 5/6 and one weekly class to Gr. 7’s. I have used Michael’s techniques for years. I can’t say enough about how all Michael’s strategies work–like a charm. Yes, once the kids know your expectations, you will absolutely be free to enjoy your students! I’ve recommended the books/blog, in particular, to new teachers.
Michael, please give us more of your thoughts on how to handle so many challenges within one class, such as my current Gr. 3’s, (5 constant interrupters, other kids who do nothing without you sitting with them, 1/3 of the class who are 2 grades below standard, 3-4 high achievers, 1-2 new immigrants, students with severe behaviour (there’s usually 3 in most classes- these work with counsellors)… Thank you for reminding us that we love teaching. Cheers!
Michael, is there anything wrong with telling the students who are off-the-charts chronic behavior problems such as some of those described in comments above, that the school they are currently attending may not be the correct venue for educating them without destroying the potential education of the rest of the class? This follows the logic you suggest in your current article: the students will need to be the ones to decide whether they will or won’t continue attending the school they are currently attending. If they choose to continue attending their current school they are, in effect, committing to following the school rules; otherwise, they are indicating that they are o.k. with activating mandatory expulsion from said school. I think a student on any grade level ((except, perhaps, the pre-school grades ) can understand the logic of this thinking. Obviously, possible expulsion should not be presented as a punishment; it should be presented as the reality the student is choosing to create for him/her self. In the long run, if the student is transferred to a small school geared towards working with kids with behavioral problems it may well work to the student’s benefit. My logic is this: the teacher is responsible to manage each student in a way that makes the student function optimally as long as the student isn’t constantly destroying the chances of OTHER STUDENTS to safely receive the education they come to school receive. Furthermore, we are not doing a student a favor by depriving him/her of the kind of learning environment in which they can actually learn to control their weaknesses.
Ultimately, the teacher must be honest enough with him/her self to acknowledge whether it is their classroom management skills that are in need of improvement or whether the student is in need of a more specialized environment.
Hi Rachel,
My answer is too long for this forum, but I’ll be sure to include it in a future article.
Hi Michael,
Thank you so much for your blog — it has been an invaluable resource to me as a new high school teacher. I was wondering your thoughts on asking students to stay after school as a consequence. I start with a warning, but as a second-level consequence, rather than a time-out, I ask the student to remain after school, where I speak to him or her briefly. I find that, since they of course hate missing this time, it works well, and it’s so brief that it does not cause them to miss their next class.
Thanks.
I’m all for it, Tyler.
Thank you so much for this. When I was the dean of discipline for our 7th grade, there was a fun event for the class at the end of the year. At the very first meeting, I reminded students of my “three strikes” rule; if they had three dean issued consequences of the most serious degree, they would not be able to participate in the event. It was clear to me that the students kept that in their minds all year, as whenever I had an interaction with a student over an issue, their first question was, “Am I still eligible?” I really felt they kept themselves in check when they knew they were close to crossing the line that third time and I never had to make a decision. They made it for me.
Where do I find the FAQ section? Thank you.
https://smartclassroommanagement.com/the-smart-classroom-management-plan-for-high-school-teachers/
Can you elaborate more on toe-in and time-out.