Okay, so there is a strategy I’ve been using every first day of school that I can remember.
I’ve never written about it.
But lately I’ve been sharing it with my coaching clients. It seems to resonate with them. As I explain it, I can see their mind turning before a smile slowly overtakes their face.
The strategy, which takes just a few seconds, sends a powerful message to your new students. It gets to the quick, ending any doubt about whether you’re a teacher who will do what you say you will.
Or be a pushover like so many others.
It’s a bit sneaky and may need adjusting according to your grade level, but it effectively eliminates the testing phase whereby students push and probe to find the limits of your patience.
To be most effective, you’ll want to use the strategy within the first few minutes of the first day of school (or period of a new class).
The way it works is that after greeting your students for the first time, and before sharing anything about being in your classroom, you’re going to casually mention one rule and what will happen if that rule is broken.
For elementary students I recommend asking them to stay silent while you’re talking. This can also work for middle school.
“For the next 20 minutes I’m going to cover some important information. Please listen and stay quiet until I’m finished, at which time you may ask questions. If you can’t do that, then you’ll have to sit separately from the class until I’m finished.”
Note: You must set aside desks, tables, or work stations for this purpose.
High school students, however, tend to stay quiet in the beginning. And what we want, oddly, is for this rule to be broken as soon as possible.
So for high-schoolers I recommend asking them to keep their phones out of sight and letting them know that you’ll take them away if you see them.
The idea, the whole purpose of the strategy, is to show you mean what you say. In other words, and again, you want someone to break the rule.
And as long as you’re casual and friendly during your greeting, someone will—which gives you an opportunity to calmly and confidently ask them to move or stroll over to take away their phone.
Now, it’s important that you do this after a long pause, and be sure to take your time. You want every student to see you doing what you said without showing any anger or frustration.
In a sense you’re modeling how you’ll handle all misbehavior in the future.
Furthermore, because no other teacher does this—after all, who in their right mind would hold someone accountable in the first few minutes—it says volumes about you and what you value.
It lets students know that being in your classroom is going to be a unique experience. Done right, the strategy is so powerful that it can knock two or three weeks off the trial and testing period and help you avoid ever losing control of your class.
It’s important to mention that you’ll still teach, model, and practice the rules and consequences that make up your classroom management plan. They may even look different than this first rule—which is only temporary.
It’s just for getting through your introduction, initial routines, and teaching your plan.
It simultaneously gives you the attentive group you need to lay the groundwork for your program and sends the message that you can be trusted.
I realize that this article may prompt questions about phones and time-outs among other things. Rest assured, we’ve got you covered. Please check out the links within the article or type a query into the Search box at the top of the page.
You can also check out one or more of our books.
As for the strategy, it may not be for everyone. But if you have the confidence to pull it off, it can jump-start your school year in a big way.
It can draw your students into form quickly so you can get on with the business of teaching content and creating a classroom they love being part of. Just be sure that when you follow though, do it kindly and ignore any sniggering or surprised reactions from students.
Smile, do what you say, and they’ll respect and appreciate you right from the get-go.
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To be completely honest, at my school (middle school), I would be seen as uncaring and downright mean, were I to call out a student, move them to timeout, and do so in a way that “sets an example,” calling attention to the process-regardless of the time of year, and regardless of my demeanor when I did it. When I returned to the middle school classroom 6 years ago after 20 years in the college classroom, I actually attempted this, WITHOUT drama or overreaction on my part, and it was not effective. Middlers need lots of mercy and reminders. Establishing relationships will go the farthest in preventing discipline issues.
The students need structure and boundaries, not “mercy”. All you’re doing is moving the problem along so that we high school teachers have to clean up even more of the mess.
Don’t agree. I use Linsins techniques in 3 different schools and they work. You need to pause then do what you say you will do. Lots of reminders will interrupt teaching and learning for everyone. If you can’t control the class you are not an effective teacher. Relationships are part of it but you need to gain respect by using the techniques for the relationships to be genuine and professional.
sorry, hon. no can do.
When you base your classroom management on relationships alone, it’s like you’re “begging” your students to listen to you – “if I’m your friend, will you listen to me?” That puts you in a position (like some other teachers I know) that you are always scared to upset them or do something they are unhappy with because it will mess up your relationship and destroy your classroom management and sanity.
As well, when you base your classroom management on your relationship with your students, you may survive the year, but you are not educating those kids the way you can be proud of. Because they are learning to listen when they want to and not because they have to. A bully is mean to anyone, but always nice to his friends. Your students are learning the way of a bully – to be nice to anyone that is their friend, and if they are not their friend, then, y’know, do whatcha want…
Linsin teaches ya how to have awesome classroom management, have awesome relationships with the kids, but not make one entirely dependant on the other…
By the way, guys, this stuff goes for parenting too!
I use this strategy and it works. You have to be really flexible with middle schoolers. I 100% agree with you when it comes to building strong relationships. One thing that I do is start “working” on students before they get to me. I teach 7th/8th but you will find me talking and having fun with 5th and 6th graders.
Hi Mario! I also teach 7th/8th grade and would love to chat with you about how you implement SCM in the middle school classroom. I’ve read a lot of Linsin’s work, but feel a little lost because so much of his writing refers to elementary or high school. I’ve decided to use his high school plan with my students, but would love the chance to talk with another middle school teacher about the particular nuances of the middle grades.
Wonderful! Just the type of next level Linsin material I have been looking for. I have been following you for years and have it more or less dialed in but am always looking to fine tune! This will do just that!
I teach jr high and the periods for the first day are about 12-15 minutes depending on the school year.
How long do you recommend we keep this special island of seats set up in the classroom before we return the floor plan to our typical set up?
Thanks for sharing your secret! I know how much teachers like to keep these types of gems near and dear!
Love the idea & trying to figure out how to implement….I teach at a HS where the students aren’t allowed to bring their phones into the classroom. I could do the no talking, but what would you recommend as an effective consequence? Our rooms are very small so separating a student would be tough (unless I put her at my desk), but that would result in lots of snickering from her & the class, which I don’t think would create the desired effect….
Anyone have thoughts/recommendations? Thx much!!
Hi Jeff,
Perhaps instead of having desks set aside, you could have the “offender” stand at the back of the room, as long as they are physically able. This will also enable them to continue to listen/pay attention and you can keep an eye on them, as they will be very visible, standing.
Or maybe not move an actual desk, but simply just a few extra chairs at the side or back of the room, since you have limited space? These could come in useful for partner/small group work in time as well.
Did you ever figure out a good way to implement this for high school? I teach middle school but time-outs don’t tend to work well in my opinion.
I have used your classroom management plan for years now and love it. It has made teaching fun instead of frustrating. My students enjoy knowing the boundaries, and having a solid plan to rely on allows me to be me. Thank you so much for sharing your insights!!
This is a great approach for the first minutes of a new year. Teachers should always follow-up with what they say the will do.
One word of caution for teachers new to a building. Make sure your administrator is on-board with what you will do if a student breaks a rule. e.g. the phone being taken out and taking the teacher taking the phone away. I have known principals that do not support the action of taking the phone away from a student even for a short time. Teachers should also anticipate what will be done if the student refuses to follow the teacher’s direction. I like the idea of having a separate area in the room for those who need extra direction. If the teacher has a set of steps for consequences to infractions they should think about this specific situation. If may be best to choose another rule that you want “broken” to get your message across.
I would not have the teacher who is new to the profession/building have a consequence that will not be supported.
I am a retired teacher and principal who has also supervised both first year teachers and principal trainees.
Thank you for this timely wisdom and advice. SCM is fantastic and yet new teachers in a building have a lot to take as they implement these strategies. Getting advice from a veteran in the building could be helpful to them!
Or……they’ll go and cry to admin or someone like and you’ll be met with and overruled.
Happens a lot on my side of things.
Have a numbered classroom pocket for cell phones holder hanging wall. Label your desks with the same numbers. If students break the rule, just ask to put their phone in the pocket with the same desk number they are sitting. Make sure you have this pinned in front of the students so they can trust nobody is looking at their phone (specially HS students).
This is a very controversial rule and for me, the one that is broken more often and unfortunately, the one that affects the most the learning.
Thanks for your articles.
This is an amazing idea. Confiscating a student’s phone on the first day of school sets you up for a risky power struggle. Your idea decreases the risks considerably and allows you to maintain a calm and matter of fact demeanor.
I am moving to 8th grade this year, from 4/5th. I am thinking that it is okay to treat them like the high school students. Am I wrong?
Yes. They are trying to be mature individuals. Help them achieve their goal.
Any suggestions on other directions besides to stay silent? Mine generally do those first few days. Trying to think of a rule that would be broken.
Hi Kate,
I was going to ask the same.
And in the school I’ve been working for the past 3 years the cell phones are banned from 8am to 3pm (school day). And even in middle school the kids tend to stay mute and paying attention during my first day introduction.
Using the other classroom rules and strategies I read here has helped me a lot when the kids “relax” and start pushing the boundaries, but it doesn’t happen until maybe a week or two into my teaching.
I would like to use this on the first day next year but if no one talks or blinks (or reaches out to their phone)? What if you get a group that won’t break any rule that day?
For littles having them line up silently to take a classroom tour even on the first day is difficult and they can just go to back of the line if you have a small space.
Michael, I have a question, is it true that the longer students know you and get used to you. The better they will behave for your??
Trying to picture how this would go with TK where the youngest student just turned 4 in May…
I had the same experience with High Schooler . Besides we are expected to build relationships based on care and creating a safe emotional environment by providing emotional intelligence activities to know the students and build trust. During the Covid we implemented this approach and have incorporated along the lesson plans I have obtained the best results in all aspects of academic progress and growth.
I am not saying we should ignore the rules and the consequences. Indeed we need to model the expectations to preserve the learning environment.
I think my students respected me because I said:” I don’t want to take your phone away. Please put it away.”
This is very helpful, thank you.
Thanks Michael for this new gem of a tip. I’m thinking about it for next year and just wondering what I would do if a child refused to move to the separate table at this point when I haven’t set up further consequences? I think this could happen in my new class. Thank you! Heidi
I have been working on improving this plan each year. If I think there’s a need, I include this for uncooperative students, “You are not in trouble. You just need to take a break in our break space then I’ll invite you back when you look ready. Then, I say, “For a student who cannot do this, the next step is to email home that this was a concern in class today.” I jot a note down (they see me) and I simply move on avoiding that student’s attempt to have a power struggle.
Thank you for this pro tip.
This action is a bold statement and will take a lot of courage. I will keep it mind.
I was just wondering what we would do with the students who are separated from the class. They will miss out on information. And teaching young children, they won’t really feel like they are missing out on anything important. Or is it that they just are separated for a few short minutes and then invited back? Thanks!
I have seen many strategies here use a separate space to send the kids to. What option do i have as a teacher that has over 40 students in a room where there is no such thing as extra space, where my desk is crammed in a corner and i have students one foot away from me as I teach at the board?
Interesting, I have learnt one or two things now.
I teach at a high school and I enforce the no cell phones during class unless authorized (every now and then I ask someone to take out their cell phone to google to check on some fact or something and that is actually kind of cool to do). I have a cell phone holding area (the top right corner of my desk) which is kind of like putting their cell phone in detention. I have the student put the cell phone in the holding area. If they refuse to turn in their cell phone, I just write them up with a referral to administration saying they refused to turn in their cell phone. I explain to them they get their cell phone back at the end of the period. I also allow them to listen to music or whatever (with earpods) when we are working on assignments at their desk. They can’t use cell phones or listen to music during a test or quiz though as they could have recorded the review… I get willing participation in the cell phone detention program as the school policy is to confiscate it and after so many times, you turn it in to the administrator and their parents have to come and get it. (with the back up of a tougher admin policy – I keep cell phones out of my classroom) Some days the cell phone holding area has 3-4 phones in it but throughout the semester, I get good results.
Would you suggest a shorter time period for younger students on the first day. 10 minutes of listening and I am sure I will have someone sit out?
Yes, makes sense.
I am a little confused here. I could do the separation/time out for 5th grade easily. I am now moved to my first year of 2nd grade. What would you do if they get upset and emotional?What happens if nobody breaks the rule in the first few minutes?
What if the student freaks out and has a fit or refuses to go to timeout day 1? What if there’s a power struggle on Day 1? I know you are supposed to “lose” power struggles but what if it’s day 1?!
I also almost always have at least 1-2 students who end up either just being ridiculously rebellious and resentful about any type of discipline. I had 2 students last year who would dump out their desks and crawl around on the floor if there was any sort of consequence delivered. They would shut down for about half the day at best; at worst, they would flip out and be super distracting.
It was the worst year of my life. I have always found pretty good success using these strategies, and I have always lived by the rule that it doesn’t matter what students you get, you can still have your dream classroom. But that year I had 3 emotionally volcanic students and 3 more that were so tough in other ways, and I just hope that it doesn’t happen again this year.
The nightmares have begun. I’m hopeful for this year but also nervous. I am also not really sure why I am venting here, but I am.
Can this be applied to a second-grade online class?
Michael, your advice is spot on. It matches the best advice I received my first full year teaching in my own classroom in middle school, though my colleague said it in a slightly different way. I have used it for years in both middle and high school in all types of schools I can say with 100% certainty that it works! I start with rule #1, one person talking in whole group discussion at a time. I explain why it is place, to be respectful of everyone who is speaking. Then during that first day there will inevitably be a couple of students who will choose to have their own conversation while you are talking or another student is asking a question, or a class clown who feels the need to call out, even in high school. CATCH THEM. It is very quick to explain that they’ve broken rule number one and were as a result rude to me (or their classmate, whoever was speaking at the time). If another student was asking a question, I will politely apologize to them as I actually interrupt their speaking to stop the other talking in its tracks. In my system that is just a warning to the “side talking” or “talking out” student(s), but the fact that you’ve caught them makes all the difference. By the end of the class I’ve explained my system (warning, “official conference”, then step 3 call home, within one week). At the end of class I call the student(s) I warned over, refer to the plan, and just politely note that what they received during that first class was merely a warning under the system. Then inevitably one of them will do it again the next class. I call the student over after class and let them know that we are now having an “official conference”. Almost every time the student will be shocked, that we could be having an official conference on day 2. “No one else does that on day two”, they will say. I show them in the plan where it says that’s what I’ll do, and tell them that we’ll move to step 3 if the behavior doesn’t stop. It takes less than 30 seconds. They leave my class and tell everyone what happened. As a result I stop problems right in their tracks. I’m not friends with my students, but I have great rapport with them. Other teachers would complain about that student interrupting their class all year – and I never had a problem again.
Hi Michael,
Do you recommend time-out for middle school grade 8 & 9 students, in the first class and for the rest of the semester, or do you think it would be better to give them high school plan consequences?
I have a question- I sm on your 4 teaching 3-5th grade art. I have been doing your plan slightly different. Because I only have them one class of 45 min a week, I was adding a phone call home for consequence 2 and a trip to the principal for 3. Honestly, not many calls home but I was not consistent. The masks and no assistant made it often very tough to know who was talking. Never really got a good handle on certain classes. Also our school has a clip down system in the regular classroom that I can say “clip down when you get to class” and trying to figure out how best to work with that. Sorry- just trying to get a better approach this year.
Thank you very much for everything that you share with us- it is very useful, indeed. Since I have discovered your blog, my whole experience as a teacher really changed and I really started to gain control of my students. So- thank you again and keep doing this wonderful job that you do!
It makes so much sense and is so typical of SCM that I knew what you were going to say before I even opened this article. Great advice.
I think I on the first day if a student had their phone out as I was teaching rules, I might pause, thank them for allowing me to demonstrate the consequences of having their phone out. You get one warning, then points off for the day and a lunch detention. I was at my wits end the year before this year when we implemented your HS plan in PE. I was so done with the AirPods and constant reminders. At the beginning of this year I implemented the one warning and points system and lunch detention and enforced it. At the beginning of class as I had taught them every class, I reminded them to remove earbuds and this was their one warning. Then I continued with instruction. If they put them back in, they received a points reduction and lunch detention. This gave them an opportunity to remember to remove them at the beginning of class and me showing I understand sometimes we make mistakes. I very rarely had to give a lunch detention for this and also they didn’t put them back in their ears during class. I also explained that isn’t an issue because in the gym or outside we need to be able to hear what is going on around us and listen to instructions. I am going to start MS next year and I’d love a MS guide bu I have a feeling that it is similar to HS with a little ES.