I know this to be true after years of working with thousands of teachers struggling with classroom management:
They don’t know what they want from their students.
Should they allow talking while entering the classroom? Should they allow calling out during discussions? Should they allow whispering when working independently?
These are just a few of the myriad decisions every teacher must make. And if they don’t make them, either because they’re unsure or noncommittal, then misbehavior ensues.
Although I do have recommendations, it’s not which individual decision that makes the greatest difference. It’s making the decision and then supporting it with teaching and accountability that most impacts behavior.
It’s when students don’t know what is expected that problems arise. These are called gray areas. And you must eliminate them.
If there is ever a moment that you’re unsure what your students should be doing and how they should be behaving, then they won’t know either.
In which case, they will make their own—and almost always disruptive—choice.
The first step is knowing what you want. It seems obvious. But the truth is, scores of teachers begin their school day with dozens of unanswered questions.
You must decide. You must know. You must teach and model what is expected during every moment of the school day.
For example, if allowed, what exactly does talking while entering the classroom look like? Is it polite conversation? How long does it last? At what point must your students get silent?
I’m often asked, “But how do I make these decisions?”
You visualize them.
Grab a pencil and notepad and find a comfortable place to sit. Close your eyes and watch in your mind’s eye as your students perform whatever unanswered questions you have in the most optimal way.
In other words, picture the perfect (fill in the blank).
It’s this visualization that will represent what you truly want. So trust what you see and jot down what it looks like. Bullet point it. These are your expectations.
You may only have to visualize transitions, vague routines, or times when things go off the rails. Or you may have to visualize your entire day.
The key is to shore up every area, like cracks in a sailboat.
When and if new gray areas are exposed, through your uncertainty and subsequent misbehavior, then repeat the process. Visualize. Write it down. Then teach and model until there is no doubt what you want.
PS – I was a guest on the Music Ed Insights podcast recently and really enjoyed the conversation. Click here if you’d like to listen.
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.
So good👍
Applies to everything in life!
This conversation can also be applied to the overall school climate as well. When the” powers to be” announced that schools were over-disciplining students and that we couldn’t suspend or expel students, they offered the schools no plan as an alternative. The solution for our school was creating a school governance and behavior matrix that clearly defined expectations and consequences. Of course, a process like this needs to be refined yearly as we discover new “gray” areas that need to be covered. New teachers should understand that the process of eliminating the cracks that students look for in our system may be a refinement process that lasts their entire career.
On the bright side, that’s what makes teaching so interesting. The moment you feel you’ve got every base covered, a student will come up with something new that you’ve never seen before. I hear people say, “You have to choose your battles,” but the battle for respect and a productive learning environment is one that no one should give up – keep up the good fight!
Any chance you could share the matrix? Trying to work on one for my school. Thank you!!
Great podcast! Very insightful. This articles helped me rethink some of the ways I execute classroom management. I think I do a pretty good job, but I definitely have room to grow. I love the idea of modeling, and I know some teachers who do that, but I have never spent the time on it. I think that will be a big change for me in the years to come.
Thanks 🙂
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
I have bought and read a lot of your insightful books about classroom management and even if I read them all, I just love receiving your emails which give me the opportunity to review quickly some of the greatest tips I have ever read in my career.
I apply your principles in my 6th grade classroom and the results are phenomenal. I swear by your method and I teach it to my university student-teachers when doing their practicum with me. Thanks again! Sincerely, Caroline
This really resonated with me. I do have some gray areas. I will definitely try the visualization technique. Thank you.
Exactly. This is naming the struggle for me. Thank you!
Wow. Thank you, Michael, again. What a great idea. Why, oh why do we never have teacher training like this in universities?
For me, this article is like turning on a light – a Damascan moment. I spent the weekend thinking about it and (I was off school sick on Monday) will put it into action on Tuesday.
Thanks
When I have trouble with students I agree on the pen and paper method, but I write their names down and when they get better I cross them out. It helps cause I have alot of loud students at naptime!
thank you for sharing this great ideas. Very helpful
I have only 3 students in one of my language classes. They are fourth-graders. They are polite, raise their hands, do their work, and progress nicely. The problem is that they have a relaxed chat while working. I understand it feels awkward when there is complete silence in the class and they want to fill it in by talking. As a result, they finish the task later than they could have if they didn’t talk. My question is what to do in this case? Do I make them stay silent or allow this talking as long as they do their work? The task/project might take 20 minutes and it’s almost impossible for they will stay quiet during this time.
The problem is because of the woke generation and the gentle parenting. Kids have no structure and are mostly confused what sex they’re supposed to be instead of learning. I’m so glad I have no children in school these days!!!!