One of the happy truths about classroom management is that you can always press the restart button.
You can always call a do-over.
Any time you like.
So as soon as you notice your students becoming less motivated and more prone to misbehavior, that’s exactly what you should do.
Crumble up and start over.
Don’t wait until your students are climbing the walls, and you’re sobbing during your lunch break.
Do it now.
Every day your wet finger should be in the air, testing the behavioral winds of your classroom.
If you don’t like the direction they’re blowing, it’s time to shake things up.
And start over from scratch.
Here’s how:
Begin first thing in the morning.
It’s best to start over in the morning, as soon as your students arrive to school. In the meantime, if you’re trying to get through a rough afternoon, slow everything down.
Take your time, talk less, and wait until your students are quiet and looking at you before moving on to the next thing.
Rearrange seating.
Before your students arrive in the morning, change the seating arrangement—as well as where students sit in relation to one another.
A new place to sit signals to students that change is in the air. The old way of doing things isn’t in play any longer.
Clean up the clutter.
Physical environment has a noticeable effect on behavior. A tidy, clean look, with lots of pride and open space, sparks an immediate understanding in students–without you saying a word–that excellence is expected.
Clutter, on the other hand, whispers to all who enter your classroom, “Mediocre will do.”
Block out one hour (or more).
Most teachers are in a hurry to plow through the curriculum, giving less attention to the one thing that makes the greatest difference in the classroom: classroom management.
Clear your schedule for first thing in the morning. Give yourself at least one hour to work your classroom back into shape.
Model procedures first.
Your students need to know exactly what to do, and how to do it well, during every minute of the school day. When they don’t, bad things happen.
Routines and procedures are critical to your success—and sanity. They should be reviewed, modeled, and practiced during the first half of your one-hour block.
Practice walking in line.
Although all procedures are important, walking in line is at the top of the list. Nothing focuses students faster or more effectively than practicing a smooth, brisk, arrow-straight line.
It gets them doing things the right way, which will then transfer to everything they do.
Reintroduce your classroom management plan.
After practicing procedures, your students will be calmer, more attentive, and more receptive to your instruction.
Now is the time to reintroduce your classroom management plan. Model each rule and consequence like it’s the first day of school.
Recommit yourself.
If your students have become careless with their behavior, then you’ve become careless with classroom management. It’s as simple as that. So own up to it.
Tell your students that you’ve done a poor job of holding them accountable and therefore haven’t fulfilled your most important job: to protect their right to learn without interference.
Then give your word that it won’t happen again.
Pedal To The Metal
Whenever you feel like you’re losing control of your classroom, it’s because of something you’re doing–or not doing. It’s not about your students. It never has been and it never will be.
It’s about you.
Effective classroom management is a daily, hourly, commitment. As soon as you let up and relax your standards, you’re going to pay for it–with interest.
The solution is to keep your foot on the gas, propelling your students toward your ever-rising bar of excellence.
Do this, and you’ll never have to start over.
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Great article!
I especially agree that taking it slow can go such a long way. You’ll really be able to see exactly where the breakdown begins, and address it right there. It will probably also help you keep a clear head and stay positive.
We’d love to have your insights address some of the questions posted at http://www.educatedexchange.com!
I am taking over from a teacher whose classroom is chaos. I have the 9th grade class for the rest of the year. I’ve observed, but haven’t taken over yet. Calling out, straightening hair in the back of the class, sleeping, off-task, ridiculing of students by peers – you name it, it’s there. Any suggestions?
Hi Nancy,
I recommend starting over as if it’s the first day of school. This website will help you do that. Begin reading through the Classroom Management Plan and Rules & Consequences categories of the archive and then go from there. There is no reason why you can’t have completely different results from the teacher before you. After all, the previous teacher is the reason why the class is the way it is.
Michael
Thank you so much for your great advice.
Rose
You’re welcome, Rose!
Great article. I set aside an hour today and reset expectations. Where do you suggest going from here? How much time to I spend reviewing everyday?
Hi Bridgette,
You definitely need to practice routines. This is a big factor in effective classroom management. Read through the Routines & Procedures category of the archive. As for time spent on classroom management… as much as you need.
:)Michael
I recently started subbing after 25 years in corporate. I had a situtition where the other sub, in for just the special ed kids, took over my class and corrected me infront of the class. I of course lost control after it was taken away and could not regain control. What should I have done?
Hi Chris,
You start over. Like it was the moment the students arrived. Ask for their attention, wait until you get it (then wait some more), and review your rules and expectations. Move on only when the students give you what you want.
Michael
I took the seventh graders activity classes for the last two months of the year. They don’t care for learning anything, but they always shout and that’s what they do with other teachers. How can i control them?
Hi Samira,
Take some time to look through the archive. This website addresses your question.
:)Michael
It’s my first day subbing and these kids are taking extreme advantage of me. HELP
I discovered your website last weekend and have devoured the columns. I also ordered, received and read the book. This is my 38th year of teaching. I have been a support person and away from the classroom for 10 years. I now teach 2nd grade. I have made all the mistakes you warn about this year. After reading your columns, though, this week was much better. I do have a few questions. As you suggest, I have spent a great deal of modeling, practicing and redoing this week. Each day this week, we have gone over the classroom behavior plan, role-played and practiced the consequences. But, I have not actually implemented the “warnings and time-outs.” I want to start this coming week. I explained this week was our practice week. Was that OK? Did I do that right? Thinking ahead to next year, will I spend a week or two practicing before implementing? Thank you so much for figuring all this out!
Carol
Carol
Hi Carol,
Yes, you did it right. I think having a practice week is a good idea.
:)Michael
I have a question about getting their attention (I found the article about it, but comments were closed, sorry this a little off topic). I taught it at teh beginning of the term, but failed to review and enforce it and now I have a hard time getting their attention. Conversations continue and I feel like an idiot just standing up there while they ignore me completely. I am going to reteach it and practice it, using a different signal. Because it is the end of the year, I am anticipating trouble. Should I just keep practicing it until I get everyone doing it? When does it become breaking a rule and following through with enforcement?
Hi Hilary,
I think your problem is deeper than simply reteaching a signal to get their attention. If they are ignoring you, then you have to go back to the beginning. It is a sign they don’t respect you. The article above is a good place to begin. Spend an hour or so reviewing and practicing your plan, routines, etc. and then yes, start following through with consequences.
:)Michael
Hi Michael
I’m teaching three groups of difficult teenagers aged 12-15. In one of these groups I’ve totally lost control, shouted at them several times and even had to call the director in, which was terrible for my reputation. I’m teaching two of these groups for only other seven classes but the thing is I don’t really want to teach there anymore and don’t feel like doing anything now that I have so few classes to work on. Do you recommend applying some rules anyway? I feel so weakened and hurt over what happened two classes ago that I don’t really feel like talking to them. I just say ‘work on pages such and such and hand it in before the bell rings. otherwise you get a D’. Incredibly, they do work, but I know this sucks and they’re not learning much.
I know the whole situation’s entirely my fault, but I feel hopeless.
Thanks
Hi Marie,
I’m so sorry to hear about what happened, but no need to get down on yourself. We all make mistakes. It’s a perfect opportunity to learn something new and become a better teacher. I know it’s hard, but I think in the long run you’ll be far happier if you change course and give your students the best of yourself. However, and this is a big however, before you do anything, make sure you’re prepared and know which strategies you’d like to implement. Rules are certainly important, critical even, but if you come on too strong given the history you have with your class, you’ll likely get some aggressive pushback. I recommend simply being more pleasant. Start slow. Smile more often. Build rapport. Gain some trust and then introduce your rules and procedures.
Don’t feel like you have to do too much at once. Ease into it, and both you and your students will benefit.
Michael
I join a school at the middle of the term and students have developed a disrupting attitude that is difficult to managed. what should I do
Hi Mr. Pam,
I recommend starting in the Classroom Management Plan category of the archive and then going from there. Establish a plan first and then add the strategies and teacher behaviors that best support it.
:)Michael
I have this problem at the moment.
I am a fairly new teacher and unfortunately look the same ages as my high school science students. Some of the older teachers are quite relaxed with their students and can still manage to motivate them to work.
I’ve found that after a term of them thinking I was the cool teacher, they’ve started to pick up on by down to earth relaxed nature and it maybe comes across as laziness (because I’m so young!). My humor is also quite sarcastic and it worked quite well in building a rapport with the students but I’m finding that it’s made the tone of their conversations negative.
Since they don’t respect me like a teacher, they play around and try to get away with things. When they get called on it, they look shocked.
I’m not sure what to do at this point. I can’t be myself because I’m so young and it comes across like I’m one of them. Its difficult for me to discipline them because I’m generally laid back, so I don’t know when to let the little things slide, or call them up on the little things in case it isn’t a one off and they take advantage of it.
All I know is I need to get the initial rapport back – when they loved coming to my class because it was fun and relaxed, but before they figured me out and started slackening off.
Hi Madeline,
It sounds to me like you have a natural gift in the way you interact with students. Rapport seems to come easy for you, which is great. The problem is that in the beginning you didn’t combine it with teaching/showing your students where your boundary lines of behavior are and then strictly, obsessively enforcing them. You can’t have one without the other or you get what you’re getting. It doesn’t have anything to do with your age or the other teachers at your school. It’s about you and being willing to create and follow a classroom management plan.
Michael
This is by far the best classroom management tool that I’ve encountered yet (and considering the number of links on my Pinterest board, that’s saying something!). I’m about to begin my third year teaching at a notoriously difficult school, and I’m super excited to completely overhaul my approach to management.
One question, and I apologize if it’s addressed somewhere on the website that I haven’t explored yet. What is your approach regarding the behavior management cycle? By this, I mean the cycle of stating explicit directions, behavior narrating students who are following the directions (“I see Patrick’s getting out his book,” “Amanda is silently starting the essay,” etc.) and administering consequences afterwards to the students who are still not following directions? Is this something you practice in your classroom, or is it something you view as a “short term solution”? I was taught that the BMC is remarkably effective because it draws (not ridiculously hyperbolic) positive attention to students who are on the right track, and serves as a non-confrontational model/reminder to students who have spaced out for a second or two. I’m just hoping to hear your take. Thank you so much!
-Nicole
Hi Nicole,
It wouldn’t be fair to you to condense my thoughts to just a couple sentences. To give the topic the treatment it deserves, it will have to wait for a future article.
:)Michael
If you teach upper grades and have 90 minute periods, how much time would you recommend reteaching management. An hour would not be appreciated by administration.
Hi Mike,
I recommend as long as it takes. No student benefits from a chaotic room environment. It’s okay to break it up, though, if you wish. Work on CM for a certain number of minutes each day until you get the control you want.
Michael
Thank you for your encouragement! I am not a school teacher, but I found my way to your web-site because I was feeling humiliated after a group of children I was working with at church got out of control. I had been asked to substitute for the music leader, and the room was already noisy because half the children were in the back of the room doing a craft activity. I decided to go ahead and start practice, hoping that the music would get them involved. I was wrong! I switched to doing activity songs, and although I did get more involvement, the noise level just went up. When I tried to do serious songs again, the inattention and noise continued. Finally, one of the leaders (a woman about 15 years younger than me), stood up and — very nicely — gave the children a talking to. (It worked. After a few minutes, the children calmed down.) I am now 50, so I can’t use youth as an excuse anymore for not knowing how to deal with children. I don’t believe in negative methods, but at that time, I could see why so many leaders/teachers resort to it.
As I analyzed it later, I decided that it was a mistake to try to do serious music practice when the room was noisy. And later, when the group in the back was done, I should have waited and insisted on quiet before proceeding. In a group, noise/disorder is always contagious. If one person is out of order, others think they can be too.
In my management of children, I have improved from where I was when I was younger, but my latest experience was making me think that I would never be very good at it. After reading this column and others, I feel hopeful that I can do better. Thanks, again!
Hi Penny,
You can and will do better! Just knowing where you went wrong is half the battle. Way to go!
:)Michael
Hello! Just found your site and articles while searching for ways to gain control back in a classroom, so clearly I’m in need of help. I am just graduated from college and this is my first class room of kids that I am responsible for. There are 18 kids in the fifth grade that are a part of the after school program in which I am the leader for. I really liked your way of making the kids start to get back to behaving appropriately, but when it comes to repeatedly making them try and get line up correct or waiting for silence, what do you do when it starts to cause them to have an attitude? Many of my students roll their eyes, scoff at me or plainly just tell me that they don’t care what the consequences are. I am in major need of a clean do over because I never want to go home nearly in teArs again! Thanks for all the help!!
Lindsey
Hi Lindsey,
Your students have lost respect for you, and now that you’re trying to gain control, they’re rebelling. To get their respect, follow the guidelines above and stick to them no matter what. I also encourage you to spend a lot more time in our archive to get a stronger feel for our philosophy and core principles of classroom management.
Michael
Hey Michael,
I teach a grade 10 class. Slowly over the year the behavior has been getting worse and worse until finally I implemented a classroom management plan. Instead of sending a letter home, I phone the parents so the students don’t forge the signature. What should I do if the parents are annoyed by the amount of times I’m phoning them over the week for their student?
Hi Eric,
If I understand your question, the call home is to give a heads up that the letter is on the way, but it is entirely the student’s responsibility to return it. Thus, one phone call is all that is needed.
Michael
Thanks for answering my question. Would you recommend phoning the first time a student gets a letter sent home, just to let the parents know what is going on? After the initial phone call, I shouldn’t have to call anymore right?
Hi Eric,
If you’re using a classroom management plan for the first time, then yes. A single heads-up phone call is a good idea.
Michael
Hi Eric,
If you’re using a classroom management plan for the first time, then yes. A single heads-up phone call is a good idea.
Michael
Hi Michael,
I have taught eleven years. I struggled with classroom management ten of those years. I read books, observed teachers, went to workshops… I was desperate for help with classroom management. I couldn’t find it anywhere.
Last summer, I found your smartclassroommanagement website. I read articles from your archive over and over until they were tattooed on my brain. Last year, I began to enjoy my students and I could tell that they were happy to be in my classroom. I had a dream class.
I wish that more teachers could have the same experience. Many of the teachers that I know are frazzled and bitter. Now, whenever other teachers complain about their class “problems”. I recommend your site. If they continue to complain, I email them a link to your site directly to the article addressing their problem. If they continue to complain, I quit listening. It means that they aren’t even trying.
I have a long way to grow as a teacher, but using your advice, I know that I will be successful. Now I don’t see classroom issues as “problems”, I see them as challenges.
Thank you for sharing your good, solid advice.
Sincerely,
Laura
Awesome, Laura! Thanks so much for sharing your success with me. Way to go! It will only get better.
Michael
Thanks,
I just started my career as a teacher and everyday I am facing the same thing happened in my class.Hope this ideas will work.thanks again.
You’re welcome, Darshana!
Michael
Hi!
I am a supply teacher from Australia but my first language is Chinese, this leaves me with an accent. Some of my year 6 class students are playing it up in the classroom and refuse to do the work! What should I do?
Hi Mina,
I suspect that your accent has nothing to do with it. My best advice is to read through our archive where you’ll find dozens of articles on attentiveness and work habits.
Michael
Iam teaching class 4 to 7th and my problem is loost control over the class. My collegues manage their class effetively…but i really helpless in managing and controlling the class. I feel myself very less confident and nervous. Iam really unable to control the students. They do not listen to me…i tried almost EVERYTHING. It didnt work at all..when even i shout on them…they dont take it seriously…suggest me….what should i do…..i am about to give up…totally
Hi Pearl,
I think you’ve come to the right place. Please spend some time in our archive (bottom right sidebar) where you’ll find everything you need to effectively manage your classroom.
Michael
Concerning classroom management ,, Call students by their names, eye contact is a wonderful tool, change class room style. be firm but kind, prepare a set of values not rules and display them, and much more
Hi Michael,
I’m an art teacher in an elementary school. I see every child in the school (nearly 500) each week. I’ve been reading your postings for a year or so now, and I bought your book on classroom management for music, gym and art teachers. First, let me say “Amen!” Finally, someone understands the unique challenges an art teacher faces!
However, I’m still having a hard time managing some of my classes. I’m very limited with regard to consequences. If I put a student in time out and take away their project, they’ve got nothing to do, get bored and disruptive. And administration is not happy seeing a student with nothing to do. With limited space, the time out desk is never far from the rest of the students. My ultimate consequence is either a letter or a phone call home. However, some students have either no phone number on record, or the phone number is wrong, disconnected or “does not receive incoming calls” (according to the recording I get).
Administration does not provide any consequences and expects all teachers to handle classroom management in their classrooms. I feel totally frustrated. Any suggestions?
Thank you,
Terri
Hi Terri,
I’d love to be able to answer your question, but it’s too big and broad for the time and space we have here. I’ll see what I can do to include your concerns in future articles.
Michael
Hi Michael!
I’m in my second year of teaching and had an art teacher question. I got your pe,music,and art book and love it but I feel so hemmed in by how short my classes are. I went over rules and expectations at the beginning of the year and would like to do more modeling with the kids but I am at 2 schools and see 1,000 kids a week for 30 minutes each. How much time would you recommend reviewing, modeling expectations so that students learn my expectations and my subject?
Thank you!
Hi Ashlee,
Modeling should always be part of your art lessons—especially routines that are repeated often throughout the year. As for behavior expectations, it’s best to break them up. Spend just a few minutes the beginning of each class period modeling what is most need of addressing and then progressing from there. The idea is for them to improve with time.
Michael
For the most part, it’s true that the instructor sets the tone for the class. Instructors teach procedures, provide a classroom model for appropriate behavior, and set those high expectations. However, there are some situations where no matter what you do, how much you encourage, how long you wait, or even after students have gone and returned to the office, behavior doesn’t change. At least the changes don’t happen very quickly and in those cases, consistency and modeling expectations are essential. Why do we feel the need to take accountability out of the hands of our kids. They are responsible for things: learning their go home routine, staying with the class, not leaving the building, not leaving the classroom without permission, not harming others, listening, not taking off running down the halls, following directions, doing their work, … There is no feasible way for one instructor to manage a room full of 20, 25, 30 kids if students aren’t learning skills that help them to become self managers. The good news is that, because they do have responsibilities, they can feel a sense of pride in being a productive part of a classroom and school community. It’s a disservice to them, not allowing them to be accountable for their part. Thank you to all of our hard working and dedicated instructors. Kudos to all of our self managers and to those on their way.?
it works good only when teacher is silent in the class when your teaching
Why is it always, always, the teachers’ fault?
Hi Lola,
It’s not the teacher’s fault. It’s just that you have the power to affect, even transform, the behavior in your classroom, regardless of where or what you teach.
Michael
I’m curious if you’ve seen success with these methods in classrooms with special ed & 504 students. I’m having a great deal of problems in my lower elementary class due to such a high percentage of behavioral issues. Sadly, these kids set off the rest. They don’t seem to be bothered by behavior consequences at all.
Yes, very much so.
Michael
Michael,
I have a class of second graders whose culture coming in from first grade was that of chaos. The entire grade level is recognized by admin. as a “tough behavior” group. Classroom management has never been an issue for me, and yet I cannot get this group under control. I have a small classroom, and do not have room for a time out space. I would need 5 or 6 of them, as that is how many students I anticipate I would have to put in time out before the rest would adjust their behavior. We have practiced routines, expectations, rules over and over and over. They have shown me that they can be successful, but are not anywhere close to consistent. After 7 weeks of school, they still cannot work independently for more than 5 or 10 minutes. We have practiced voice levels, I have clear and unambiguous signals, and posted procedures and expectations. I refer to them and reteach each time we attempt the activity (independent reading, group work, etc.) Contacting parents has produced no effect whatsoever. I am loathe to take away the one recess we have because these kids desperately need the active break. I have moved desks and retaught the classroom management plan. Nothing I have tried seems to have any effect for more than a day or two. Help!
Hi Joline,
I appreciate your question, but unless I can speak to you in person, I wouldn’t be able to give you sound, accurate advice. The situation is too specific, and I would have many questions of my own to figure out why things aren’t working. There is a cost involved, but we do offer personal coaching.
Michael
Hello Michael,
I am wondering about using a time out space in my classroom. I have tables, and I am considering grabbing a few individual desks to use as time-out spots. Do you advocate having the time out area inside the classroom, just away from the others? I have one of my classes that are constantly challenging the seating plan and blatantly disrespecting it. It is seriously disrupting the atmosphere and productivity. Thanks on any thoughts, Sara
Hi Sara,
Yes, I do. When you get a chance, you may want to check out the Time-Out category of the archive. 🙂