It’s among the most frustrating classroom management problems. You give directions and your students either ignore them or they . . . kinda-sorta follow them. grudgingly follow them. try but fail to follow them. So you reteach. You remind. You narrate. But the problem … Read more
There is one thing nearly every teacher does that skyrockets stress. You’re probably doing it too. Because it comes naturally. It makes sense. It feels right. Plus, you see every other teacher doing it. So what is it? It’s trying to convince students to … Read more
Every student in your class needs their own personal whiteboard. They need to know where to keep it, how to care for it, and when to use it. Its strict operation and function must be taught, modeled, and practiced like any other routine. Once … Read more
The more polite students are, the fewer class rules are broken. Therefore, if we improve politeness, then we can save a lot of time and trouble holding students accountable. The problem, however, is that teaching politeness doesn’t work. Not in this day and age. … Read more
When students are uninterested and struggling to focus, the instinct is to back off. It’s to require fewer paragraphs and math problems and to stop being so nitpicky about rules and routines. It makes sense. If you’re demanding more than they can handle, then … Read more
In ways subtle but clear, scores of teachers are communicating to their students every day that they can’t do it. They don’t measure up. They’re not good enough, smart enough, or capable enough. Most troubling, these teachers have no idea they’re doing this. In … Read more
Having energetic students isn’t a bad thing. In fact, there are three big advantages: They’re primed for learning. They’re fun to teach. They’re eager to participate. However, they’re also prone to excessive talking and disruptive behavior. Therefore, even if you have solid classroom management … Read more
The essential ingredient of a well-behaved class is your belief that it’s possible. Because as soon as you accept the myriad reasons why it can’t be done, which bombard teachers like West Texas hail, you’ve sealed your fate. You’ll never have the classroom you … Read more