I’m often asked what to do when your class isn’t badly behaved, but still disruptive. In other words, as a group they tend to be excitable and talkative. Every transition and activity you have to settle and quiet them down. It’s a common question … Read more
Here at SCM we’ve long lamented strategies that limit the freedoms of difficult students. —Which include: Permanently moving their desk nearest the teacher. Not allowing them to work with certain students. Restricting their activities, movements, or access afforded other students. Now, it’s important to … Read more
More and more teachers are allowing students to listen to music in class. Perhaps not during direct instruction. But once students are let go to work independently, in go the earbuds. It’s odd to me, to be honest, that anyone would think this is … Read more
I love learning games. They’re a great way to build camaraderie. They create fun and energy. They also have a knack for making information stick. One of my favorites is called the vocabulary game. It’s a review game you can play for virtually any … Read more
If you’re exceptional at classroom management, your colleagues will hate you for it. They’ll talk about you behind your back. They’ll utter snide remarks. They’ll start rumors and try to make you look bad in front of your principal. It’s a phenomenon SCM readers … Read more
Charming, stylish, and often athletically talented, entitled students believe they’re special and not subject to the same boundaries and expectations as others. Thus, they skirt the rules. They do less work. They speak and move as if princely treatment is their royal birthright. And … Read more
I anonymously observed a staff development day recently. The focus was on everything but academics. Instead, it was the usual mishmash of social and emotional well-being. This led to a decision to lower school-wide standards. “Students can take a break and leave the classroom … Read more
“My students are social butterflies.” “Chatting is their learning style.” “They’re an expressive, creative bunch.” These statements and others like them are said as way of explanation. They are the reasons given for why the teacher is frequently interrupted. And why the class is … Read more