I happened to see an email from a teacher designating a list of students as those who would be assigned an “alternative” final project. Alternative in this case meant easier. Evidently, this group of students failed to meet a series of benchmarks leading up … Read more
No, you don’t have to be riotously funny. You don’t have to prepare daily jokes and stories. You don’t even have to try to make your students laugh. But you do need to prioritize humor in your classroom. Have a spirit of laughter, a … Read more
You don’t have to call it time-out. You can call it the reflection zone, the accountability desk, or anything you like. The name is unimportant. But what is important, critically, is that it must be taught. It must be explained in detail, modeled explicitly, … Read more
No, you’re not going to trick your students. Here at SCM, we oppose all manipulative practices of classroom management, which are unfortunately common in this day and age. (Think PBIS). We believe in honesty, transparency, and authenticity in all interactions with students. However, there … Read more
Hello Amazing Readers, On behalf of SCM, I want to say “Thank you!” Your support sharing our articles and books and recommending our website keeps us going now into our fifteen year. We’re as excited as ever to bring you more of the simplest … Read more
Misbehavior tends to increase as we edge closer to holiday break. It’s a phenomenon as old as Santa and just as predictable. But it isn’t inevitable. There are strategies that allow you to avoid the rise in rambunctiousness, excitable voices, and impulsively bad behavior. … Read more
It could be a grade-level leader or department chair, co-teacher or seen-it-all veteran, or maybe a friend who teaches in the room next door. But we’ve all been there. We’ve all been annoyed by the bossy colleague who is constantly giving advice and pushing … Read more
They’re needy and urgent. They follow you around and pull on your hem. They ask a zillion questions and expect your personalized attention. It doesn’t occur to them that you have other students, which drives you mad and stresses your willpower to the brink. … Read more