They materialize in front of you, demanding your attention. They pull on your sleeve and tap on your arm. They barge into your personal space, interrupt you where you stand, and begin talking before you even have a chance to acknowledge them. They tattle. … Read more
Here at SCM we recommend a 15-minute time-out. Even for younger students. This is longer than many teachers are comfortable with. The thinking is that a student in time-out will miss too much participation time. They’ll grow bored and antsy and start misbehaving. Besides, … Read more
If you’re a regular reader of SCM, then you know we recommend worthy praise only. That is, we recommend praise based on exceptional effort or new (but challenging) learning. Which can vary from student to student. Praise for expected behavior, however, is verboten. (A … Read more
There exists a strategy that, if taught on the first day of school, can have a profound effect on the rest of the year. It takes little if any preparation time. It’s simple in its directness and also fun and participatory. But it will … Read more
Building rapport is one of an umbrella of strategies whose goal is to create a classroom your students love being part of. And why is that important? Because when your students look forward to your class, everything is easier. From behavior to attentiveness to … Read more
Last week we talked about how to be consistent with your classroom management plan. Which is especially important to begin the school year. This alone will go a long way toward creating the learning environment you really want. Once you’ve conquered this challenge, however, … Read more
There is great freedom in consistency. Because when you follow your classroom management plan to a tee, you remove the guesswork. You eliminate the stress of lecturing, correcting, and trying to convince your students to behave. You wipe away the friction and resentment. The … Read more
Your class rules are the first line of defense against misbehavior. They should never be left to chance. They should never be created as an afterthought or copied from the teacher next door. They must be created thoughtfully and in a way that is … Read more