Routines are the lifeblood of a well-run classroom. But it’s important they’re viewed in a positive light. Because if you cue the start of a routine and your students sigh and roll their eyes, or grudgingly go through the motions, then misbehavior will surely … Read more
If you’re a longtime reader of Smart Classroom Management, then you know that we hold true the belief that classroom management is knowledge based. It’s something you can learn, apply, and see drastic, transformational improvement—no matter who you are or where you teach. Students … Read more
The tendency is to corral difficult students, to limit what they can do, where they can go, and who they can be with. You keep them close. You provide a staccato of reminders and direction, of do this and don’t do that. You keep … Read more
The way you call on your students when they raise their hand can have a strong impact on learning and behavior. But the truth is, many teachers get it wrong. They call on students in whatever way feels natural and end up causing resentment … Read more
The secret to exceptional classroom management is a learning experience your students love and want to be part of combined with a consistently followed classroom management plan. The two work together, with each making the other stronger. From the first day of school onward, … Read more
With a class of sixteen to twenty students you can afford to cut corners. You can make big mistakes and not lose control of your classroom. You can have a misguided understanding of classroom management and still have energy left after school to head … Read more
So you send a student to time-out and almost immediately they start goofing around. They wriggle in their seat. They giggle and make a racket. They stir up their classmates and distract them from their work. Here you enforce a consequence in order to … Read more
Conventional wisdom says that you move around the room to keep your students engaged and involved. It’s an approach that buys into the notion that students are unable to focus without extraneous stimuli—movement, sound, proximity, novelty. It’s a belief that even in the midst … Read more