It’s not uncommon for teachers to give their most challenging students classroom jobs and other mild responsibilities. The reasoning is that it keeps them busy, feeling useful, and preoccupied with something other than misbehaving. There is nothing wrong with this strategy, and it can … Read more
It’s frustrating. You spend your entire prep-hour strategically placing students into groups. You teach, model, and role-play what you want them to do. You assign roles, provide clear objectives, and confirm their understanding of your expectations. You give them all the support you know … Read more
Lately, I’ve been receiving emails from teachers wondering why they have so many students in time-out every day, so I think it’s a good time to revisit a few core principles of Smart Classroom Management. When you implement a classroom management plan for the … Read more
Toes tap, knees piston, eyes dance about the room—the air hangs heavy with uneasiness and distraction. The students can barely contain themselves, all but bursting to talk and move and burn off pent up energy. Even when the classroom is quiet, the enveloping tension … Read more
It’s easy to hold a grudge against difficult students. It’s our natural tendency; our default setting when someone angers us or hurts those we care about. It’s an extension of that initial surge of annoyance and frustration that comes over us when a student … Read more
It’s common for teachers to send difficult students to the office. Fed up with the interruptions, the silliness, and the overt disrespect—and after so many threats and warnings—they haul the offending child down for some face time with the principal. Some schools require a … Read more
It’s frustrating. You start your class working on an independent project, a writing assignment, or a rotation of centers, then begin quietly calling selected students for small-group instruction. And for the first few minutes it goes well. But just as you settle in and … Read more
Happy New Year! And thanks for being a regular reader of Smart Classroom Management! From the bottom of my heart I want to thank you for your continued support of SCM. Your generosity in sharing your favorite articles with your friends and followers keeps … Read more