There is a reason students tattle. But it has nothing to do with them. They are not the problem. They’re merely doing what they feel like they must do. The problem is with you, their teacher. Have you ever noticed that when students tattle … Read more
Lecturing individual students is a common classroom management practice—just another tool in a teacher’s tool belt. But it’s a colossal mistake, born of frustration, that does nothing to curb unwanted behavior beyond several minutes. The reason? When you lecture individual students, it’s done out … Read more
If you’re like most teachers, you’re in a hurry much of the time. Your schedule is overloaded. Your curriculum is bursting at the seams. And you have precious little time between one activity and the next. Stress rises along with your dissatisfaction, but you … Read more
The idea is simple. If your students like you, they’ll want to please you and seek your approval. Which gives you leverage—leverage to influence behavior like almost nothing else. And the best news is… it’s automatic. Your students will automatically behave better simply because … Read more
Classroom management is easy. Let me rephrase that. Classroom management should feel easy. If it feels difficult to you, if it feels like you’re straining and working to get students to behave and pay attention, then you’re doing something wrong. Effective classroom management is … Read more
Do you repeat yourself when giving directions? Most teachers do. Besides wasting time and energy, repeating yourself weakens the power of your words. It causes students to tune you out. When your students become conditioned to you repeating yourself, they know they can take … Read more
Imagine if your students were able to perform every classroom routine and every transition perfectly without you having to say a word. Imagine only having to smile and say hello for the first ten minutes of every school day because they know exactly what … Read more
It’s easy to stick with your classroom management plan the first few weeks of the school year. You’re eager to make a fresh start, and your students are on their best behavior. By week three, you’re cruising. But then… slowly, imperceptibly, things start becoming routine, … Read more