During the first few weeks of a new school year, I try to identify students with natural leadership ability. Typically, two or three strong leaders will emerge from a class of thirty. My only criterion is that the other students look up to them. … Read more
You’re going to love this classroom management strategy. So much so that you may end up using it every day—maybe several times a day. It’s called ‘the power of one.’ The power of one is a proactive strategy you can use whenever your students … Read more
A typical time-out consists of 5 to 10 minutes of sitting at a desk separated from classmates. But for many students, this isn’t a strong enough consequence. For time-out to be most effective, your students need to feel the full weight of accountability. They … Read more
No, it’s not corporal punishment. It’s not bribing with Snickers bars. It’s not free time. The forbidden strategy I’m referring to has gotten a bad rap, but is so effective it’s used to train nurses, police officers, professional athletes, and opera singers. What is … Read more
The first few days of a new school year are an important time for classroom management. You have a captive group of students, fresh and open to your way of doing things. But it won’t last. You have to take advantage of it. If … Read more
In part one of this two-part series on homework, we covered four strategies: 1. Assign what students already know. 2. Don’t involve parents. 3. Review before the end of the day. 4. Confront students who don’t have completed homework. This week, we’ll finish the … Read more
Dealing with homework can be the source of great stress for teachers; it’s a rare week that I don’t receive at least one email asking for advice. So for the next two weeks I’m going to outline a homework plan–four strategies this week, four … Read more
At the start of a new school year, it’s common for teachers to send home a packet of information for parents. This packet typically consists of school policies and procedures, daily schedules, papers to be signed, and hopefully a classroom management plan. This is … Read more