An early mentor for me was a teacher named Chuck. Chuck taught sixth grade and was a master at classroom management. In him, I was able to see what was possible. I can remember how impressed I was when, two or three days into … Read more
Many years ago, on a whim, I wrote a short note to a student named Joanna to let her know how much I appreciated her leadership qualities. I wrote the note before school one day and left it folded over and taped to her … Read more
The sight of a teacher lecturing an individual student is commonplace on school campuses. This classroom management method seems to be preferred by a majority of teachers, but is it effective? Does it work to curb unwanted behavior? Another common sight on campus is … Read more
A couple of years ago, I went back to my college alma mater for homecoming weekend. I met up with a few buddies on Thursday evening, and we spent the next day touring our old haunts. It was a great time reliving the past … Read more
In his seminal book, The Tipping Point, author Malcolm Gladwell describes the precipitous fall of crime in New York City in the early 1990’s. There were several factors that accounted for the drop, but the most interesting from a classroom management standpoint, and perhaps … Read more
I received an email yesterday from a teacher who wondered how I would have handled a couple of her most challenging students. It seems that these two students have caused her nonstop headaches throughout the school year, and she was relieved her summer vacation … Read more
Confidence is an important trait in a teacher, but so is humility. Although I don’t subscribe to the belief that a teacher never truly arrives or can never reach a high level of excellence, I do believe in the continual need to be self-aware … Read more
Modeling is so effective that it should be among your most often used teaching strategies. When most people think of modeling, they envision a teacher standing in the front her class performing a task she expects from her students. For example, if she were … Read more