Let’s begin this week’s article by looking at a common scenario. You’re leading your students to class after visiting the library one day, and you notice Andrew kicking the heels of the student in front of him. He is clearly doing it on purpose. … Read more
When a teacher seeks help in handling a difficult student, typically one of the first things recommended is a behavior contract. Behavior contracts are popular because they give teachers a definite plan for improving behavior. And where there is a plan, there is hope. … Read more
I wasn’t sure I could do this. One week into my first teaching assignment and I was having second thoughts about my career choice. Although I had been working with kids since my junior year of high school, I had never encountered a child … Read more
When confronted with a difficult class—whether a new class in the beginning of a school year, a class you’ve had for a while and lost control of, or one you see once a day in your subject area—the best thing you can do is … Read more
Most teachers talk to difficult students—those with a proclivity for misbehavior—way too often. If you’re spending more time on these students than others, it’s a sign you’re not curbing their behavior. It’s also not fair to the rest of your class. There is a … Read more
One of the biggest classroom management mistakes teachers make is taking disrespectful behavior personally. To quote Tom Hagen speaking to Sonny Corleone in the movie The Godfather, “This is business, not personal.” When you take disrespectful behavior personally, two things are likely to happen: … 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