Building rapport is one of an umbrella of strategies whose goal is to create a classroom your students love being part of. And why is that important? Because when your students look forward to your class, everything is easier. From behavior to attentiveness to … Read more
There is great freedom in consistency. Because when you follow your classroom management plan to a tee, you remove the guesswork. You eliminate the stress of lecturing, correcting, and trying to convince your students to behave. You wipe away the friction and resentment. The … Read more
Although classroom management will make up only part of your first day of school, doing it right is essential. Because it sets the boundaries within which inspired teaching can take place. It establishes an impenetrable wall, safeguarding your students from distraction, interruption, bullying, disrespect, … Read more
Of the many goals you have on the first day of school, none compares in importance to setting the proper tone for your students. It is the initial impression of your classroom, after all, that establishes its culture. It’s the feeling, the pace, the … Read more
Small, seemingly insignificant behaviors in September will in almost every circumstance multiply into major disruptions down the road. A single incident of hushed side-talking during a lesson, for example, may be hardly noticeable the first couple weeks of the school year, but by November … Read more
No matter what you hear from your colleagues, no matter how far they say they’ve gotten into the curriculum, or how they’re already working in groups or rotating students through centers, avoid the temptation to join them. Avoid rushing to catch up. Avoid pushing … Read more
It can sneak up on you quickly. Your students, after all, are eager to please. They want to do well. Many are determined to turn over a new leaf, to put the past in the past and start afresh. Every new year of school … Read more
You have one opportunity to start your school year on the right classroom management foot, one shot to propel your first day of school into the best learning experience your students have ever had. You can’t afford to leave it to chance. You can’t … Read more