Consistency is the heart and soul of effective classroom management. Without it, nothing works as it should. And everything gets worse over time. Behavior Respect Work habits They continue to deteriorate until and unless you start following through. But how? That’s the big question. … Read more
Since returning to in-person learning, respect has taken a nosedive. Students are just different. We all see it. We all know it. The question is, what to do about it? Well, the usual keys are still in play. Clear Boundaries 100% Consistency Calm Enforcement … Read more
My gosh, how they’re bounced around like a ship in a storm. Rewarded one minute, lectured the next. “Caught being good” then counseled. Punished then praised. Scolded then appeased then forced into another humiliating behavior contract. Tighten and loosen, tighten and loosen. Difficult students … Read more
A number of schools and districts are outlawing time-out. The thinking is that it’s too punitive. That it’s associated with sitting in a corner and wearing a dunce cap. Setting aside for now that the way we teach it here at SCM is wholly … Read more
It’s popping up more and more in IEPs and 504s. Called Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD), it’s marked by disobedient behavior toward authority. But what is it really? It’s a student who doesn’t want to be told what to do. They don’t want rules or … Read more
Well-taught routines eliminate the need for narration. They also . . . Save time. Fill students with purpose. Support independence. Increase responsibility. Improve motivation. But each of these benefits can be enhanced and made more effective with one small adjustment. It’s an adjustment very … Read more
You taught your group-work expectations in exacting detail. You modeled what it should look like. You had a few students model while everyone else looked on. You took your time. You checked for understanding. You made sure your class was ready before trying it … Read more
Classroom management isn’t micromanagement. It isn’t narration and correction. It isn’t guiding, advising, or praising students through every this and that. It isn’t shepherding them like little soldiers from point A to point B. This is handholding—which is a gross misunderstanding of effective classroom … Read more