The lowly fist bump, offered as students file out of your classroom, is arguably the easiest way to build rapport. It’s also super effective. Here’s why: It cleans the slate. No matter what happens during class, no matter how strongly you challenge your students … Read more
There are two reasons why students continue to misbehave in the classroom. The boundary lines are ill-defined. Enforcement is inconsistent. Let’s take these one at a time. By nature, children as young as one and all the way up until adulthood will push and … Read more
I’m often asked what to do when your class isn’t badly behaved, but still disruptive. In other words, as a group they tend to be excitable and talkative. Every transition and activity you have to settle and quiet them down. It’s a common question … Read more
Here at SCM we’ve long lamented strategies that limit the freedoms of difficult students. —Which include: Permanently moving their desk nearest the teacher. Not allowing them to work with certain students. Restricting their activities, movements, or access afforded other students. Now, it’s important to … Read more
More and more teachers are allowing students to listen to music in class. Perhaps not during direct instruction. But once students are let go to work independently, in go the earbuds. It’s odd to me, to be honest, that anyone would think this is … Read more
I love learning games. They’re a great way to build camaraderie. They create fun and energy. They also have a knack for making information stick. One of my favorites is called the vocabulary game. It’s a review game you can play for virtually any … Read more
Charming, stylish, and often athletically talented, entitled students believe they’re special and not subject to the same boundaries and expectations as others. Thus, they skirt the rules. They do less work. They speak and move as if princely treatment is their royal birthright. And … Read more
“My students are social butterflies.” “Chatting is their learning style.” “They’re an expressive, creative bunch.” These statements and others like them are said as way of explanation. They are the reasons given for why the teacher is frequently interrupted. And why the class is … Read more