Forgive me if I ramble or am way off base with my article today. I’m learning just like you. But I do have some thoughts. This past week I received dozens of requests for this topic. Many from stressed-out and desperate-for-answers teachers, which I … Read more
We want parents involved, of course. But when they overstay their welcome, when they hang around your door and talk and talk (and talk), about everything under the sun, it can be aggravating. It can keep you from your work, add more stress to … Read more
For behavior to improve, your students need to feel remorse when they misbehave. They need to reflect on their transgressions and decide not to make the same mistake again. Great, you say, but how might that be done? How do you get students to … Read more
With a single statement, spoken at the beginning of the day or class period, you can send a wave of calmness throughout your classroom. It takes just a few seconds, but you’ll see, and even feel, the difference immediately. You’ll also notice a greater … Read more
Many, many teachers are in the habit of looking the other way when the top 10% of their class break a rule. It’s understandable, and certainly easy to justify. After all, the misbehavior is nearly always an accident, like quietly asking a question but … Read more
There is statement I hear again and again from teachers struggling with classroom management. It’s often used as a reason for not holding students strictly accountable or justification for the chaos they’re experiencing. In reality, however, it reveals a profound misunderstanding of effective classroom … Read more
A positive, trusting relationship with students is a core principle of SCM. After all, it’s the most important factor in creating a classroom they want to be part of. Which, in turn, inspires intrinsic motivation, models patience and kindness, and makes your consequences matter … Read more
If you’re a regular reader of SCM, and therefore a keen observer of your class, a drop in a student’s grades, performance, and behavior becomes quickly noticeable. We’re used to this, of course. All students have ups and downs over a long school year. … Read more