When a student misbehaves, giving them a reminder or otherwise letting them off the hook can feel like the right thing to do. Because we’re compassionate. Students have a history. Some have been through a lot. Mistakes happen and we want to believe they’ll … Read more
There is one thing you can do right now that will . . . improve behavior lower your stress build better rapport save time In other words, make teaching more fun and effective. Here at SCM we’ve been shouting this strategy from the rooftops … Read more
This time of year it isn’t uncommon for students to become particularly uninspired. It’s the same-old/same-old syndrome. Every day feels like the one before and motivation ratchets downward. Some simple things you can do to help reverse the trend include: changing up your seating … Read more
Many years ago I read The Adventures of Robin Hood aloud to my 5th grade class. One day in the middle of teaching an unrelated lesson a student yelled out “Hey, when are we gonna read Peter Pan?” It was funny. The entire class … Read more
At first glance, the answer just might be yes. It makes sense, right? A student misbehaves and you give them a hand signal letting them know which rule was broken and the consequence. The benefits are: It’s quiet. It’s quick. It’s discreet. It’s respectful. … Read more
The first article ever written at SCM was about praise; subtle, meaningful praise given at just the right moment. The kind that boosts motivation like a rocket ship. Common in this day and age is for teachers to throw out praise like they’re feeding … Read more
Okay, I won’t bury the lede. When students are doing, stop talking. Most teachers—yes, most—talk students through just about everything. Lining up to leave the room. Getting into groups. Starting work. Walking down the hall. Putting away materials. Playing a learning game. You name … Read more
A danger in trying to improve classroom management is that you tighten up. You become tense and wooden. You’re so intent on following your classroom management plan and holding students accountable that it changes your personality. Somewhere in the back of your mind you … Read more