Keeping a calm, unruffled temperament makes classroom management easier. It effectively removes excitability, which is a major cause of misbehavior. It makes you more likable and worthy of trust. It gives you leadership presence and allows you to build effortless rapport. But for many … Read more
If you’re a regular reader of SCM, then you know how I feel about rewarding students in exchange for good (i.e. expected) behavior. A do-this-and-get-that approach to classroom management is damaging to kids. It snuffs out intrinsic motivation and turns the student-teacher relationship into … Read more
Do you ever get the feeling your students aren’t hearing a word you say? They may be quiet. They may be looking at you. But you know they’re not actually listening. Maybe it’s the blank expressions. Maybe it’s the sighs and yawns. Maybe it’s … Read more
One of the biggest reasons difficult students misbehave is because they’re often treated with the expectation that they will. Teachers tend to hover near them. They’re frequently pulled aside for reminders, lectures, and pep-talks. They’re rewarded inexplicably, praised effusively, and spoken to differently than … Read more
Excitability is a major cause of misbehavior. Which is why it is present in virtually every classroom where the teacher is struggling. You can feel it the moment you enter the room. There is an unmistakable buzz, a live wire of tension, a jitter … Read more
Last week, a reader asked a question I’ve gotten a lot over the years. “How should I hold difficult students accountable?” It’s a topic I haven’t covered specifically because the answer is so simple and direct: Just like everyone else. You calmly approach the … Read more
If you aren’t careful, a new student can severely disrupt your classroom and the peace you’ve worked so hard to obtain. Although often calm and quiet in the beginning, whatever habits and behaviors were permitted at their previous school will eventually bubble to the … Read more
Do you have two or three students with their hands up all the time . . . While the rest of your class sits on theirs? Not good. Because it’s a clear sign that a majority of your students don’t feel safe enough to … Read more