For the most part, it’s a misnomer. 99.9% of parents love their children. They may have a misguided way of showing it. They may not sign one bit of correspondence from the school. They may be uninvolved, negligent, or worse. They may be preoccupied … Read more
It happens, often without warning. A student becomes so angry they verge on losing control. They fume and seethe. They glare and tear up. They turn dark crimson. Sometimes we know the cause of their infuriation and other times we have no idea. The … Read more
They materialize in front of you, demanding your attention. They pull on your sleeve and tap on your arm. They barge into your personal space, interrupt you where you stand, and begin talking before you even have a chance to acknowledge them. They tattle. … Read more
Here at SCM we recommend a 15-minute time-out. Even for younger students. This is longer than many teachers are comfortable with. The thinking is that a student in time-out will miss too much participation time. They’ll grow bored and antsy and start misbehaving. Besides, … Read more
If you’re a regular reader of SCM, then you know we recommend worthy praise only. That is, we recommend praise based on exceptional effort or new (but challenging) learning. Which can vary from student to student. Praise for expected behavior, however, is verboten. (A … Read more
There exists a strategy that, if taught on the first day of school, can have a profound effect on the rest of the year. It takes little if any preparation time. It’s simple in its directness and also fun and participatory. But it will … Read more
Building rapport is one of an umbrella of strategies whose goal is to create a classroom your students love being part of. And why is that important? Because when your students look forward to your class, everything is easier. From behavior to attentiveness to … Read more
Last week we talked about how to be consistent with your classroom management plan. Which is especially important to begin the school year. This alone will go a long way toward creating the learning environment you really want. Once you’ve conquered this challenge, however, … Read more