Can you tell when you’re going to have a bad day? Can you sense an unhealthy energy rising up in your students or a disquieting buzz you just can’t place? Do you know it the minute your students walk into your classroom? Maybe it’s … Read more
It’s bound to happen. If you follow your classroom management plan, then chances are someday you’re going to make a mistake and enforce a consequence that was undeserved. For example, you hear Joseph talking and joking during a lesson and send him to time-out … Read more
‘We can be us just for one day.’ –David Bowie, Heroes The common notion that you have to forgo your personality to effectively manage your classroom couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, sharing your uniqueness, your charisma, and your joie de vivre … Read more
Most teachers don’t keep their students in time-out long enough. Five to ten minutes seems to be the norm, but to be most effective, your students need to sit and reflect on their misbehavior for at least fifteen minutes. Another common mistake is deciding … Read more
When a student refuses to go to time-out, he (or she) often has a good reason. This doesn’t mean he isn’t responsible for making such a decision. He is—completely and fully. For it’s never okay to defy a teacher’s direction. But in his mind … Read more
We had a large email response to a recent article called, How To Talk To Difficult Students. Most readers emailed to express how much easier dealing with difficult students had become after putting the suggestions to use. But others wanted specifics. They wanted to … Read more
How you give a consequence matters. How you speak to your students, what you say to them, and how you react emotionally and with your body language after they break a classroom rule goes a long way toward curbing misbehavior. Whether you’re giving a … Read more
Your temperament has a strong impact on student behavior. If you have a tendency to become tense, stressed, or uptight around your students, then they’re far more likely to misbehave. Because a tightly wound teacher translates to a tension-filled classroom—the kind of tension visitors … Read more