Teachers who struggle with classroom management do too much hoping. They hope they have a well-behaved class this year. They hope their students won’t be too talkative or disrespectful. They hope they don’t have to deal with yet another disruption. They try to set … Read more
The core principles we associate with classroom management—rules and consequences, incentives, and following through—are important. No doubt about it. The first step for teachers wanting to improve is to learn how to use them effectively. By following these principles, your classroom management plan will … Read more
Can you get your students’ attention—and keep it—any time you want to? Can you do it consistently and without fuss? When you give your signal, do your students immediately stop what they’re doing and look at you? Being able to get your students’ attention … Read more
The link between classical music and learning is well established. It has been shown to enhance certain forms of intelligence, like verbal and spatial abilities. And teachers who regularly play Mozart while students are practicing math skills report that it helps with concentration and … Read more
If you’re looking for elaborate or decorative classroom management ideas, you won’t find them here. Though prevalent, such ideas are unnecessary, even counterproductive, for classroom management. On this site, we’re focused on only two things: 1. What works best. 2. What is simplest for … Read more
Your classroom management plan doesn’t have to be complex to be effective. Four rules and three consequences will usually do the trick. Indeed, there is no magic in the plan itself. It’s the stuff in between, the strategery (see Will Ferrell), that determines whether … Read more
One of the biggest classroom management mistakes teachers make is taking disrespectful behavior personally. To quote Tom Hagen speaking to Sonny Corleone in the movie The Godfather, “This is business, not personal.” When you take disrespectful behavior personally, two things are likely to happen: … Read more
Many years ago, on a whim, I wrote a short note to a student named Joanna to let her know how much I appreciated her leadership qualities. I wrote the note before school one day and left it folded over and taped to her … Read more