At Thanksgiving dinner, my grandfather used to blurt out whatever was on his mind, interrupt others while they were talking, and dominate the conversation. I was a grade schooler at the time, but if I could, I would have put him in time-out so … Read more
Several years after beginning my teaching career, I went back to school to earn a second master’s degree. I wanted to reach the end of the pay scale and was hoping to learn something new in the process. After researching colleges near my home, … Read more
It happens occasionally. You wake up late, eat something on the run, get stuck in traffic, and arrive at school feeling harried. When the students begin filing into your classroom, you’re still not quite yourself. Your brain is working overdrive. You talk faster, move … Read more
Before every shot, professional golfers follow a very specific procedure, unique to them, called a pre-shot routine. From the moment they pull a club out of their bag to the moment they take their swing, they follow the exact same set of movements. Like … Read more
A reader posted a question this week asking what to do if a student, in this case a kindergartner, crawled on the floor and under tables after being sent to time-out. Playing, straying, and not sitting quietly in time-out can happen regardless of grade … Read more
When confronted with a difficult class—whether a new class in the beginning of a school year, a class you’ve had for a while and lost control of, or one you see once a day in your subject area—the best thing you can do is … Read more
What do you do when your students perform an everyday procedure, like entering the classroom, in a way that doesn’t meet your expectations? How do you respond when they appear to ignore your instructions about how you want a classroom procedure completed? Less effective … Read more
Most teachers talk to difficult students—those with a proclivity for misbehavior—way too often. If you’re spending more time on these students than others, it’s a sign you’re not curbing their behavior. It’s also not fair to the rest of your class. There is a … Read more