If you follow your classroom management plan every time a student breaks a rule, you’re ahead of 95 percent of teachers. Most never get there. However, despite your consistency, if you make this one mistake during your follow-through, you’ll undermine the most important factor … Read more
If you follow a classroom management plan consistently but are still frustrated by how often rules are broken, there is an easy fix. It’s also fast and effective. Here’s how it works: Step One – Identify 3-5 Misbehaviors You’ll notice the same few misbehaviors … Read more
Teachers ask me frequently if minor but annoying student behaviors are enforceable. They give me examples and want my opinion. This happens so often that I thought I would create a list of the most common that are indeed enforceable. A quick note, however: … Read more
If accountability isn’t working in your classroom, whether individually or class wide, the problem is that you have an area of weakness. The solution is to identify the weakness and correct it. Remember, effective classroom management is knowledge based. Apply SCM strategies as described … Read more
There is a simple, ten-minute exercise you can do this summer that will all but guarantee better consistency next school year. All it takes is a piece of paper and something to write with. I’ve described this particular exercise before. However, it begs repeating … Read more
At first glance, the answer just might be yes. It makes sense, right? A student misbehaves and you give them a hand signal letting them know which rule was broken and the consequence. The benefits are: It’s quiet. It’s quick. It’s discreet. It’s respectful. … Read more
How you give a consequence matters. It’s not just do or not do. The way it’s performed goes a long way toward your students taking responsibility. It’s another of the small details that separate just getting by from exceptional classroom management. The latter requires … Read more
Here at SCM, we get many questions about the letter-home consequence. For the uninitiated, a letter home to parents can be part of the third consequence of the elementary classroom management plan that we recommend. The key word is ‘can.’ You see, it’s an … Read more