Time-out is an important part of any effective classroom management plan. But how is it best enforced? There is much confusion over where time-out should take place, how long it should last, and what students should be doing while they’re there. It’s a rare … Read more
A typical time-out consists of 5 to 10 minutes of sitting at a desk separated from classmates. But for many students, this isn’t a strong enough consequence. For time-out to be most effective, your students need to feel the full weight of accountability. They … 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
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
I’ve watched the same students at recess every day for years. They emerge from their classrooms a minute or two after their sprinting classmates. They shuffle slowly toward a lunch table or an empty bench carrying a fluttering sheet of paper or a book … Read more