In Malcom Gladwell’s 2003 book Blink, he describes how experts can know what they know but not know why they know it. They experience a flash of recognition or vision of truth—a blink moment—based on years of past experience and know it to be … Read more
Kneeling down to a student’s eye level to discuss behavior or impart an important lesson is common practice. It’s recommended without second thought. Teachers do it every day. The idea is that it’s more effective and the student is more likely to heed your … Read more
Several years ago, a colleague confided in me that she was afraid to hold her students accountable because she was convinced that they would hate her for it. Some of her students were taller than her and looked like adults, which may have been … Read more
How to plan for a substitute teacher in a way that ensures good behavior is a question I’ve gotten a lot over the years. I’ve answered it dozens of times during coaching sessions and PD trainings. However, I’ve been reluctant to make it into … Read more
One reason many teachers struggle with misbehavior, disrespect, and the like is because they’re not strong leaders. In other words, they lack . . . Presence Confidence Boldness Courage They tend to have an external locus of control and difficulty grasping that they alone … Read more
Expect pushback and challenges to your authority during the first few weeks of school, especially if you teach in an exceptionally challenging environment. It’s normal, and it’s okay. You see, for now your students aren’t who they really are (or who they can become). … Read more
Stress is not only bad for your health, but it makes you a worse teacher. It causes you to . . . Lose your cool. Raise your voice. Be unlikable. Worst of all, however, is that stress brings tension and excitability into your classroom, … Read more
Your personal 2023-24 Smart Classroom Management report card is here! To review, the SCM report card is a rating system that revels the extent to which you followed SCM during the past school year. It evaluates your strength and weaknesses so you can use … Read more