A rapport-building strategy I wrote about several years ago for in-class learning also happens to be effective online. And that’s saying something. Building rapport online is tough sledding—especially when so many schools and districts forbid teachers from requiring students to turn on their Zoom … Read more
Because of Covid-19 and the staggering amount of preparation time required to start the new school year—whether online or in person—teachers are under enormous stress. There is so much to do, and not enough hours in the day to do it. There is, however, … Read more
Studies show that Black students are disciplined more severely than their White classmates for the same misbehavior. And the most common classroom management methods used today—with their subjective interpretations of misbehavior, token economies, and manipulative practices—are at least partly to blame. They’re rife with … Read more
I don’t read professional teaching books. I haven’t for many years. The reason is to keep my writing as authentic and untainted as possible. It must be based on what I see, what I experience, and what I have success using myself. Otherwise, I … Read more
Ever since schools shut down in mid-March, a small group of teachers, sprinkled here and there throughout nearly every school, has become even more overbearing than they were before. You know the ones. They dominate every meeting. They brag about and must share the … Read more
For the past several weeks, and as part of a new book I’m working on, I’ve been reading through the entire SCM archive of 560 articles. And I noticed something unusual. Every year or two there is an article that bombs. And not just … Read more
This is the first in a series of articles on how to relieve stress. I don’t mean relieving stress in a general lifestyle sense. But rather in an “I’m going to run screaming from this house if things don’t change” sense. My goal isn’t … Read more
As most of you know, I only teach in the afternoons. I work from home in the mornings and then head to school after lunch. It’s been my schedule for the past six years—ever since SCM became too large to maintain while teaching full … Read more