Forgive me if this article sounds like a rant. I don’t mean it to be. It’s just that . . . well, it’s a topic, or classroom management practice, that really bugs me. It involves a strategy many teachers and administrators use in response … Read more
The tougher the class, the easier it is to be inconsistent. The easier it is to give in and lose control. Which is why when you have a challenging group of students you must be mentally tough. You must be, as Winston Churchill once … Read more
When teachers first implement an effective classroom management plan . . . By teaching and modeling it in detail. By following it exactly as it’s written. By being consistent day after day. . . . they’re often shocked by how peaceful their classroom becomes. … Read more
It’s among the most requested topics we have yet to cover. How do you handle a student who questions you, your decisions, or the way you run your classroom? How do you respond when you know their motives are less than pure? When you … Read more
At some point, unfair criticism happens to everybody. Especially if you’re a newer teacher or new to a school and have yet to establish your reputation. Maybe your principal saw something out of context. Maybe they witnessed a few students acting up outside of … Read more
It occurred to me while responding to a recent flurry of emails just how prevalent the myths are surrounding classroom management. They’ve become embedded in the teaching culture. Ensconced over time. They’re held on to tightly, often reverently, by those who seek to justify … Read more
It’s official. A culture of pressure and stress has infected the teaching profession. It’s palpable in school after school and district after district. From Boston to Lisbon. Flat River to Bath. Spokane to Montreal. It’s fueled by a do-more and give-more mentality that has … Read more
Why not just let it go? What’s the harm? After all, it’s the last day of school. The textbooks are put away. Laptops are inventoried and stored until next year. Tests have been taken, projects turned in, grades entered. In a few short hours, … Read more