So things went south toward the end of the day. Your students were antsy and talkative. There were disruptions. The noise level got out of hand. Perhaps you got behind and let things go a bit. You raised your voice a few times. Whatever … Read more
“Why on earth would you want to do that?” “What? That doesn’t make any sense.” “Where in the world did you get that idea?” They are comments that roll off the tongue without second thought. They’re a gut reaction to a private question or … Read more
Time away from you, from their friends, and from the daily routine has a way of wiping the slate clean. It has a way of distancing and repositioning. It has a way of changing perspectives, healing wounds, and renewing spirits. Students return from extended … Read more
Here at Smart Classroom Management we’d like to say thank you. We’d like to say thank you to you, our loyal readers. It’s our passion to provide you with the simplest, most effective classroom management advice you can find anywhere. But we could never … Read more
Here at Smart Classroom Management we talk a lot about the importance of building rapport. It’s your relationship with students, after all, that in large part determines your effectiveness in curbing misbehavior. It’s your likability, good humor, and pleasant demeanor that causes them to … Read more
Encouraging students is in our DNA. It’s part and parcel to our educational culture. It’s what we do. We teach a lesson and then we encourage. “You can do it.” “Just keep working and you’ll get it.” “I believe in you.” And in the … Read more
It’s standard practice. You catch a student in the act of misbehavior and you move in to redirect them. You physically intervene. You stop them in their tracks. You lean down, explain what they did wrong, and then guide them down the proper path. … Read more
Teachers tend to lose their cool when they feel they have no other recourse. Their buttons get pushed, frustration builds, and they boil over. They raise their voice. They fume and lecture. They glare and scold and stab the air with their finger. For … Read more