It’s not often I’m surprised by an email. But a couple years ago I received one from a teacher who wouldn’t hold students accountable unless he had what he described as “proof.” Unless he had witnesses to back him up, or an outright admission … Read more
Getting a bad report from your substitute can be especially frustrating. You weren’t there. You didn’t witness the misbehavior. It shouldn’t be your responsibility. But you know you can’t just let it slide. Otherwise, it will be worse the next time and may even … Read more
Most teachers who have lost control of their class aren’t even aware of it. After all, it’s not as if their students are throwing spit wads at each other. They’re not out of their seats during lessons. They’re not yelling and cursing and running … Read more
For many teachers, effective classroom management brings to mind an image of a silent, somber environment. They hear the term and think . . . restricting, confining, constraining. They think it means to be a rigid disciplinarian who forces students to behave against their … Read more
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