Public education is a mess. Toxic coddling has destroyed it. There is no “rigor” or accountability. Standards are staggeringly low and students have few boundaries. If you speak up on campus, you’re either ignored or gaslighted. Every approved and accepted method of classroom management … Read more
Smart Classroom Management now has a YouTube channel. Our plan is to post long-form videos that cover the core principles of effective classroom management. Think of it as a classroom management school to take you from novice to expert. Our new video is called … Read more
There is a classroom management strategy that hums along in the background of the most effective teachers. You can’t see this strategy. It isn’t applied once and reused when needed. It isn’t a step-by-step, how-to process. I don’t believe it’s ever been revealed in … Read more
While observing classrooms, it’s common for me to see students staring at screens during independent reading time. Chromebooks mainly but also tablets and, in some cases, even phones. But, why? Are screens better at improving reading than actual books? Do they deepen comprehension, speed … Read more
At the end of every school year we post a report card for teachers. The purpose is to assess the extent you were able to follow the principles of Smart Classroom Management. The exercise takes just a few minutes, but the experience is invaluable. … Read more
It doesn’t matter whether you have a week left in the school year or a single day, just like any other break, be it winter or spring, you must keep pushing the envelope. This doesn’t mean that you can’t schedule more learning games or … Read more
Here at SCM, we talk a lot about the importance of having a vision of your ideal class. Of seeing your students, like a movie in your mind . . . focused and learning. interacting politely. following rules. performing routines. participating eagerly. working together. … Read more
When a student misbehaves, giving them a reminder or otherwise letting them off the hook can feel like the right thing to do. Because we’re compassionate. Students have a history. Some have been through a lot. Mistakes happen and we want to believe they’ll … Read more