Venting to colleagues is normal. It’s healthy. It relieves stress. It puts things into perspective. It reminds you that all teachers have experienced the same frustrations. But if you have a particular student in mind, it’s also fraught with danger. If you’re not careful, … Read more
Sometimes it will occur to you right away, within the first week of school. Sometimes it may take a few weeks. But if one day you realize that your class isn’t very nice—to you or to each other—it can be disheartening. It can be … Read more
One of the many benefits of exceptional classroom management is that it saves time. With far fewer disruptions, you’re free to focus on student learning. You’re free to teach and inspire and build influential relationships. You’re free to recede into the background just to … Read more
The parents don’t care. You work in a tough neighborhood. You get no support from administration. Your students have no accountability at home. You have Chase or Karla or Anthony in your class this year. You had a sub yesterday. Your class size is … Read more
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
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