As part of my personal coaching practice I speak to a lot of teachers. And although many of the classroom management struggles they need help with are diverse and unique to them, there are commonalities. One such commonality is something they’re almost always unaware … Read more
Classroom management has always taken a backseat. Now it’s sitting in the trunk. Since the (official) end of the pandemic, behavior standards have fallen down a mine shaft and have yet to hit bottom. It’s maddening. In recent articles, I’ve covered why this is … Read more
There is a way to teach a great lesson without preparation time. But first, a caveat: You must be an expert in your subject area. You can’t be an effective, compelling teacher if you don’t know your subject area well. It’s our firm belief … Read more
If you’re exceptional at classroom management, your colleagues will hate you for it. They’ll talk about you behind your back. They’ll utter snide remarks. They’ll start rumors and try to make you look bad in front of your principal. It’s a phenomenon SCM readers … Read more
I anonymously observed a staff development day recently. The focus was on everything but academics. Instead, it was the usual mishmash of social and emotional well-being. This led to a decision to lower school-wide standards. “Students can take a break and leave the classroom … Read more
To be an effective teacher in this day and age, you’ve got to be mentally tough. You’ve got to be able to say no. You’ve got to be able to follow your classroom management plan as written and maintain a calm disposition. If you’ve … Read more
Just letting you know up front that this isn’t easy. Every fiber of your body will scream “No, I can’t do it!” But it works. In fact, it can be transformational. It can be the one thing keeping you from becoming the teacher you … Read more
Grading yourself post school year enables you to view your classroom management performance objectively. It provides clarity and self-awareness. It allows you to hone in on your weaknesses and reflect on how they can become strengths. What follows is a report card based on … Read more