If you’re like most teachers, you stray from your classroom management plan. Oh, your intentions are good. You really do want to follow it to the letter. But ultimately you don’t. Situations keep getting in the way. Like, for example, when one of your … Read more
In my previous article I wrote about how a warning should be your first consequence. This week I’m going to explain how to give a warning so it will have the greatest impact on student behavior. Here we go. The Purpose Of A Warning … Read more
I’m frequently asked whether I recommend giving a warning as a first consequence. My answer is an emphatic yes. Giving a warning eliminates the need for three commonly used strategies that make classroom management more difficult. Teachers who struggle with classroom management tend to … Read more
Clip charts, prize boxes, incentive systems, seating arrangements, stickers, pep-talks, noise makers, red cards, table points, trinkets, tokens, awards, erasers, free time, computer time, first in line, contracts, privileges, and… enough!!! It can make you want to scream. For many, classroom management has become … Read more
Calling out is a momentum killer of the highest order and can turn a well-planned lesson into a halting mess. But that isn’t the only reason why you should require your students to raise their hand. Here are a few more: Calling out is … Read more
Perhaps more than any other profession, teaching requires you to be mentally prepared before the heavy lifting of the day begins. If you’re feeling hurried, stressed, or distracted in the moments before the students arrive, teaching can be unforgiving—particularly in the area of classroom … Read more
What do you do when your students perform an everyday procedure, like entering the classroom, in a way that doesn’t meet your expectations? How do you respond when they appear to ignore your instructions about how you want a classroom procedure completed? Less effective … Read more
Can you get your students’ attention—and keep it—any time you want to? Can you do it consistently and without fuss? When you give your signal, do your students immediately stop what they’re doing and look at you? Being able to get your students’ attention … Read more