The idea is simple. If your students like you, they’ll want to please you and seek your approval. Which gives you leverage—leverage to influence behavior like almost nothing else. And the best news is… it’s automatic. Your students will automatically behave better simply because … Read more
Classroom management is easy. Let me rephrase that. Classroom management should feel easy. If it feels difficult to you, if it feels like you’re straining and working to get students to behave and pay attention, then you’re doing something wrong. Effective classroom management is … Read more
There are a number of popular notions about classroom management that are widely accepted as gospel. But reality doesn’t always match perception. This is one reason why classroom management can be so confusing. “I just want to know what does and doesn’t work so … Read more
It’s natural for teachers struggling with classroom management to try to do more. They talk more, move around the room more, and meet with students more. They raise their voice and micromanage. They hover and pace. They race through lessons hoping to finish before … 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
World-class archer Kristin Braun practices six hours a day trying to do the impossible. Standing 230 feet from her target, she takes a deep breath and, while simultaneously lifting her bow into place, draws a steel-tipped carbon arrow. She peers over her left hand, … Read more
In my previous article, I covered three conditions that best build classroom community. To review, they are: The presence of an enticing goal. Every class member is needed to achieve the goal. A chance of failure. Much like the close-knit bonds developed on a … Read more
A reader posted a question this week asking what to do if a student, in this case a kindergartner, crawled on the floor and under tables after being sent to time-out. Playing, straying, and not sitting quietly in time-out can happen regardless of grade … Read more