I’m very excited at the launch of our new forums here at HelpingTeachersGrow.com.
And, to kick things off, we’re giving away an ipod to the top posters over the next two weeks over at our forums. Here’s the direct link so you can get started right away, asking question and sharing your expertise with everything teacher related:
Our ipod contest will only run for the next two weeks, so get in there now and help us build our online community! I look forward to hearing from you.
Darren B.
Hey everyone!
Things are getting exciting around here ever since I released my video called “Don’t Be a Teaching Statistic – How I Learned to Love Teaching Again.” Over a hundred people have viewed that free classroom management video, and I hope many more do too!
The response has been overwhelming! I knew, from my time spent as a teacher in our public schools, that many teachers are looking for solutions to their problems in the classroom, and I knew that my system has worked for me for over 12 years. I was excited when I decided to make the switch from teaching in the classroom to teacher training, and the responses I’m getting from my video just seem to reinforce my decision as being the right one.
Michelle C. wrote…
“That was the best 14 minute workshop training I have ever watched! I have dial up and it was worth the 2 hour download. I am checking the website for more. I plan on watching from my friends home who has high speed internet so I can get immediate gratification.”
-Glad to hear it Michelle! I’m working on another free video this weekend that details more about who I am and how I came to be where I am in my teaching career. Stay tuned. I’ll post it here first!
And, coming from the other end of the spectrum, Laura B. said…
“Please forgive me it this sounds a little harsh, but do we really need another classroom management expert? I understand the appeal of getting out of teaching and get paid to tell other teachers how to teach. In fact posters on Teachers.net have even broached that idea as something they would like to do. Others asked them - if you do not have a PhD and years of experience, etc., what would qualify you as an expert? Why would anyone pay you for your advice? In my opinion, much of your powerpoint presentation, excuse me, “video,” is straight out of Wong and other established experts. Now your name is popping up constantly on the chatboards. offering free expert advice along with a plug for your new venture. I am inclined to skip over your posts because they really aren’t telling me anything I don’t know.”
I thought a lot about her response to my free video, and I emailed her back this response:
“Laura,
Thanks for your constructive comments. I’ve never actually read the Wong’s resources, but it’s great to hear that I’m on the right track. I developed this system after receiving a bit of coaching about 12 years ago. It literally saved me as a teacher. If you’re in the schools as much as I am, you can’t help but notice that there are more teachers struggling to manage their classes than those who are accomplished managers. I’ve always felt like I had something to offer these teachers, but due to the political structuring of most schools, I was never in the position to influence other teachers.
Thanks again for your input. I’ve had a pretty positive response from the teachers.net’ers who have contacted me. I hope you don’t think I’m in this just to make a buck. There are tons of different places to make money online. I just feel a sense of loyalty to and responsibility for growing this profession that has treated me so well over the years.
Good luck in all your ventures, both in and out of teaching!
And I hope many more people give me their input on the classroom management video I’ve posted. I plan on upgrading my video presentations due to the great demand I’m experiencing, and I hope my new setup will polish my videos for more teachers to see. Come back here to check when I’ve published my latest tips on how to manage your classroom. Like I told Laura, I’m not an expert, but I know what works for me, and I’ve seen it work for others.
I’m pretty sure it will help you too, if you’re ready for the change.
Until then, be good, and have a great weekend!
Darren B.
What is it that keeps you from reaching your potential in the classroom?
What keeps your students from reaching their potential in the classroom?
Is it the administration? The students themselves? The parents? A lack of support? Is it unmotivated students? Manipulating coworkers?
What keeps you from being as effective as you want to be?
I’m busy putting the final touches on the first of my online teacher training courses, and your input will help chart the course of this training. Leave me a comment with your insight. I’d love to hear from you!
Darren Barkett
Hey everyone,
I’ve just created a new video called “Don’t Be a Teaching Statistic – How I Learned to Love Teaching” and I would love to hear what you think about it. The classroom management video is totally free and you can see it right away. Just click on the link below to be taken to the download page:
HelpingTeachersGrow.com’s Classroom Management Video
After you’ve watched the 14 minute video, let me know what you think. I personally have been using this classroom management system for over ten years and have had amazing success with it. I truly feel like I wouldn’t be teaching today if I hadn’t been able to implement this system.
The nice part is that I was taught this system when I was a beginning and struggling teacher. Now I’m hoping to pay the teaching profession back for everything it’s done for me!
Check out that video and leave me a comment on what you think! I’m really looking for people to implement the system and tell me how it worked for them.
HelpingTeachersGrow.com’s Classroom Management Video
Darren B.
Developing your classroom management system can be a challenging task for the new teacher. With so many different demands on your time, teachers often don’t dedicate the time and focus to their classroom management system that they should. Throw coaching, beginning teacher meetings, and local school meetings into the mix, and you’ve got one stressed-out teacher. It’s no wonder nearly a third of our new teachers are quitting the profession before three years.
How do you develop your classroom system? What should be done to become more effective at managing the challenging classroom?
Take the time to write down the most challenging moments you have in your class. Focus on the day-to-day issues that come up in your class, the issues that, if removed, would help you be much more effective in the classroom. Things that come to mind for me are:
Your list might look like mine, or it might be its own separate beast! What’s important is that you recognize the moments when your energy is taken away from instruction and you end up feeling less effective in the classroom.
Look at your list. Can you generalize any of these issues into broader categories? Like, for instance, students shouting out my name or students shouting out answers can be categorized under something like “Not Following Directions.” Try to combine your list of issues into four or five general categories.
Now, look at your new list. Would it be possible for you to teach your students how to act appropriately within each category? Can you teach your students what it means to be on time? Can you teach your students how to raise their hands? Can you teach your students to not call each other names?
Sure you can! You’re a teacher, right!
Once you’ve taught the expected classroom behaviors, develop a reward or consequence (I prefer rewards) for meeting (or not meeting) your expectations. Make sure your students see the reward as a reward. I love reading, but “rewarding” my students with silent reading time just wouldn’t work. It’s too much a part of my regular class “work” to be seen as a reward. But eating lunch in the classroom with the TV on might be a reward. Free time for five minutes at the end of class might be a reward. Teachers vs. students kickball game might be a reward. Whatever you develop as a reward, make sure the students are willing to work for it and would be bummed without it.
Then all that’s left is for you to consistently enforce your new classroom management system. Sounds easy, right? It’s this consistent part that is the most difficult part for 90% of teachers without a classroom management system. It’s easy to be consistent on Monday mornings, but if you’re not consistent throughout the week, even five minutes before class is out on Friday, the students will know it and feel the inherent unfairness of your management.
Good luck with developing your classroom management system. I hope this helps. You are always welcome to email me or leave a comment if you have any questions at all about managing your classroom.
Darren B.
Lee McIntyre has a lot of great resources online. Most of them can be found at classroommanagement101.com/blog. I’ve reproduced one of his great ideas on classroom management here for your viewing pleasure.
I hope this helps!
Classroom Management Plan by Lee McIntyre
Innapropriate student behavior causes good teachers everywhere a great deal of teacher stress, and so it’s hardly surprising that teachers are searching online in their thousands for an effective classroom management plan.
Below are three of my top tips for implementing an effective classroom management plan today and ending inappropriate student behavior.
1. Praise your students loudly and praise them often.
The most potent tool at the dispoal of any teacher is the use of praise, and everything else comes a distant second. Use praise wisely and you will no longer be asking the question ‘how do I deal with poor classroom behavior’.
2. Stay calm, cool, and collected.
If the pupils you teach can sense that you are flustered or starting to panic then it’s quite likely that their innapropriate classroom behavior will become magnified. No matter how stressed out and frustrated you become, you must present an image of calm to your pupils at all times.
3. Be prepared
Being prepared is quite simply a must for any teacher looking to be on top of student behavior in the classroom. Teachers who excel at promoting good classroom management are organized and prepared at all times. If you want to promote posive student behaviour in your classroom then it’s essential that you are prepared too.
Above is a brief outline of three of my top effective classroom plan tips. Following these tips won’t result in you having a amzing classroom management skills overnight, nor will they end teacher stress as a result of innappropriate pupil behavior.
But if you follow these classroom management strategies you will most certainly see some improvement in the behaviour of your pupils.
What a great schedule we have as teachers, no?
Weekends off. Holidays off. Summers off!
I love the teacher schedule, especially since I have two little girls, 9 and 5, that love having their daddy around. I can get home early enough to enjoy a bit of the evening together before we transition to the night time wrap-up.
But the weekends. Man, the weekends are the best. Not only do we have this great break to recharge at the end of a week, but we are given this great time frame, within which we can organize our teaching. Start something on Monday, reinforce and practice all week, assess by the end of the week, and then reevaluate for the start of the next week.
I hope you take the time to recharge from and reevaluate your week this weekend. Don’t think too much about teaching. Teachers are notorious for not leaving their work at work. Take that physical as well as mental break and relax a bit this weekend. Do something nice just for yourself. Spoil yourself.
After all, you deserve it!
Darren B.
If only we could simply focus on teaching content.
Well, that’s really not true. I love teaching content. I love teaching students how to read, how to break apart words and generate meaning from misunderstanding. But the most fun moments in class are often not strictly content related.
My school is giving the North Carolina Writing Test for 7th graders this week. This is a high-stakes test that is used for a variety of purposes- measuring individual student writing skills, measuring individual teachers’ teaching skills, and measuring a schools’ effectiveness.
This is a whole lot we’re placing on the shoulders of our students. Luckily, they’re tough. And, if you’ve developed a strong relationship with your students, you can push them through this tight space.
It’s a bit like building trust in a relationship. You continually deposit into this account, hoping not to make any withdrawals. On those rare occasions you need withdraw, the relationship will withstand it.
With your students, you fill them up all year long. Build that trust. Help them find areas of success. Build on their strengths. Then, when you need to ask them to really try hard, when you need them to stretch beyond where they normally are…
..when you need them to perform on one of these high-stakes tests…
…they’re there for you. They will step up and do their best. I’ve seen it time after time and year after year.
The more you invest in your students, the more they will return that investment when you need it most.
Good luck, everyone out there struggling through these high stakes tests. You can do it. I believe in you.
Darren B.
Never underestimate the power of making eye contact with your students. All too often we get so involved in our day, that we rarely take the time to look our students in the eye. I’ll never forget the time during my first year teaching when I explained this elaborate task to my class of fourth graders and set them to work, only to discover than nearly every student in the class had no idea what to do once I’d released them from their seats.
I was dumb struck. Thoughts like, “How could you not know what to do? I was just explaining the directions for the last five minutes!” But I held my tongue and took this as a learning moment.
From that moment on, I made sure that every student was looking directly at me with nothing in their hands before I gave any instructions. Then, once I had everyone’s attention, I moved through the class, making sure that everyone was still looking at me, and gave the directions. Then, when I had finished giving my vastly shortened instructions (thirty to forty-five seconds, tops), I asked if there were any questions. I took the time to look every student briefly in the eyes, waiting for any questions.
This time, when I told them to “Make it happen!” they made it happen.
It was a most refreshing feeling.
So, short story made even shorter, take the time to teach your students to always watch you when you are giving instructions. It will save you much time and headache down the road.
Darren B.