Classroom Management – Helping Teachers Grow

I have laughed more with my students this year than I have ever laughed before.  It’s not that these kids are any more hilarious than the rest of the students I’ve taught.  It’s that I’ve allowed myself to open up in front of the kids and just laugh.

This sounds a bit strange, I know.  But think back to the last time you really laughed out loud with your students- a laugh that was so real that you had to stop what you were doing and just… laugh!  Sure you might have chuckled here and there, but when it comes down to it, I realized that I had been so concerned with presenting a strong image to the students that I wasn’t taking the time to laugh.

I remember my favorite teacher in high school laughing with us.  Someone would say something silly or maybe something came out sounding much less intelligent than the speaker (me) had hoped.  This teacher, Mr. Lambert, would hold his belly and just laugh!  I still remember that to this day.

And now that I’ve allowed myself the opportunity to laugh with my students, I find more and more chances to laugh.  And they feel more like laughing too!

You’d be amazed how far a laugh goes to help shape the classroom environment.  A class that can laugh together (and definitely not at each other) is much more likely to be enjoyable, to have fewer discipline problems, and a much lower level of stress.

In our stressful jobs, doesn’t that sound good?

Hey!  Where have I been?

Good question. If you teach, and I can only assume that you do since you’re reading my blog about teaching, then you know how easy it is to get lost in your job.  This year I’ve really been involved at school and haven’t taken the time to update my blog like I should.

But that’s all about to change.  I’ve recently had a serious increase in people signing up for my online classroom management training, and it’s reinspired me to continue with my blogging.  After all, teachers learn best from other teachers, and I truly feel I’ve got something to offer the teaching profession.

If you’re looking for ways to become a better manager of classroom behavior, head on over to my website featuring my most current online class management videos: Take Back That Class – Class Management that Really Works! These videos are availabe for instant download and have helped hundreds of teachers manage student behavior- and in so doing, these teachers have told me that they really enjoy their jobs much more!

Doesn’t that sound good?

Darren Barkett
HelpingTeachersGrow.com