Classroom Management – Helping Teachers Grow

More than almost anything else you can do as a teacher, the first lesson you should teach is really quite simple.  It won’t take you long to plan it.  It won’t even take long to teach it.  But failing to teach this simple lesson can doom you to another year of frustration.

What am I talking about?

It’s quite simple.  You must teach your students how to listen.

Yes, you read that correctly.  The first lesson you teach your students needs to be how to listen in your classroom.  Can’t you hear your students already?  “I already know how to listen!”

But, as we all know, hearing and listening are two entirely different things.  Hearing happens unconsciously.  Listening takes an active thought process to happen.

If you don’t teach your students how to listen, you’ll spend so much of your year repeating yourself to your students that you won’t be nearly as effective as you could be.

How many times have you taken the time to give very clear directions for a class lesson and then told the students to get to work, only to have a student or two say, “What are we doing?”

Clearly that student wasn’t listening.  Yes, he or she might have heard you, but the active listening process just wasn’t happening.

Yes, our students should know how to listen.  It seems silly that we, as professionals, would need to teach our students such a simple concept.  But take it from me.  When I look back on the two years I spent teaching without having taught my students how to listen, I remember so many more frustrating moments than in the following years when I took the fifteen minutes to cover this vital lesson.

So, how do you teach your students to listen?

My free online classroom management videos will walk you through the process.  Just click on the following link to be taken to our class management video download center.

Classroom Management Videos

Don’t make the mistake so many struggling teachers are making.  Take the time to teach your students how to listen.  It will make all the difference for you this year.

 Darren

Hey everyone!  I’m headed out of town for a week to relax at the beach with my family, but while I’m gone, if you haven’t seen my newest video on classroom management, head over to the website for a quick look.  In this ten minute free class management video, I show you how to create a system that gets your students to listen every time someone speaks in your class.  Doesn’t that sound good?

This system really works.  I’ve used it for over ten years, and, if you reinforce it consistently, you’ll be amazed at the changes it creates for you and your classroom environment.

Here’s the direct link to the sign up page to see my videos:  Classroom Management Videos

Let me know what you think or if you have any questions about how to implement the information into your classroom management system.  Also, when I get back I’m creating a whole new set of videos addressing new issues in your classroom, so let me know what you want me to cover!

I’ll think of you when I’m lounging on the beach!

Darren

My first week home from school is always an adjustment for me.  My mind and body is so used to being constantly involved from the moment I get to school at 7:45 until the moment I leave work.  Now that I’ve got time to relax or reflect or exercise, it’s taking a bit for my mind to adjust.

Anyone else feeling this lag time?

True, summers off is a great perk of being a teacher.  But making that adjustment to having so much flexibility in my schedule is a lot easier said than done.  I no longer have to wolf down my food at lunch.  I don’t have to time out my bathroom breaks.  I can actually watch a bit of tv during the day if I am so inclined.

Last summer my family and I went on vacation the week after school was out.  This was a great way to transition into the summer.  By the time I returned from vacation, I’d completely adjusted to my new time frame.  This summer, though, our vacation is next week.  And I’m here with all this energy that had been focused on running my classroom.

Luckily I’ve got my classroom management training I’m working on producing for release this August.  It’s got me keeping focused more than in the past.  And it’s exciting to connect with other teachers out there who are looking for ways to grow over the summer.

I hope you’re finding ways to adjust to our wonderful summer schedule.  Let me know how you are coping.  And I’ll make sure I keep you informed on the progress of my latest classroom management videos.

If you haven’t seen my latest offering on how to get your students to listen to you every time you speak, check out the video at http://www.helpingteachersgrow.com/classroommanagement_freedownload.html

You’ll find both of my free videos available to you there.

Enjoy these long days of summer!

Darren B.

I recently released my online training for teachers, helping them develop and implement their classroom management systems, and the response has been exciting. Many individuals are emailing me with stories of how my systems have revitalized their learning and refocused their efforts in the classroom towards more efficient and effective classroom management practices.

I received a nice email from a preschool teacher who was pondering a purchase of this $27 classroom management training, and I thought others might have similar questions. Here’s her email:

“I’m very excited to find a program like this one and would like to get started learning the techniques… yesterday!

My dilemma is that I have a difficult time viewing video on my computer. The videos do something called “buffering” for up to 5 minutes at a time and then I get about 30 seconds worth of actual viewing. I don’t know much about computers, so suggesting a download or upgrade is futile.

Is there an alternate way I could benefit from these trainings without having to view videos?

Also, I am new to teaching preschool children (I formerly worked with infants and toddlers). I currently head a class of 10 3-year-olds. No assistant.

Up until now, I considered myself an excellent “teacher” and found my work very rewarding. What I’m so good at, however, is relating to very young children on a psychological level. I have very little skill dealing with the behavior problems I am encountering with 3-year-old children.

Before I buy, do your training programs focus on preschool age children?

Any suggestions you can give me would be greatly appreciated.”

And here’s my response:

Glad to hear your excitement about the program. Yes, I definitely feel like my methods will help you with your preschoolers. It’s all a matter of finding out what motivates them to do well, and then clearly defining your expectations. I go into this in much greater detail in the training videos.

As for your video issues, the training is available for viewing from the site, which has been giving you difficulties, and it is also available for download. I think you’ll be able to download all the videos in their entirety and then play them from your computer. You won’t need to buffer the videos since they will already be loaded on your computer. You’ll just be watching them from your saved copy rather than streaming them from the internet.

Does this make sense?

Also, I offer a money-back guarantee if for whatever reason you’re not pleased with the classroom management training I offer. Just ask, and I’ll send you a refund.

Here’s the direct link for you to order the training if you’re interested: http://helpingteachersgrow.com/classmanagement01sltr.html

She did purchase this training, and later emailed me about how much she enjoyed the videos. I’m still waiting for her testimonial on how the classroom management training transformed her class of preschoolers!

Darren

Many of you have asked me why I’m working to help teachers grow into the more empowered and effective professionals our schools need.  Well, I’m not one to shirk the difficult questions so I made a short video that introduces me and goes into a bit of my background as to why I’m moving into the realm of teacher training.

I currently do still teach and have taught for over 12 years.  At this point in my career, I’m feeling the need to expand my efforts beyond the classroom.  I truly believe that my success in the classroom was due to the help I received when I was beginning my teaching.  Without that help, I would have been one of those early teaching drop-out statistics!

Head over to the website to see my video.  It’s on the same page as the free classroom management video you’ve probably already seen (if you haven’t, you definitely should!  It outlines how to create your basic class management system.).  Just scroll down the page to see my smiling face.

And make sure you let me know what you think of my videos.  These are my first efforts in video production, and I’d like to think that each time I’m getting a bit better.

Here’s the link to my videos page:  HelpingTeachersGrow.com/videos

I’m off for Spring Break, but when I get back I’ll be releasing the first of my online classroom management mini-courses designed to walk you through the entire process of developing your classroom management system.

Darren