Archive for the ‘Teacher Tricks’ Category
You and I both know that one of the keys to solid class management is solid planning. But sometimes, things just don’t work out the way you’d planned. Sometimes our lives outside of teaching intrude (lives outside of teaching? Unheard of, right?) and we just don’t manage to fill the class with a complete lesson.
What do you do?
First, don’t panic. It’s ok. If you’ve got a solid class management system in place, your students should be able to handle a few unstructured minutes here or there. Just keep moving and keep a watchful eye out on everything. Be ready to step in at the slightest sign of potential trouble.
Second. Stall. If you’ve taught your lesson to one class, and it’s run short, next class, try to draw things out. Ask more questions. Wait longer for answers. Peer thoughtfully out the window. Instruct the students to peer thoughtfully out the window. You’d be surprised how many minutes you can kill with a few stalling moments throughout a class.
Third. Students are almost always easier to manage in a less structured setting at the beginning of your class rather than at the end. If you know your lesson is going to run short, kill some time at the beginning of class when everyone is seated and conditioned to getting started. You can chat with the class about students on the sports teams and their latest opponents or matches. You can chat with the band students or the chorus students on how things are going or upcoming competitions. Chat with the students who are in clubs or who are volunteering.
Take a few minutes to “re-connect” with your students in this manner. Not only will you kill a few minutes and be able to end class in a more structured manner, you’ll be connecting with your students in a way that will help you down the road (see the previous blog post on this…)
Tags: class management
Posted in Classroom Management Tips, Connecting with Students, Teacher Tricks |
For the next couple of posts, I want to take a moment to highlight some of the classic classroom management failures that plague many teachers. Heck, I’ve been guilty of some of these as well. And it’s usually the source of frustration for me, those moments when I failed as an effective classroom manager. I end up going home thinking over that situation over and over and over, regretting a split decision or a comment made that can’t be taken back.
The classic class management failure I first want to speak of is the “Empty Threat Syndrome.” If you set up a consequence for your student dependent on their behavior, you better follow through with your threat. If you tell that student that you’re going to call that student’s parents if their behavior doesn’t improve, you better call that mom the next time that student doesn’t meet your class behavior expectations.
If you habitually threaten your students with some sort of consequence and you don’t deliver on your promise, what are you teaching your students about you as a teacher? What are you saying about your word, your promises, as a teacher? Is that what you’re trying to communicate to the students? It seems like common sense, but in the thick of a stressful classroom management moment, if you don’t have a solid classroom management plan, many teachers fall back on the “old standby” – empty threats.
This just highlights the need for all teachers to have a simple and effective classroom management plan. When you have a plan in place, it’s easy to avoid getting into the “Empty Threat Syndrome.” With a solid class management system, you no longer need to threaten. At most, you would need to remind students of expectations and consequences. But once you’ve taught these class behavior expectations and consequences, you no longer need to threaten.
All you do then is consistently implement your behavior management system.
Coming next… “The Inconsistent Implementor” A shocking tale in one part of a teacher torn asunder!
Thanks for coming around.
Darren B.
Tags: class management implementation plans, Class Management Videos, classroom management, help for teachers
Posted in Classroom Management Tips, Teacher Tricks |
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
Tags: Class Management Videos, classroom management, help for teachers
Posted in Class Management Videos, Classroom Management Tips, Teacher Tricks |
Here’s a copy of an email I received from a member of our community I thought you might like to read. It really highlights the need for an effective classroom management system that provides a framework for addressing all of the situations that come up in the classroom.
OK “What if” you tell the student he has a mark for not following the rules, and you try to move on, but he/she yells (and I mean yells) “What? I didn’t do anything,tell me what I did, I’m not the only one….”
I try not get caught up in verbal confruntations (it’s hard) but how can you continue teaching with this going on? Usually his friends will join in yelling to defend their friend. Jr. High is obviously not my happy place…but can I do to to teach through this?
I think all of us who have worked within a classroom management system have had to deal with this. The thing to remember is that it is of primary importance that you remain calm and in control of your emotions. So many of our students are used to the verbal confrontations and power struggles that plague their lives. If we refuse to be drawn into these power struggles, our classroom management will be able to take effect and cover these difficult situations.
When I have a student who gets extremely upset at receiving a “mark” I explain very calmly to them, looking at that student directly in the eye, “If you don’t understand why you received a mark, I will gladly discuss it with you after class.” And then move on.
This sounds simplistic, I know, but over time, this approach reduces the number of times the students act out after being disciplined. When the students see that you will not be drawn into a power struggle, they will eventually stop trying to draw you in.
Now if the student continues to make a scene, I give them new directions. “Johnny, I need you to sit there quietly while I continue with this lesson. If you do not, it will be another mark. Do you understand?” Then, if the tantrum continues, calmly give the student another mark, and remind him that another mark means they are out of Fun Friday or whatever reward you’ve established.
And if the student becomes completely uncontrollable, give them the ultimate directions with clear consequences. “If you can’t control yourself in my classroom, I will have to call _______ to come remove you from my classroom. Do you understand?” Again, you’ve done all this with the utmost calmness and neutrality to your voice. Typically, the student will regain control. If not, you can either have an administrator come and take the kid from your class, or you can send that student to an already arranged other teacher’s classroom for some time out.
Remember, you must be the voice of calm and cool in the classroom. When the students see that you won’t get upset at their childlike behavior, that childlike behavior will begin happening less and less.
Now doesn’t that sound good?
Darren
Tags: classroom management, classroom management videos, classrooms, managing students, middle school, teacher education, teachers
Posted in Classroom Management Tips, Teacher Tricks |
Welcome back to Monday! I hope your weekend was relaxing and recharging, because we’ve got more work to do before the year’s out…
I just read a very nice comment from a reader and I thought I’d post it directly here since many times the comments are overlooked by the browsing public. Here’s the comment quoted from this blog, but you can read it yourself by simply scrolling down the page to read the post titled “Why? Because I told you so…”
“Hello Darren, I have been receiving your mails and have been putting them to use. I am not a trained teacher yet, but I can tell you i already know what Teachers go through. I believe I go through worse. I teach at a supplementary school where there are virtually less or no rules. However with all the tips iIve been receiving and putting to use, I believe I already have my class under control. I already know what I want with them and am slowly but ‘definitely’ getting there. I especially love this one about students asking you ‘why?’. I can see it is already working for me. All I have to do is just say it! However, I will probably have something on ground for those extremely tasking children. You can never say! So Darren, am really looking forward to more of your Golden tips. Thank you in arrears, for now and in advance! Cheerio”
What a nice reminder for me of why I’m working in teacher education! I’ve used these tools and tips for years to much success, and it fills me up knowing that others are out there feeling more effective in the classroom after receiving a little guidance.
Thanks again for that great comment, and I hope to hear from more of you as you too experience increased success in the classroom.
Darren
Tags: class management, class management tips, classroom management, helping teachers grow
Posted in Classroom Management Tips, Teacher Tricks |
Today I took my students to the computer lab for a little poetry work. I’d planned accordingly and had a good list of websites ready to go. Even still, I knew that time spent in the computer lab can be some of the most challenging for a teacher. I’ve had many days when I left the lab totally exhausted. Today I was not going to suffer that same fate.
Thanks to a big technology grant at our school, I get to use a lap top, document camera, digital projector, and an interactive whiteboard. Using all these goodies, I was able to show my students exactly what we’d be doing once we got to the lab. I told them ahead of time that I’d cover this all again once we got to the lab, but that I wanted them to see where we were going while I had everyone’s attention.
Step by step, I clicked on each program, showed them where we were going to click to find our information, and walked them through the entire lesson that would take place a little later once in the lab. This process took about five minutes. Once finished, I asked for questions and clarified any misunderstandings. I then reminded them of my typical classroom behavior expectations as well as my specific expectations for the computer lab in addition to reminding them of the consequence for not meeting these expectations.
That done, we marched off to the lab and proceeded to have a great time! The students were remarkably on task. There were very few students who didn’t know what we were doing or how we were doing it. Students were good at helping each other out when one saw that another was struggling.
And at the end of the day, I felt good. It seemed like the students produced some nice poetry (Mother’s Day cards!). And I wasn’t nearly as stressed or tired as I have been after a day spent in the computer lab.
Ah, the joy of a little pre-emptive class management…
Tags: class management, class management tips, classroom management, helping teachers grow
Posted in Classroom Management Tips, Teacher Tricks |
Too often I hear from teachers who are afraid of being the bad guy in the classroom. We all want to be liked by our students, and we think that if we discipline our students, they won’t like us.
Actually, it’s exactly opposite! All too often, teachers who act afraid to upset their students end up creating class environments that are unruly, uncontrollable, and not conducive to learning. Our students really do want to learn. They want to feel safe. A classroom out of control doesn’t learn well and often isn’t safe.
I tell my students at the beginning of the year that my classroom is not a democracy. Majority vote does not rule the class.
I rule the class.
I am the benevolent dictator. After a brief explanation of what that means, I remind them that it is my job to educate them. Occasionally I will ask them to do things they won’t want to do. I won’t reason with them. I’ll give them directions, ask for questions, and then expect them to follow my directions. Every time.
And, of course, I have consequences established for those times when a student fails to follow directions- more on this in later posts.
For the most part, though, especially if I’ve done a solid job of selling my lessons, the students understand that when I “ask” the students to do something, I’m really simply telling them nicely.
When a student asks you why he or she has to do something you’ve “asked” them to do, just tell them…
“Because I said so.”
And that should be enough.
Darren
Tags: class management, class management tips, classroom management, helping teachers grow
Posted in Classroom Management Tips, Teacher Tricks |
One of the most important tricks any teacher needs is the ability to get their class quiet, quickly and respectfully. Now for many of us, we know this is easier said than done. But this one skill is so important, it separates the struggling teacher from the pro- more than almost any other skill.
Just imagine the principal walking into your room. He or she tells you that he needs to tell something to your class. Can you get your class quiet immediately? Do you have the rapport and respect from your students to get them settled without resorting to yelling?
There are a hundred ways to regain control of your class. I recommend finding three or four that work for your students and fit your personal style. Then rotate between these whenever you need to.
Want a couple?
If you take your students to lunch, remind them at the beginning of class that the longer it takes for them to get quiet, the longer it will take you to finish your lesson. If necessary, you might need to stay in from lunch until the material is covered. Then, if they continue speaking, I tell them, “That’s one minute from lunch.” I repeat as necessary until they get quiet.
Here’s another: It’s similar to the lunch time trick, only I use the threat of homework. “If it takes us too long to finish this classwork because of your talking, I guess we’ll have to do this for homework. I really don’t want to do that. Do you?”
One more: “We can’t leave here until this is finished. And I’m not writing any tardy slips…”
Whatever you use, don’t threaten and then not follow through. If you create expectations for behavior with a consequence for not meeting those expectations, you darn well better be able to follow through. Otherwise the whole system falls apart.
Having the ability to quiet your students quickly adds so much to my enjoyment of my days spent teaching. I feel comfortable letting my kids discuss issues in class knowing that I can get things focused in a hurry if necessary. We can occasionally joke around and laugh together, knowing that when it’s time to work, we can get focused.
This one class management skill will help you enjoy your day and your students more than almost any other management technique. Leave me a comment about the ways you get your classes quiet. I’m sure there are tons of methods out there just waiting to be shared!
Darren
Tags: class management, class management tips, classroom management, helping teachers grow
Posted in Classroom Management Tips, Connecting with Students, Teacher Tricks |
Hump day. Gotta get over that hump, and it’s all downhill from there.
Right?
Don’t we all get a bit tired around this time of the week? It’s simply part of the job. We get up early, get to school, and then run our shows all day for kids who sometimes seem interested and other times clearly don’t want to be there.
It’s so easy to let those feelings of tiredness, even exasperation at our situations, overcome us. But have you noticed the changes in your students’ behaviors when your tiredness shows? I have. When I’m off my game and not feeling great about being in the class, my students often make things even more difficult for me. This can start a downward spiral that can lead, eventually if left unchecked, to that negative mind set some many of us have seen in other teachers or experienced ourselves.
What do you do about this? How do you stop that negative downward spiral from getting its hooks set in you?
When I’m not feeling my best, either because I’m over tired, over worked, or simply under the weather, I tell my kids. Just the simple act of discussing this with my students has great benefits. My students come to understand me as a person rather than just a teacher. They understand that I also have a life outside of school that affects me at school- just like them! It helps us connect as a class and as individuals since I often ask after stating the condition of my innerspace how the students are feeling. They are surprisingly honest and forthcoming when I’ve shared of myself with them.
So try this little trick. When you’re feeling down or tired or whatever, talk about it with your students. I think this simple act of sharing will not only help you feel better, but it will encourage your students to be better behaved for you. And this connection will go a long way towards helping you enjoy your job…
…even on a Wednesday.
Darren
Tags: class management, class management tips, classroom management, helping teachers grow
Posted in Classroom Management Tips, Connecting with Students, Teacher Tricks |
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
Tags: classroom management, classroom management videos, classrooms, managing students, middle school, teacher education, teachers
Posted in Class Management Videos, Teacher Tricks |
