Many novice teachers request assistance with classroom management. Is effective management in the classroom determined by how well students behave in class? Is classroom management determined by 100% compliance to every directive given by an authority figure? Is classroom management an opportunity for both teachers and students to govern themselves in a environment that maximizes learning? No matter your definition of classroom management, one thing is for sure:
WHEN POLICIES AND PROCEDURES ARE CLEAR, TEACHERS CAN EDUCATE AND STUDENTS CAN LEARN.
"Before they misbehave, most students will wait to see how you act and respond to various situations. Make your expectations and procedures very clear and consistent from Day 1." -Lynn F. Howard, author of Ready for Anything: Supporting New Teachers for Success
Now that we're into the sixth week of school, we must consider strategies beyond first day expectations. By now, you should be pretty familiar with your students: the leaders, those who get distracted easily, Chatty Catherines and Rude Reggies. Lynn Howard spells out Teacher-Directed Student foci to help you get your students on task without disrupting the learning environment. Use as many as you can to gain the quality control you need to get our students to stay on course in class.
STAND BY ME:
Close proximity to students lets them know that you are watching and aware of their behavior. Continue with the lesson as you walk toward a student and stand next to his or her seat. Glance down at the student and smile.
CALL MY NAME:
Ask a question, survey the classroom, pause, and say a student's name. This allows students time for individual thought and prevents the same student from answering every time.
POSITIVE TELEPHONE CALLS and NOTES:
Create a list of procedures for your classroom. Write each on a card or craft stick (depending on your grade level). Make another set of cards or sticks with student names. At the end of the teaching block, pull a procedure card and a name card. If the student has met the expectation, call the student's home or send a note with positive comments. It works well to do this for three or four students per day or block of time.
POSITIVE DIRECTIONS:
Give a direction and look for a student who is following the direction. Say the student's name and restate the direction, then add a "thank you" for the student's behavior.
I LIKE THE WAY...:
Find a student who is following your direction. Say, "I like the way [student's name] is [repeat the direction]." Follow up with a positive phrase such as "Good job," "Thank you," or "Good work."
YOU ARE THE STAR:
Incorporate the name of a student who is off-task while you are teaching. Use the name in a word problem, statement, or question to redirect his or her attention.
WALK A MILE IN MY SHOES:
Constantly circulate through the room while students are working and look for opportunities to provide positive acknowledgements. This individual, personalized recognition lets students know that you are aware of their progress.
THE LOOK:
Practice your "teacher look" by standing in front of a mirror. Learn to make direct eye contact with a student in a way that says: "I know you are (are not) doing what you should be doing." This is a nondisruptive strategy for refocusing off-task behavior.
A PICTURE IS WORTH:
Create a list of classroom procedures that you expect to be followed in your room. Use a digital camera to take photos of exemplary behavior, and share the behavior through transparencies or a bulletin board with the procedure and class names.
THREE SETS OF EARS:
Students should select three other students to help with the question of the moment. If after a predetermined amount of time the group cannot answer the question, the students should signal the teacher for help.
LET'S HAVE A CHAT:
If positive behavior stategies are failing, talk with the student in an individual, private conference. Take time to listen and determine the underlying reasons for the inappropriate behavior before determining consequences.
