Five Classroom Behaviour Management Tips
May 18th, 2009 Filed Under Classroom Management
At some point in every teacher’s career, they will have that one class or even that one pupil who makes a knot of dread build in their stomach.
It was exactly the same for me. My first year of teaching was at a notoriously difficult school. Out of all of my classes I had one group that made me wonder if I was ever going to construct a positive relationship with them.
Within the group there was a small cluster of boys whose behaviour was atrocious. Throughout the course of the year I instigated several strategies, some of which worked well, some not so much. The ones that didn’t work for me however may well for you.
Seating plans
Most teachers set out a seating plan straight away for new groups or for a group they are having difficulty with. The main objective of my seating plan with this particular group was to separate the pupils who I was having difficulty with, without punishing the students who were working well.
When I moved the pupils, or attempted to, I was met with much hostility, (no surprise there) but I insisted and eventually the students sat where I wanted. Instantly this calmed two of the boys down and they were then able to focus on their work.
Reward system
There was no set reward system within this school and so I created one in my classroom. 10 stickers for one reward. This group was a year 10 group and to my utter amazement they loved it! Suddenly they were answering questions, reading aloud and following instructions.
Sharing responsibility
With the most difficult of students in this group I would give them a role. One student would give out the reward stickers, one to collect homework and so on. If these jobs were done well they would gain an extra sticker for being helpful. I found this helped them to remain on task and prevented them from causing large distractions.
Ignoring low level disruption
Tapping pens, swinging on chairs, repeating instructions whistling… the list goes on. And although low level disruption is annoying and frustrating I don’t challenge it in pupils who struggle to focus so long as it is not preventing others from learning.
Isolating persistent poor behaviour
This I only use in extreme circumstances. When coursework deadlines are looming or the threat of an exam is around the corner, I would create a large study area and make my expectations clear. Everyone must be focused, anyone who chose not to work was asked to leave the group and sit in the corner of the room to work independently. Two students chose to do this initially, thinking that it was a good way to get out of doing work.
I followed through with the threat and totally ignored all their poor behaviour once they were removed. The students attempted to lure others, but by praising the others and trying to keep them focused, the two who left the group seemed to realise that they had little hope of achieving disruption and quite quickly asked if they could come and work back within the group. Once they were allowed to do this they remained on task.
Classroom Management Ideas
August 9th, 2008 Filed Under General
The first day of school is coming and I’m not quite certain how I feel about it. I am excited about the “do-over,” a chance to begin once again with new students and a new dedication to excellence, but I also have butterflies in my stomach. Last year, had I known what I know now, those butterflies might have set off a hurricane of panic.
Your classroom management ideas really get a workout in the opening days of school. These few days that look so innocuous on the calendar have a huge impact on the succeeding months. Get it right and you may head off major discipline issues. If your ideas don’t work out, then you may have to travel a few miles of bad road before things get smoother.
I’m not saying I wasn’t warned. Almost everyone told me how important effective classroom management is to instruction. However, most of the classroom management ideas that I saw modeled just didn’t seem to match my personality. So I produced my own blend of techniques. The problem is that your first year isn’t the best time to be experimenting.
When things didn’t quite work out, I said to myself “no problem.” I resolved to implement those classroom management ideas I had been taught earlier. Unfortunately, turning things around is more challenging than starting in the right direction from the beginning.
Like many new teachers, I began my school year with a fun activity. You know, so they would know I’m a fun guy to be around. But school isn’t truly supposed to be fun. Interesting? Yes. Engaging, thought-provoking and challenging? Yes, yes and yes. But not necessarily fun. Students are there to learn skills that will help them become successful members of society and help them achieve their full potential.
Pupils have a better opportunity to excel when you give them a good foundation of process. Among classroom management ideas, communicating clear classroom procedures is much better than starting off the year with an activity.
Teachers with the most effective classroom management ideas have a few things in common. First of all, they have deliberately chosen what they plan to do rather than reacting to events. Second, they have developed procedures for classroom management that are ready to apply at the beginning. And finally, they have no confusion concerning their professional responsibilities. The most effective teachers work actively to improve their students’ performance.
Don’t just assume you can wait until mid-September to get serious about managing your classroom. It will be much too late by then. Begin teaching for mastery as soon as possible, have an impact on your students’ lives. You’ll start looking forward to each class day and so will your students.
Teachers! Are you stressed out, frustrated and maybe just a little scared? Click here to change that. Discover the fastest path to classroom management ideas that will enable you to get the complete obedience of your students and at long last start enjoying your instruction once again.