Classroom Management: These kids are outta control. Why?
When my 6-year-old son comes home and says my teacher "Can't take it anymore". I cringe. As an educator with over 17 years of classroom experience, I knew right away that classroom management is a major component of classroom order. I believe that the inability to manage your classroom leads to poor student retention and teacher burnout. Over the years, I have learned that routine, high expectations, and following through with behavioral consequences have led to a well-oiled machine. Keeping the parents informed and "on your side" can always help as well. Thoughts? Is there a tool, tip, or trick you would share with fellow colleagues that work for you?
I agree with keeping parent communication open and often. Email is quick and effective. Keeping the students engaged and excited to work can also help with classroom management.
ReplyDeleteEmail is a great way to communicate, sometimes it does take a phone call, and hopefully the parents pick up the phone!
DeleteFollow through on consequences seems to have a big impact! Relationship building is also one of my tried and true methods to keep the well-oiled machine running.
ReplyDeleteCould not agree more! Building rapport with the students is crucial!!
DeleteI love this! Building relationships is so important. Taking time away for instruction to just be a person and communicate with the kids is a great way to communicate. Today, my student couldn't get over the differences in gas stations from state to state. It was a super fun conversation! Thanks for your post!
DeleteWeekly, I communicate about low grades and have been doing so for years, but what I have started implementing this year is my "Wheel of Names - Random Weekly Emails". On Monday, I spin my wheel and get 5 student names. At the end of the week, I email that student's family with an update of their grade, behavior, and a personal observation or anecdote.
ReplyDeleteFirst off, parents love hearing from teachers about the good things. Some of these parents have not heard directly from a teacher for years. They really appreciate it. Occasionally, I'll pull the name of a student who is not "bad" but might have a negative classroom behavior that is worth mentioning. I'll make note of a small behavior that has been occurring or that might be an issue later on. Of course, these smaller infractions don't usually warrant an email home, but I found that these small emails have reduced the escalation of classroom management problems.
Second, it's also interesting when the kids come in and comment that I have emailed with their parents or talk amongst themselves about the emails. Since they are generally positive in nature, they are always surprised (pleasantly most of the time) while also noting that I am in communication with their parent.
It does take time, but it is a practice I intend to continue because of the success it has had this year. What I have found is that I have more buy-in with the parents, and as a result, student behavior has improved overall.
We all know that those emails about low grades are important, even though the parents do have Canvas in most schools. I remember making sure to get home before my parents to erase the answering machine! Thanks for your support!
DeleteI think making sure students know your expectations and you are consistent with those helps. Respect is a two way street you have to give it to get it. If the students know you value and respect them they will tend to listen to you. It also helps to always communicate with parents even from day one. Unfortunately, lately parent involvement does not seem to be as important to the parent as it was back in the day, so it relies heavily on the teacher to set those expectations and be clear and consistent with enforcing them.
ReplyDeleteMila, you and I are in the same hallway and teach the same subject. Setting standards from day one is so important. Thanks for bringing that out!
Delete"Kids don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care." This quote (though a number of people are given the credit for saying it, when I looked online) :) has stuck with me - it's true for parents, as well. Positivity, patience, high expectations, being a master of your content, flexibility/quick thinking-on-your-feet, engaging lessons, consistency, communication, etc.- it takes all these things, and so much more.
ReplyDeleteI've been in this game for over 30 years. A few suggestions/tips include: 1) Start the year by reminding yourself these are not the kids you had at the end of the previous year. You have to patiently re-train the new kids, and it takes a while. 2) Find the fun. It's worth the work as, when the kids are having "structured" fun, it's a lot of fun for you, too! 3) Make it new. Do not revamp everything/every year... try to encorportate a few different activities and projects throughout the year. This helps change it up a bit. 4) Always remember, when a parent emails and it seems they are attacking you, they love their kid. If you respond in a way that lets the parent know you've heard them and you're both on the same side, they (usually) are so appreciative and receptive to your input. Finally, 5) Never let them (the student) see they've "gotten to you" as middle school kids can be like piranha - LOL!
Oh man, isn't that true! Find the fun! I love it! You know, my professor said something the other night about certain people being "born" essentially, to be a teacher. And this just proves, you get it! School kids are piranha's but we are the sharks! :) Much appreciation for your post!
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