For many teachers, their biggest concern is classroom management. How will I make sure that my classroom is a safe community and that kids will follow the rules?
This challenge, which appears new each day for teachers, requires them to continually develop their skills to manage the classroom, especially the pointy end students.
This article does not aim to answer all the questions, but rather provide some true and tested strategies for working with classes and students – particularly difficult students.
Using a normal, natural voice works fine most of the time. However, by dropping the tone of our voice, we assert more authority, while protecting our voice. Raising our voice to get students’ attention is not the best approach, and the stress it causes both teacher and students is not worth the effort. Besides it doesn’t work in the long run. Students will mirror the teachers voice level, resulting in more noise and less attention than before.
So, if raising our voice doesn’t work – what does?
Speak only when students are quiet and ready. This requires waiting, and then waiting some more until all students were quiet. Students catch on and prompt each other to be quiet, to listen. Patience pays off for both the teacher and students.
By utilising hand signals and other nonverbal communication teachers can effectively communicate without raising or even using their voice. There is a variety of signals from holding one hand in the air; clapping; counting down using fingers. Students need to be trained in the routine, which includes teachers waiting until all students respond, and then talking.
Turning the lights on and off is a highly visual attention getter that is effective in gaining student’s attention. This sends a clear signal to students to quieten, and focus on the teacher.
By ensuring that the class has a set of classroom rules and expectations, that the students have input into creating, it enables student ownership of expectations. Students often want stricter rules, and more structure than teachers realise. It allows for more security for students, knowing that there are boundaries. Rules should be revisited frequently, and explicitly taught to ensure there is a common understanding across the class. Rules should be written clearly and published in a highly visible place at the front of the room.
Rules should be applied consistently, to ensure a sense of social justice in the classroom. This means teacher need to strictly enforce the prevention troublemakers getting away with misbehaviour. Inconsistency in application of rules can result in students who are generally wellbehaved becoming disruptive, thereby creating more issues for the teacher, and a generally disruptive classroom.
A method of gaining student’s attention is by publicly rewarding students thatare displaying positive behaviours. Other students are quick to follow the example set by their peers. By rewarding more than you punish, students are encouraged to do the right thing. Rewards for an effective class without behavior distractions might be no homework or creating a fun game that might help students learn more than they would during a traditional class.
Students respond thrive on relationships and praise. Show an interest in students, discovering what they life and what their interests are. Praise is important, and often a motivator for not only the student receiving the praise, but for classmates as well. Ensure that praise is spread around the class, so that it is received by many students, just not the teacher’s pet. Personal, sincere, verbal praise can make a lasting impact on students, making their day, while dispersing negative feelings about school, and self.
Personal positive notes are the simplest, quickest and most effective way of getting a good message communicated well. The impact of positive notes is significant; particularly when students collect them and put them on display them as an ongoing reminder.
Implementing a ritual each morning is a great way to start the day with curiosity, prediction, and positive emotion. Teachers should begin by modelling this while the students time them, and then sharing their list to model trust and engagement. School students need structure to look forward to enable them to concentrate, and learn. They are drawn into the learning with solid expectations, behaviour boundaries, and fun, active learning experiences.
Address behaviour issues quickly and wisely. The emotions of students change rapidly, and small disagreements can grow quickly if they are left unaddressed. Issues should be addressed quickly and quietly away from the attention of other students. I often use just inside or outside the door, to discuss issues. It is important that teachers listen to students, rather than accuse them of something. Display empathy, even when you have none.
When dealing with inappropriate behaviour, take a positive approach. Discuss the issue or behaviour, not the person. By reflecting on students previous good behaviours, you can redirect current negative misdemeanors of students.
By getting out in the playground and eating areas with students, teachers can build relationships with students, while discovering more about students and the issues in their lives. The relationships you forge will be strengthened, with opportunities for conversations presenting themselves daily.
Always have a well-designed, engaging lesson. It is much better to over plan, rather than be caught short, and need to develop activities on the spot to fill in time.
Lessons need to be engaging; otherwise students are inclined to get bored. Bored students tend to disrupt others, and get into trouble. Lessons with hands on learning or inquiry based lessons, are frequently more engaging for students.
Classrooms, while difficult places at times, can be places of effective teaching and learning, when teachers are effective in managing students. Boundaries, when coupled with praise, are an effective method to provide students with structure and support, bringing harmony into the classroom.