CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT

CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT

Where do I find a course in sit down and shut up in a nurturing and caring atmosphere?

Youtube video’s • Funny teacher slap (:22) • No cell phones in class (:38) • How to shut the kids up (:42)

Effective teachers MANAGE their classrooms Ineffective teachers DISCIPLINE their classrooms What is classroom management? This refers to all of the things that a teacher does to organize students, space, time, and materials so that instruction in content and student learning can take place.

Colleges prepare you to present lessons—lectures, worksheets, videos, activities, curriculum • Any situation that is not managed can easily turn chaotic • A teacher who is inadequate in classroom management skills is probably not going to accomplish much

Classroom management includes all of the things a teacher must do toward two ends: • To foster student involvement and cooperation in all classroom activities • To establish a productive working environment

Learning Environment Must be conducive to learning • Pay attention • Cooperative and respectful of each other • Exhibit self-discipline • Remain on task • Positive climate • All materials ready and organized • Furniture arranged for productive work

THE EFFECTIVE TEACHER • Works on having a well-managed classroom • Trains students to know what they are to do • Has students working on task • Has a classroom with little confusion or wasted time

Beginning of Class • Once class has started have an activity at their seat they may begin immediately • Tell them to get started on it immediately • Short, interesting, easy to complete, successful for all • Write the assignment in the location that students will always be expected to view for work

Observe how your students enter the classroom Teach routines and procedures right away Ask the student to return to the door (don’t ask them to leave) Tell the student why Give directions for correctly entering the room Check for understanding and acknowledge that the student did as you requested (thank you for…)

It is a mistake to let any misbehavior, such as entering a room inappropriately, go unchallenged under the rationale that you will have time to deal with this later Restate expectations as needed and they will become automatic Praise students when it is done properly Encourage it to become a routine

Seating Arrangement/Assignment • Seating arrangements should take priority, what do you want the students to do? • Seating assignments can come after seating arrangements have been determined • THE PURPOSE OF ARRANGING SEATS IS TO ACCOMPLISH CLASSROOM TASKS

Seating Arrangements Coincide with the tasks you have designed • First-day registration and procedures • Cooperative learning • Listening to a lecture • Sitting to hear a story • Class discussion and interaction • Small-group activity • Taking a test • Individual work • Seating Assignments Maximize learning and classroom management, minimize behavioral problems • By height or age • In alphabetical order • For peer-group tutoring • For paired problem solving • Placing lower ability students in a particular location

Reasons for a Seating Chart • Facilitates roll taking • Aids name memorization • Separates potential problem students • Assists guest teachers You will have a more effective class, most of the time, if you assign students to their seats

Assignments You can easily get students to work if three criteria have been met: • The students have an assignment • The students know where to find the assignment • The students know why they are to do the assignment

Post your assignments in the same place each day Eliminates “What is the assignment” “What am I supposed to do” Develop a method for absent students Post assignments on a note card and keep a Monday-Friday listing on a bulletin board

Ineffective Teachers “Where did we leave off yesterday?” “Open your books so that we can take turns reading.” (for what purpose?) “Sit quietly and do the worksheet.” (to master what?) “Let’s watch this movie.” (to learn what?) “You can have a free study period.” (to do what? I do not have an assignment for you, I am unprepared)

TAKING ATTENDANCE Since roll-taking does not concern the class; do not concern the class with the process Your first priority is to get the students on task, scan the room Maximize academic learning time Once the class is at work, tend to administrative chores

How Time Adds Up • Loss of 5 minutes at the start of class (or end of class) • 5 x 5 = 25 minutes per week • 25 min x 4 weeks per month = 100 min • 100 min x 9 months = 900 minutes • 900 minutes / 60 = 15 hours per year • 1 hour classes = approx. 3 weeks more teaching time per year

DISCIPLINE PLAN • Rules • What the expected behaviors are • Consequences • What the student chooses to accept if a rule is broken • Rewards • What the student receives for appropriate behavior

Video Clip • What Kind of Teacher Will You Be Today? • (2:23)

Why You Should Have Rules • Rules are expectations of appropriate student behavior • After deliberation, decide on your rules and write them down or post them before the first day of school • Clearly communicate in both verbal and written form to your students what you expect as appropriate behavior

It is easier to maintain good behavior than to change inappropriate behavior that has become established • You will have firm confidence in your ability to manage a class if you have a clear idea of what you expect from your students and they know that that is what you expect from them • Rules immediately create a work-oriented atmosphere • Rules create strong expectations

Two Kinds of Rules • Specific Rules • Be to class on time • Keep your hands, feet and objects to yourself • Listen to instructions the first time they are given • Do not use vulgar or offensive language • Have all materials ready to use when the bell rings • General Rules • Respect others • Take care of your school • Be polite and helpful • Keep the room clean • Behave in the library

Should you involve students in forming rules? • You can but their role may be limited • School-wide and district rules must be accepted as they are (attendance, substance abuse, profanity, bullying, etc. Policy books) • Classroom policies essential to managing instruction cannot be left to student discretion (attentiveness, homework, care of the classroom and equipment)

What’s left? • Gum chewing • Eating • Talking during seat work • Pencil sharpening • “Procedures”

Classroom Rules • Decided in advance • 3-5 only • Clearly communicated • Student involvement Discuss rules for clear understanding It means this, it looks like this

Consequences and Rewards Rules must have consequences Consistently enforce these consequences Two kinds of consequences: • Positive consequences with REWARDS • Negative consequences with PENALTIES

Reasonable and Logical Consequences Time out Demerit or loss of privilege Detention Assignment to write ___ ways to correct the problem Being the last to leave Deprivation of some reward Exclusion from class participation

Do not stop instruction when giving out the consequence When you see a violation of one of the rules, immediately give out the penalty Give out the penalty quietly as you continue with the lesson or classwork

Suggestions • Chalkboard – continue the lesson, go to the designated area on the chalkboard and write the student’s name on it or place a check mark after the student’s name Take a few moments at the end of the period to speak to the student • Transparency – similar to the chalkboard and you can easily take it with you for a record

Ticket – same concept as receiving a traffic ticket. There is no need for a fancy form. The student’s name and the number of the rule that was broken is all that is needed. Develop a method for giving and receiving these tickets back • Pattern – Have all students listed on a bulletin board within a pattern. If they break a rule, move their name outside the pattern

Yellow/Red cards – Have all students listed with three cards below their names. One green, one yellow, one red. If the student breaks a rule they must move the yellow card to the front. If they break another rule they must move the red card to the front Avoid degrading students

High School Middle School Do you really want to go there? As a teacher you know I will have to. . . . . Eating in class – put it away or throw it away Name calling – golden rule “Treat others the way you want to be treated” –stop bullying of all forms, “we do not call people names in here”

Erase/reset the consequence at the end of the hour or each half or full day Allow students to begin with a “clean slate” each class period Keep good records Get administrative support Call home

Discipline with Your Body, Not Your Mouth Calm is strength; upset is weakness. The effective teacher knows what to do to get a student calmly back on task. • EXCUSE yourself from what you are doing • RELAX. Take a slow relaxing breath and CALMLY approach the student with a meaningful business look

FACE the student directly and CALMLY wait for a response • If there is no response, WHISPER the student’s first name and follow with what you want the student to do, ending with “please”. Relax and wait. • If the student does not get to work, RELAX and WAIT. Repeat Step 4 if necessary. • If backtalk occurs, relax, wait, and KEEP QUIET.

If the student wants to talk back, keep the first principle of dealing with backtalk in mind: IT TAKES ONE FOOL TO TALK BCK. IT TAKES TWO FOOLS TO MAKE A CONVERSATION OUT OF IT. 7. When the student responds with the appropriate behavior say, “Thank you,” and leave with a SMILE.

If a student goes as far as to earn an office referral, you can deliver it just as well relaxed. Ruining your composure and peace of mind does not enhance classroom management.

Guidelines: • Stay neutral • Don’t hold it against the student • Don’t use it against the student when grading • Students are learning! • You are teaching • Let the student know you like them but didn’t like their choice • Re-establish a relationship with that student relatively soon • Remind the student it was their action that caused the situation

Discipline and Procedures DISCIPLINE: Concerns how students BEHAVE PROCEDURES: Concern how things are DONE DISCIPLINE: HAS penalties and rewards PROCEDURES: Have NO penalties or rewards

Students must know from the beginning how they are expected to behave and work in a classroom environment A PROCEDURE is how you want something done, it is the teacher’s responsibility to have procedures clearly stated and taught A ROUTINE is what the student does automatically without prompting or supervision

Students Accept Procedures What to do when the bell rings What to do when the pencil breaks What to do when you hear an emergency alert signal What to do when you finish your work early What to do when you have a question What to do when you need to go to the restroom How to exit the class at the end Work space, chair, items put away

PROCEDURES Procedures allow a class to run smoothly Teaching Procedures (3 steps) • Explain • Rehearse • Reinforce -Remind -Experience

Procedures Becoming Routines These must become routines: • Beginning of class period • Quieting a class • Students seeking help • Movement of students and papers • End of period If you are not in the classroom, could your class run itself?

ATTENTION SIGNAL • Need a procedure to get student attention back (whole group) • Music • One hand held up • One clap, they repeat, if not responsive go to two claps, etc. • Tell your neighbor “eyes up front” • 5-4-3-2-1 countdown

QUIETING A CLASS EXAMPLES: Give me Five Raising one hand Fingers to lips Flicker the lights “Freeze” Bell, tuning fork, alarm, timer Hand signal Music, louder-softer

What if they don’t? • It’s a procedure • Re-teach it • Practice it • Expect it • Repeat as many times as necessary

Disruptions • You must have forgotten the rule of how to respond • Walk over to them • I’ll talk to you about it at 10:00 (recess or end of class) • Walk away • Don’t engage them in conversation

#1 Problem is not discipline—it’s lack of procedures and routines

CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT