classroom management Archives - Page 11 of 14

Listening- The Classroom Management Strategy that Time Forgot

October 10, 2017 by Inspired Together Teachers 1 Comment

As teachers, we are doing 15 different things at any given moment. Every minute of the school day is occupied with students, meetings, prepping, and data collection and analysis. We continually have students talking to us. We half listen to their stories as we scan the class to be sure everyone is on-task. We find ourselves wishing our long-winded students would finish their story before we lose the rest of the class. We try to listen. We really do. But there is just so much we need to get done in a day.

Years ago, when education wasn’t moving at rollercoaster speed, teachers had time to sit down and listen to students. They also had less behavioral issues. Coincidence? We don’t think so.

When teachers listen to students, really listen, it shows students that their teacher has a vested interest in them. It relays the message that what the student has to say is important enough that an adult will stop what they are doing and listen.

Listening can also help us to better understand a student’s perspective. When a student has a behavioral issue in your class, you may think you know what happened. Asking a student, “What just happened there?” allows you to hear their perspective on the situation. Taking it even further, by sitting and actively listening to their reply, shows the student you care about their perspective.

Listening will help you to more fully understand your students’ needs and motivations. Attentive listening can help you proactively understand what is happening in a student’s mind to prevent further behavioral issues.

In today’s fast paced world of education, with standards and pacing hovering right over our heads, it can be nearly impossible to take time to listen to each student each day. However, if listening for a student talk with you for 2 minutes can decrease 5 minutes of behavioral issues with that student later in the day, isn’t it worth it?

We offer the following advice for listening to students in a way that will decrease later behavioral issues:

Resist all urges to “fix” the situation the student is sharing with you– It is our urge, as caring individuals in a helping profession, to jump in right away and offer solutions to a student’s problem. However, this can leave a student feeling like we didn’t honor their situation. It can also leave them feeling belittled because the teacher solved the problem so quickly when it was not that easy for the student. Finally, jumping in and offering advice before a student finishes their story does not show them you honor their experience. Instead of offering solutions, ask questions that lead the student to find their own solutions or value in their experience.

Use your roster as a way of keeping track of who you have listened to each day– Try and listen to your students as much as possible. Students who are attention seeking will not seek your attention in negative ways if they can have your ear in a positive way. To make sure all students get your attention, use your roster as a checklist of who you have listened to. Each time you have the opportunity to listen to a story that a student tells, place a checklist next to their name on a printed copy of your roster. Be sure that each student gets a checklist by their name on a rotating basis.

Make every free moment count- Take advantage of every opportunity to talk with students. There may be a free moment to talk to a student in the hall, before working with a student individually, or in between classes. You will be surprised how many opportunities arise to talk with a student each day when you are intentionally looking for them.

Listening can also occur in reading a student’s written thoughts– Listening does not always have to be an auditory experience. You can assign informal and ungraded writing assignments in which students share their thoughts and stories with you in writing. Be sure that the prompts will help you to learn about the students and that there is no evaluation associated with the assignments. Provide prompts that will help you learn about the student in a way that could prevent future behavioral issues or increase your rapport with them.

Create classroom sharing opportunities– Share some of your own stories to help students see differing perspectives. Model appropriate ways to share your feelings and experiences. By creating an environment that allows participants to express their feelings, opinions, and experiences, you are creating a space in which students will feel safe to tell their own stories and share their own perspectives when behavioral issues occur.

Wait for a student to de-escalate from an issue before asking them to explain their actions- When adrenaline is high, communication skills decrease. Wait for a student’s adrenaline to work its way out of their system before asking them to explain their perspective on a behavioral issue that occurred. You both will be more open to the sharing if you have a few minutes to calm yourselves before talking and listening.

We realize that all of these suggestions cannot be implemented overnight, nor are they all-inclusive. However, like we suggested in another recent article about addressing behavioral issues, good relationships with students will almost always improve student behaviors. Even if allowing students to share their stories does not help you to better see their perspectives, listening to them will most definitely help to build better relationships.

Happy Listening,

P.S. Do you want more information about preventing problematic student behaviors? Enter your name and e-mail below and we will send you our free guide to motivation and management!

What to Do When the Honeymoon is Over: Addressing Student Behaviors

September 12, 2017 by Inspired Together Teachers Leave a Comment

You got off to a great start to your school year. Your students were respectful and well behaved. You started actually teaching content and meeting the standards. You were feeling confident that you might even be a rock star teacher.

And then reality set in.

There was a side conversation here, a set of rolled eyes there. One student bravely challenged you, another blurts out silly answers. Your call for attention is ignored.

The honeymoon is over.

Students are getting comfortable, and their true characteristics have started to appear. No, they are not demons, but they are people with different personalities. Those personalities have started to assert themselves, sometimes in annoying and disruptive ways.

This is the time to recognize those student behaviors and address them. You can’t wait for all the little disrespectful comments or incessant talking to disappear on its own. If ignored, the problems will likely grow worse.

What’s a teacher to do?

We’ve got a few suggestions. Consider some or all of the following:

Discuss Expectations.

If you haven’t already done so, have a class discussion about expectations. What do you expect from them? What do they expect from each other? From themselves? It is a good idea to talk about why we have particular expectations; people are more motivated when they know the reasons behind rules. A student may not discontinue a negative behavior when the reason is “because I said so” but might because another student shares that he wants to learn so he can get a good job and support his family. Consider creating a rights and responsibilities chart.

Create a seating chart.
Perhaps you already have one, but likely it was built without knowing your students. This is a good time to reevaluate. Separate the talkers. Mix the students who regularly participate throughout the room. Put students whose physical movements are distracting towards the back or sides of the room. If student desks are in large groups, divide them into smaller pods. If students protest the new chart, calmly tell them you would love to let them choose their own seats but because they weren’t making good choices you reserve the right to make their choices for them. A seating arrangement isn’t the answer to all of your problems, but it can be a start.

Look at your lessons.
Are students sitting quietly for long periods of time? Is the work challenging, engaging, and meaningful? Do students have some choices in activities, materials or how they present their work? Do students have some opportunities for social engagement and working with partners or small groups? Is there opportunity for movement? Student behaviors are likely to be more positive during active, engaging lessons.

Look for attention seeking students.
These students may wave their hands wildly in the air, not just because they know the answer, but because they want everyone to see them. They may give silly answers out of turn or make inappropriate comments aimed at the general class. The class clown is usually an attention seeker. They can be disruptive, but endearing.

Do not give in to them by answering their blurted or silly questions. Once you realize which students are demanding attention, try not giving them attention when they seek it. Find more positive ways to let them know you are aware of them. For example, you might call them by name as they enter the room and make a friendly comment. Ask them to turn the lights down for a video or pass out materials. Building relationships goes a long way with attention seekers, after all, your attention is often what they want.

Look for oppositional or defiant students.
These students are driven by many needs. Some feel threatened, others are overly anxious. Some want to manipulate others, while some are driven by a need to uphold a reputation. They may smirk, give cheeky answers, or refuse to do something. They may show little concern for other’s needs. They may be asserting their independence or demanding control. For some students, defiance has been a survival tool.

These can be tough student behaviors to handle, but you can win over an oppositional student. Do not yell, criticize them, ridicule them or berate them in front of their peers as these responses can make the situation worse. Do not threaten them or box them into a corner.

Be ready with a few stock statements. Though they are pushing your buttons, try to stay calm and speak in a soft voice. Don’t give them the fight they may be looking for.

“You can’t make me!” is followed by, “No, I can’t. You make your own choices.”

“I’m not doing that.” is followed with, “Then you earn the consequences of your choices.”

“I hate you!” is followed with, “I can see that you are angry. I’ll leave you to calm down and then we can talk in a minute.”

Try one-on-one discussions. These students are often motivated by their own goals rather than yours, so try to help them see how what you want them to do will help them reach their own goals.

Talk to them about their behaviors in ways that describe the behavior without judging. These students may think school is impersonal and unfair, if you can show them differently, they will begin to respect you.

Working with an oppositional or defiant student takes time and often some tough love. Talk to the guidance counselor, social worker, or another teacher to get some ideas for how to best work with the student.

Every teacher faces challenges in the classroom. Don’t take it personally. Continue to build a good relationships with your students because good relationships will almost always improve student behaviors.

Take care of yourself, make time to eat well and get some exercise. Get enough sleep too, because you will make better decisions when you are healthy and well rested.

Lastly, don’t be afraid to reach out to more experienced teachers for help. Find your mentor or ask a trusted colleague for advice when you need it. Some days, students try the patience of the best of teachers. You don’t have to go it alone.

Here’s to strength and confidence!

P.S. Do you want more information about preventing problematic student behaviors? Enter your name and e-mail below and we will send you our free guide to motivation and management!

How to Thrive on the First Day of School

August 22, 2017 by Inspired Together Teachers 1 Comment

The first day of school is one of the most anticipated and anxiety-producing days of school for teachers. Both new and seasoned teachers plan for hours for this day but most teachers never feel completely ready. Many teachers can’t sleep the night before the first day of school, and others have nightmares about showing up to teach in their pajamas!

The first day of school doesn’t have to be anxiety provoking. We sat down with Hilary James, a National Board Certified veteran teacher, and compiled a list of things teachers should do on their first day of school in order to get off to a successful start to the new school year.

Breathe.

Remember to breathe. It sounds simple enough, but when we are nervous or excited it is easy to forget to breathe. Remind yourself to breathe several times throughout the first day. Taking a deep breath will help you relax. Before you know it, the day will be over and you will have successfully made it through the first day.

Put forth positive, optimistic energy.

Realize this is the students’ first day too. You are all new to this. A classroom with this exact composition of students, in this physical space, with you as the teacher, has never existed before this moment. It is pretty amazing if you think about it. You are all taking the first steps of a year long journey. You will make memories. You will learn lessons, both academic and otherwise. Enjoy this first step together. If you feel comfortable, share your excitement as well as your anxiety at beginning anew. The students will feed off your energy. When you put forth positive, optimistic energy, the students will likely mirror it back to you.

Set the tone for the school year.

Smile and make the kids feel comfortable. First impressions matter. This does not mean that if you have a bad first day that you cannot redeem things in following classes, but it is easier to begin the year in a positive light. You don’t have to spend the entire day doing warm, fuzzy activities; you can and should talk about expectations. By the end of the day, the students should know that your room is a safe place for learning.

Plan carefully and then let go.

Prepare good plans. Over planning for the first day, and most days, is essential. You won’t use all of your plans but we can imagine nothing worse than not having enough planned for the first day and having to come up with plans on the spot. You may be able to fill free time once you know your students, but we do not suggest this for the first day. This doesn’t mean you have to get through every plan. You don’t have to get it all done, and you probably won’t. You will have more time with these students, and you can use your plans another day. Your first day does not have to be perfect. Your goal is to make it through the day the best that you can and smile at the end because you did it.

At the end of the day, take time for reflection.

After the busy pace of the first day, and the adrenaline of trying to anticipate what needs to be done next to stay ahead of the students, you will want to keep moving at that pace once the students leave. However, give yourself time and space to sit down and reflect. What went well? What has to be changed immediately? What do you want to watch for in the upcoming days? What had you anticipated that didn’t happen? What happened that you hadn’t anticipated? How will these events change the way you structure your physical space or the way the students interact with the content in the upcoming days and weeks?

Your first day of school will undoubtedly not turn out the way you anticipated. It will leave you tired and exhilarated at the same time. You will be amazed that it is over in the blink of an eye. We hope you have an opportunity to take these suggestions and use them to thrive on your first day.

Happy teaching,

Paula, Michele, and (our guest teacher) Hilary James

What to Do in the First Week of School

August 15, 2017 by Inspired Together Teachers 1 Comment

What are your plans for the first week of school?

Recently, we received a letter from Andrea, a new fourth grade teacher from California. Andrea sent us a question which is probably on the minds of many of you at this time of year.

Andrea wrote,

“As I begin my first year, I am overwhelmed by a lot. The biggest thing overwhelming me right now is what to do during our first week. Of course, I plan to really layout and enforce those expectations as well as start to build a community within my classroom, but what sort of thing should I be doing curriculum-wise? What sort of fun things can we do?”

Andrea, we love your questions. The first week of school is an important time to lay the groundwork for a successful school year, but it is also a time to start engaging students in meaningful learning and show them that learning can be fun and engaging!

Here are our suggestions for things you should do during the first week of school:

Be professional.

First impressions matter. Establish yourself as a teacher, an adult who is confident and in charge. You don’t need a suit, but you don’t want to look like a student. The weather may be warm, but this is not the time or place for flip-flops. Trust us. Yes, some teachers dress very casually, but you want to use every bit of advantage you have to start things off right. Dress in comfortable clothes and low- heeled shoes.

Professionalism also means being where you are supposed to be. Do not leave students unsupervised. Be on time for lunch or recess duty. Supervise passing time in the hallways. Have a procedure for duties such as attendance and lunch count and take them seriously.

Make students feel welcome.

Welcome students with a sign on the door or in the hallway outside your room. Great them as they enter the room. Consider having them create a product in the first few days such as an About Me page to share on a bulletin board. Another great idea for the first days of school is to ask students to fill out a survey indicating their interests and their strengths and challenges related to your curriculum areas.

Find a few fun, age appropriate community builders and plan to do one each day. This will help you get to know students and help students get to know each other.

For example, using a marker, write questions on a beach ball such as, What are your favorite foods? How do you like to spend your free time? What sports do you like? What kinds of pets do you have? Then get in a circle and throw the ball. Students answer the question nearest to their right thumb.

Search Pinterest or Google classroom community building activities for many more ideas.

Learn student’s names as quickly as you can.

Seating charts can help. You may want to create name tags they can wear around their necks or place on their desks. Greet students by name as they enter the room. Take pictures of small groups on the first day and label them with names.

Using student’s names as often as possible is good practice. Dale Carnegie, who wrote the classic book How to Win Friends and Influence People noted that “A person’s name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language.” Knowing student’s names will go a long way towards building respect and ensuring a positive classroom environment.

Teach Procedures.

Have class schedules posted. Have procedures for dismissal, moving to another area of the building, bathroom use and pencil sharpening. Know what your non-negotiables are, and explain them to students. Share your homework policy and what headings you would like students to use at the top of their papers.

Discuss rules and expectations, or consider creating them with students. This recent article discusses how to create a list of student rights and responsibilities.

Try to keep discussion of rules and procedures to no more than 50 percent of your time in the first week. You will want to spend 50 % of your time on curriculum, too.

Be prepared with emergency procedures.

Walk students through the plan for fire drills and other emergency procedures. Know the exit routes from your room. Have an emergency kit and class lists near the door to grab quickly. You may not have a formal drill in the first week (though some schools require it) but it is a good idea, especially with young children, to practice a drill and set expectations for emergency procedures. Don’t let the first emergency drill catch you unprepared!

Another emergency situation to be aware of is students with medical concerns. Check student files and be sure you know of students with severe allergies, epi-pens, diabetes or other issues.

Use a little humor.

You may or may not be the funniest person on the planet, but a little humor is often unexpected and welcome. Share a relevant cartoon or poster. Tell a silly joke that is related to your curriculum.

Why were the early days of history called the dark ages? Because they were full of Knights.

What do you call a number that can’t keep still? A roamin’ numeral.

Why did the scientist take out his doorbell? He wanted to win the no-bell prize.

If students are groaning, you have their attention.

You might even have a joke of the day calendar and read it while waiting for announcements.

Plan a read aloud.

Every elementary teacher and possibly secondary teachers should set up a regular read aloud time. Reading aloud to students is a great way to model many different reading skills and habits and increase reading pleasure. Most students love to be read to. Students who love reading will read more and in the process, increase their reading skills. It is also a chance for secondary students to discover intriguing or fascinating information. Read a chapter a day, and be sure to stop at an exciting spot!

Check out our list of favorite read aloud books. Here is a list of favorite fall books.

Plan an activity to help students become familiar with curriculum materials.

Consider materials that you will use often such as textbooks or websites. Plan a scavenger hunt where students will dig through their books to find examples of things such as indexes, charts and graphs, vocabulary boxes and review sections. Send them to a website and have students find different sections or different types of information. Here is a source to get you started planning scavenger hunts.

Plan a few engaging lessons related to your curriculum.

Interactive lessons will engage students more than lectures. Look through teacher’s guides for problem solving activities, which are often very engaging. Puzzles are also high interest. Another idea is to bring in many different resources and have students use different books and materials to find information about a topic and complete a graphic organizer.

Here is an example. To introduce a unit on mammals, one teacher brought in many library books and found many websites related to different animals. Without defining them, she then gave students a graphic organizer to list as many examples as they could of mammals and non-mammals. Then students looked at their examples and in small groups, made lists of characteristics of mammals and non-mammals.

Plan at least one portion of each class period during the first week for exploring and getting excited about the curriculum.

Plan a small group activity.

Many students learn best through social interaction. Plan a small group activity that will get them up and moving and talking with others. This will allow you to assess their social skills, and see who the class leaders are.

Give students clear directions and clear explanations for the task. Have a product they must complete individually, though they are working together. Circulate as they work to answer questions and prevent unwanted behaviors. Smaller groups of 3-4 are better than larger groups. Graphic organizers often work well for group work. Small group work often makes for a good assessment of students’ prior experience and knowledge.

Example: In groups of 3 or 4, create a KWL Chart. Make a list of everything you know about the American Revolution. List people, events, and places. Then make a list of things you want like to know or things you think an educated citizen of the United States would need to know.

Over plan

If you don’t get to them, you can always use your lesson plans another day. It is far, far better to over plan than to run out of things to do and try to wing it. Do not succumb to the “talk amongst your selves” time filler. It is a recipe for behavior problems and sets you up as being ineffective. Have some fillers always at the ready. Teach students a quick review game and use it when you have a few minutes at the end of a period. Have students make a “Top Ten Things We Learned about ____ ” list. Have students write exit slips. Read from a book of funny poems or extraordinary events.

The first week of school is both exciting and exhausting. When you are ready and well-planned, you can enjoy the week. This is what you have prepared to do and you are ready. This is your time to shine!

Go knock their socks off!

Start the School Year With the “Right” Expectations

August 8, 2017 by Inspired Together Teachers 2 Comments

Are you worried about classroom management? Are you having an internal debate about how to establish classroom rules on the first day? Will you create the rules and have them posted before the students arrive? Or will you create the rules with the students? With so much to think about regarding establishing classroom rules and procedures, it can be overwhelming.

We propose an approach that may appeal to you….establishing Rights and Responsibilities.

Establishing Rights and Responsibilities with your class can replace or supplement classroom rules. It involves a classroom discussion, group brainstorming, and a large piece of paper on the wall. Depending on the age of your students and the time frame you can allot to this activity, the discussion can be as short as 10 minutes or it could be spread out over multiple class periods.

The activity for establishing your classroom’s Rights and Responsibilities could loosely adhere to the steps below or could follow them exactly. The beauty of this approach is that it could be easily modified and still get the same outcome.

Steps:

Large paper is taped on wall. Although it will later become two columns, start with the word “Rights” written in the top left corner.

2. Ask the students, “What basic rights do you think you should have in this classroom?” As students state their rights, list them numerically down the left column of the sheet. It may look something like this:

3. Once you have a list of rights, explain to the students that in order for everyone’s rights to be met, we all have a responsibility to make sure we do our part in assuring those rights are upheld. It is our responsibility to display words and actions that support the rights of all. It is our responsibility to make sure our individual words and actions don’t ever take away someone’s rights.

4. Draw a vertical line down the middle of your paper to create second column. Write the word “Responsibilities” at the top of the second column. Tell the students you will all brainstorm a responsibility for each corresponding right. For example, if the first right is “to feel safe,” have the students decide what the corresponding responsibility would be. You may get answers such as, “In order for everyone to feel safe, it is my responsibility to make sure my words and actions are not threatening to anyone” or “For others to feel safe, I can’t hurt anyone.” You can generalize their answers into one common responsibility for each right.

5. Write the corresponding responsibilities directly across from the rights on your large chart as the students discuss and identify each responsibility. Your original list becomes something like this: The final result is a set of classroom expectations (responsibilities), decided upon by the students, each with a corresponding purpose (rights). Since students do better when they understand the purpose, this activity allows them the opportunity to see the thinking behind classroom rules. It is definitely a more holistic approach to establishing classroom expectations. Plus, if you are already planning on having the students establish the rules as a class, this provides a nice structure for the discussion.

Whether you use this as a supplement to your classroom rules, or as the “rules” themselves, we wish you all the best as you establish your classroom expectations.

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