This week we are discussing how to be best prepared for a calm and collected classroom environment. If you missed Part 1 be sure to check it out here.
Next on the list are two more successful methods for strong classroom management skills:
3. Be consistent
Being consistent is by far my greatest struggle. Consistency is all encompassing in the classroom and most difficult to implement when you are tired or the class is hectic. Consistency is also deceiving because it can quickly irrupt into chaos in a mere couple of days. I made a list of areas where is it easy to slip up and be inconsistent:
- bathroom passes - I gave students two passes per six weeks for the restroom or to go to their locker. Instead of saying no, "I would say, do you have a pass?". This put the ball in their court and they could decide it it was worth it.
- tardy students - Is the student tardy when the bell rings? What if they are in the door but not in their seat? Do they need to be completing the warm up to be on time? Decide what works best for you, what you can reasonably manage and provide consequences for, and then communicate that over and over and over again.
- the last 2-3 minutes of class - As class is wrapping up and students are beginning to pack up their belongings, what is the expectation for their movement and talking? I would highly suggest that you communicate that you dismiss not the bell. Now to be consistent in this is more difficult. I found it to be extremely successful to begin by giving them more than ample time to pack up. Then, I would say that IF everyone was packed up, quiet, and in their seats, ONCE the bell rang I would dismiss them. If not, we would wait until those three things were accomplished. After a week or two of them having plenty of time, they will get in the routine and when a time crunch occurs, they will be quick and ready to go.
- responding to the teacher - Will you call on specific students? Will you say a specific phrase if you want them to call out the answer? Will you acknowledge an answer that is shouted out? As teachers we want to encourage class participation and are excited that students know the answer, sometimes we struggle to teach the practice of raising their hand.
4. Issue a Consequence
As new teachers it is difficult to have a consistent :) consequence. We want to offer grace, we are busy, we can't find the detention slip, we have four other students asking questions after class, or we are not aware of what the appropriate consequence is.
First, I would suggest thoroughly understanding the school policy on consequences. Some schools have a behavior pyramid that needs to be followed. If your school does not, I would highly suggest creating one for your classroom. Decide how many warnings a student will receive before there is a consequence, then communicate that to the students.
I would also highly encourage you to contact parents as soon as you notice a pattern of behavior. It is much better to be proactive in parent communication than reactive. I would often say something like, "I have noticed this is becoming a pattern and wanted to address it with you while the consequences are still small". Typically parents are grateful and appreciate you going out of your way.
Whew, we will finish up this series tomorrow with Part 3...
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