Classroom Management Jeff Anderson City Wide Teacher / Mentor

Behavior has to do with discipline. Classroom management has to do with procedures and routines.

Do not discipline a class

Wait Pause to increase student participation.  When directing a question to the entire class, wait ten seconds between asking the question and calling on a student. At first this will seem like an eternity but the delay will give students who are slower to respond time to formulate an answer.

Index Cards Index cards ensure random selection.  Early in the school year, ask each student to write on an index card basic student information – name, birthdate, etc….  Use the cards throughout the year to call on students randomly. If a student doesn't know an answer, turn his or her card over in the pile and be sure to get back to them.

Design a stamp  Determine what you consistently grade for on a paper. Order a stamp specific to this criteria.  ________ Format ________ Drawings labeled ________ Completeness

Easier Correcting  Have an area on the paper for the correct answers.  You still have access to computation work.

Worksheets  A yellow highlighter will not show up on photocopies.  Your answer sheet will never be accidentally copied and passed out.

Focus  Initial class brainteasers on an overhead signify the start of class, calms the students in a dim room, and focuses the class on a task.

Pick a student  When doing a class task tell the students that you will pick two who will be monitored for behavior.  Write their names down or remove them from a stack of 3 by 5 cards.  Their scores serve as bonus points on the assignment

Pasta or Popcorn  When students have worked well have on student remove a fistful of pasta, popcorn, or …  They place this material into a large jar.  It will take several activities to fill the jar.  Once the jar is full give the class an agreed upon reward.  Maybe popcorn!

Cleanup priorities  Select some task that must be accomplished during a cleanup.  Tell the students you have selected something. This ‘something’ is a mystery.  If they clean this ‘something’ up they will be rewarded with 3 minutes of free time. If not they must use that time to clean.

Clean Up Song  Whistle while they work!

Set a timer  If cleanup / task is accomplished before a timer goes off the students get a certain amount of time.  If not accomplished the free time goes into the

Greet your students at the door as they enter  Mood  Supplies  Interactions  Gossip

Make up work  Put make up work into an absent student folder. The student’s name should be on the work.  When a student returns from absence they can pick up their work without disruption.

Motivated students are not behavior problems.

H O M E W O R K  Each day a class has all their homework turned in one letter of homework goes on the board.  When homework is spelled out you erase the word – and perhaps there is no homework that day.

You did great today!  If they were great, tell them that they were great.  Students need to know what good behavior is like. Point it out.

Catch and release  Catch students in the act of being good.  Write their name on a piece of paper and put this in a container.  At the end of the week draw out a name and reward that student.

Assign Numbers  Place the number on the top of their paper.  Monitors arrange the classwork numerically.  Missing numbers mean missing assignments.  The monitor could list these numbers and you can rapidly check the accuracy of the count.

Cheating  Sit in the back of the room during tests.  Tell the students the day before a test how you will handle cheating. This is far more motivational than announcing your rules when there is no time to become prepared.

Return Papers at the Hour’s End  Students will listen more intently to your comments related to the papers.  People who did poorly will not have a full class period to be angry.

Rules  Develop a set of written expectations you can live with and enforce.  Be consistent..  Make parents your allies. Call early and often. Use the word "concerned."  When communicating a concern, be specific and descriptive.  Don't talk too much. Use the first 15 minutes of class for lectures or presentations, then get the kids working.  Break the class period into two or three different activities. Be sure each activity blends smoothly into the next.  Begin at the very beginning of each class period and end at the very end.  Don't roll call. Take the roll with your seating chart while students are working.  Keep all students actively involved. For example, while a student does a presentation, involve the other students in evaluating it.  Discipline individual students quietly and privately. Never engage in a disciplinary conversation across the room.  Keep you’re your sense of humor.  Know when to ask for help.

Teachers monitor  Establish eye contact.  Move around the room and increase proximity to restless students.  Give a quiet reminder.  Re-direct a student's attention.  Begin a new activity.  Offer a choice.  Use humor.  Provide positive reinforcement.  Wait quietly until everyone is on task.  Ask a directed question.

Behavior contracts.  How do you want me to treat you?  How do you want to treat on another?  How do you think I want to be treated?  How should we treat one another when there's a conflict?

Discussion? Questions?