Quick Tips For Classroom Management Presented by: Mrs. Michael Duke July 29, 2010

Patterns begin the first day, so make the expectations and roles clear. If you want them to speak in class, to write in class, to engage in small groups, ask them to do these things on the first day.

The First Three Weeks of School How do I help students make their transition to my class? How do I develop routines, rules, and procedures in my class? How can I gain my students’ attention? How can I provide support to my students? How do I encourage active learning? How do I build a community in my class?

How do I help students make their transition to my class? Take attendance. Make a seating chart. Introduce yourself and any teaching assistants or co-teachers. Announce office hours. Give sample test questions and answers. Seek out a student each day and get to know something about him or her. Ask the students to write about what important things are going on in their lives. Hit the ground running on the first day teaching the content for your class. Find out about student jobs, how many hours a week they work, and what kinds of jobs they have.

How should I develop routines, rules, and procedures in my class? Have your students take part in making the rules for the class. Have students give ideas on what they feel acceptable consequences are and rewards they would like to receive when they earn them. The teacher will choose what they feel is appropriate. Practice the rules, procedures, and routines in an exciting way.

How can I direct my students’ attention? Greet the students at the door. Start class on time. Make a grand stand entrance to hush a large class or gain attention. Use a bell. Have students write down what they think the important issues or key points of that day’s lesson was about.

How can I provide support to my students? Review the rules, procedures, and routines as class is in progress. Have students write down their name, address, and phone number on an index card. Hand out study guides or study questions. Use teacher commentary to let students know how they are doing. Reward behavior that you want: praise, stars, stickers, a note. Use multiple examples to illustrate key points. Tell students what they need to do to receive good grades in your class.

How do I encourage active learning? Have students keep a journal. Pair students into collaborative groups. Give students opportunity to speak. Apply subject matter to “real life”. Give student wait time to answer questions. Students need time to process questions. Have students write questions about subject taught that day. Collect at end of class and have answers by next day. Have students paraphrase or summarize what they read.

How do I build a community in my class? Learn names. Set up a buddy system so students can contact each other about assignments or homework. Take pictures of students and post in class. Have students play a game to find out what they have in common with classmates. Read aloud and have the students “guess” which student it is. Assign group work to students to complete.

Discipline with Dignity This will be the text for book study. It discusses positive strategies to use in classroom management. Dr. Renee’ Mays and myself will discuss an overview of this book and practice some hands-on situations

Homework Assignment Read through and be familiar with your copy of Discipline with Dignity. Have at least one question or comment about classroom management when we meet again. Bring your Classroom Management Resource Notebook.

What if you have a question about Classroom Management before our next meeting? Contact Information: Mrs. Michael Duke – SCES 4 th grade teacher/Team Leader Mrs. Renee’ Mays– SCES Assistant Principal

To Think About: “To the world you may be just one person, but to one person you may be the world.”