Kay’s Classroom Management Tips

Tip #1 – Minds On  Make the minds on good – PowerPoint, clickers, a good story, a prop …  A good start really helps you along and sets the tone of the class

Tip #2 – Bell Work  Give them something to do the moment they enter class  Brain teaser, challenging problem, review problem, crossword, multiplication tables

Tip #3 – Gaining Attention  All eyes focussing on me please  Turn lights on and off  Rhythmic clapping  Whisper, “if you can here me, clap 3 times” and repeat as often as needed with different numbers of claps  Raising your hand  Standing in complete salience and waiting for class to settle down

Tip #4 – Transitions  Plan your transitions very carefully  Write out what will happen step by step  No pauses or unplanned lapses – 30 seconds will turn a quite class into a loud class

Tip #5 – Rapport  Smile  Talk to /greet students when they come in  Go to student activities/events as often as you can  Ask the students about themselves  BUT you are their teacher, not their freind

Tip #6 – Notice Good Behaviour  Actively point out good things students are doing (e.g., when they are working hard, when hey have done a good job)  Praise all efforts students make when having a discussion

Tip #7 – Don’t Embarrass  If a student is giving you a really hard time, say you would like to talk with them at recess or after school  Never embarrass a student in front of his peers

Tip #8 – Walk  Walk around the class as often as you can  Remember the green, yellow, and red zones of student behaviour management

Tip #9 – Engaging lesson  Make the class interesting, interactive, constructive and engaging  Students who are engaged will not be a classroom management problem

Tip #10 – Technology  Students are starved for technology, so try to interrogate into your lesson  Book a lab or projector as often as possible and use those clickers