Classroom Management

Last Friday in Georgia, the police were called to an elementary school and handcuffed a kindergartner after the girl threw a tantrum and was put in a cell at the police station for tearing items off the wall and throwing furniture in an outburst. Does this happen sometimes when a child gets out of control in the school setting? Yes it does. Are there strategies that can put into place to avoid this situation? Yes there are, but students can still get out of control for a variety of reasons.

Classroom procedures are necessary to create consistency and routine in your classroom. Students need procedures and routines for entering the classroom each morning. What are they expected to do? Enter the classroom, be ready to work by the time the bell rings. Homework ready to discuss, complete the warm up on the board, materials needed listed on the board -- teachers need to TEACH and PRACTICE this routine with students of all ages at the beginning of the year, so that each lesson begins with students ready to go. Teachers should never have to constantly tell students to get in their seats or to be quiet. Some teachers use transition music, so that when the song ends, students are in their seats ready to go-- and YES it even works for high school students. A positive, respectful class environment needs to be modeled by the teacher from the start of the school year. Greet your students by name as they are coming into class each day, making a connection with them.

Having well planned lessons and activities that engage students is another critical component of an effective learning environment. When students are actively engaged in learning, it lessens the opportunity for students to engage in disruptive behavior. Lecturing students during a complete class period is a teaching method of the past!! Students must actively display their learning, the development of their knowledge and skills. When the teacher lets students know what the expectations of each lesson will be, this gives students an understanding of what they need to be able to do by the end of the lesson. Giving the students regular feedback on their learning, keeps students involved and more motivated to learn.