A Classroom Management Plan That Works In his book, Ignore Everybody: And 39 Other Keys To Creativity, Hugh MacLeod points out that Abraham Lincoln penned the Gettysburg Address on borrowed stationary. Hemingway wrote with a simple fountain pen. Van Gogh rarely used more than six colors on his palate. And MacLeod, himself an artist, sketches cartoons on the back of business cards. His point is that there is zero correlation between creative talent and the materials and equipment used. The same can be said about an effective classroom management plan. A simple set of rules and consequences hand-printed on ordinary poster board is all you need. You see… There is no magic in the plan itself. Therefore your plan doesn’t need to be elaborate, complex, or involved. It just needs to be followed. A Classroom Management Plan Is A Contract A classroom management plan is a contract you make with your students that promises you will protect their right to learn and enjoy school without interference. 1. 2. That’s it. Rules: 1. 2. 3. 4. Consequences:
7 First Day of School Activities Students Love The first day of school will be here before you know it. Most teachers face the big day with enthusiasm, but they dread the inevitable challenge: what to do on the first day of school. Every teacher’s approach is different. Whatever your goal, here are a few things to try to get the school year off to a great start! Goal: Getting to Know Your Students How well will your incoming students know you? If you’re teaching kindergarteners (or high school freshmen, who often seem like kindergarteners), you may need to spend the first day – or the first several days –getting everyone comfortable. Teaching strategies for improving friendship skills at the elementary school... The School of Education at Gardner-Webb University has received national... We examine the classroom management characteristics of effective teachers. A few useful classroom management ways to get information from your students on... 7 great technology in the classroom apps to use this year. Plan a Scavenger Hunt Do a Self-Portrait
List of Classroom Rules Establishing a set of classroom rules on your first day back to school will set the tone for a productive new school year. Pick 5-10 classroom rules from the big list below that would best fit your students. Write down your main classroom rules on a chart and hang the rules in a highly visible area of the classroom. Put the rules on your main bulletin board as a reminder of classroom expectations. See big list of classroom rules below: Ready-made Classroom Rules Charts are also available.
Global Food Disparity: A Photo Diary In an increasingly globalized world, it’s still sometimes shocking to see just how disparate our lives are compared with other human beings around the world. A book of photographs by Peter Menzel called "Hungry Planet: What the World Eats" ("©Peter Menzel www.menzelphoto.com. Ten Speed Press, published in 2005) makes a relevant point with great irony: at a time when hundreds of millions of people don't have enough to eat, hundreds of millions more are eating too much and are overweight or obese. In observing what six billion eat for dinner the authors note, "Today, more people are overweight than underweight." It is these cultural differences, emphasized and reinforced by the author, which exemplifies the lifestyles and dietary habits of people around the world. You can buy the book here. Meet the The Manzo family of Sicily. Germany: The Melander family of Bargteheide Food expenditure for one week: 375.39 Euros or $500.07.
Fostering Relationships in the Classroom Students and teacher need to develop positive and trusting relationships in an effective classroom. It is also critical that all students, especially English-language learners, develop trusting and enriching relationships with each other. There are many activities which can be used for both introductory purposes and throughout the year to build and maintain positive relationships in the classroom. 1) Sharing Weekly Reflections Each week, we have students write about two positive events that occurred in their lives and one not-so-positive event (along with what they could have done to make it better or what they learned from it). 2) Introducing Me/3 Objects This activity is sometimes called a "Me Bag" or an "All About Me Bag." 3) "I Am" Project There are many variations of the "I Am" activity. 4) "Find Someone in this Class Who . . . " Scavenger Hunt A scavenger hunt is an easy way to get students out of their seats, talking and interacting within minutes! 5) Two Truths and a Lie
Top Proven Classroom Management Tips - Elementary Education Degree Teaching is tough job, no doubt about it. And working with young children can be a little overwhelming at times, especially when class sizes are large. But many seasoned educators have a sixth sense when it comes to classroom management—what works and what doesn’t—and thankfully, many of their strategies are available on the web and in print to help other teachers achieve the same success. So check out our list of proven tips to help you manage your classroom more efficiently and effectively. Tip #1: Establish classroom rules immediately and enforce them consistently. Establish rules on the first day of class, and always follow through on the specified rewards for achievement and consequences for misbehavior. Tip #2: Set logical rules and consequences. Keep the goal of learning in mind and make sure students know why the rules are what they are: “We walk instead of running in the hallway because we want to make sure that everyone is safe.” Not all students learn at the same pace. [tsl]
I Love That Teaching Idea! How To Handle Misbehavior The First Two Weeks Of School Your new students will likely be on their best behavior for the first few days of school. But by the second week, you and your classroom management plan will be tested. After all, your students don’t really know you. Maybe you’ll be like the pushover teacher they had last year. Maybe you’ll be inconsistent or easy to fluster. Maybe you won’t really mean what you say. Maybe some of your students have never had firm boundaries. And because you haven’t spent enough time with your students to earn their confidence, you’re going to be tested. But when it happens, when Anthony says something crude to try to shock you, when Karla talks back and disrespects you, when your students interrupt you, ignore you, and misbehave three feet in front of you… You’ll be ready. Here’s what to do: Pause. Your first reaction to misbehavior should be no reaction. Hide your disappointment. Never show hurt over misbehavior or disrespect. Lose the battle. Follow through. Move on immediately. Don’t take it personally.
Developing Classroom Expectations - Project IDEAL Once a teacher has developed a philosophy for classroom management, has created a plan for how the classroom should operate, has investigated the make-up of the class, and has secured information about school expectations, then the process of establishing classroom expectations can begin. Expectations communicate specific standards of behavior for the classroom. Expectations generally communicate how students treat each other as opposed to procedures that communicate how students operate in the classroom (Evertson & Emmer, 2009). Research indicates that expectations should not be forced on students, but developed with students. What kinds of expectations do you usually set in the classroom? As a teacher reflects on expectations for the classroom, four basic principles are offered for consideration (Weinstein & Mignano, 2003). One approach is to have students write a class pledge or a class promise to share expectations for how they treat each other.
33 Ways to Start the First Year Off Right From the Virginia Education Association A little planning before school begins can pay big dividends throughout the school year. Starting off on the right foot can make all the difference. Here are some things to consider as you plan for the months ahead. Check them off as you go. ____1. ____2. ____3. ____4. ____5. ____6. ____7. ____8. ____9. ____10. ____11. ____12. ____13. ____14. ____15. ____16. ____17. ____18. ____19. ____20. ____21. ____22. ____23. ____24. ____25. ____26. ____27. ____28. ____29. ____30. ____31. ____32. ____33. Source: Adapted from 33 Ways to Start the First Year Off Right, Virginia Education Association, 2002.
Students Tell All: What It’s Like to Be Trusted Partners in Learning Inquiry-based learning is not a new pedagogy, but it has come back into fashion in progressive education circles recently because of new emphasis on the power of students’ innate curiosity to drive learning. Inquiry-based learning asks students to discover knowledge on their own with guidance from their teachers. Rather than receiving information up front through lectures, students research guiding questions, ask their own follow-ups and get help along the way. Learning through inquiry requires more student agency and demands that teachers and administrators trust that students will ask when they need help. It also places the responsibility for completing tasks and meeting deadlines on the shoulders of students. Science Leadership Academy students spoke about their learning experience at the school. Nomi Martin-Brouilette said she appreciates the trust SLA’s teachers place in students to be partners in their learning. All photos by Bailey Collins Katrina Schwartz