Flexible Seating and Student-Centered Classroom Redesign I remember exactly where I was when I had a watershed moment that changed me as a teacher forever. In fact, it inspired my EdSurge column, Why the 21st-Century Classroom May Remind You of Starbucks. I was working on my TEDx presentation at my local Starbucks and, looking around, I realized that everyone seemed to be happy, engaged in their work, and relaxed. Some people chose the traditional chairs and tables while I opted for a big, comfy chair with my MacBook on my lap. The quiet music, perfect lighting, and overall aesthetics of the coffee shop were favorable for a variety of learners. Problem Solvers Now = Problem Solvers Later I'm a firm believer in keeping the focus on what's really important: the students. What the Research Says Everything I do in my classroom is based on research and best practices for kids. Simple in-class activities can boost performance. Classroom Redesign on a Budget Up Your Classroom Management Other Considerations We follow the Responsive Classroom approach.
edutopia The need to gain control of students is reaching new levels of desperation. An article in the Washington Post included the following: Three days a week, parents can take their misbehaving kids to A-1 Kutz in Snellville and ask for the "Benjamin Button Special," which Russell Fredrick and his team of barbers are offering -- free of charge -- to parents who want to try a novel form of discipline. The cut involves shaving hair off the child's crown until he begins to resemble a balding senior citizen, inviting that unique brand of adolescent humiliation that can only come from teasing classmates and unwanted attention. Humiliation Is Never OK My opinion about any form of humiliating students is obvious from the title of the book I co-authored in 2008: Discipline With Dignity. Last month, however, I was guilty of humiliating a student seriously enough for her to later tell me that it had been the worst moment of her college life. Prevention and Repair
What Makes a Good Presentation? – The Canswedian English Teacher So, you have told your class that they are going to do a presentation on something-or-other. You show them what should be included, how their Powerpoint should look, you even talk about how important it is to have proper grammar… But do we ever really teach them what it means to give a good presentation? I finally clued in to this last year. MAYBE I should be teaching them this important piece of the puzzle! How else are they going to learn about intonation, hand gestures and body language? I made a Powerpoint last year, some activities and introduced it to my classes before they did their first presentation. Go through the Powerpoint with them – stopping at the slides that ask for activities. Warm up by brainstorming with them what makes a good and bad presentation. Here is the handout for the body language and gestures activities. And for those of you have seen enough Powerpoints to last a life time… here are some other options to show your kiddies.
27 Tips for Effective Classroom Management Infographic Teacher Infographics Classroom management is as much about instructional design and relationships as it is rules and discipline. Though there are certainly exceptional situations, in general the more you’re having to hold them under your thumb, the more likely it is adjustments are necessary elsewhere. The 27 Tips for Effective Classroom Management Infographic presents strategies that you can add to your teacher tool-belt. While you probably already have a nice foundation of go-tos to work from–physical proximity, ignoring the misbehavior, redirecting, eye contact, intentional seating, engaging instruction, a relationship-first approach, and others–you can never have enough classroom management strategies to keep things fresh. Via: anethicalisland.wordpress.com Embed This Education Infographic on your Site or Blog!
Classroom Management Strategies for Difficult Students Teachers in middle level schools face overwhelming demands and challenges in their classrooms. They are expected to know content and pedagogy, develop engaging lessons that meet the needs of diverse learners, and use a variety of instructional strategies that will boost student achievement while they simultaneously develop positive relationships with, on average, 125 students each day who are experiencing the personal, social, and cognitive challenges and opportunities of early adolescence (Carnegie Council on Adolescent Development, 1995; Schmakel, 2008). Teaching is complex and cannot be reduced to discrete tasks that can be mastered one at a time. Teachers must "win their students' hearts while getting inside their students' heads" (Wolk, 2003, p. 14). As Haberman (1995) suggested, this winning of the hearts occurs through very personal interactions, one student at a time. Classroom management and relationship building Strategies for building relationships Building empathy Conclusion
How much time do you spend shushing twenty-four children while one child speaks? | What Ed Said Do you find yourself frequently shushing twenty-four children while one child speaks? It is true that children need to learn to listen as well as talk. It is true that patience is a virtue. It is true that we need to teach our children to be polite and wait their turn. It is true that sometimes (but not always!) it’s worth everyone listening to what one person says. But… Have you added up the number of minutes in a day, a week, a year, that all except one child in your class are passively waiting their turn, while one child at a time (or the teacher!) Have you considered the possibility that every idea does not have to go via the teacher? Instead of every child getting a turn to share their idea while the whole class listens, would any of the following work? Benefits: #1 in a series on making small changes What other ideas can you add to the list above? ** Would you like to contribute a post to the series on making small changes? Like this: Like Loading...
Top 5 Classroom Management Strategies Strategies for Good Classroom Management My biceps don’t bulge and my hair is blond. Intimidation is not my weapon. I am a veteran teacher with 17 years of experience. In the real world, students come from all walks of life. Of course, students know the classroom rules and school rules. Five Top Strategies to Keep Students Learning in a Calm Classroom Environment Strategy #5 – Keep the lesson moving.If you have a forty-five minute period, plan three different activities. Strategy #4 – Don’t lecture for the whole period. Strategy #3 – Talk to your students.If you see them in the hall, in the cafeteria or at the grocery store, ask them how they are. Strategy #2 – When students are being disruptive by talking, poking, pulling or crumpling paper, go stand by them. Strategy #1 – When you have stood by the student, talked to the student and kept them busy with lessons, and they still are disruptive, take them in the hallway. Kids are kids.
6 Classroom Management Tips Every Teacher Can Use By Dave Foley Found In: classroom management, discipline, routines & procedures Effective teachers are passionate about educating their students. They want to spend their time teaching, not dealing with classroom disruptions. Here are some classroom management tips to help teachers settle problems, or prevent them from occurring, so that they can spend more of the classroom hour on teaching and learning. 1. Get everyone’s attention before beginning class. 2. If students aren’t paying attention or busy doing other things, get them focused by using nonverbal signals of disapproval. If non-verbal cues are disregarded, the next step will be imposing discipline measures within the classroom such as having them stay a few minutes after class or changing their seat. 3. At the beginning of the school year, let students sit where they want for a few days. 4. If the student has not made a real effort, then that student will be given a short homework assignment, due the next day. 5. 6.
The Only Classroom Rules You'll Ever Need If you’re looking for elaborate or decorative classroom management ideas, you won’t find them here. Though prevalent, such ideas are unnecessary, even counterproductive, for classroom management. On this site, we’re focused on only two things: 1. 2. The goal of classroom management is to eliminate distractions, disruptions, and poor behavior, so you are free to inspire your students. The results are happy and high achieving students. Anything that interferes with this goal, or doesn’t contribute to it, should be thrown out. Too many teachers chase the next great classroom management idea and are continually disappointed. In the meantime, they’re stressed and tired of dealing with behavior issues. An act of joy. So instead of chasing trends, why not focus on what is proven to work? True, your fellow teachers may not “ooh” and “ahh” over the cleverly contrived classroom management charts or newfangled methodologies you’re using, but they will marvel at your ability to control your classroom. 1.
edutopia While taking teacher preparation courses, I was lucky enough to sign up for a class with Dr. Sharroky Hollie, who is the author of the book, Culturally and Linguistically Responsive Teaching and Learning. The course was on classroom management, specifically for new teachers working in urban public schools. We were taught the importance of always having an activity during those crucial first minutes of class, and for Dr. Learning The Look As for the most memorable of his lessons? He told us that this facial expression serves as a non-verbal signal to a child that you see that they are off task and talking or doing something they shouldn’t be doing (i.e. chewing gum or trying to distract another student who is trying to complete an assignment). Dr. He then had us practice in groups of four or five. It was a fun activity and very informative. Does It Work? Over the years I taught high school English, I had a number of students comment to me about The Look.
Classroom Management Strategies for High School Teachers Learning high school class management skills can significantly improve your experiences as a teacher. The skills you develop can also help your students to learn effectively. High school teachers must know how to provide their students with direction because those students don’t always focus on their education. Tips for improving your classroom management skills start with fine-tuning your personal management skills and establishing your expectations. Tips to improve class management skills Establishing classroom rules One of the first steps to take to improve classroom management skills is to take a look at the rules. Practice while you teach There’s no better time to put your classroom management skills to use than while you’re teaching. Student attention spans are limited. Tags: Engaging Activities / High School (Grades: 9-12) / Professional Development
Classroom Management Strategies: Top 10 Rules, Organization We have identified the top 10 rules one should follow in order to achieve great classroom management. These classroom management strategies can work for any teacher, but are intended for middle school and high school teachers. Classroom management is how the teacher delivers the curriculum, as well as the environment in which students will learn. edutopia Tips, Advice, and Strategies Classroom-Management: Important Big-Picture Questions: Before getting into the minutiae, consider how you organize your space, what learning looks like, and how you're building relationships with families. (Edutopia, 2015) 5 Quick Classroom-Management Tips for Novice Teachers: Discover five straightforward classroom-management strategies that you can use immediately. (Edutopia, 2015) 19 Big and Small Classroom Management Strategies: Read about a few big strategies to keep in mind, and explore over a dozen quick interventions that can help keep students focused on learning. (Edutopia, 2016) 5 Tips for Making Group Work Manageable: Encourage small-group effectiveness by clarifying the task, focusing on production, modeling successful behavior, monitoring progress, time, and noise, and building community. For additional grade-specific guidance, here are resources for primary, middle, and secondary teachers. Specific Tips for the Primary Grades Back to Top