In my previous article I wrote about how a warning should be your first consequence.
This week I’m going to explain how to give a warning so it will have the greatest impact on student behavior.
Here we go.
The Purpose Of A Warning
A warning is just a warning—and nothing more. So when you give one to a student for breaking a rule, leave it at that. You ruin the effectiveness of a warning by adding a lecture, a scolding, or anything that shows your displeasure.
That may sound counterintuitive, but a warning only works when its purpose is to allow students to fix their mistakes on their own.
A warning is another way of saying:
You broke a class rule, but I trust that you will check yourself and ensure that it doesn’t happen again.
When students are given the freedom to make the right choice, rather than having it forced upon them, it says loud and clear that you believe in them and their capacity to control their behavior.
And this makes all the difference.
But so many teachers mess it up by giving a warning and then adding, “I don’t want to see you do that again. Do you understand me?” or something vaguely threatening like that.
You have to give trust before students will show you they’re worthy of it.
When a student first breaks a classroom rule, give them the opportunity to show you they can get themselves back on track by letting your warning be a warning. Keep your personal feelings out of it.
Again, and I’ve written this before, we want students to look inward when they break a rule. The last thing you want is for them to get mad at you for their mistakes.
If your students get angry with you or blame you when they break a rule, then classroom management will be infinitely more difficult.
Finger-wagging lectures, added reminders, scolding, sighing, threatening. They’re all self-sabotage.
How To Give A Warning
There is only one way I recommend giving a warning:
Quickly, dispassionately, and with as few words as possible.
However, there are two variations depending on the situation. We’ll go over both so you can begin using them tomorrow.
First Variation:
If a student breaks a rule, and you’re sure the student knows what rule was broken, then you simply write his or her name on the board, place a yellow card in the student’s designated pocket, or do whatever you do to signify a warning.
(The mode by which you indicate a warning is irrelevant.)
And that’s it. You never speak to the student. The student sees the yellow card turned over and knows that a warning has been issued. The onus, then, is on the student to do what he or she needs to do to avoid further consequence.
This is how you’ll give a warning about 75% of the time.
Second Variation:
The other 25% goes like this:
If a student breaks a rule, but you’re not sure the student is aware of it, then approach the student and say, “You have a warning because you broke rule number two.”
Say it matter-of-factly and then immediately walk away.
At your first opportunity, write the student’s name on the board—or however you prefer to indicate a warning.
Make Sure You Do This
To make your warning most effective, make sure you do the following:
Include everyone.
Even the most well-behaved students make mistakes once in a while. Resist the urge to look the other way when they break a rule. In fact, when your top student breaks a rule, it’s a great opportunity to show the entire class your consistency and integrity.
Back it up.
A warning is only effective when backed by a consequence your students don’t like. They need to know that if they break a second rule, you will hold them accountable.
Use Enduring Classroom Management Strategies
The classroom management strategies and methods you’ll find on this site are enduring; no tricks or trends that weaken over time.
This “hit and run” method of giving warnings is a good example. The longer you consistently use it, the more effective it becomes.
The reason is simple.
When your students begin to grasp that the responsibility for breaking rules in your classroom falls firmly—and solely—in their laps, behavior will improve.
And this kind of improvement is permanent.
Note: This past week Dream Class was announced as a finalist for the sixteenth annual San Diego Book Awards. The winners will be announced in a ceremony on June 5th. I’ll let you know if it wins.
Thanks so much for reading.
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{ 20 comments… read them below or add one }
Thanks for this “reminder”. My classes have been great, for the most part, this year. But now coming to the end, they are acting as if they don’t remember the rules. I think this will work well!!
I agree with Diane. This is a great website to renew and learn new ideas to handle fires that spring up by surprise at certain times during the year. They take me by surprise and if I have a strategy lined up, I feel powerful and unemotional and can handle the situation more professionally.
I am the School Librarian in a 4-6 school. I am having a difficult time with discipline. I have a yellow card warning system I use. When I see a student misbehave I hand them a yellow card that says “make better choices”. However when I hand it to a student they either argue with me or push the card away or throw it on the floor. I only have the students for 35 min – which includes a lesson and book check out. I don’t have time to argue with students. What can I do to improve my disicpline? Thank you.
Hi Cheryl,
I recommend spending an afternoon looking through this website. Start with the Rules & Consequences category and then move on to Procedures (critically important for librarians). If your students are reacting to you in the way you describe, then I would start over from the beginning. It sounds like there is some resentment there, along with a misunderstanding of who you are and what your authority is.
Michael
Would it be OK to tell a student they have their first warning but have the student tell you which rule was broken? Or is it more important just to say the rule yourself to minimize classroom interruption?
Hi Joe,
Good question. If you model your rules and consequences and review them often, then most of the time it will be obvious to both of you what rule was broken–and nothing needs to be said. If it isn’t obvious, or if you’re unsure, then let him or her know as efficiently as possible. If you prefer to have the student tell you, as long as it isn’t done to humiliate or cut the student down to size, then this would be okay too.
Michael
Michael
I don’t like to put names on the board or hand out yellow cards as I think it is an embarrassment to students. I like to go up quietly to the students and tell them that they broke the rule and this is a warning. What do you think?
Hi Rebecca,
The key is that you hold students accountable using your classroom management plan. There is some flexibility as to exactly how you notify the student that he or she broke a rule, and I think how you’re doing it is just fine. I like it.
On the second day of school a student shouted out Tits and then said oh it slipped.This happened five minutes before class was over. I did not have time to give the student a warning,timeout or letter. The student left because his bus was called. I did fill out our school discipline form.and tried to call home. I plan on giving the student the form letter on Monday.Should I do this.What should the procedure be for situations when a student does inappropriate behaviors such as a student putting their hand in their pants and then taking it out and smelling it. I callled the office and had the student removed.I just went to the phone and called for assistance.
Hi Linda,
Yes. Because you were unable to enforce a consequence before the end of the day, you must hold the student accountable the next morning. Severely disrespectful or disruptive behavior should result in an immediate letter home (and a time-out as soon as the student walks in the door). In the second case, for such unusual behavior, you should call home and speak to parents. Tell them exactly what happened and what will happen if the student does it again. Otherwise, simply follow your classroom management plan. I don’t recommend getting the office involved unless you see or hear of dangerous behavior (i.e., hitting, threatening, bullying). You’ll be much more effective done the line if you handle the problems yourself. For more, read the article Why Sending Students To The Office Will Weaken Your Ability To Manage Your Classroom.
Michael
Today we role played the rules and procedures and the consequences. One question came up,what if a student who is i time out(Take a break seat) and they feel as if they need to stay there longer,Is that ok to let them stay? What happens if the student comes back and returns the letter but continues to break rules and requires another letter? What if I call home and no one responds,or they hang up on me? My principal says that if the student does not return the letter after two-three days to call home. If they still do not return the letter he wants me to do a discipline referal. How do I handle this,I need guidance,before this happens. I feel like this could happen.
Hi Linda,
If the student is angry and needs more time to cool off, then yes, Otherwise, no. Done correctly, time-out will not be a place they want to spend any time in. If a student requires another letter, then give him or her another letter. (Be sure and read through the articles in the Difficult Students category.) The purpose of a phone call is to inform. Leave a message on voice mail or continue to call back until you deliver your message. Don’t give up until you get the letter back. Although I believe strongly in handling all behavior problems yourself (unless it’s bullying or dangerous), you should always follow your principal’s guidelines.
Michael
I teach kindergarten and I use a green light-yellow light-and red light system. My yellow light is when I give a warning.
My question is, for kindergarten, if they get a warning for speaking out without raising their hand first thing in the morning do they stay on yellow all day? Usually I move them back to green once they’ve shown that they are able to correct themself and follow the rule again. This may mean that they get another warning after lunch about speaking out though. Is this ok? Otherwise I feel like I might me writing a lot of notes home for speaking out of turn?
Thanks
Hi Susan,
Because you’re teaching kindergarten, I think it’s fine how you’re doing it. However, you may want to require your students go the entire day under the same warning after 2-3 months of being in school–which they absolutely can do.
Michael
Michael,
Thank you for this great web site! Just in the first hour of reading this, you’ve showed me tools I can immediately use that will be more effective than my current classroom management. My question concerns a situation similar to Cheryl’s. I am coming in after the beginning of the year as a long-term substitute, and the class is off the rails already. Once I set up the classroom packet, discuss it with the students, and send it home, I suspect that my first warnings and time-outs are going to involve a large number of the class (if I am going to be consistent and apply it to all students who are breaking the rules for quiet and non-interrupting). Any suggestions for classroom management that, currently, will involve most of the class..the time-out problem especially. Will your suggestion be that I will be sending home many letters?
Michael,
In answer to my own question, I just read your article “The Not-So-Secret To Effective Classroom Management”. Keep working the plan! Start from the beginning, make things clear, be 100% consistent. Got it!
Great Reg!
Hi, I hope this isn’t a stupid question, but I want to make sure I understand this correctly. So when I first see a misbehavior I give them a warning. This signals that if it keeps going or another rule is broken an actual consequence will come? (speaking to parents etc) If the behaviors persists do I simply follow through on the consequence or do I inform them that I am actually going to do it?……….What if the student gets their act together for the rest of the period, is it ok to have no consequence at all? As a way to show that I noticed their improvement?
Hi Casey,
Yes, when you first see the misbehavior you give a warning. If it happens again, or if another rule is broken, you go to the next consequence, which you must follow through. You never, ever want to say a consequence is coming and then not follow through with it. This sends the wrong message and will result in an increase in misbehavior. Be sure and read through all the articles in the Classroom Management Plan and Rules & Consequences Categories of the archive.
Great thanks!
This is something I put together as a way of giving a warning and also letting them know what consequences can follow. I would circle the consequence I plan on following through with. I hope there aren’t any loopholes.
This is a warning
Name: ________________________
Reason: ________________________________
Consequence if it happens again:
You speak to Angel/Hector
I speak to your parents
You miss baseball
You lose a run