It’s a question I get a lot.
What do you do when most of your class is misbehaving?
Say you notice twelve, fifteen, or more students talking and goofing around during a lesson or in the middle of a transition.
How should you handle it?
Should you start furiously writing names on the board or turning behavior cards over? “You have a warning! And you have a warning! And you have a warning! And…”
Should you raise your voice and remind them of what they should be doing? “I said to get out your writing journals quietly! That means no talking.”
The truth is, when more than a few students are misbehaving at the same time, warnings and reminders aren’t going to cut it.
To fix the problem, you have to go back to the beginning.
Here’s how.
Step 1: Observe.
Resist the urge to jump in and stop the misbehavior right away. Instead, take a step back and observe. Give yourself 30 seconds or more to upload into your memory the unwanted behavior taking place.
Step 2: Stop the activity.
Stop the activity by signaling for your students’ attention. If they don’t give it to you right away, then you know this is something else you have to work on. It’s important to your effectiveness as a teacher to be able to get your students’ attention any time you need it.
Step 3: Wait.
Stand in one place and wait another 30 seconds. Let their misbehavior hang in the air and settle before speaking. Let them feel the weight of it. Give your students an opportunity to understand what they did wrong all on their own.
Step 4: Send them back.
After your pause, send your students back to their seats or ask them to clear their desks and put their materials away. Refrain from lecturing or expressing disappointment. It may make you feel better, but it doesn’t help. The focus now is on doing things the right way.
Step 5: Replay.
Model for your students the misbehavior you observed, showing how it wasted time and disrupted learning. Modeling how not to behave is a powerful strategy that allows students to view—and really understand—their actions from a different perspective.
Step 6: Reteach
Now model how the activity or transition should be done. If it was a transition, sit at a student’s desk and go through the steps you expect your students to take whenever they transition from one activity to another.
If it was during independent work, literature circles, centers, or whatever, model what you expect during that particular activity.
Step 7: Practice.
Use the power of one strategy to begin practicing the activity with your class. After a few students do it correctly, then get everyone involved. As soon as you’re happy with how they’re performing, move on with your day.
Step 8: Prove it.
Within a day or two, give your students another opportunity to prove they can perform the same, or similar, activity the correct way. When the activity is over, don’t make a big fuss, but be sure and acknowledge the good work. “Now that’s how to do it!”
Step 9: Standardize.
As much as possible, standardize each activity and transition for your students. In other words, they should know the routine for successfully conducting a pair-share activity or for turning in homework or entering the classroom or anything else you do again and again.
Everything that can have a routine, should have a routine.
Back It Up With Action
In nearly all cases of whole-class misbehavior, the students simply don’t know well enough or exact enough what is expected of them.
This underscores the importance of well-taught routines and procedures. And, although you never—or rarely—have to revisit them again during the year, they do need to be backed up with action.
One of the keys of effective classroom management is to never move on unless your students are giving you what you want. So the moment you notice your class going off the rails, stop them in their tracks.
Return them to the beginning.
And have them do it again.
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Related posts:
- How To Handle Misbehavior The First Two Weeks Of School
- Are You Boring Your Students Into Misbehavior?
- How To Handle An Angry Parent
- Why Boredom Is A Leading Cause Of Misbehavior And How To Cure It In Two Minutes
- How To Handle Temper Tantrums, Emotional Outbursts, And Other Outrageously Immature Behavior
{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }
I’d be interested to hear your tips for approaching this as a sub. I often have classes where the pupils do not seem to have routines in place from their regular teacher. I think the idea of getting them to put their things away and then watch you model is good.
However I have had some classes in which you would not have been able to achieve that without some kids throwing the objects they’re meant to be putting away and others making farting noises, swearing, hitting each other, going under the tables etc.
When you have 10 kids doing that it’s pretty difficult to handle as a sub. You can’t send out 10 children and often no one such as a principal is available to remove extremely disruptive children or help you. (The vast majority of classes I have are nothing like this, but I have had a couple that were, in which my regular classroom management isn’t enough.)
Hi Rose,
Although this website can be helpful to substitute teachers, it is primarily a site for full-time classroom teachers. I would like to write an article about substitute teaching, and I do have specific ideas, but only as a guest on another website. If I do, I’ll be sure to link to it.
Hi Michael,
A useful post full of your customary common sense.
No one wants to lose the focus of the lesson by spending more time on dealing with poor behaviour than on the teaching and learning, but neither can we as teachers allow lessons to be hijacked. There are some battles we simply have to win by shutting things down and starting over.
Your post reminds us of the value of consistent routines that are persistently reinforced.
Thank you,
Bill
Thanks Bill!
I just found your blog and love it! I am an elementary school librarian and see every class in the school (550 students) one time per week for 45 minutes. I am struggling with whole class behavior. I do many of the things you suggest, but I have trouble with consequences. I am not permitted to have consequences outside of my 45 minute period. Any ideas?
Hi Deborah,
I’m working on an article for teachers like yourself who only see their students only once a week. It will be published on another website in a few weeks. I’ll let readers know and will link to the article when it gets posted.
Hey Michael,
I am the teacher who is taking 9th grade English classes from a state ‘Teacher of the Year.’ What a joke. They are completely out of control. She even bolted out of the classroom yesterday because they were so out of control, leaving me, an observer, wondering how I’m going to do anything with this class that I have the rest of the year. Imagine your worst class. This is it. I took over today, did exactly what I am supposed to do after reading your articles over and over. I spent the class period explaining my class management plan and I did modeling (very funny and detailed and exaggerated) for
‘how to sit in your chair during class.’ It was exhausting however. All I need right now is an encouraging word to keep doing what works. Rules and consequences. Tell me that eventually, if I keep doing exactly what you’ve advised, that I’ll have my dream class. I’m an very likable teacher who has been ‘my favorite teacher’ for hundreds of students. I’m hoping that despite my new methods, I’ll still be likable, but with a dream class. I am just exhausted by my first day’s efforts – and if you had been in my classroom, you would probably have approved of everything I did. But this completely out of control class is a challenge I’ve never faced before. I need a word.
Nancy S.
Hi Nancy,
Yes, yes, yes. You can do this! You’re on the right track. It’s normal for you to be exhausted the first few days of taking over a class midyear. However, it should only be because of the excitement and nervousness of wanting to do well. Remember, effective classroom management shouldn’t feel hard. If you’re stressed you’re going to bring tension into the classroom. Take your time, proceed slowly, and be exceedingly clear. It’s okay to have fun with your new group but don’t overdo it. It sounds like that part of it comes naturally to you, so don’t concern yourself too much about it in the beginning. They’re just getting to know you. Be calm, smile, pause a lot, wait a lot, keep it simple. Don’t move on until they’re giving you what you want. The classroom management principles and strategies on this website will work for you. No doubt about it. I promise!
Michael
Okay. Thank you very, very much. I guess the exhaustion comes from not being sure it will work with such an out of control class, but I know that if I’m consistent and clear and relax, it will. I read the articles like they are my raft in the middle of a storm. I have a steel resolve but a fun way of doing things, so I think I have the right combination. I’ve never had an adversarial relationship with a student because I know it’s counterproductive to what I want to do in the classroom, but my class management hasn’t been tight enough in the past. Thank you. I’m going to keep reading the articles every day like they are my only hope. I guess that after nine years in the classroom, I know how right you are. Thanks.
You’re going to do great, Nancy!
Hey Michael,
Thanks for all your help. I am formulating a plan, but on my second time in my new class that I’m taking over from the teacher who had no structure and no rules, all heck broke loose. About half the class was unruly, but three had a complete mutinous meltdown just because they didn’t think they’d be held accountable, since I had not had enough time to get to the consequences of rule breaking, and because I didn’t ever rise to the disrespect and obvious attempts to rattle me. So, when the class left I contacted the principal and the parents and later in the day conferenced with the outgoing teacher and the students who were embarrased and ready to be given another chance. Any suggestions for Monday, when the rest of the class WILL see me skip ahead to parent contact as a consequence of a whole class mutiny. I was ready to quit after ten years of teaching. I’ve never had such an open and hostile display of behavior.
Thanks,
Nancy
Hi Nancy,
Can you please email me? I want to be sure I understand both your situation and the specifics of your question.
Michael
Hey Michael,
I sent an email.
Thanks,
Nancy