We know about the public cases, those gossiped about so offhandedly—the homeless student, the one whose mother is in jail, the two with drug dealing fathers no longer around.

But what of the others? What of the secrets hidden and locked away, keys all but resting on an ocean floor?

What about the shy boy seated near the front who won’t look you in the eye? He appears well taken care of—clean clothes, hair moussed, new sneakers.

But what you don’t see is waiting for him at home. What you don’t see are the drunken rants, the assaults on his self-worth, and the emotional pain he carries with him like a war wound.

The truth is, despite our vigilance, we don’t know what happens when our students leave our classroom. We don’t know of the hurt, the fear, and the sadness some wear slung over their shoulders like a heavy backpack.

They put on a good face, these heroic students, and bury their secrets well. And although we can’t always know the challenges they face, we can make sure our classroom is a welcome shelter from the storm.

We can make sure our classroom is a place where our students can exhale and know they’re loved, wholly protected, and free to learn and enjoy school without looking over their shoulder.

We can make our classroom a safe haven.

Here’s how:

Rely on schedules, routines, and procedures.

Knowing what is expected of them during every moment of the school day is a great comfort to students. It allows them to let down their guard and get lost in the steady pace and flow of a well-run classroom. As much as possible, follow the same daily schedule and rely on well-taught routines and procedures.

Maintain a clean, organized classroom.

An attractive room environment speaks volumes to your students about how you value respect, work habits, and expected behavior. When they enter your classroom they should feel as if they’re walking into a world that makes sense, in stark contrast to the choppy, churning waters many navigate during their daily lives.

Be the same teacher yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

Inconsistency in word, behavior, or action is confusing to students and will deeply affect their trust in you. It causes resentment, low motivation, and misbehavior. It also brings tension and unhappiness to your classroom and sends the message that you’re yet another adult that can’t be counted on.

Be kind.

It’s so simple but means so much. Treat every student with kindness, patience, and gentleness—regardless of how difficult at times that can be. Doing this one thing will send your likeability through the roof, allow you to build easy rapport with your students, and make your classroom as welcoming as the smell of turkey on Thanksgiving.

Protect your students from misbehavior.

This is key to creating a classroom your students look forward to coming to every day. They must feel safe and comfortable working with and sitting next to any and all of their classmates. Every day they come to school they should feel confident in knowing that they’ll be able to enjoy their day without being interrupted, bothered, or bullied.

Don’t take misbehavior personally.

Teachers who yell, threaten, use sarcasm, or otherwise take misbehavior personally are disliked and distrusted intensely—though often privately—by students. They’re also least likely to follow a classroom management plan—which would allow them to demand the highest standards of behavior without causing friction with students.

Maintain a peaceful learning environment.

Few students do well in a tension-filled classroom, but those with difficult lives outside of school have a particularly rough time—often shutting down, staring off into space, or engaging in serious misbehavior. A classroom is only as peaceful as the teacher in charge. You set the tone with your calm presence, even reactions, and pleasant attitude.

A Safe Haven

The world is becoming more seductive and more dangerous to our students than ever before, all but dragging them away from the academic skills, moral character, and standards of behavior they need to lead meaningful, successful lives.

But we can fight back.

We can compete with the excesses of the world. We can help our students overcome their sometimes awful, painful home lives.

When you become an expert in classroom management, you’re not only able to create the classroom you really want, but you’re able to create one that’s best for your students.

You’re able to create a classroom they love being part of and look forward coming to every day, a classroom where they can build genuine friendships, grow responsible and independent, and accelerate academically.

You’re able to create a classroom free of worry, fear, and negative stress.

You’re able to create a safe haven for your students.

Note: If you don’t have a copy of Dream Class, now is a good time. Amazon.com is currently discounting the book 24%. For details, click here.

Also, if you haven’t done so already, please join us. It’s free! Click here and begin receiving classroom management articles like this one in your email box every week.

- Smart Classroom Management - Copyright 2009-2011, All Rights Reserved.

You don’t always have to make big, dramatic changes to see classroom management improvement.

Sometimes it can be a slight adjustment.

A small change in the way you do things, in how you speak, move, or relate to students, can make a big difference.

Your voice is a good example.

Most teachers talk too loud. They turn up the volume because they believe that the louder they are the better their students will listen.

But it isn’t true.

Students tune out teachers who bark commands and instructions. To them it sounds like nagging or threatening or that their teacher doesn’t think they’re bright enough to follow along otherwise.

This is why students often grudgingly follow directions or ignore them altogether.

To encourage good listening, and a desire to follow directions, a soft-spoken approach is in order.

Here’s why:

Your students will become still.

When you lower your voice, your students will intuitively stop moving so they can hear you. They’ll stop fidgeting, tapping, and rustling. They’ll stop whispering and twisting in their seats. They’ll stop crumbling paper.

They’ll stop all the annoying behaviors that frustrate you, interrupt your train of thought, and cause you to repeat yourself.

Your students will lean in and look at you.

It’s best to speak just soft enough that the students in the back of the room have to strain ever so slightly to hear you. This way, when you speak, your students will lean in and watch you as you form the words.

Looking at you helps them understand what is being said. It helps them focus on you and your message. When you speak loudly, on the other hand, they’re encouraged to look away, move around, and busy themselves with other things.

Your students will want to listen.

When you speak pleasantly and calmly while giving directions, the information goes down a lot smoother. And because it sounds polite, because it sounds like you believe in your students and their ability to listen, you can ask so much more of them.

Like all of us, students appreciate being spoken to with respect. They like being trusted with the information you give them, and not hammered over the head with it. Thus, they’ll return the favor by doing what you ask.

Your students will be calmer.

Speaking softly has a calming effect on students. Just by opening your mouth you’ll be able to release classroom excitability and nervous tension—which is most often caused by loud, stressed-out, and fast-moving teachers.

A calm, polite voice sends the message that you’re in control of the class and that you know exactly what you’re doing. This is a comforting, even soothing, notion to students. And it frees them to concentrate on their learning.

Your students will take up your cue.

In many ways a class takes on the personality of their teacher, and if you shout your directions and talk over your students, you’ll have a noisy, chaotic classroom.

What you do is more influential than what you say. So when you quiet your voice and speak politely to your students, they’ll do the same. They’ll use gentler voices and be more respectful when they speak to you, as well as each other.

Tell Them What You Want

Passion and enthusiasm are important to good teaching. So when you’re presenting a lesson, motivating your troops, or playing a game with your students, let the moment dictate the volume and intensity of your voice.

Cut loose and be the inspirational teacher you were meant to be.

But when you’re giving directions, handling behavior issues, and otherwise attending to the day-to-day operations of your class, it’s best to dial it down.

Stand in one place, look your students in the eye, and speak to them in a soft voice.

Tell them exactly what you want.

And they’ll give it to you.

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- Smart Classroom Management - Copyright 2009-2011, All Rights Reserved.

There is a common misconception that to be most effective at classroom management you have to be controlling.

The thinking is that the more you’re on of top of your students, the more you’re directing their actions and decisions, the more effective you’ll be.

This is why perpetually moving teachers are everywhere, on every campus, busying themselves with the ever-present fear that if they let up, they’ll lose control of their class.

They gesture, advise, cajole, hover, judge, praise, remind, admonish, suggest, and so on, seemingly without end.

But the notion that the more you manage your classroom the better is a myth. In fact, over-management causes more misbehavior than it dissuades.

It suffocates students.

It throws a lasso around their natural desire to make choices, solve problems, and explore their world. It crushes motivation and removes joy and adventure from learning.

And students fiercely rebel against it.

Freedom Within Boundaries

Think of your classroom management plan as a large square. The four sides of the square mark one continuous boundary line. Outside that line represents all the behaviors that threaten to interfere with learning.

Inside the line, however, represents the freedom for your students to learn and enjoy school without interference.

Your job is to stand sentry, protecting that boundary line with an unwavering adherence to your rules and their consequences.

The problem arises when you step inside the square and micromanage, throwing a wet blanket over inspired learning.

The resulting discontent causes a pushback from students and a surge of misbehavior.

A Few Simple Guidelines

What follows are a few guidelines to help you stay out of the square and let your students thrive.

Leave them alone.

Once you’ve finished your lesson and given your instructions, let your students run with what you’ve taught them. As long as they’re giving you what you asked for, and they’re not breaking your classroom rules, then leave them alone. Allow them to wrestle with the academic conundrums you’ve placed before them without your interruptions and running feedback.

Fade into the background.

Whenever you like what you see from your students, fade into the background. Give them a chance to mature and develop and become more independent without sticking your nose in and offering your unsolicited opinions and suggestions. For every time you do, your students lose out on high-quality learning.

Join them.

As you get better at knowing when to back off and let learning take place, you can start joining your students. It’s a great way to get to know their strengths and weaknesses. For example, you may want to sit in with a science or math group or participate in a game. Students love this trait in teachers, this ability to participate without putting on your mighty teacher hat.

Never manage how they learn.

Many teachers misunderstand the ‘Listen and follow directions’ rule. It should never be used to dictate how students learn. Yes, you have to teach clear guidelines for both working independently and in groups. But you must allow for individual differences and learning styles.

Never straightjacket learning with your over-involvement.

You know you’re on the right track when your students are able to work in groups, for example, fully engaged and often loudly animated, and yet you’re able to ask for and receive their quiet attention whenever you need it.

Let Them Be Students

Your role is to create conditions under which your students can blossom and grow. It’s to provide spirited teaching and the freedom to learn they all crave deep in their hearts.

Teach great lessons. Give clear instructions. Protect your boundary line without surrender. And then get out of their way.

Let them learn.

Let them love school.

Let them be students.

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- Smart Classroom Management - Copyright 2009-2011, All Rights Reserved.

If you could schedule one classroom party a week and improve classroom management, would you do it? Before you answer yes, you should know that the kind of party I’m referring to is not of the celebratory variety.

You’re not going to order pizza or have a piñata. No animated videos are involved. And you don’t need parent volunteers.

But done a certain way, this party can improve your students’…

• Cooperation

• Work habits

• Respect

• Maturity

Together, these traits add up to a better, happier classroom, a stronger community, and easier classroom management.

So what kind of party is it?

It’s a clean-the-room party. And the way it works is simple: one day a week you will supervise a thorough cleaning of your classroom.

But if you’re not careful in your approach, you’re likely to get a lot of complaining and a halfhearted effort.

To avoid that drama and to ensure that the lessons learned from the experience resonate with your students, follow the guidelines below.

Show them how.

Whenever you introduce something new, it’s important to model what you want. To that end, show your students exactly how to perform each job successfully. While demonstrating, be clear about what you expect and about what is and isn’t acceptable.

Make it fun.

Put music on. Let your students work in teams. Let them talk and laugh and have a good time together. The room should be noisy. As long as they’re getting their work done, encourage them to have fun.

Make it work.

If it isn’t challenging, if your students don’t need to put a little elbow grease into the occasion, then you’re wasting your time–the lessons will be lost on them. Assign jobs that take time and effort to complete.

Focus on cleaning.

You should have several buckets and a couple dozen sponges. Use soap and water to clean hard surfaces. You can also have them sweep, dust, organize, throw away, empty, remove, pick-up, and vacuum (if they’re old enough).

Participate.

I think it’s important for your students to see you helping. Yes, you’ll want to move around and supervise, but while you’re at it, grab a sponge and show them how it’s done.

Note: It’s also a good time to pair up with your most difficult student. Working together is a great way to build trust and rapport.

Expect good work.

Ask them to call you over when they finish so you can check their work. If you like what you see, release them to begin their reading or math work or whatever you have planned for them. If they didn’t do a good job, gently suggest ways they can make it better.

Make it a privilege.

If you have a student who resists participation, or who doesn’t try, then don’t let him or her participate. Done correctly, with all students having fun and working together, being part of a clean-the-room party is irresistible to even the most apathetic students.

Other Benefits

There is something about doing physical work that clicks with students. A weekly cleaning party can impart the virtues of cooperation and hard work better than anything we can say to them.

When students can actually do it, when they can participate in something so simple and yet authentic, when they can work toward a common goal and see the immediate results of their efforts, then the lessons become real.

Students are often bored, disaffected, and have poor work habits because they’re indulged. In this day and age, it seems as though adults do everything for them.

But when they’re allowed to do for themselves, their sense of their own capabilities–along with their self-worth–improves. Their work habits grow stronger. They become more confident, more proficient, and more mature.

And they come to revel in a job well done–which will then translate to everything they do.

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- Smart Classroom Management - Copyright 2009-2011, All Rights Reserved.

Many teachers make the mistake of trying to talk their students through each moment of the school day.

The idea being that if a teacher provides continual guidance–through reminding, cajoling, and micromanaging–then he or she will be more effective.

It makes sense.

But it doesn’t work. Too much talking has the opposite effect. It makes classroom management more difficult.

Here’s why:

• It causes students to tune you out.

• It lessens the meaning and impact of your words.

• It communicates to students that you don’t trust them.

• It causes tension, distraction, and rebelliousness.

Being more selective about how often you address your students, on the other hand, makes classroom management easier.

Here’s why:

• It improves listening and attentiveness.

• It gives your words power and meaning.

• It helps you build trusting rapport with students.

• It brings peace and calm to your classroom.

How To Talk Less

The following tips will help you limit the amount of talking you do.

Lean on your classroom management plan.

When you let your classroom management plan do your talking for you, you can eliminate lecturing, pleading, yelling, scolding, arguing, and the like from your school day. This liberating experience improves classroom management almost immediately.

Teach procedures thoroughly.

Your students should know exactly what to do during every minute of the school day–with only modest direction from you. Well-taught procedures allow you and your class to transition and move through the day like a well-oiled machine.

Don’t repeat yourself.

Many teachers repeat everything they say–sometimes three and four times. When you repeat yourself, you weaken your words and encourage students to ignore you. And why shouldn’t they? They know you’ll always give the same direction again…and again…and again.

Speak only when you need to.

Never feel like you have to fill up every minute of the day with your support and guidance. If your students are giving you what you want, then leave them alone. This is one of the keys to developing a mature, independent classroom.

Practice brevity (and say more with less).

The more efficient and direct you can be with your words, the more effective your teaching will be. “Take out your math books” is infinitely more powerful than, “Okay, boys and girls, it’s almost ten o’clock, which means that it’s math time and…”

Observe more.

It’s unnatural for many teachers to take a step back and just observe. But the more you do, the better teacher you’ll be. When you hover and offer unsolicited opinions and reminders your students don’t need, you create greater and greater dependency on you. Furthermore, the more you observe, the less your students will misbehave.

Get to know your students.

By limiting the amount of talking you do, you’ll have more time to get to know your students. And when your relationship becomes more than simply what you need from them, then you can develop the kind of mutual admiration, rapport, and influence that changes behavior.

A Challenge

Talking less doesn’t mean that you’re going to withhold help or support when your students really need it. It doesn’t mean you’ll be aloof or standoffish. It doesn’t mean you’ll ignore them.

It just means that you’re going to be more thoughtful about when and how you speak.

This is a simple but powerful strategy that will have a profound effect on how your students respond to you.

My challenge is to use the suggestions above to try cutting your talking by a third. If you do, you’ll find yourself speaking with more power and impact.

And classroom management will be a lot easier.

Thanks for reading.

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- Smart Classroom Management - Copyright 2009-2011, All Rights Reserved.

Lecturing individual students is a common classroom management practice—just another tool in a teacher’s tool belt.

But it’s a colossal mistake, born of frustration, that does nothing to curb unwanted behavior beyond several minutes.

The reason?

When you lecture individual students, it’s done out of anger and not out of a pure intention to help improve behavior.

And students know it.

It causes them to dislike you, lose respect for you, and desire to get even with you—greatly diminishing your influence.

Whole-class lectures, on the other hand, can work miracles.

How To Motivate Their Socks Off

I prefer to call class lectures “motivational speeches” because that’s what they’re designed to do: to motivate students.

Done a certain way, a motivational speech can light a fire under a lazy class, reverse poor attitudes, inspire altruism, or stop unruly behavior in its tracks.

Here’s how to do it:

Step 1: Tell them what you don’t like.

Your students will behave/perform better when they know precisely what not to do. To that end, start your speech by pointing out what you’re unhappy with. What are you seeing from your students that you want corrected? Without singling anyone out, cite specific examples.

Step 2: Tell them why it’s wrong.

Explaining why is a powerful persuasion technique. Your students are much more likely to agree with you—and thus change their behavior—if you offer a clear explanation why their behavior is wrong. Make your reasoning brief, direct, and easy to understand.

Step 3: Tell them what you want.

Make clear to your students what you expect from them. In other words, how they should behave. Again, be specific. Show them how you want them to attend during lessons, raise their hand, choose a partner, greet their tablemates, or whatever behavior you want changed.

Step 4: Challenge them.

Ask your students, challenge them, to stand up if they feel like they’re not going to be able to do what you ask—for whatever reason. Tell them that, if this is the case, if they really feel like they can’t do what you expect of them, you want to know now. You don’t want to wait and find out later when you see the same old behavior again.

Step 5: Challenge them again, then finish together.

Challenge your class to stand and gather around you if they are committed to whatever you’re asking of them. If they’re not, tell them to remain seated (they won’t). Extend your hand into the center of the group. Ask them to do the same. Now glance around, looking them in the eyes, and say, “Now I want you to show me, prove to me that you can listen, learn, study, and become the best students you can be.”

Then finish with a bang: “Be the best on three. One…two…three… BE THE BEST!”

Add Your Passion

The above steps won’t work if you just go through the motions. It will be just another lecture, just another teacher droning on, unless you tap into that place deep inside you that believes in an individual’s capacity to overcome obstacles, to rise above their circumstances, to become more than the opinions of others.

You have to believe, to know beyond a doubt, that your students are capable of fulfilling the vision of excellence you have for them. Because if you don’t believe it, they won’t believe it either.

So don’t be afraid to let it out. Don’t be afraid to show your passion for helping students become more than they think they can. Don’t be afraid to show your desire to create your dream class, to make your classroom and this school year a once-in-a-lifetime experience for you and your students.

If you get goose bumps as you look into your students’ eyes, if they look back at you with intensity and determination to be better students, then you know you’re on the right track.

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- Smart Classroom Management - Copyright 2009-2011, All Rights Reserved.

Maybe it’s the weather.

Or a full moon.

Or maybe a holiday is around the corner.

Whatever it is, there are times when your class just can’t seem to get it together. They’re unfocused, squirrelly, prone to misbehavior. And no matter what you do, you can’t get them back on track.

So you raise your voice, lecture, and become more stressed and agitated as the day plods on.

Just hang in there… right?

Wrong.

Don’t waste another minute being frustrated and waiting on students. Get the train back on track in a hurry with these seven proven strategies.

Seven Back-On-Track Classroom Management Strategies

Use the following strategies whenever you feel like pressing a restart button on your class. They’ll shake things up, calm things down, and focus students back on you.

1. Sprint

Take your students outside or to the school gym, line them up on the end line of the basketball court, and run. Have them sprint down to the other end line, rest for 10-15 seconds, and then sprint back. Continue for five or ten minutes.

This isn’t a punishment, and you shouldn’t run them ragged. They should feel energized when finished. They may even ask if they can do it again on another day. Intense exercise has a way of calming nervous energy and focusing the mind. Often, it’s just what the doctor ordered.

2. Redo

Have your students grab their backpacks, jackets, and lunches, walk them outside the classroom, and start your day over again. The farther you can retrace their steps—outside the entrance to the school is best—the more effective the exercise will be.

Once you have them lined up and waiting to come inside, tell them exactly what you expect. Not a lecture, mind you, but simple, direct reminders of the way things are done in your classroom.

3. Fun

You should always have a fun game or activity in your back pocket for moments when your students need an energy, motivation, or focus boost. Go outside and play capture the flag, act out scenes from a read aloud, or organize a learning game.

4. Yoga

Occasional five-minute exercise breaks throughout the day stave off restlessness, daydreaming, and sleepy brain syndrome. Light stretches, standing yoga poses, and calisthenics like jumping jacks, push-ups, and burpees are a great way to get in some extra PE and wakeup your class.

5. Breathe

Use the one-minute of silence strategy followed by belly breathing. This sends oxygen to the brain, lowers blood pressure, and calms the mind. A few deep breaths helps students turn their attention away from distractions and onto their responsibilities.

6. Model

Detailed modeling is a remarkably effective teaching strategy and is perfect for when you feel like you’re losing your class. Students need refreshers; reminders of how you expect things to be done in your classroom.

Have your students follow you as you model, for example, how to enter the classroom, how to work independently, how to participate in small groups, or how to listen to directions.

7. Gab

The say-hello strategy is as easy as it gets. Allow students to stand up, walk around the room, and say hello to their friends. Give them a full five minutes to chat away.

You, however, should take a step back, recede into the background, and let your students be kids for a few minutes. Your class will love doing it, and they’ll be refreshed and ready to learn when they’re finished.

Just Do It

Don’t give your students an explanation of why you’re using any of these back-on-track classroom management strategies. Don’t lecture them or tell them how awful they are. Just do it. Get their attention, wait until they’re quiet and looking at you, and then announce, “Let’s go outside and have some fun!”

You’ll have to decide which of the seven is best given the situation. There are times when it’s best to start the day over from the beginning and other times when you just need a minute of silence.

With experience, you’ll get a feel for what your students need and when, and you’ll be able to dial it up in a hurry—saving your students from malaise and misbehavior and you from another stressful day.

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- Smart Classroom Management - Copyright 2009-2011, All Rights Reserved.

If you’ve been teaching for longer than say… three minutes, then you’ve no doubt been hammered over the head with the idea that enthusiasm is important to effective teaching.

In order to motivate students, you have to be passionate about your subject.

I don’t disagree.

Enthusiasm is important—critical even.

But what if it’s causing your students to misbehave?

Yin And Yang

Regular readers of this website know that calmness is important to classroom management success.

Students feed off of your energy, and excitability isn’t a good thing when it comes to classroom management. Yet, if your students are uninspired, then you’re not helping them grow academically.

So what do you do? Can you be both calm and enthusiastic?

Well… yes and no. You can certainly be calm on the inside while showing enthusiasm. But there are times when you need to show calm on the outside.

Effective teachers understand when it pays to be enthusiastic, and when it pays to be calm.

They work together—like yin and yang.

The key is to use both to your advantage. Below are a few guidelines to help you know when to use one, and when to use the other.

When To Be Calm

You should be outwardly calm during…

Transitions

Transitions can be opportunities for students to misbehave. So it’s important your students see that you’re calm and in control. During transitions, position yourself in a highly visible area of the classroom and silently observe.

Procedures

Like transitions, your students need to be focused on completing procedures and routines quickly and correctly, so you can get on with the business of teaching. Again, stand in one place and calmly observe.

Independent Work

During this most critical learning time, resist the urge to interrupt your students—enthusiastically or otherwise. Your job is to fade into the background, keeping the classroom peaceful and conducive to concentration.

Entering & Leaving The Classroom

A high percentage of misbehavior occurs on the way in or on the way out of the classroom. So refrain from shuffling papers, talking to students, or making announcements. Instead, observe silently and be ready to enforce your rules with a consequence.

Misbehavior

When students misbehave, enforce your classroom rules dispassionately. This keeps you from losing your cool and ensures that the burden of responsibility remains with them.

When To Be Enthusiastic

You should be enthusiastic during…

Lessons

Whenever you stand before your students to teach a lesson, you must show passion for your subject. To convince students that the subject your teaching is worthy of their attention, they have to see that you’re excited to teach it.

Modeling

Modeling can be drudgery for students, or it can be an opportunity for an unforgettable learning experience. Which one depends on you. Detailed modeling in particular lends itself perfectly for having fun with your class—which makes classroom management a lot easier.

Read Aloud/Shared Reading/Guided Reading

Reading great books aloud with gusto will motivate children to read better than any other method, technique, or strategy. Your student’s love for reading will grow every day if you merely tap into your inner Meryl Streep.

Storytelling

I believe so strongly in the power of storytelling that I devoted an entire chapter to it in Dream Class. Nothing compares with the rapport-building, leverage-creating, and excitement-producing power of acting out stories for your students.

Learning Games/Science Experiments/Special Projects

Children will like and enjoy whatever you show enthusiasm for. The success of experiential activities hinges on the amount of excitement you can generate. So channel your favorite game show host, dance like an Egyptian, or throw on a lab coat and spectacles and really go for it.

Warning: Don’t Do The Opposite

Teachers who struggle with classroom management typically do the opposite of what is recommended above.

They get excited, stressed, and angry (enthusiasm of a different kind) when they should be calm and observant, and they become spiritless when they should be teaching like their hair is on fire.

Following the guidelines above, however, causes everything important to improve—classroom management, attentiveness, motivation for learning, and love for school.

Note: I was sad to learn of the passing of former UCLA basketball coach John Wooden. He was an amazing teacher and an inspiration to many. Last September I wrote about him in an article called The Effective Teaching Secrets Of A Master.

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- Smart Classroom Management - Copyright 2009-2011, All Rights Reserved.

I have a technique you can start using tomorrow that will eliminate stress from your teaching life.

This no-stress method is so effective, in fact, that many professional athletes use it before a competition.

For them, keeping their composure can mean the difference between winning and losing, success and failure.

For teachers the stakes are equally high.

It’s the difference between having a pleasant day and a miserable one, between loving your job and counting the days to retirement. Plus, teachers who are able to keep their cool have fewer behavior problems.

The technique is easy to use, takes just a couple of minutes, and works surprisingly well.

The Decide-First Method

It’s called the decide-first method of stress relief. I stumbled upon it many years ago while still a wet-behind-the-ears student teacher.

My first student teaching assignment was with an unruly group of fifth graders.

As is often the case, the teacher in charge of the class was looking for a way to take a break from her responsibilities. The students were bouncing off the walls, and she was pulling her hair out. Soon after I arrived she handed the class over to me.

I couldn’t have been happier.

Dirty Little Secret: teachers who frequently volunteer to host student teachers often need mentoring themselves.

When I made the decision to become a teacher, I decided that I was going to love my job no matter the circumstances. I wasn’t going to sit back and see if I was going to be fulfilled, happy, or having fun.

I was going to make it happen for myself.

So when I was thrown to the wolves as a new teacher, this attitude led me to start using the decide-first method.

Every day before walking into the chaos of my first teaching experience, I sat in my car, closed my eyes, and decided that no matter what happened that day, I wasn’t going to let it affect me emotionally.

A herd of elephants could come crashing through the door, but I committed myself to being as calm as a Tibetan monk.

At the time I didn’t have experienced classroom management skills. I knew few of the strategies and techniques that are now second nature to me.

But a funny thing happened.

The students began to feed off of my calm energy. And every day I gained greater control and respect. Within a couple of weeks I was indeed enjoying—loving—what I was doing.

A Lesson From Sports Psychology

I was watching the Tennis Channel recently, and during a segment called Fit To Hit, sports psychologist Dr. Allen Fox was asked how tennis players can best control their emotions on the court.

He said that, before a match, if they will make a conscience decision to keep their composure—despite the adversity they may face—then remarkably, they will.

It’s that simple.

Being stress free in the classroom, as well as on the tennis court, is a decision you make. Stress doesn’t happen to you; you let it happen to you.

But you can’t wait until you’re feeling stressed. By then it’s too late. The key is to decide beforehand.

How To Use The Decide-First Method

The following is a three-step plan for eliminating stress from teaching. Do it every day before your students arrive in the morning, and you will be happy with the results.

Step #1

Close your classroom door, sit down in a comfortable chair, and allow yourself a minute or two of silence.

Step #2

Close your eyes, take a few deep breaths, and relax your body.

Step #3

Decide that you will stay calm and relaxed no matter what happens that day. Commit yourself to handling every situation, every unforeseen circumstance, and every behavior with poise and confidence.

And you will.

The Benefits

The most obvious benefit of using the decide-first method is that you’re going to like your job a lot better. Here are a few more benefits:

• Your calm, confident demeanor will sweep the negative and excitable energy out of your classroom.

• Your students will respond to you differently. You’ll appear more in control, more confident, and more like a leader they’ll want to follow.

• Your students will become calmer. Your state of mind has more effect on students than you realize. What you’re feeling on the inside reveals itself clearly on the outside.

• Behavior will improve. You’ll begin relying on your classroom management plan instead of trying to force or convince students to behave—which is ineffective and stressful.

Try the decide-first method tomorrow. It could be the best day of teaching you’ve had in a long time.

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- Smart Classroom Management - Copyright 2009-2011, All Rights Reserved.

Photo courtesy of elvissantana.com

Have you ever noticed that some teachers don’t have to work as hard at classroom management?

Certain teachers can walk into a classroom, and almost magically, the students become calmer, more mature, and more receptive in their presence.

These teachers may use the same classroom management plan as everybody else, but somehow, year after year, their students are always better behaved.

What are they doing differently?

The answer to that question is this week’s topic. By virtue of how they communicate with students, both verbally and non-verbally, some teachers are able to command an almost effortless respect.

Lessons From The Dog Whisperer

Have you ever watched the television show “The Dog Whisperer?” When Cesar Milan enters a house to work with an unruly dog, the dog knows within seconds who is in charge. You can see it in the dog’s eyes and body language.

It’s amazing to watch.

Cesar is able to command respect from a dog he has never met before just by the way he walks into a room. Forgive me for comparing dogs to students, but in this one regard, the comparison is accurate.

Students, too, know whether you’re in charge or not as soon as you enter the classroom. The way you present yourself in front of them has a profound effect on their behavior and the ease in which you are able to manage your classroom.

10 Ways To Command Respect

To command respect from students, you don’t have to be born with a royal bloodline or have the bearing of a drill sergeant. And you don’t have to have any magical powers.

Follow the guidelines below, however, and it will appear that you do.

1. Use confident body language. Keep your head up, shoulders back, and look directly at students when speaking with them. Confident behavior earns immediate respect.

2. Slow down. Rushing around creates negative, excitable energy and makes you appear as if you’re not in control. Work on moving efficiently and gracefully.

3. Be decisive. Don’t argue with students, appear wishy-washy, or let them dictate your response to misbehavior. Make decisions quickly and then move on.

4. Pause before speaking. Always wait until every student is attentive and looking at you before giving instructions. This shifts control to you and adds more importance to whatever you say.

5. Do exactly what you say you will do, especially when it comes to your classroom management plan. Your students will respect this above all else.

6. Practice brevity. Talk less and your words will mean more.

7. Keep your cool. When you overreact, yell, or lose emotional control, you provide a poor model for your students. And they’ll lose respect for you because of it.

8. Listen. Let your students speak and wait until they finish before responding. If you don’t respect them and what they have to contribute to your classroom… they won’t respect you.

9. Be prepared. Your students won’t respect a leader who is unorganized, has poor time management, or is not in complete control of the classroom.

10. Radiate confidence. Like dogs, children can sense fear a mile away and will prey upon it if given the opportunity. If you’re feeling unsure of yourself, practice confident body language until you begin to feel it on the inside.

Students quickly clue in to behavior that appears weak and not worthy of following. A teacher who doesn’t command respect will always have a more difficult time with classroom management.

On the other hand, most students are craving for a leader, for someone to look up to. So when a teacher comes into their life that displays the qualities they respect, they bend over backwards trying to please her/him.

Practice the ten points listed above and be cognizant of the image you’re projecting to your students, and you’ll notice a big difference in how they respond to you.

If you haven’t done so already, I invite you to join us. It’s free! Click here and receive classroom management articles like this one in your email box every week.

- Smart Classroom Management - Copyright 2009-2011, All Rights Reserved.