So you give a student a direction or enforce a consequence and they respond with back-talk. “I didn’t do anything!” “Whatever you say, duh.” “That’s so stupid!” Not much gets under a teacher’s skin more. It’s clear disrespect that also challenges your authority in … Read more
In the past five years, a new classroom management strategy has taken hold. The goal of this strategy is to calm and soothe the fragile psyches of the most difficult students. The way it works is that whenever they begin to feel overwhelmed, angry, … Read more
No, you’re not going to say “I forgive you.” You’re going to offer your forgiveness to misbehaving students internally. That is, within yourself. This is a powerful classroom management strategy that can be a game-changer for both you and your students. Here’s why: It … Read more
Assuming you’re following the SCM approach to transforming difficult students, there are two powerful ways you can encourage them along their journey. But first, it’s important to note that if you stray from these two and instead let your emotions get the better of … Read more
A student breaks a common classroom rule like forgetting to raise their hand. No big deal. It happens. So you calmly give a warning. And Mount Vesuvius erupts. The student crosses their arms, glares at you, and yells, “But I didn’t do anything!” You … Read more
Many years ago I read The Adventures of Robin Hood aloud to my 5th grade class. One day in the middle of teaching an unrelated lesson a student yelled out “Hey, when are we gonna read Peter Pan?” It was funny. The entire class … Read more
Not much fires a teacher up more than a student talking back. It has a special way of getting under the skin because . . . It’s blatantly disrespectful. It typically happens in front of the class. It directly challenges your authority. How you … Read more
I’m not an expert in autism. Nor do I have a degree or teaching credential in special education. I write only from the perspective of a classroom teacher. This article is a response to the many questions we’ve received here at SCM about autistic … Read more