Why You Should Take Your Time Responding To Misbehavior

December 3, 2011

It’s common practice for teachers to interrupt misbehavior as it’s occurring. The idea being that if you react quickly enough, you’ll be able to cut off the wrongdoing before it escalates. This is a typical response from anyone wanting to stay on top of classroom management. And like a beat cop who aggressively tamps down [...]

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8 Ways To Fuel Your Students’ Intrinsic Motivation

November 26, 2011

Most students are praised too much. They’re praised too often, too public, and too over-the-top. They’re praised for things any reasonable person would conclude are simply not worthy of it. And as the bar of excellence drops lower and lower, it squeezes the work ethic right out of our students. Sure, they smile and blush [...]

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How To Make Your Classroom A Safe Haven For Your Students

November 19, 2011

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 [...]

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How To Handle Temper Tantrums, Emotional Outbursts, And Other Outrageously Immature Behavior

November 12, 2011

It starts with a perceived injustice then builds quickly from there. Vibrating deep within the body, anger rises to the surface, turning down mouth corners, narrowing eyes, and flushing the skin. Pouting and stewing over the “unfairness,” the student loses the inner battle for control and loosens a torrent of outrage, tumbling from the mouth [...]

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Why The Word ‘Go’ Is An Effective Classroom Management Strategy

November 5, 2011

Do your students begin moving before you finish giving directions? Do they turn in their seats, reach for materials, or begin standing and conversing with classmates before you even finish talking? Do you find yourself gradually raising your voice, trying to get in that last bit of instruction before the din overtakes you? The fact [...]

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Why Playing Favorites Is Bad For Classroom Management

October 29, 2011

A lucky few students—those cute, smart, and well-behaved ones—are accustomed to big smiles and open body language from their teacher. For others, though, it’s a half-hearted greeting and barely a glance. Some students are afforded the privilege of helping out in the classroom before school or during recess, but others are rarely invited. Some call-outs [...]

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An Amazing, Eye-Opening Following Directions Strategy

October 22, 2011

Are your students slow to follow directions? Do they ever seem reluctant, lost, or unsure of what you want them to do? Does it ever feel like no matter how often you repeat yourself or how loud you speak you still can’t get through to them? Does it seem as if an evil, invisible force [...]

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How To Handle Whole-Class Misbehavior

October 15, 2011

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 [...]

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