They’re needy and urgent. They follow you around and pull on your hem. They ask a zillion questions and expect your personalized attention. It doesn’t occur to them that you have other students, which drives you mad and stresses your willpower to the brink. … Read more
First, a definition. Although you may hear defenders spout limits justifying its use, narration is any talking by the teacher while students are meant to be performing a task that was asked of them. Typically, it sounds like reminding. But it can also be … Read more
Walk into any classroom anytime of day and chances are the class will be in the middle of a discussion. Led by the teacher, the dialogue will typically narrow to a predetermined conclusion. Sometimes an assignment will follow. Often, however, it will not. —Because … Read more
Classroom management isn’t micromanagement. It isn’t narration and correction. It isn’t guiding, advising, or praising students through every this and that. It isn’t shepherding them like little soldiers from point A to point B. This is handholding—which is a gross misunderstanding of effective classroom … Read more
This has been the most requested topic so far this year. And it’s an important one. Independent practice is the most critical factor in developing academic skill and competency. Done right, it can also profoundly affect maturity, mental toughness, and enjoyment of learning. So … Read more
Narration is a very common strategy, and has been for decades. The way it works is simple. After giving a direction, or signal to begin a routine, the teacher describes aloud the positive behaviors they see. “Jonathan is walking with his hands to himself.” … Read more
You can encourage them. You can empathize with them. You can coax and cajole them. You can gently ask if there is anything bothering them or keeping them from trying. You can lighten their load, bribe them with incentives, or offer choices, accommodations, and … Read more
Neediness can seem amplified the first month of the school year. Your new class is younger than the group you finished with just weeks before. And many come to you from teachers who coddled, over-helped, and rewarded them into apathy and dependence. Even if … Read more