7 Classroom Management Techniques
Do you have your classroom management techniques planned? The start of a new school year (especially your first one) is filled with so many emotions – joy, fear, anxiety, and excitement. Your education program prepared you to design a lesson plan, think about multiple intelligences, use technology, and develop behavior management strategies.
Problem 1: Your classroom management techniques are too difficult.
Solution: The easier the better.
Classroom management runs on one key thing – RESPECT. Without respect, no classroom management plan, clip, or dojo will keep it running efficiently. Take time to get to know the souls in your classroom.
Problem 2: Parents will question your assessment of their child.
Solution: Give students the reins on relaying weekly behavior.
A few years into my career, I grew tired of being the middleman. I resented the hours spent on the phone, writing emails, or writing notes to explain a behavior or defend myself. I grew frustrated with the blaming. I decided to take myself out of the equation. How? I made the students assess themselves each week. They filled out the paperwork to send home (I checked it) and when the calls and emails came I referred them to the child. They student were the ones who filled out the form. No more could the kid shrug and say “I don’t know why.”
Before you write me off as a crazy woman, know that this one classroom management technique refueled my passion, saved me hours of time, and grew that respect between myself, students, and families.
Learn how to use the editable student self-assessment in this article.
Problem 3: Paperwork piles up.
Solution: Create a weekly schedule for completing the paperwork.
If you are like me piles of papers stress me out. I kept trying to do it all and the overwhelm took over. When the overwhelm took over, my patience got shorter. When my patience got shorter, my teaching suffered and as a result, my students took on that stress and overwhelm. To solve this problem use a weekly schedule to keep track of it all.
Monday – IEP, documentation
Tuesday – Grading
Wednesday – Admin items from faculty meeting
Thursday – Grading and Home Folders
Friday – Anything needed for following week.
Want a copy of my weekly schedule – Read this article.In
Problem 4: You lose a class in the small moments
Solution: Be prepared for the small moments.
You lose your class when you are rushing to write your homework on the board, your objectives for the day, or answer emails that are hitting that 24 hour response mark. You aren’t focused, you aren’t giving them the full attention they deserve. They are like dominos knocking each other over. Help yourself out, but making it a rule to never leave until you have those things posted for the following day. Try out technology before the lesson. Check that tech you need is charged the night before. And, take time to really read those lesson plans you bought or another teacher gave you. Make notes on them so they meet the needs of your students best.
Problem 5: You need to CYA
Solution: Document and reflect daily.
I hate to say this, but at some point in time you will be accused of something. Someone says you didn’t prepare kids for a test, you didn’t respond to a parent email/call/note, or you didn’t address an issue that arises. In most cases you did do all of the things right and someone forgot or didn’t see it from your end. Do yourself a favor and document everything. Take 5 minutes at the end of the day to jot down reflections on the day. Document the good and the bad. Enter grades in as you go so you have that data recorded. Keep a folder of emails and notes. Date everything. It sounds like even more work, but these five minutes will save you time down the road. Click to get the Teacher Reflection Guide.
Problem 6: You feel like you have to do it all.
Solution: Ask for help.
Teachers in large are “perfectionists” and “I’ll do it myselfers.” Do not allow these personal traits to cause your downfall. Learn how to delegate. Ask parents to help with bulletin boards and cutting, and let students use their expertise. Below are links to a few articles that will help you learn how to delegate tasks.
Problem 7: You have no time for yourself.
Solution: Make it a rule to do something for yourself.
Learn how to make yourself a priority. Find something you love to do and commit to making time for it often. I love to ride horses, read books for pleasure, and write. I spent too many days working until they locked the building and neglecting myself. The only thing I got was stressed and unhappy. Not filling my soul started to suck the life from my classroom. It became more about checking boxes and not about making learning fun.
Want to learn more classroom management techniques? Check out my Classroom Management Book and Planner.
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