Build positive relationships with students.
The student who feels listened to and cared about is the student who wants to learn. Positive relationships consist of reciprocal trust and respect. This will ensure active participation in the classroom.
Establish, practice, and reinforce classroom expectations and logical consequences.
The next significant building block of classroom management is the establishment of clear rules and procedures. Rules dictate how students should appropriately behave with one another and towards the teacher. At this point, adolescents might feel that they are too mature to be told “how to treat each other” but relational/behavioral rules will maintain a peaceful classroom. Early on students should know and practice consistent classroom procedures. Students should know how to behave, but also how to work. These include clear instructions on how to enter the classroom, what to work on, how to return assignments, democratic ways to contribute to class discussions, and appropriate times to leave the classroom. I provide and enforce logical consequences. These are created with students at the start of the semester and not forced upon arbitrarily as a dominant teacher.
Prevent misbehavior by encouraging students to self-regulate.
For instance, if a student insults other students, I will first give a verbal warning. This allows the student to self-regulate the misbehavior and “own” the problem. However, if the student continues to behave inappropriately and offend their peers, I will set them aside and assign them detention so we can later discuss the conflict. Should their behavior continue, I will contact parents and set up a parent teacher conference. Consequences should not be severe for every misbehavior. Students should be given the opportunity to explain their behavior and identify how to rectify the problem. This emphasizes student accountability in the classroom. Certain infractions, such as those involving threats or acts of violence, are an exception and must be referred to administration.
Furthermore, I advocate using consistent affirmations to maintain a healthy classroom climate. Simple statements of appreciation (e.g. “Thank you for getting to work right away, James”) is simple but effective. During this part of adolescent development students are forming their moral/ethical compasses and sometimes need nudges in the right direction. They make simple mistakes that they need to “own” and learn from. Each student has their own sense of intrinsic and extrinsic motivations, and those should also be considered. It is important to acknowledge that each student responds to behavior management strategies differently so we need to maintain flexibility.
Monitor student progress and provide specific feedback to set them up for success.
Finally, I consistently monitor student performance and provide detailed feedback. Quick and informal assessments are especially useful. These type of assessments check the student’s understanding of a topic and allow the teacher to curtail the lesson in order to facilitate higher learning. This maybe as simple as asking them to use a thumbs-up for “I get it”, a thumb pointed sideways for “I need another example”, or a thumbs-down for “I need direct instruction again”. This can be followed up by a formative assessment to check student learning after a lesson. It can take the form of a homework assignment or quiz that I can grade and write comments on. My focus on multiple assessments also demonstrates my priority in having positive relationships with students. A student is more likely to care about his/her studies if they have a know see their teacher as part of their support system. Assessments also help me monitor student progress AND evaluate my own teaching. They provide great opportunities for critical reflection.
Exploring Education: 