In my 2 years of teaching experience, I've learned more about classroom management that I ever thought possible. For those of you who aren't in the education field, classroom management means managing the 30+ bodies that are in your classroom. At any given time, I have a student trying to sneak a peek at their phone, someone who forgot a pencil, two students arguing, a young man dancing, two people "making eyes" at each other in a silent language (that they think I don't notice), someone who needs an excuse to go get a tissue, another student asking to go to the bathroom, oh and all while I'm trying to embark wisdom upon the youth.
Poor classroom management would mean I didn't have control over all of these things. Good classroom management would mean that by a daily Christmas miracle, I've figured out how to grab everyone's attention.
***Disclaimer: I haven't been teaching for very long, so I still have much to learn. Also, I am NOT perfect and fall short of glowing classroom management on a daily basis.***
Here are my newbie tips for managing a classroom:
1. Know your kids. This is the most important piece. This way you can tell them about their behavior with a "look." I have different "looks" for different kids. And they know. They know...
2. You're going to feel like you spend your entire first year yelling, and that's OK, but to avoid that, establish a call and answer format to get attention. I say "Marco," my kids say, "Polo." Others say "Class, class" and the kids say, "Yes, yes."
3. Don't be afraid to reach out to parents. I'll be honest- not all parents are super supportive, but also know that not everyone wants hear that their baby angel is actually a semi-devil at school. BUT, reach out to parents when their child has a good day; it'll make them more likely to support you when their child acts out. Also, a parent can tell you if a medication changed, something is going on at home or in a sport, etc. Parents also like to know what's going on with their child while they're in your care.
4. Make nice with the ring leader. S/he will be able to put kids in their place and say things you wish you could "SHUT UP," "Y'all, she's talking," etc.
5. You may mentally smack a kid upside the head. Normal.
6. Don't let that student acting out get you off track. Address the situation, and move on. A lot of the time they just want you to get mad and get a reaction (this is a daily struggle for me).
7. You say you'll never be the "I'll wait..." teacher, but you will. Oh, you will.
8. Give a student a chance to redirect their behavior, but make sure they know it's their last chance.
9. Make your expectations clear for EVERY situation- walking to the cafeteria, going to the Media Center, etc. I will also ask students what my expectations are if it's been awhile since we've done an activity or gone to the MC.
10. Start strong. It's easier to let up on the reigns than to try to reel them in (pretty much every first year teacher learns this the hard way).
11. Extend grace. Kids are human, just like we are; they'll make mistakes, but every day is a new day. Just like you don't want to be remembered for the mistakes you've made, start each day with a clean slate, especially with students who don't get in trouble every day.
There you have it, 11 of my tips for classroom management. I still have a lot to learn!
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