“Wake up. You’re grinding your teeth.” My husband’s groggy voice relieved me from my dream, and he pulled me closer. “Are you having a nightmare?”
“Yes.” I grogged back.
“Wanna tell me about it?”
“I dreamt that I lost control of my classroom.”
“That constitutes as a nightmare?”
“It sure does.”
You, fellow educator, know exactly how that constitutes as a nightmare. You’re probably grinding your teeth right now in anticipation of the upcoming school year. Kids can be brutal. It is hard for anyone who has never taught to imagine what kind of a horror it is to lose control of a classroom. All you have to do is watch To Sir With Love with Sidney Poitier, or read Teacher Man by Frank McCourt , and you’ll get the idea.
YouTube is rife with student cell phone recordings of teachers flying off of the handle. Check this one out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4AwN2nc4zOI
or this one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8aZ6bj_EO_o
Did someone get a visual recording of your nightmares?
Sometimes kids act like extreme brats, and they deserve a good tongue lashing. However, teachers can avoid verbal combat with adolescents by establishing good classroom management. It doesn’t matter if it is your first year teaching, or you’ve been teaching for twenty years. Anyone who has been in the business long enough can tell you that kids these days are different. They are not as complacent as they used to be. They are likely to challenge your authority now more than ever. The reality is that the kids won’t change. Sometimes we have to change our approach.
After ten years of teaching, and a lot of trial and error, I finally have an approach to classroom management that I love. My classroom is very peaceful, and the frequency of nightmares has ebbed. There is a mutual respect between teacher and student that colleagues and administrators have complimented. Below is a list of management rules I live by.
1. Set up expectations and routines on DAY ONE
2. Positive verbal rewards go a very long way, no matter how small
3. Chill out!
4. Thwart Arguing
5. Whisper Loudly
6. The power of the look
7. Questions?
8. Build relationships
9. Be stoic
10. Be prepared. And over prepared
11. Address problems immediately
12. Treat the kids like adults
13. Recognize when you’re at fault, and apologize for it.
14. Set high expectations
15. Pick your battles. Don’t sweat the small stuff, and recognize when to just let it go.
Stay tuned for more details!
