In keeping with this month’s theme of Classroom Management, I thought I would share my THREE FAVORITE things you can do to CAUSE behavioral problems.
CAUSE BEHAVIORAL PROBLEMS??
Why would I want to do that? Well, you don’t. But if you are doing these 3 things, you may be.
After reading my 3 causes of behavioral problems,
download my FREE Classroom Rules posters!
#1 GIVING REMINDERS
You give your students a series of 3 directions:
1. Turn in your grammar worksheet.
2. Take your writing journal out of your desk.
3. Write three things you did this past weekend.
Guess what happens next.
“What do I get from my desk?”
“What do I write about?”
“How many things do I write?”
“Can I only write two?”
“Can I write more than three?”
“Where do I put my grammar sheet?”
Which questions should you answer? All of them? Some of them? None of them?
NONE OF THEM!
When you have students asking questions immediately after giving a set of directions, they have tuned you out. These students have learned that if they don’t hear you and miss some of the directions, you’ll just repeat them. So why bother listening in the first place?
When you give reminders, and your students KNOW you will give reminders of your directions, there is no urgency to follow directions the first time.
CLASSROOM BEHAVIORAL PROBLEMS: TRY THIS!
When giving directions to your students, make sure the entire class is quiet, actively listening, with their eyes on you.
Give the directions, one at a time. Have the students repeat each direction after you.
“Repeat after me. I will turn in my grammar worksheet”
“I will turn in my grammar worksheet.”
“Repeat after me. I will take out my writing journal.”
“I will take out my writing journal.”
“Repeat after me. I will write three things I did last weekend”
“I will write three things I did last weekend.”
“How many? Show me with your fingers”
Three!
NOW stand and wait for students to follow directions. If they are not sure what to do, let them figure it out. If needed, give one direction at a time. Wait for students to follow that one direction before giving another one. Use a timer to see how fast they can all follow directions.
#2 TALKING
As teachers, we spend the majority of our day talking. Makes sense. The act of teaching involves talking. Many a school year, I’ve lost my voice in the first weeks of school from ALL. THE. TALKING. We spend a lot of time at the beginning of the year teaching and reinforcing rules and procedures.
Once your students are clear about your expectations and procedures have become routine, STOP TALKING! Let your students lead the class. Have a teacher’s assistant each day that gives simple directions for you.
During direct instruction, balance out the amount of talking you do and the amount of talking the students do. Student talk can be, “turn and talk to your neighbor”, a group discussion, choral reading, or simply having students repeat after you. Most importantly, allow students to TALK.
Obviously, it will be necessary for students to work silently during independent work time. Keep the amount of time you expect students to work independently REASONABLE. “Quiet Working Time” as I call it will vary according to grade level.
A good guide is 10 minutes per grade level. Kinder and Grade 1, 10-15 minutes. Grades 2 and 3, 20-25 minutes. Grades 4 and 5, 30-40 minutes. If kids have to sit too long with no movement or opportunity to speak to their classmates, they will have behavioral issues.
#3 MICROMANAGING
When teachers get frustrated with student behaviors, sometimes they feel as if they need to tighten the reins. Unfortunately, this can actually make behaviors WORSE. Just think of your teenage self. The more rules and restrictions you place on a teenager, the more they want to break those rules.
Teachers who are micromanagers show a lack of confidence in their students to make good choices. They suffocate academic and social growth. They think for their students. They discourage independence.
Students need the opportunity to make their own choices, to make their own mistakes, and to figure things out for themselves. THEN, after you’ve given these opportunities, if a student is unable to manage their choices and behavior, you can make choices for them.
Start with simple choices.
“You can use crayons or markers.”
Allow for bigger choices.
“You tend to talk when you are with Alexa and Rylan. You can sit next to them and if you are too talkative, I will need to move you OR you can find other students to work with.”
Some teachers have a philosophy similar to Teaching with Love and Logic: You are free to do anything that doesn’t cause a problem for someone else. I am a believer in this philosophy, within reason of course.
THE SUSIE EXAMPLE
Susie has a difficult time sitting still for ANY length of time. Her teacher gets annoyed by the fact that she is constantly moving, tapping her pencil, and kicking the legs of her desk. The teacher is constantly reminding Susie to sit still and to stop making noises that distract her classmates.
This is quite frustrating for Susie’s teacher AND for Susie!
If Susie were in my class, I would assign her to a desk where she feels part of the class but has her own space. If she wants to do her work standing up, that’s fine, as long as she isn’t blocking someone else’s view of the target (speaker/projected work) or causing a distraction.
NOW, if Susie is allowed the space to be herself but is STILL causing a distraction for her classmates, then her teacher will need to get involved.
Give students the opportunity to make good choices first, before you start to micromanage.
FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY - 16 FREE CLASSROOM RULES POSTERS
THESE CLASSROOM RULES POSTERS GO IN MY TEACHERS PAY TEACHERS STORE ON SEPTEMBER 1ST! DOWNLOAD FOR FREE NOW!!
Comments