Hallway conferences. Pasta discipline. Buddy rooms. Bell work. Those and six other ideas for taming temper tantrums -- and other classroom disruptions -- are the focus of this Education World story! Included: An opportunity for all teachers to share the classroom management techniques that work for them!
Sally McCombs has been teaching for more than 18 years. These days,
she seldom has a discipline problem that she can't handle. That wasn't
always the case, however.
Have you a classroom management technique that might be helpful
to others? Do your colleagues a favor; "show and tell" that
tip on an Education World Classroom Management message
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McCombs recently recalled for Education World an experience from her early
teaching days. "There was a student who was driving me crazy," she said.
"He was arrogant and disruptive, but my good friend -- who also taught him
-- had no trouble with him. So I asked her what her secret was, and she
simply said 'You have to like him.'
"Notice," McCombs emphasized, the teacher said "You don't have to love
him, just like him -- but it has to be real. I've tried to keep
that in mind since then," added McCombs, a teacher at LEAP Academy in
Winston-Salem, North Carolina. "I deal with kids differently when I really
like them, even if I don't like their behavior. There is generally something
to appreciate in every kid.
"I've had to realize that letting kids get away with things they know
are wrong is not kind," McCombs explained. "Students need structure. They
need to trust us, and that means we have to keep our promises, even if
the promise is that you will call home or assign punishments."
McCombs has found a classroom management approach that works for her
-- and she was willing to share her experiences for the benefit of others.
So were other educators who have found classroom peace. Today, Education
World shares ten teacher-tested tips for managing a classroom. One of
them might be perfect for you to try this fall in your classroom!
Nancy Landis, a fourth-grade teacher at
Oskaloosa (Kansas) Elementary School, has found a technique for quieting
rambunctious kids that works well for her. As many other teachers do,
she uses a simple counting technique. "I wear a stopwatch around my neck,
and when the noise gets to an unacceptable level, I hold up the stopwatch
and begin timing," said Landis.
"There is always a student who is aware of what I have done, and the
word spreads quickly," explained Landis. "I never need to say a word;
they regulate themselves. They know the time that has accumulated on the
watch is the time they 'owe' before they can have recess." If the students
respond quickly, Landis doesn't count the time on the watch against them.
Many other teachers employ variations of this technique. Some count
aloud. One teacher we know counts aloud in Japanese -- and the counting
doesn't stop until all the students join in. She changes the language
each month, so children learn to count in a new language while they manage
their own behavior!
Another "countdown" teacher sets a goal for the counting time that a
given class can accumulate. During the first week of school, that goal
might be 200 seconds; the goal might decrease by 25 seconds each week,
until it is down to 100 seconds a day at the end of the first month. If
the students don't accumulate that many seconds of owed-time, he shares
a "joke of the day." He says the kids hate to miss out on the joke --
even if it is a groaner! Unlike the more-concrete awards some teachers
provide, this award cost him only the price of a good joke book!
Most teachers agree that the key to making the countdown technique work
is to set a goal and stick to it. The first time the kids lose
out might be hard on the teacher who realizes that just one or two students
have spoiled things for the others. Peer pressure works amazingly well,
however -- on the following day, the students are bound to do better!
Charles Kruger teaches at Bethune Middle School in Los Angeles. When
a student is being difficult, he employs a technique called a "hallway
conference." It's a technique Kruger learned in a seminar offered by Lee
Canter Associates.
"I go to the doorway -- slowly because I want the class to watch --
and call the student to the hallway," Kruger explained. "The other students
are quiet -- they want to see what is going to happen."
When Kruger and the student get together in the hallway, the conversation
goes something like this:
Kruger: I care very much about your success in my
class, (student's name), and I'm concerned that you seem to be headed
into trouble today. You have (here Kruger lists the offense or offenses),
and I know you know that is against the rules. Is something going
on today that is giving you a special problem? Can I help?
Student: (At this point, the student is usually disarmed and
often responds "no." At other times, the student might present a problem.
In either case, Kruger will usually continue ...)
Kruger: I'm glad there isn't a problem. (Alternative response:
I'm sorry to hear that. Perhaps we can deal with that later.) Right
now, this is what you have to do: Go back to your seat and (whatever
the assigned task is), and don't give me any more problems today. Can
you do that?... Are you sure?... Good. I'm glad we're going to be able
to keep you out of trouble."
Kruger and the student return to the classroom as Kruger gives the
student a big smile and says enthusiastically and clearly so the rest
of the class can hear.
Kruger: Thank you, (student's name).
"At first I was concerned that some students anxious for extra attention
would provoke hallway conferences, and that does happen," Kruger
noted. "But the other students seem to understand, and the student who
needs extra attention gets it. If a student is persistent, I try to find
other ways of giving him or her extra attention. Even a little attention,
such as making a point of greeting the student by name or asking for help
with a chore, can significantly reduce some problem behaviors."
- Pasta discipline.
This technique starts with a large jar and a few boxes of macaroni --
small elbow macaroni works best. When students are all working together
well or independently on a task, grab a handful of macaroni and dump
it into the jar as a reward. When the jar is full, the students have
earned an agreed-upon reward. Possible rewards: Free activity time,
a night or two without homework, or an ice-cream party.
- Sh-h-h-h-h!
If students are a little talky, you might take advantage and whisper
an instruction that begins "If you can hear my voice and (give an instruction),
you can have ten minutes of free time at the end of the day." The beginning
of the whispered statement will get the attention of some or many students.
Give the instruction just once; those who don't give you their immediate
attention or miss what you say because they were talking too loudly
miss out on the reward.
- Three strikes!
Each student starts out the week with three index cards. The blank sides
of the cards have their names printed in large letters. If a student
disrupts or breaks a rule, instruct the student to write on the lined
side of the card (on the first available line) the date and the disruptive
behavior. Then the student must drop that card in the fishbowl at the
front of the room. Establish a reward for students who still have three
cards at the end of the week and consequences for those who have two,
one, or no cards left. The next week, the students get their three cards
back and start fresh. The cards also serve as a record when report card
time comes or when a parent conference must be arranged.
- RESPECT.
Write the word RESPECT on the board at the start of each week.
Each time the class gets out of hand or is off-task enough to be disruptive,
put a big X through one of the letters. The class will have discussed
and agreed in advance on the rewards and consequences for "keeping"
or "losing RESPECT" during the week. Other words -- such as REWARD,
BEHAVE, or the name of the school -- might work as well. You can
extend or shorten the time frame, depending on class goals.
- Bell work.
Many teachers provide "bell work" -- activities that students jump into
as soon as the bell rings to signal the start of the school day. Such
assignments get the day off to a purposeful start by focusing kids'
energies and attention. The activity might be written on the board;
it might be a review of a skill taught the day before. Other teachers
might expect students to come in each day and spend the first ten minutes
writing in their journals; there might be a question on the board to
prompt those students who can't think of anything to write. One teacher
posted a Daily Numbers sign (from the state's lottery game by the same
name) in the back of the room. Students walk into the classroom and
go immediately to the back of the room to grab their "daily numbers"
-- a half-sheet of ten math problems that review math operations and
a variety of other concepts including measurement, telling time, and
money. As the students finish the work, they get immediate reinforcement
or correction. When they finish their daily numbers, they start right
in on the day's work. When the teacher finishes correcting everybody's
math problems, the morning meeting begins.
- The buddy room.
Many teachers use the "buddy room" concept. Two teachers agree to be
buddy room partners. This works best if the buddying teachers are in
adjacent rooms. If a student is being disruptive, the teacher takes
the student to the buddy room. There a special seat is assigned for
such circumstances. Nothing needs to be said; the student heads directly
to that seat. Some teachers leave the student there until he or she
is ready to return to class; at that point, the student raises a hand
and the buddy teacher takes the student back to class at the first opportunity.
Other teachers leave a stack of "think sheets" in the desk in the buddy
room; the offending student completes a think sheet -- which has places
for the student to describe what he or she was doing wrong, the effects
the behavior had on the class, and what he or she will do to correct
the behavior.
- Behavior book.
On the first day of school, many teachers provide questionnaires for
students to complete. The questionnaires collect important information
-- such as phone numbers, addresses, and the like -- as well information
about hobbies and other interests. Some teachers collect those sheets
and keep them in a binder. Teachers who have multiple classes use simple
notebook dividers to separate one class from another. When a student
disrupts the class, breaks a class rule, or does something positive,
the teacher reaches for the binder and jots a note on the back
of that student's questionnaire. Those notes serve as a record for grading
or planning parent conferences. One teacher buys three-holed plastic
sleeves and inserts each student's questionnaire into a sleeve. She
keeps a pile of scrap paper on her desk. Whenever a student does anything
negative or positive, she scribbles a dated note on a piece of the scrap
paper. At the end of the class period, she drops those notes into the
students' plastic sleeves. Those notes serve as a record of the student's
year.
Have you learned something from the techniques shared above? If so,
please take a few minutes to "show and tell" a technique that has worked
for you so that other educators might learn from your experiences. You
can share your ideas on an Education World Classroom Management
message board.
Gary Hopkins
Education World® Editor-in-Chief
Copyright © 2002 Education World
Updated 05/23/2005
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