CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT BEYOND THE FIRST DAY

The first two or three weeks will set the stage for the rest of the year. Management problems here will haunt you for months. On the other hand, a skillfully managed first few days prevents behavior problems that would otherwise have surfaced weeks later. If you have allowed the class to become too noisy, or tolerated rude remarks, or overlooked interruptions during discussions, or put up with tardiness, it will only get worse as time goes on. In the absence of clearly defined limits, students will take more and more liberties until you have “reached the end of your rope.”

Although most teachers probably interpret the phrase “classroom management” to mean control of misbehavior, it actually begins with your lesson plan. If your lesson plan is not organized, your directions unclear, or the material too difficult, you are inviting discipline problems. So, it is especially important in these first weeks that you are well prepared for each class. Also, it is essential that you begin each class in a businesslike manner. When the clock strikes the first minute of the period, you must be ready and the students silent. A disorderly beginning is hardly an appropriate foundation for an effective lesson plan. Only when this prerequisite is met can you begin to establish acceptable conduct.

Rather than repeat it here, it will be useful to review the recommendations in Chapter 1, “The First Day.” If the first two or three weeks are so important, the first day is even more so. What follows is a discussion of how to make the transition from that first day or few days to an easygoing, relaxed and well-behaved class. Unfortunately, many teachers think they can make the transition by simply overlooking minor problems.

Got to “Correcting Students“

Permanent link to this article: https://bethebestteacher.com/classroom-management-beyond-the-first-day

The First Few Weeks

The first two or three weeks will set the stage for the rest of the year. Management problems here will haunt you for months. On the other hand, a skillfully managed first few days prevents behavior problems that would otherwise have surfaced weeks later. If you have allowed the class to become too noisy, or …

Correcting Students

Too many teachers are reluctant to correct students for tiny distractions or infractions of the rules in the beginning. The irritations escalate ever so gradually, but overlooking them becomes increasingly difficult. In all likelihood, your students are not trying to anger you at all. They were simply doing the natural thing, enjoying the freedom available …

Your Sense of Humor

It is important for you to prove during those first few days that you can maintain order and run a businesslike class. But now you must selectively relax those rigid standards. While teaching in class, you must let your sense of humor show through from time to time. You’ll need to laugh together, to let …

Handling the Extroverts

The banter between you and these attention-seeking extroverts will encourage the others to loosen up. Now teaching begins to be fun. The danger comes in letting it go too far. After the rather non-stimulating social climate that was necessary during the first few days, you’ll welcome some good-natured exchanges. Even if it gets a bit …

Don’t Become Too Lax

As the days pass, all of your students will become increasingly at ease. Conversations will break out when you are passing out papers or talking privately with a student when the class would have been silent before. Now that you have such a good rapport with your kids, you are even less likely to fault …

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  1. I love reading these articles because they’re short but informative.

  1. […] management that facilitates learning and brings out the best in learners. Peter Holden on ‘Be the best teacher.com’ puts this rather nicely, “Although most teachers probably interpret the phrase “classroom […]

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