My school asked me to help with New Teacher Orientation happening in a few weeks, so I thought I'd post my thoughts here as well. In thinking about what new teachers should know about classroom management, here are my hacks and words of advice:
Classroom
Management Hacks and Advice:
1. Have
a daily bellringer assignment. Every.
Single. Day. Establish procedures for
how to enter your class, how to leave your class, what to do when you first
arrive, how to turn in work, how I will get your attention, and
how to borrow supplies. (there are many
more also…)
2. Be
approachable and respectful and friendly…but not their friend.
3. Over
plan and it’s ok if you don’t get to something.
4. Have
someone for your questions and actually ASK the questions! I think new teachers are afraid
they will “look dumb” if they ask questions so they just try to figure out
everything themselves. Please ask
questions!
5. Focus
on classroom management at the beginning of the year---this should be at least
the first 2 weeks, not just the first day or two.
6. If
you can, get to school early. It’s quiet
so you can think (and the copier is free…)
7. Remember: Small things to us are BIG to them. If a kid is unsure how he is getting home
that day, he won’t be able to focus on anything else. If a kid is in an argument with their best
friend, they won’t be focused in math class.
Now I am NOT saying to stop your teaching to handle every little thing
by any means, but I am saying to be cognizant of things that bother them and
the things that you CAN help with, do.
8. Have
a stash of snacks in the classroom that you can eat at break or plan time. Hungry teachers are mean teachers. J
9. Walk
around your room as much as possible.
It’s amazing how much more work that group will do when you are just
three feet away instead of ten feet away.
10. When
“that student” is great, send a note home or call.
11. Let
them move around! No
one wants to sit still forever. Give
opportunities to move around the room by having questions taped to the walls or
using the 4 corners as answer choices A, B, C, D and they move to their answer
choice. There are lots of ways to
include movement in your class.
12. Ask
yourself: Would I want to be in this
classroom as a student?
13. Show
how to and how NOT to do something. I demonstrate how to raise your
hand and how NOT to raise your hand. I
demonstrate how to correctly leave class and how to NOT correctly leave
class. Seeing both makes your expectations
much more visible to the students
14. I read the next tip online (not trying to take credit for someone else's words, but I don't remember where I got it from to give them credit---but it is GREAT!!!) "It’s helpful
to imagine the first day of teaching as an airport. When students
first walk in, for example, teachers should think of themselves as airport
security. This means lots of firm repetition of simple instructions that sound
something like this: “Good morning. Your seat is here. Your first assignment is
here.” Later in the day, teachers become flight attendants, and then pilots,
with different duties and demeanors throughout the day. The first few minutes
of class, however, are not the best time to have individual, personal
conversations with students. Your job at this point is to get everyone on board
quickly and efficiently. Greet. Seat. Repeat. If you’re worried that this might
make you seem unfriendly, just remember that everyone on that plane wants
airport security to be able to do their jobs."
15. You can laugh. You need to laugh. They need to see you enjoy being in
their presence and that you do enjoy your job. I'm always saddened by
students who think teachers don't like kids. Ummmm, why go into teaching?
So yes, by all means, go ahead and smile and laugh.