Teacher Timeout

TEACHER TIMEOUT

Have you ever been in your classroom and wanted to break out in tears or scream at the top of your lungs because the students are misbehaving. You have reached your stress level and you need a TEACHER TIMEOUT.

Teacher timeout is only to be used when there is no way to get students to quiet down or perform their work and you are stressed out. When this happens consider counting backward either to yourself or to the class. Think of a way to get the students attention. Maybe a chant, song, or dance. If you think that this will not work have students sit quietly for about two to three minutes.

Having a lack of classroom management can cause teachers a lot of stress. You need to speak with you administrators and colleagues to discuss ways you can improve. Be honest when discussing your struggles. It's better to be upfront with your administrators and colleagues about your management problems. They can see that you have a lack of classroom management without even opening your classroom door. Administrators want all there teachers to feel confident and to have great management. They know that students learn best when the classroom environment is under control. If you are struggling with your management, just consider emailing or meeting with your administrators about your issues.

Classroom Management Anonymous meeting

What's the famous line from a support group meeting? Ah yes...The first step to solving a problem is admitting you have one.

This topic is a difficult one to discuss because often time as humans we don't like to admit that we are not doing a good job. But the fact is that sometimes it true. Some teachers who struggle with classroom management may often times tell friends or co-workers, "It's not me its the students! They just don't listen to anything I say". Teachers that make these comments are struggling to gain control in their classroom and manage the students effectively, but they blame the students. A great way to determine if it's your lack of classroom management or student behaviors is to take this questionnaire.

Answer YES or NO

1. Have you had some of the same issues with management in other school years?
2. Does your administrator make comments or provide feedback regarding your lack of management?
3. Do you allow student misbehavior to continue without make changes or providing incentives in the classroom?
4. Do other staff members have to come in your room and assist you due to student behaviors?
5. Do you have more than 5 students who act out on a daily basis?

If you answered yes to at least 3 out of the 5 questions, then it is you who is problem. A tough pill to swallow? I too had to come to this conclusion when my classroom management was poor and my students misbehaved constantly. But the great thing is, is that you can change you!!!!! You can evaluate your classroom current state and decide what changes and modifications need to made to have a spectacular classroom management.  

*** Some students do misbehavior for many other reasons besides the lack of classroom management. It is your job as a teacher to determine who those students are, but not to blame all the student.

Attention Getters

ATTENTION GETTERS

There are tons of attention getters! Here are a few that I use on a daily basis. Ask teachers in your school what their attention getters are or create your own. 

15 Ways to get your students attention  ( T- Teacher S-Student)

1. Clap the Beat- T claps a beat and S clap the same beat
2. Give me five- T & S hold up one hand and say
(1) Eyes- Look
(2) Ear- Hear
(3) Hand-Still
(4) Feet- Quiet
(5) Mouth-Closed

     3. Use a chime or bell

     4. T says "Hands up" S put hands up, freeze, and stop talking

     5. T says- " If you hear clap once, if you hear me clap twice, if you hear me clap three times"

     6. T says "Voices" 

         S says "Shhhh"

     7. T says " 1, 2, 3 Eyes on me"

         S says "1 ,2 Eyes on you"

     8. T says:                     S says:

         1,2                           Eyes on you

         3,4                           Crisscross on the floor

         5,6                           No more tricks

         7,8                           Sit up straight

         9,10                         Let's begin

     9. Tune of "Frere Jacques": Sing

         Are you listening?

         Are you listening?

         Everyone, Everyone

         If you are listening

         If you are listening

         Look at me, look at me OR (Pat your head, Touch your nose, etc.)

    10. Tune of "Happy and you know it": Sing

          If you're listening and you know it clap your hands

          If you're listening and you know it clap your hands

          If you're listening and you know then your face will surely show it

          If you're listening and you know it clap your hands OR (Touch your nose, head, chin etc.)

    11. Count down from 10, 9, 8,........, 2, 1

    12. Give the students a secret word (Ex. Bubblegum) that when they hear it they know to get quiet.
    13. T says- "Alligator, alligator"
          S says- "Chomp, chomp"
    14. Call and response from the movie Finding Nemo
          T says- "Shark bait"
          S says- "Brew ha ha"

   15. Turn off the lights to calm the students.

***Yelling/shouting are not attention getters.

*** Attention getters are useless unless the teacher EXPLAINS, MODELS, and REHEARSES them.



Behavior Modification

BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION

B.F. Skinner researched peoples' behaviors and how they made changes to those behaviors. As a classroom teacher, you are able to observe student behaviors daily, and you know each student's particular behavior. Being knowledgeable of  each individual student's behavior, you can modify the inappropriate behaviors that some students my display in two ways: reinforcements and punishments.

Reinforcements are consequences that strengthen good behavior. For example you have a student who constantly yells out during class. You can create a Good Behavior Chart for this student listing 'Calling Out' on the chart for the behavior that the student will modify. Each time the student does not yell out, place a sticker or check mark on the chart. At the end of the day or week, reward the student for doing a good job by not calling out. You can use the Good Behavior Chart to list up to five behaviors a student can work to change.

Another reinforcement strategy would be the chance cards. Each time as student is displaying appropriate behavior you give them a chance card. The student signs their name on the card and stores it in their desk or cubby. At the end of each week students can redeem their chance cards for a reward.

Use a marble jar to reinforce classroom behavior. Place marbles into a jar each time the entire class is behaving. Set a goal, either the jar being half full or completely full, for the class to reach and receive a party. You can also use paper links, adding a link when the class behaves, and rewarding them when the reach a set number of links.

PRAISE, PRAISE, and PRAISE students for good behavior, this encourages them to continue displaying that behavior.

 No strategy will work if the teacher does not explain, implement, and reinforce the behavior modification.

Punishments are consequences that weaken the bad behavior. You can take away some recess time, call home, or have students write and explain why they should not repeat that particular behavior.



Parent Involvement and Musical Chairs!

I hope that you have been able to make some improvements in your classroom management. Here are a few things to consider if you are struggling with chatty, busy, or deviant students.

First thing first, parents are you best partner in combating misbehavior in the classroom. Make sure you are in constant contact with parents' of those students who are disruptive during instruction time. For primary aged children you can print out a blank calendar and put smiley or frowning faces inside the date and add comments when necessary. I call this a conduct calendar. If your students have agenda books or homework notebooks, create a section inside of it and make notes regarding the student behavior. You can always opt to do it the old fashioned way, pick up the phone and call. In this day and age with email and texting, communication has become impersonable. Parents do appreciate actually speaking to their child's teacher. So by making a phone call or setting up a meeting you won't only attempt to improve a student's behavior, but you will begin to build a rapport with the parents. By building a relationship with the parent, both parties become more at ease discussing the issues that a student is having. Of course you are aware that students often act out because of things that happen at home. Many attention seeking students display these behaviors because they are ignored at home.

Second, musical chairs! Move those desks and chairs around. Some students can not sit together. Think about you students, their personalities, behaviors, and academic levels. Write each student's name down on a piece of paper, draw your classroom, then begin to place students according to their personalities, behaviors, and academic levels. You may even have some students who need to sit alone.

Lastly, two heads are better than one! Consider having a parent or grandparent to come in a assist you doing a part of the day when students are always misbehaving and off task. Or consider having them work with students who may be struggling academically. Be sure to check with your school and the district guidelines for volunteers and background checks.

Subtle Changes

It's almost March! Is it too late to improve my classroom management and save my sanity? Even though there are only a few months until summer vacation, you do have enough time to salvage a disruptive classroom.

Start by singling out maybe just two things that you think with improvements will maximize instruction time and leave you feeling calmer when the dismissal bell rings. If you take time over the weekend to develop strategies to improve on these things, then bright and early Monday morning you can Explain, Model, and Rehearse it with the students.

Even though you may not be able to do a complete 180 regarding classroom management this late in the school year, you might make small strides that will definitely aid you in finishing the year out and consider classroom management techniques for the following school year.

Don't give up! You're almost to the finish line.

Emergency Classroom Management

I need my classroom management to improve NOW!!!!! I'm sure that some teachers make this statement daily. Who wouldn't after being in an under managed classroom with rowdy students all day.

Let's say you don't have time to make a list or jot down ways to improve, and then you'll have to be able to think quickly on your feet. Your reaction time in response to student misbehavior has to happen with milliseconds of its occurrence. Honestly, students' behavior can not change in a day or overnight. Your best bet is to take the slow and steady approach. Or in this case the slow, steady and consistent approach.

Consistency is crucial when trying to get student to follow classroom rules and procedures. Once you know what behaviors and issues need to be addressed you can begin modeling how the classroom should run. In 'What to Expect the First Year', Harry Wong gives a three step approach for teaching new procedures: Explain, Model, Rehearse. So for example let's say your want to teach your students to come in and complete an anticipatory set  (warm-up) before you start your lesson.

Teacher's script
 EXPLAIN: Every morning when you come in a morning warm-up will be on the smart board. You will need to complete the warm-up in your class notebook. Each entry must have the date and the problem written. Please make sure that you show your work when completing the warm-up. Once you have completed your warm-up you have an option to complete and review last night's homework or help another student complete the morning warm up.

MODEL: Now I am going to show you how to come in and complete your warm-up. (Pretend to be a student coming into to class doing a morning warm up)

REHEARSE: Have students do what you explained and modeled. (Continue to rehearse the procedure for at least 2 weeks or longer depending on the grade level of the students)

I have found that this three step approach can aid in teaching students not only procedures, but rules and concepts as well.

Lack Of Management

Reflecting on my first year as a classroom teacher there were so many things that were going wrong, I'm was not sure were to begin. I guess first things first, my students were just all over the place, but this was not their fault. I had not put routines and procedures in place. Due to a lack of routines the students just kind of created there own. Survival instincts maybe? Of course I knew that I needed to correct this, but how to fix it was the biggest issue. I was CLUELESS! I tried doing this on my own. Like revamping the classroom routine every two days to see what would work. How do first year teachers go about improving their classroom management?

One way to go about making improvements is to make a list of those things that need improving. Try not to make a lengthy list. Make sure to list the top five issues to focus on. Take the top five listed improvements and jot down  reasons why these issues in the classroom are happening; take time to reflect on what you can do as the teacher to make improvements. Your greatest resource is just down the hall, in the experiences of  a veteran teacher. Ask them if you could discuss your issues with them so that they can provide suggestions on how to improve.