Classroom Management Tips-5

Part V: End Procrastination

By now you have received a number of tips to help you become an effective classroom management teacher. The whole basis of these tips, and this report, is to teach you how to take a proactive approach to classroom management.

However, even if you are using all these tips, even if you are using the "all-write" strategy and the "pair-share" strategy, even if you are using video, critical thinking questions, and making connections to student's interests, even if you are making your objectives clear, and checking for understanding, and even if you are giving very specific directions...you still have problems.

The problem is it doesn't matter how proactive you are or how many tricks you use to try to get students involved, some students still just don't do anything, they simply procrastinate as long as they can.

Don't get me wrong, these students are more than capable, they just simply procrastinate. They are the ones that say, "I don't get it" as an excuse for "not doing it".

The trick to solving this frustrating problem is in how you "monitor" the room after you give a set of directions.

First of all, you need to understand that teaching today does not involve the teacher sitting, or even standing, in one place. An effective classroom management teacher is constantly moving about the room. How else can you truly monitor student work?

Now, there is a tendency for teachers to want to go to their less-abled students first. This is natural, but it is also a mistake.

If you go to your less-abled students first, who require more time, your procrastinators will simply procrastinate longer. Instead, you want to go to your procrastinators first with a quick "hit and run".

Here are the steps:

First, give a set of directions.

Next, go immediately to your procrastinator and tell him, "I'll be back in 30 seconds (or whatever specific time you choose), and I want to see you do this". Be very specific. For example, "Amit, I asked you to answer questions 1 through 5 based on the reading. I want to see you answer question number 1 right now. I'll be back in 30 seconds to see how you did."

Third, make absolutely sure that you return to the procrastinator in the time you specified and continue in this manner. For example, "Great Amit, now answer the next three I'll be back in 1 minute and thirty seconds."

Procrastination is planned or intentional stalling. Getting these students on task doesn't take much, it just takes persistence.

Do this a few times and you will see your procrastinators stop procrastinating.

The simple fact is they would rather do the classwork than have you keep bothering them.

By getting the procrastinators started on the task they will now be involved in the classwork, and therefore, much less involved in any mischief.

Not only that, but now you can actually spend "more" time with your less-abled students.

Classroom Management Tips-4

Part IV: Be Specific

In Classroom management tips-3, I discussed the connection between student confusion and classroom management. Another way teachers can reduce student confusion is by "being specific" with their directions.

For example, there is a big difference between these two statements:

"Take a few minutes to answer the questions."

And...

"Take 3 minutes to write down answers to questions 1 through 5 on your own."

See the difference.

Now, of course, the next step would be to check-for-understanding (classroom management tips-3) by simply having a student repeat back the directions.

Actually, I would have one student repeat back how much time the students have to complete the task, another student to repeat which questions they are going to answer, and I would ask a third student who they were allowed to work with on the assignment.

Speaking of being specific, did you notice that I attached a very specific time limit to the task? This is important. Whenever you put students on a particular task make sure to attach a very specific time limit. In other words, you are putting your students "on-the-clock".

Classroom Management Tips-3

Part III: Increase Class Participation

As part of any strong instructional plan you must know effective ways to increase class participation. You see, class participation and classroom management are directly connected. The more you have students actively and constructively participating in your class the less discipline problems you are going to have.

In fact, your ultimate goal should be to get 100% class participation.

Think it's impossible? It's not.

There are many simple strategies that you can use to drastically increase the percentage of students who participate in your class.

**Just keep in mind, good class participation does not only consist of students raising their hands and volunteering information. **

A great way to increase class participation is by combining two simple teaching strategies known as the "all-write" and the "pair & share".

For example, instead of asking a question and having the same handful of students respond by raising their hands, I'll ask a question and tell all my students, "You have 3 minutes to write down an answer to..." After their three-minute time limit is up, I will then tell all students to take 2 more minutes to discuss their answer with their partner or group.

In this way I have taken what would have been less than 10% class participation and turned it into 100% class participation. And, those students who would have raised their hands anyway have now had a chance to develop even stronger answers.

By keeping students actively involved the teacher is being proactive.

The teacher is limiting the opportunity for classroom management issues to arise in the first place by keeping the students involved in the lesson.