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.
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.
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