Ignition for Education

What’s the scariest part of teaching? Lesson planning? Direct instruction? Guided practice? Grading? Parent communication? Evaluations? Standardized tests?

For a lot of us, it’s classroom management. Students bring their own immaturity, and then they feed off each other’s, squaring or cubing the immaturity level. Often, they see teachers not as people who are trying to serve them but as an opportunity to show off how tough, rebellious, cocky, or funny they are. And just as often, they aim to anger the teacher because they find angry adults amusing. Sometimes, they resist cooperating with teachers who are of different demographics to themselves. And, just like they struggle to tolerate differences among their peers, they so often react to adults who are different to what they’re used to by acting out.

That’s why I’ve struggled with classroom management throughout my career. I’m British, and I sound it, but I teach in Florida. My accent, as well as my vocabulary and pronunciation, mark me out as different. I’ve seen kids visibly angry because I pronounce “schedule” the British way. (Actually, I find the American pronunciation physically difficult to form in the mouth.)

Does this mean that teachers who are not social conformists of the same demographics as their students, or teachers who are naturally sensitive, should just quit. Of course not! I have learned to manage my classroom in spite of these disadvantages, and I believe that other teachers can too. This article explores some considerations in understanding and practicing classroom management. It’s not coming from a place of natural genius but from struggle and eventual success with this particular aspect of teaching.

• Some people are just the kind of people whom kids naturally obey. They exude authority, and I don’t pretend to understand why. Confidence may be a part of it; charisma may be a part. But what the whole of it is, I have no idea. Most teachers do not fall into this category (I certainly do not), but that doesn’t mean that they can’t master classroom management.

• Building relationships with the students is one of the keys. Some people are less well equipped for this than others. An introvert like myself who struggles with small talk is not well equipped, but it’s still possible to show an interest in the kids: to greet them, ask how they’re doing, look them in the eye when they speak, and so on. Taking an interest in their lives outside of the classroom, by going to games, concerts, art displays, and whatever else happens at your school, also helps to show your interest.

• Another key is respect, and this can be difficult when your students are not acting worthy of respect. But it’s important to moderate what you say and how you say it, and to follow basic etiquette—please and thank you, and so on.

• And yet another key: keeping calm. Really, this is part and parcel of the previous point. Generally, the least well-behaved kids want to see you angry. They find it amusing, and it makes them feel like they have power over you because they were able to determine your emotional state and behavior. Of course, keeping calm is easier said than done. Kids can be maddening, and, truth be told, I have sometimes responded to disruptive behavior in ways that I am not proud of. (So have their parents. Of this, I am sure.) Self-care is helpful. Get enough sleep. Hydrate and eat well. If you’re teaching while tired and hangry, you’re a lot more likely to lose your cool. And talk about your frustrations, whether with colleagues, friends, or a therapist.

• Praising students is vital. You probably won’t get far with kids whom you only criticize, so be sure to “catch them doing something good” and point it out to them. And point it out to school leaders and parents too. In the last school year, I had a major breakthrough with two difficult students after I texted their parents to praise them—one for a strong quiz result; the other for an act of integrity. Think carefully about how you’re defining your students. Are you, in your own mind and in your behavior, by what you say, by always criticizing and never praising them, defining some of your students as bad, lazy, disruptive, unteachable? If so, they are likely to live up to that definition.

• Keep in touch with the parents. Share announcements, assignments, grades, and good news with them. (I do this using Remind 101.) If you’re partnering with the parents, they’re more likely to help you with behavior problems.

• The balance between tolerance and discipline can be tough to strike. It’s been especially tough for me because I have OCD, so I’m tempted to sweat the small stuff. Really, experience is the only way to get it right. Think about whether you’re making your expectations clear and upholding them, but also think about whether you’re giving the kids “wiggle room” appropriate to their age[1]. Keep asking yourself those questions, and keep practicing and adjusting. I’m afraid it can be a frustrating journey.

• It helps to identify the games that the kids are trying to play, and to avoid playing those games with them. Perhaps the most common game is trying to make the teacher angry. Another is the cat and mouse game. I struggled with that one for several years, after I moved from high school to middle school. My sixth-grade students liked to make animal noises and fart noises to see if I could catch whoever was doing it. If I imposed consequences, I helped to create the cat and mouse game. But, if I ignored it, I created a different game: They enjoyed upping the ante to make the behavior impossible to ignore. One day, it struck me that a cat and mouse game is only fun if you know immediately which of the mice the cat caught. Now, if the noises start up again (They hardly ever do), I acknowledge what is happening, tell the class that it is unacceptable, and tell them that those responsible will find out their consequence at the end of the lesson.

• Finally, it’s not just about your classroom management technique; it’s about your pedagogical choices. If you make your class engaging, by using a variety of well-chosen pedagogies, your students are more likely to buy into your class. Of course, the trifecta of direct instruction, guided practice, and independent practice is critical, but broaden from there. Throw in projects and smaller activities that engage the visual learners and the kinesthetic learners, that give students a chance to tell stories, to create, to perform. Try to strike a balance between individual, small group, and whole class activities. Give students a choice of activities at least sometimes. But, please, keep the activities anchored in your learning objectives. Don’t just throw in arts and crafts for their own sake!

None of this has been easy for me. I’ve struggled. I’ve unloaded onto therapists. I’ve even considered leaving the profession. But I’ve won through, and this post represents how I did it and what I learned in the process.

If you’re reading this, and you’re struggling with classroom management, I hope that I have given you hope.

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[1] “Wiggle room” is one of the most helpful phrases that a school leader has ever used in helping me to grow. It helped me to radically improve my approach to classroom management.