Class Management #MTBoS #SundayFunday

As part of the #MTBoS #SundayFunday Weekly Blogging Challenge, the post for this week is on "Classroom Management."

I just started my 12th year teaching. I never feel like I am perfect with Classroom Management and I have learned over the years which battles I am willing to fight. And the management I may have for my junior and senior class will not be the same I use with my freshman and sophomore class - they just are at different maturity levels.

When I was younger, I needed to come in with a pretty tough and strict approach. I look younger than I really am. Not a bad thing I know, but when you could pass as a high school student yourself, it makes it a little tougher to gain the respect of students. Being 5' 3" doesn't help too much either. I've spent years coaching soccer, so my coaches voice often carries into the class. I end up loosening up as the year goes on, but this is how I have usually had to start.

I'm sooooooooo lucky to teach where I do. I spent my first 6 years teaching in more challenging situations than I'm currently in. These past 5 years, I've been teaching at a Dual Magnet HS - it's a choice school so the student population is way different than our surrounding schools. I really do not have discipline problems. Maybe that's partly because my students know and understand my expectations, but I think mostly because the students we have are awesome!

What do I do?

Movement: I am constantly moving about that classroom. I read my first year teaching Fred Jones' Tools for Teaching and the Zone of Proximity was something that really stuck with me (here is another article about it). My projector is mounted on the ceiling and I'm able to connect it to my DocCam in almost any location I'd like. This helps me to have a teaching station, now in the back middle of the room, where I can roam and reach students quickly and efficiently.

Facial Expressions: This probably isn't good, but I say a lot with my facial expressions. When students start to get off-task or do something I do not approve of, I give them "a look" and they usually know. I don't often have to go past that, but if behaviors continue, then I take the student aside and talk to them.

Student Conferences: I talk with students often, so if I'm really having academic or behavior issues with students I try to conference with them individually. I want to narrow down what is going on with them and see how I can help to get them back on track. This seems to help the most. It takes time and I always try to do it so they aren't feeling on-the-spot with the rest of the class.

Last Straw: It take a lot to get me annoyed and to this point. If I've talked to the student several times and changed seating arrangements, and nothing seems to get better, I finally call the parents to discuss the issues and what I've tried. I try to figure out solutions with them because the next step is for me to write a referral - these really are rare, probably averaging only 1/year (with past 2 I've done for academic dishonesty!).

Like I said - I'm not perfect and as situations come up, I may handle them differently. On the positive side, with a 4x4, we get to start a new "school year" with each semester.