5 Ways Teachers Can Improve Their Classroom Management Skills 1.

Hope is not a classroom management strategy lets just set the ideal classroom aside and work with what weve got. Resistant students are going to be a part of our livesso why not simply embrace them? We cant rely on hope alone to transform our classrooms, so why not start planning for a good challenge (just like we prepare our lesson plans) before the challenge arrives?

2. Make collaboration and mentoring a part of the culture A semi-recent study (2007) found that beginning teachers often work 10 to 12-hour days creating lesson plans, grading, attending meetings and other extracurricular school events. This doesnt even take into account the preparation and grading that happens on the weekends. Why 10-12 hour days? There are a number of explanations, but heres something to ask yourself: Does our school support collaboration, mentoring and teacher development? The most effective teacher leaders are often those who work in schools that support team work and collaborationamong colleagues. When principals put an emphasis on teamwork, foster continuing education, provide curriculum building workshops, etc., teachers are more likely to grow, relax and collaborate.

3. Role play or practice classroom management strategies Teachers may intend to react to a disruptive student in a well-measured way, but that can go out the window in an instant. Its one thing to read about classroom management in a book and another to experience misbehavior or disruption firsthand. We improve through practice and mimicry. Why not have teachers role play hypothetical classroom management experiences with a mentor or colleague?

4. Save your energy and let technology do the talking for you If students are particularly rambunctious, theres no need to strain your voice or get frustrated. Give some of these sly, low-energy maneuvers a try: Quietly walk over to the light switch and flick them on and off Walk over to your computer, click on your Spotify app and slowly turn up the volume on, oh, how about Chopins Nocturne for Piano, No. 8 in D flat Major. This will silence them. Pull out an object that is associated with the lesson, hold it up and start looking at it. Ask your students to tell you what they see; then ask them why you brought it.

5. Know when enough is enough So youve verbalized and modeled clear expectations; you tried being assertive rather than antagonistic; you spoke with the student after class like we suggested in a recent classroom management blog? It didnt work? When all else fails, swallow your pride and kindly ask the student to sit outside of the room or head to the office. As Mike Anderson suggests, we need to debunk the myth that good teachers should be able to handle student meltdowns by themselves. This simply isnt true.

References
http://onlinegrad.marygrove.edu/blog/bid/162165/5-Ways-Teachers-CanImprove-Their-Classroom-Management-Skills