ILP "Participation"- Classroom Management Fundamentals course on Lynda.com

I thoroughly enjoyed the course that I completed on Lynda. Before this assignment, I had never heard of Lynda and had no previous experience with it. After completing this course I am a huge fan of Lynda and I plan on taking advantage of this amazing resource. I chose to complete this particular course because ever since my observations in the classroom setting last semester, I have been particularly interested in classroom management. One teacher that I observed had such good control of the students and it made me wonder how she developed her classroom management.

Here are the notes I took during the course (you might want to skim through them because I typed a total of 4 pages of notes):

Introduction:

•   a well-managed classroom is a high-preforming classroom
•  not silent and obedient but focused on interaction and high-functioning

1. Traits of effective classroom managers:

·       Using a strong teacher voice (confident, strong, projected, steady)

o   have a consistent tone is most difficult thing (not including emotions such as frustration)

·       Being consistently proactive

o   having same practices and expectations day to day

o   something will disrupt the flow of your lesson (plan for that)

o   a proactive teacher is a consistent teacher

o   thought through everything and how to deal with problems

·       being grounded in what we can/can’t control

o   every students situation is unique (different home lives)

o   assume that these disruptions will happen and plan ahead: put student achievement first

o   have a repertoire of management ideasà practice them with your studentsà implement them when unforeseen events occur

·       having a well-prepared lesson plan

o   goal is to create management plans that allow for learning that’s exploratory, project-based, and student-directed

o   take note about student behavior and management strategies (which group to stand by…)

Being a leader:

·       how you present yourself to your students

·       how you speak to your students

2. Setting Students up for success

Procedures and routines

• 20 minutes of off-task behavior each day= 60 hours of lost instruction per year (2 full weeks of school)
• creating procedures and routines will help make sure time is not wasted
• match the needs of your students with your classroom routines and procedures (think about what takes time away from instruction during class)
• share best practices and learn from teachers around you ( a lot of time establishing procedures is easier when they are unified throughout the school)
• practice procedure with class, enforce every day

Reduce distractions

• create simple indicators that students can use instead of raising hand… (don’t want to waste class time by calling on someone to answer a question only for them to ask to get water) (pencil in air to sharpen and a nod from teacher or if student movement is too distracting, place a sharpener on their desk)

Create clearly defined class rules

• keep it simple (no more than 10 class rules, cover communication, work time, and procedures)
• make the rules visible (refer to them when students misbehave to create accountability in the classroom)
• involve students in creating classroom rules
• communicate that they are there to help them be successful

Time everything

• motivates students to get the work completed (vs saying you have til the end of class)
• time everything, keep students and yourself on track

3. Managing your classroom

Give clear instructions

• ensure that students heard you
• clearly state what actions to do and how to do them
• explain why students should be following instructions
• “3 m’s” motion, mouth, and motivation
• reduce misbehavior during movement
• use an attention-getting signal to let students know instructions are about to be given (younger classes clapping or movement is effective) (older students use counting method)
• practice the attention getting signal with students

Check for understanding, not just for content

• nick what’s the first thing we are going to do, sally what’s the second instruction……
• ask them to repeat critical steps in instructions

Behavior narration

• allows students to hear instructions, take cues from classmates, and help keep a positive class tone even if a student needs to be corrected (gives students the chance to self-correct their actions)
• narrate the positive behaviors that correspond to directions given
• steps: give clear instructionsà redirect students that are still not following instructions
• once an off-task student redirects behavior, narrate the positive behavior (keeps them from getting frustrated and shutting down)
• keep narrations about observation, not positive or negative attribution (following directions is the norm and not something to be rewarded)

Proxemic control

• position in classroom has a huge impact on management
• move yourself closer to the disruption

Intervening and redirecting

• best done in a positive and future driven way
• simply saying you aren’t following directions doesn’t give the student insight as to what they need to do to fix the problem
• give them the benefit of the doubt to keep a positive class environment
•  “waiting for three students, waiting for two…” this creates peer accountability AND prevents having to single out one student

Rule of three

• make sure you have three positive narrations or affirmations for each redirection that you give

Scaffolded consequences

• help them understand that making mistakes is ok but that we need to learn from our mistakes
• create tiered (scaffolded) consequences
• warning (opportunity for self-correction)àconversation with youà reflection letter, detention, reach out to guardians (removing student from class is very last resort)

Escalated problems

• stay calm
• never engage a student in an argument (you’re the adult and in control)
• lower your voiceà emphasize lost learning timeà redirect students focus on current learning

4. Building a positive classroom culture

Why is classroom culture important?

• classroom culture starts with the teacher
• classroom culture will guide expectations

Management starts day one and minute one

• set the tone for your classroom on day one
• establish a culture of success and leadership every single day
• whole idea of teachers being more strict at beginning then get more relaxed
• be consistent even when you have a sub

Make student learning the center of all

• classroom rules are there to benefit them, important that the students understand that
• goal directed language

Accountability means consistency

• set the barà what are the goals our students are working toward?
• map their pathà how are students going to achieve our goals?
• be consistent by reinforcing expectations
• for students below expectations ask three objective questions:

o   ask the student what they are doing

o   ask the student to restate the expectation

o   ask the student what the consequence is for being below expectations