Kay’s ABC’s of Classroom Management
Note: From A to Z ... Here are suggestions for building a positive learning environment in which adolescents are willing to risk learning. As time allows, I will expand on these key words giving specific examples.
ACTIVE PARTICIPATION. ASK more than you tell. ACCOMMODATE for learning styles by using instructional strategies that address the learning modalities of VAKT (visual, auditory, kinesthetic, tactile). Remember that we all need to move; movement increases attention.
BE HUMAN. Laugh a little, play a little, work a lot! When you make a mistake or don’t know, admit it. When your students see you as a person, they will be forgiving of imperfection in you and others.
CHOICES increase cooperation. CHUNK IT: Teach small segments of new content. This allows students to develop COMPETENCE and CONFIDENCE about learning. CONNECT: Content, classmates, you. COMMUNICATE: Frequently and positively and learn to listen more than you talk. Catch ’em being good; give them your attention when they are doing something right. COMPLIMENT more often than you criticize. COMPLIANCE: Model compliance by complying with the school’s stated policies. You may disagree with them, but not disobey them.
DIFFERENCES do not mean deficits. DISCIPLINE means teaching. Misbehavior is a teaching opportunity. Challenging behaviors challenge us to be the best teachers that we can be. Take the challenge! DECISION-MAKING: Teach the process of decision-making when those teachable moments occur.
ENTERTAIN: “Problem kids” are kids with problems. Give them something to smile about today. ENCOURAGE. EXPECT. EXERCISE. ESCAPE.
FOCUS on strengths. This builds positive self-esteem allowing room to admit and remediate for weaknesses. Teach students to filter and focus.
GRADE right answers. Check right answers! Record number of correct responses out of number possible. GREET your students. Guests: Introduce them.
HAVE FUN! A laugh a day keeps the blues away! Hang-out with educators who like kids.
INVITE resource people into your classroom; volunteer to be a guest teacher in other activities. I/you: Change your I/you to WE. "We" speaks of community; I/you speaks of power.
JOIN professional organizations and read those professional journals. Continue to collect KEYS of best practices.
KNOW your strengths and weaknesses. Nobody’s good at everything, but everyone’s good at something.
LAUGH when something’s funny, but never laugh at someone. LEARN about learning disABILITIES, learning rates, and learning styles. LIMITS: Know what pushes your buttons and take proactive strategies to prevent that from happening by setting your bottom line limits. Example: RESPECT WORK TIME (former Principal Walter Caldwell). You do not have the right to keep me from doing my job, to keep others from learning, or to hurt anyone with words or deeds.
MODIFY. Use MNEUMONICS. MODEL and MONITOR. Students get into the most trouble during unsupervised times: hallway transition, before school, cafeteria, after school, in the bathrooms.
NO. Say no without making it personal when bottom lines are violated. Learn how to say no softly by saying, "Yes, when ... " Example: May I play chess? Yes, you may play chess when you have finished your work.
ORGANIZE: Model organization skills for students. A place for everything and everything in its place! Color code. Use folders. Establish routine. Put day/date/agenda on board everyday.
PRAISE: Be sincere, real, and individualize it. Provide opportunities for self-evaluation and frequent chances to give one’s self a pat on the back. PREDICTABILITY: Plan, avoid surprises, routine brings comfort and safety. PREPARE: Expect students to be prepared, provide 2 sets of books, use daily assignment logs, give homework first—do not wait until the end when you may run out of time, and value homework. PUBLISH students’ work, with their permission.
Quit when you’re tired. Take a break. Take a mental health day. Leave the paperwork at school. You are your students’ most important asset. Give them your best. Value quality of work over quantity.
RESPECT! Model it; earn it. READ ALOUD. REPEAT, REPEAT, and REPEAT in as many different ways as possible without being boring. RESILIENCE: Bounce back from mistakes; everyone makes them; learn from them. RESPONSIBILITY: We learn to be responsible by having responsibility—share the workload. Use cooperative learning groups, peer teaching, and their energy in purposeful movement. REWARDS: Use few tangibles and make those connected to the context. RULES: Only a few, stated positively as expectations.
Say what you mean, mean what you say. SIMPLIFY. STRENGTHS: How are you smart? (Gardner)
TEACH: “Better than a thousand days of diligent study is one day with a great teacher.” –Japanese proverb TRY YOUR BEST: Teach this lesson about effort and the ethics of hard work.
Use “U” as a grade instead of a failing grade to mean, “U” can do better and I expect it. Give opportunities to redo and improve. Average best 10 grades. Use projects & performance based assessments. Use self-checking whenever possible because we do learn from our mistakes.
VISUALS: Seeing is a primary way we learn. Talk less; show more. VISIT your students in other activities; catch them being good at something other than academics. Value quality of work over quantity.
WE! Together, we will…teach cooperation not competition. Work smarter, not harder. Collect time-saving strategies: plan today for tomorrow-- leave lesson plan on desk before you leave so that you can take a break from school; use self-checking; check one paper as the key and ask other available staff to check others (instructional assistants, special education teacher; do not allow students to check peers’ paper as this violates confidentiality issues).
X’s – NOT! Check right answers. Do not use red ink. Spotlight strengths.
YES! Say yes more often than no. “Y”= Why? Ask this question often to further understanding.
Zip-up: talk less; listen more. ZZZZZ’s--get enough sleep. And, remember those ZIPLOCK bags!
