Some critics in education suggest that teachers get one and only one opportunity to correctly start the year. In other words, teachers have one chance to establish the tone of their classrooms. Such critics suggest that if teachers mismanage their classrooms and lose control, their entire semester is considered “disastrous.” However, I suggest that if a teacher is unhappy with the manner in which a particular class is behaving, the best move the teacher can make is to start over.
Here are some classroom management tips to help you do just that:
Starting over will spare a teacher his/her sanity, so he/she
does not accelerate his or her arrival at the funny farm or the insane asylum. I suggest implementing the changes after a weekend or after a holiday break. When students enter, they need to feel that things have changed, or students will end up behaving like their old selves in no time flat.
Set a new tone for the class: write a message, an extremely frank message, on the board and prepare a behavior contract for students to sign. Make sure that students are aware that the teacher has put his/her foot down, and teachers must be ready to deal with the repercussions immediately, if necessary.
Your best classroom management tips come from those with experience. A teacher who is struggling with a particular class needs to raise awareness with administratorsrs around campus. Make the school principal aware you are tired of performing the role of ring leader and that you are laying down the law. If you make your principal aware you are having a problem, he or she will likely support you when you start referring students for disciplinary reasons.
Teachers, especially inexperienced teachers, need to learn from such experiences to avoid miserable situations in
the future. However, not all occurrences can be prevented. At times, even experienced teachers, end up with “one of those classes” in which every bad egg in the school ended up in the same class. In these situations, teachers must continue teaching and focus on those students who want to learn.