321 Learn! » Classroom Management

Lying is not a novel concept, a fact that parents will readily share with any who ask. Children will lie when it seems easier in the moment than telling the truth and dealing with the consequences of the truth.

Teachers will often deal with students who are telling lies for one reason or another – getting out of homework, not admitting what really goes on at home, not wanting to get into trouble, and sometimes simply not remembering. Understanding why a child is lying is important as this helps the teacher understand the best consequence for the lie.

If a child is trying to hide the truth about something, there could be good reason for the teacher to know what that truth is. Here are some common reasons why a child might lie: about homework:

Lies about homework -

The child may not have understood the homework
The child may be struggling with the concept being taught
The child may not have help at home (or the materials to complete an assignment)
The child may have forgotten to do the homework
The child may simply be trying to get out of extra work

Depending on the reason, the teacher should handle the resulting consequences differently. A child trying to get out of the work, for example, may be rewarded with extra work. A child without help at home or who is struggling to understand the work may need extra time with the teacher and modified homework for a time.

Three Things All Teachers Should Know

Jennifer Wagaman — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 19:41:10 +0000

Teachers enter the classroom with numerous bits of advice and countless tricks up their sleeves, but when it comes down to it, the advice and tricks will only take them so far. Here are the three things that all teachers need to know before setting foot in their classroom.

1. Lesson planning is important.

In fact, lesson planning is so important it will effect classroom management, student achievement and teacher effectiveness. Learn how to plan a lesson from start to finish: Lesson Planning Tips

2. Having a thorough classroom management plan is vital.

Many teacher preparation programs train new teachers to avoid discipline issues though proactive management – walking around the classroom, high interest lessons, caring about students and so on. The actuality of teaching, though, is not quite so idealistic. In fact, classroom management is often one of the top most difficulties that teachers face. Learning how to manage a classroom full of students starts with a well thought through classroom management plan. Learn all you need to know about classroom management: My Classroom Management

3. Love each student where he or she is.

A college professor once told me that the student who drives you the most nuts is the student who needs you the most. Indeed, in today’s society, parents are leaving more and more up to the teachers and this results in students who need love, attention, respect, boundaries and simply someone to care about who they really are – faults and all. Remember when students continue to act up that very often they are simply being children and while we need to teach them how to act and interact with others, we need to also love them as they are.

Team Meetings Increase Student Motivation

Jennifer Wagaman — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 01:28:16 +0000

Teachers often struggle with a lack of student motivation along with numerous classroom management or student discipline issues. Holding a classroom team meeting may help students take responsibility for their education as well as their behavior in the classroom.

Teachers need to team together as well and provide support and motivation for each other. Celebrating the small successes and providing ideas for handling the various problems that come up will become invaluable in preventing teacher burn-out.

Read more about how to implement team meetings within the classroom.

Zero-Tolerance Policy for Weapons

Jennifer Wagaman — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 02:01:41 +0000

Schools have implemented zero-tolerance policies for weapons and drugs as well as strict rule for handling those students who break the rules. So when a six year old is caught with a cub scout knife and was sentenced to 45 days in an alternative school for breaking this weapons rule, people question the logic behind such a strict rule.

In this child’s situation, the school district voted to change the policy for Kindergartners and First-graders to a 3-5 day suspension. But where do schools draw the line and how do they keep all students safe?

Schools should have strict policies for students who bring in any kind of weapon or threaten any type of violence. In fact, some schools have suspended Kindergartners for breaking the zero-tolerance rules, and for reasons less innocent than a child trying to eat lunch with a cub-scout knife.

Parents should back up the school and teach their children not to bring in weapons. While it may be an acceptable tool for use in the home, teachers must keep all students safe and what parent would want their child in danger while at school? While one student may not mean the tool as a weapon, another child with anger issues may take the weapon and use it maliciously.

While teachers must use judgment in keeping students and staff safe, the fact is that many teachers work in schools where violence is a serious issue and students as young as 5 years old attack teachers with flying fists. Violence is not an issue isolated to high-school students and schools should stand behind their zer0-tolerance policy.

The True Calling of a Teacher

Jennifer Wagaman — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 17:50:29 +0000

John Thompson discusses in Common Sense some of the difficulties of the blame game that schools, society and parents play with regard to student behavior problems. The issue at stake is the disciplining of students – with common sense “old school” methods as well as with new experimental reform methods.

He quotes Eric Carlton, the president of a group of alternative school in Chicago, as saying that the “social and emotional issues are hardly considered at their schools because the staff is so overwhelmed”. This needs to be addressed in every school across the nation and around the world. Who is at fault is not as important as who is stepping up to the plate to meet the needs of these students.

Somebody needs to meet the social and emotional needs of the children filling the schools. If those needs are not being met at home, then shame on parents and they will eventually pay the price. But if teachers are not stepping up to fill that void, then shame on them as well, and they will pay as well. While many teachers may claim that they are only there to teach basic education – reading, writing, math and science – there is so much more to a teacher’s job.

Every teacher needs to think of a way to reach out to each student in the classroom. Anita Voelker once said that her goal as a teacher was to make every individual student feel like he or she had a special connection with her as the teacher. Finding that special connection, meeting the needs of students on a deeper level than reading and writing, that is the calling of a teacher.

How to Start the School Day

Jennifer Wagaman — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 14:31:39 +0000

Starting the school day with an extra dose of energy will help your students be excited about learning!

With a few simple ideas, you can start your school day with extra energy and energize your students in the process. Start the day with a smile and an eager “good morning!” Never underestimate the power of a smile and heart-felt greeting to each individual student. Be sure to greet by name those students who drive you nuts and need the most help during the day. The other students you need to be sure to greet by name each day are those students you forget.

You never forget a single student? OK, sit down and write a class list from memory. Did you remember everyone? If not, those students you forgot are the ones you need to remember. If you remembered everyone, pick the last 5 students on the list as your “forgotten” students.

Repeat this activity once a month or so to make sure you are remembering every single student each day.

Consider starting the day with music or a song. This will help bring the students together and help them wake up for the day.

Start the day with a math challenge to get student brains working!

If you are excited about starting the day, students are more likely to be excited too. It is very hard to be grumpy when everyone around you is excited, so plan an exciting start to each day to get every student in the mood to learn.

For more classroom management tips, visit My Classroom Management.

New Website for Classroom Management Tips

Jennifer Wagaman — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 16:17:48 +0000

Looking for a site devoted just to helping you improve your classroom management? The My Classroom Management website has free information and ideas for how to create that perfect classroom.

Find new ideas, ask questions and share things that worked in your classroom!

Visit: myclassroommanagement.com

Attention Deficit Disorder

Jennifer Wagaman — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 01:37:13 +0000

ADHD, the disorder that tends to effect more boys than girls: is it over diagnosed as a result of poor parenting? Is the child who can’t sit still in class simply disobedient or did he have too much sugar or other food additives?

Some teachers still believe that ADHD is a made-up disorder; an excuse for parents and teachers to use medication to manage discipline problems in the classroom. In fact, ADHD is a very real, very frustrating disorder that effects more students than we probably realize at this time.

This great book: All About Attention Deficit Disorder provides straight-forward honest answers regarding this disorder, the diagnosis and the treatments. Even if you think you understand ADHD, check out this book. You may be surprised at what you learn!

Back to School Tips for Teachers

Jennifer Wagaman — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 01:12:09 +0000

It may still be early in summer vacation, but it’s not too early to be thinking about preparing to go back to school. The preparation process is slightly different if you are a new teacher, but basically, the process is the same.

First, create or tweak your classroom management plan. This is important because only when your students are obeying the rules and on task will great learning take place in the classroom. If you are a returning teacher, think about what worked and what did not work, and find something new to add to your classroom management plan. It may also be helpful to become familiar with individualized behavior plans.

Second, create a curriculum map or review previous lesson plans. If the curriculum is new, a curriculum map will cut down on lesson planning time during the first quarter. If the curriculum is not new, reviewing the first few weeks worth of lesson plans will help prepare you for the new year.

Here are some more great tips for preparing for the first day of school.