If you’ve ever had a disruptive student in your class, you know they can completely change the dynamic of the classroom. When they’re absent, everything seems easier. You get through your lesson. Your other students stay focused. You actually have time to teach. Then they come back, and suddenly you’re stopping to correct inappropriate comments,
How to Handle a Disruptive Student Read More »
When students are yelling across the room, disrespecting you and each other, and not reacting to gentler consequences, it can be tempting to raise your voice to get their attention. And sometimes, in the moment, screaming feels like the only thing left to try. The problem is that yelling at a loud class usually just
Exhausted from Screaming at Students? Here Are Three Better Ways Read More »
Middle school classrooms need different bathroom procedures than those that work in elementary schools. Middle schoolers are more independent, and transitions happen faster than in younger grades. Students are also more likely to complain if their hand was raised “forever” but the teacher never called on them before the class period ended. In this blog
The Best Bathroom Procedure for Grades 6-8 Read More »
When a student raises their hand, it can be difficult to know whether they have an answer to your question…or if they’re about to ask to go to the bathroom. A clear bathroom hand signal in the classroom helps you immediately know whether a student has a question or needs to leave the room. The
The Best Bathroom Hand Signal for the Classroom (Grades 4-5) Read More »
If you’ve found yourself shouting at your class (either out loud or in your head) to quiet down and get to work, you’re not alone. One of the most common struggles in upper elementary and middle school classrooms is managing a noisy class…especially when students just won’t stop talking. After all, there’s only one of
Whole-Class Rewards for Noisy Classes (That Don’t Make Things Worse) Read More »
If rewards really worked the way we’re told they do, classroom behavior would get easier every year. Instead, many teachers find themselves stuck in a cycle of bribing, begging, and burnout, especially in upper elementary and middle school classrooms. That’s not because rewards are useless. It’s because most reward systems are built to enforce compliance,
Do Rewards Facilitate Learning…or Just Temporary Compliance? Read More »
When faced with the burnout that creeps in with whole-class reward systems, many teachers shift to using individual behavior charts. These could be clip charts, behavior cards, color systems, names on the board, etc. I’ve used some of these systems myself. I’ve seen many teachers use others. Here’s what I’ve noticed over time: Whole-class systems
Why Individual Behavior Charts Don’t Teach Students What We Think They Do Read More »
During my 16 years in the classroom, I saw and used a lot of whole-class reward systems. The issue isn’t the reward itself – it’s the way accountability is handled. Here’s what I mean: One of the more common ones was a “fill the jar” system. I’ve seen these with pompom balls, marbles, cute little
Whole-Class Rewards Break Down When Accountability Is Only Collective Read More »
The purpose of whole-class reward systems is often framed as motivation. The thinking goes: If students want the reward badly enough, they’ll behave. But that assumption is exactly where many systems start to fall apart. Last week we talked about why many whole-class reward systems fail: Most whole-class reward systems fail because they put all
The Real Purpose of Whole-Class Reward Systems (It’s Not Motivation) Read More »
Whole-class reward systems are often recommended as the ultimate classroom management solution, but they often solve the wrong problem. If your whole-class reward system works one week and falls apart the next, you’re not imagining things. Most teachers love the idea of whole-class reward systems. After all, they’re fairly simple to set up. (And they
Why Most Whole-Class Reward Systems Fail (And What Successful Teachers Do Differently) Read More »
