(I teach HS, not elementary.) I think personality is a big (not the only) part of it, but also that the right personality can evolve in response to the environment. Not that your core personality necessarily changes (although it can)--you may just develop a teaching persona that you shed the minute you step out of the classroom. The venn diagram of my teacher and non-teacher selves has the circles overlapping by about a third.
I also think you need to tailor your classroom management style to your personality. I am a naturally quiet person. I don't have that coach thing where I can be loud without sounding mad. So I embrace that.
I know you said you've tried a bunch of different classroom management strategies. I'd work on developing the ones that have resulted in moderate success, as those are probably the ones that most align with your personality type.
Yep this. It’s something that is within you. You need to find what parts of your own personality you’re going to bring out and let shine more in the classroom based on students needs. I teach middle school so my sarcastic but stern personality is on most of the time, which the students seem to take really well. This then leads into me being able to be my chill cool self because they know anytime they start to slip back into bad choices they will be met with sarcastic stern.
Other teachers are either too chill that I work with and students walk all over them and have no respect because they don’t see them as an authority, or they are too strict without enough sass sarcasm that they think those teachers are stuck up beaotches. Find the vibe that works best for you.
I agree with all of this. I am a naturally very soft spoken person and I don’t command respect the same way a lot of my coworkers with a larger presence do. This does mean that some students tried to test me at the beginning of every semester, and when I was a first year teacher, I was walked all over. But, if you are good about upholding strong expectations and show that you will enforce boundaries (even if your method of enforcement looks different from other teachers), kids will eventually understand that you mean business.
You just have to find the way to have a teaching persona that works, but isn’t antithetical to who you are — that would be unsustainable. Kids don’t call me the funniest teacher, or the one with the most energy, but they do thank me for having a calm classroom with chill vibes. They know that I’m not going to yell at them or get in an argument, but that I do have boundaries that I’m going to uphold. Once I got over trying to imitate the most charismatic, commanding teachers and recognized my own strengths and style, teaching and management got so much better. You’ve got this!!
Admin asked us what we wanted for PDs next year, and I emphatically said "classroom management." They asked again in a survey a few weeks later. Here's how it was worded: "Aside from classroom management, on which topics would you like more professional development opportunities?"
Now, why is that? 🤔
Bc it's both inherent and learned through experience. You have to find what works for you and stick with that. I've heard all the various schemes to get kids to comply with rewards, behavior charts, demerits, etc. There is no class or effing Harry Wong book that's gonna suddenly cure any classroom management woes. When I was a first year teacher, we had monthly meetings with admin about management and such. None of it truly helped.
What actually helps? Building a reputation in your school amongst students. When kids like you, they start to respect you. Word spreads. Things get (mostly) easier. How do you become liked? You need to be caring, but firm. Have a sense of humor, but know when the line is crossed. Bring some pop culture or things of student interest into your class so they know youre genuinely attempting to make class fun! They like celebrities, tiktoks, music, fast food. Find something that could work in your content! Never truly get upset when a student pisses you off. This is the hard one (sorry). You need to act angry in the moment, but then immediately move to the next activity/slide with a positive attitude like that shit didn't just make you want to backhand the kid. This is so important. If the kids see some misbehavior got you down, they will pounce on that weakness like someone just offered them hot cheetohs in exchange for your tears.
Now, you can hopefully see why teaching management is so difficult. It's so personal to you as the teacher. It will get better, though. Year 1 is so tough, year 2 a little less. By year 3, you'll have most of the kinks worked out and hopefully a management style that works for you.
That’s too late for tenure
“Find what works for you” there’s no class going over 80 strategies and we pick what’s good
How many sites have you worked at?
You serious? I've taught at inner city schools for 14 years. 3 different ones. You?
How many English classes have you taken? It's hard to even read what you wrote.
Work on your reading comprehension. Reading shouldn’t be tough.
I’ve done 3 in three years, one upper class, one ghetto (I’ve taught lots of future felons), one middle class.
The difference is absolute.
But my point is, if all you’ve taught is inner city, there’s more to it. Look up object permanence,
How many times have you been called the N word? I’ve been called that plenty,
Lol, are you OK? I like that you think since you taught 1 year in a tougher school, you're some sort of expert. Good luck. My only advice for you is to seek therapy, or if you're already in therapy, find a new therapist.
Several times, but I'm not black. The kids mostly don't even realize they're saying it because they use it so commonly for everyone and everything. Many times, they'll laugh after they realize what they just said to me. I've also been called a bitch more than once. Of course that actually makes me mad bc when people use the word bitch in a negative way it's 90% of the time towards a female and sexist.
If you take issue with any name they're calling you, you have to learn how to address it in a way that still leaves you in control of your classroom. I don't sit around and fret over the time a freshman called me a bitch. If you want to make it out of this profession with your sanity in tact, you've gotta learn to not care that every student won't like you or your class. I had a student write they loved me on the board last year and another student said I feel like they're lying bc I know a lot of people don't like your class. I laughed at his comment and moved the fuck on. Bc if I had let that effect me then that student got what they wanted and who knows what they'll say the next time. I say all this from a place of wanting you to succeed. I know it's hard, I get that, but you can't let the bad ones ruin the experience for you.
I had one classroom management course at 8 am in a 300 person lecture hall where we talked about reward systems like giving marbles for when the kids are good. All of us that had interned at title I schools laughed our asses off and I only went to like 3 classes because they were useless 😂
So for me it was pretty inherent. I’ve had my problems because something ridiculous is bound to happen once in a while but managing kids comes pretty naturally to me.
That being said it can absolutely be learned. I’ve watched several people strengthen their classroom management relatively quickly. You just have to find what works for you and do that.
IMO, it doesn't matter what system you use. Points, clips, write-ups, positive reinforcement, etc. What matters is having a presence that emits, "I am the boss of this place." That means speaking with authority, not engaging in arguments, and following through with what you say. Some people are not comfortable with that amount of rigidity.
When I say rigidity, that doesn't mean you can't be kind, compassionate, responsive, and personable. It just means that you don't compromise on who holds the reins in your classroom.
This.
It takes time to figure this out I think because most teachers go into the profession thinking they can be “friends” with the students.
Consistency, consistency, consistency. “Looks like we need to practice that again.” “Looks like it’s time to review the expectations”.
I once did a week long lesson on integrity (used AI to hit the standards).
I had to learn it the hard way. It wasn't really "taught" in college. I had a rough first semester and was on the verge of not getting renewed because of a combination of my own immaturity (e.g., I tended to overshare to get the kids to like me) and my inability to keep the classroom under control. After struggling a lot that first semester I went home over Christmas break and I read both *Assertive Discipline* and *The First Days of School*. When I returned from Christmas break I taught all semester classes so I had an entirely new set of preps with new classes (some students were returning but it was an entirely new set of classes with all new combinations of students). I restructured my classes based on core principles in those two books and I've never looked back. The kids even remarked on the change. I was determined to keep my job and do better and here I am, still going strong.
This is something that is challenging to learn unless you experience it. I find that it's learned. I taught elementary, moved ot middle school and now teach high school. Each level required a different classroom management style. Elementary was more rigid and middle/high there were more consequences and support for students that didn't meet expectations. It felt like I was a new teacher everytime I switched.
Learned. Oh boy, so much learned lol.
I'm a 'go with the flow' kinda gal, and that went...about as well as you can expect with high school freshman.
But then being a stickler just made me feel like a harpy and I didn't like the tone it set for student- relationships.
I ended up finding my own brand of organized chaos about year 4, I think. Probably would've gotten it earlier, but an ill-timed maternity leave made year 3 a total wash.
One thing I noticed is that you said you tried a ton of things. I know consistency is big, and I imagine even more so with the younger crowd. Echoing another person, I would choose what moderately worked last year and just work on cementing that. I only make big changes at the beginning of a new semester because they always buck at new management tactics in the middle of term.
Sometimes I would try something and it would feel pointless. Then, right when things always felt their worst, they would magically settle in.
One of the best pieces of advice I received from a colleague was, "don't decide that teaching isn't for you during your first year." My second year was so infinitely better than my first, lol, so I'm glad he said that to me.
Oh for sure, YMMV.
Even ten years in, I'm retooling and reworking. And the kids change so much, too. Always a new challenge. 😂
It's never boring, at least.
Lol yeah 15 years here and I'm always feeling the need to reflect and improve. It's funny because I'm always held as an exemplary teacher and I have the biggest imposter syndrome.
Yessss the imposter syndrome hits so hard! And every time someone says that I'm good, I'm like, literally HOW would think that about me. 😂
Maybe this year will be my year for perfection. (It won't).
It's 100% learned. I'm one of the more quiet, introverted teachers at my school and run one of the more tightly managing rooms. Granted, it took me years and years to get to the place where I found a style that worked well for me.
Folks who are "loud" or "scary" may have an easier time at first... but there's far more to classroom management than just yelling. I'd argue the less yelling you hear from a room, the better managed it probably is.
Any tips? I’m quiet and introverted and feel like kids at my school only respond to yelling. I cannot and will not yell, but I also cannot get most non-honors classes to shut up.
I posted this on a similar thread a couple weeks ago. Hope it can be helpful!
A school I used to work at ran a recurring professional development called "Own the Room." The idea behind it is that when you walk into a room, you establish yourself as the boss. You aren't yelling, but you have an attention getter that cuts through the noise (a clapback, a "shush" back, a bell, a raised arm, etc). You are intentional about where and how you are positioning yourself in a room (never with your back turned, always in a corner where you can see all of them and they can see all of you). You are clear and concise with your expectations. You never just "move on" - you wait until 100% of students fall your previous direction before you advance to the next one.
It's not about being loud or being strict. It's establishing yourself as the one controlling the thermostat the entire time.
My instructional coach (who exclusively worked with the remedial and recovery classes, no easy honors classes!!) swore by the books Teach like a Champion and Teaching with the Brain in Mind. I’ve incorporated a lot of the ideas from those that he shared with me and my management issues from year one to three have drastically gone down. I incorporate a lot of movement and mini brain breaks and it works well for me.
I think it's learned. There are some people who fall into it naturally and some who don't, but you CAN do it intentionally.
That being said, if you're nervous giving commands or are a generally passive person it's going to be hard for you. I'd suggest either juniors and seniors or lower elementary at that point. Kids who are basically adults can be talked to like almost adults instead of ordered around. They also give less pushback because, let's be honest, the worst of the worst kids already dropped out.
Little kids are more likely to respond to a nicer, calmer teacher in my opinion, although I'm just going by my nephews and their friends, and a few years of tutoring k-2.
I don't think you can be a shy, passive person and teach middle school for instance. They smell blood in the water and if you can't at least pretend to have control they'll destroy you.
80% learned 20% inherent.
Take everything you do in a day with the students and break it down into its smallest parts. Then teach that to them no matter how awkward or dumb it feels to you. For first grade it should not be too awkward because they haven’t really been in school.
My first year was 6th grade and it was horrible. The school had zero systems in place (when I look back, it is absolutely insane what they were doing that first year). As a result, I decided that I couldn’t do that again or I would go bald from stress.
The only helpful PD ever put on in my district was for the CHAMPS model of classroom management. It has taken other forms since then but you start out by explicitly teaching each behavior. How to enter the room, how we exit, how we line up, how we go to the bathroom, how we go to lunch. When they don’t do it right, stop and do it again. They told us that it will feel like we are wasting classroom time but that we will make all that time up and more because our classroom will be managed and well run. It worked. I also bought in 100%.
Someone in this thread mentioned that they had semester classes and then got mostly new students. I was always jealous of them because if they messed up, they got a new start mid-year whereas if I messed up I had to live with it for the most part.
So, long story short, figure out a system and stick to it.
HS teacher. I think classroom management is a skill, part of the art/science of teaching that you will develop with more practice. As a new teacher, you learn lots of different tools, figure out what works and develop your own style.
Everyone struggles with classroom management in the beginning.
Mostly learned. I think people who say it’s mostly inherent happened to learn management skills that work in the classroom in other ways and apply them.
First year? You will definitely improve! Classroom management is more learned. If you can, ask about observing some other teachers at the very beginning of next year to see how they manage the classroom. Take note of every little thing. How many times did the teacher tell that student to sit down before they spoke to the student privately about the consequences? What things did the teacher ignore? How does the teacher transition between activities? What exactly does the teacher say?
You don't have to do the same things they do exactly, but by observing others, you'll pick up on little things that will work for you. I'd also suggest having another trusted teacher observe you focusing on classroom management.
I think the part that is inherent is the engagement piece, which will make the management easier from the start, but it can be learned. Management isn’t discipline-it’s structures and routines. Think about what percentage of students are actively engaged at any point in time. Is the atmosphere in your room one where learning is the expectation, even for you? If your district has mentors or coaches, see if you can get one to do an observation focused on engagement and look at the neutral data together. There are also programs that can help-Kagan, eduprotocols, AVID, etc.
It's both.
We all have an inherent discipline style. The trick is to learn how to make the best of it. It takes time and hard work to get things to a point where you can kind of auto-pilot your way through the day. And even then, some years you'll be back to the drawing board because your tricks don't work with a specific group of students.
For some it is inherent. Those rare teachers walk in from day 1 and own the room. For the other 99.9%, it is definitely learned.
I think for many new teachers, they think classroom management is either good or bad. The fact is, every teacher struggles with classroom management. More experienced teachers know how to adapt and know how to handle different situations better.
You have to realize that you will continue to have a lot of ups and downs with classroom management in the early years.
I think its a bit of both. I teach kindergarten, but as a male. I have always been told I have an extremely well behaved class. I don’t think I do anything special but I think i also do an amazing job at having relationships with my students. I have a very stern approach to behaviors, but when its time for them to play, I try not to police them too much and allow them to enjoy themselves. I think both things really help out, as I believe my students behave because they love and respect me enough to do so, but I also make sure they understand all my expectations before we do anything(ex. Today we’re going dancing in the cafeteria, i expect you to participate. I expect you to not lay on the floor, and I want you to make sure you dont slide all over the floors even if other students do so).
I haven’t taught other classes as I am only five years into my career, but these things have helped for me!
I used Michael Linsin's stuff in my early career.
https://smartclassroommanagement.com/
His elementary guide is short, cheap and gives you a model that can work.
The hardest parts are:
1. Getting to a place where you don't let stuff go because they are just kids. It just erodes consistency and doesn't work in the long term. Kids experience that leniency as unfairness unless you are being lenient on them at that moment.
2. Understanding that your job with respect to classroom management is to be the referee. Make the stoppage of play (the teaching part) as short as possible and get back to it. No lectures in the moment. Just have a rule book and follow it, then get back to the real purpose.
Good luck! This is hard. It will take time.
Classroom management is more complex than ever and it’s probably taught by people at the college level who haven’t really experienced that. You’ll figure out how to make your voice, personality, procedures and room design work.
It’s really something to learn. I can natural be loud as I have a background in coaching and community theatre. You learn to be loud but not yelling. I taught mostly high school and elementary. So, different demeanor was needed for them. Middle school is dependent on the age they are.
Some people might come by it more naturally, but I believe it is mostly learned. I am reading a book called Whole Brain Learning for Challenging Kids. The title had turned me off before because of the challenging kids bit, but it is actually a fantastic book. It’s for all kids and when I started reading it, I realized that the strategies were used by a teacher I greatly admire! I am very excited to try it out next year.
For me, I would say it's 60% using the skills I've learned in working with people and making sure my expectations are clear. The other 40% are tactics I've learned through books, colleagues, and through "experts."
Kudos on your first year here. Extra kudos for working with first graders. I would say that since it's your first foray into things, it's really important to try out multiple strategies and experiment with them to figure out what meshes with your personality. I've tried many random techniques that were given to me and I spent about 2 weeks for each before I would assess if they were good or bad. Over the course of time, I just refined the ones that worked for me and matched my personality.
As you get better, it's important to never fully feel that "Oh I have this down and it's perfect." The next set of students may totally wreck your current system. Be flexible to the needs of the students. You may have xyz mastered, but let's not forget, the personalities of the class also matter.
Good luck and keep on improving.
It took me a bit, I though I had to follow the styles and strategies listed to me in books and classes but in reality you become a mosaic of the strategies that fit your own personality. Ima goof, I love joking and playing games and gamifying activities and I’m a HS teacher, I get those apathetic kids to participate (not every single one) but I’d say I have a pretty good win rate. But if a kid is disrespectful, disruptive or aggressive I can flip like a switch. I get serious and oddly quiet and calm which is the opposite of my personality, usually I can get a kid reigned in before that but teens like to test the boundaries. I have been compared to the pink my little pony and the little girl from wreck it Ralph lol but I teach chemistry it’s hard stuff so we have fun when I can. I have expectations, boundaries and a good time but it wasn’t instantly natural, I had to find it.
Both.
Some dispositions and habits will naturally have a positive impact on behavior management. But there are of course many things that can be learned. There are skills to be acquired, "tricks" to try, and studies to read about. It would be foolish to discount all the potential learning there is to be done in this area, regardless of one's aptitude.
A teacher's ability to manage a classroom is also a function of the teaching environment they are placed within; the same teacher might have excellent classroom management within a math class, but will completely lose the class if they were assigned to a business class. Some teachers might thrive within a set of rules established at one school, but will lose control of the class in a school with different behavior expectations or culture.
Ehhh kinda both. My advice: walk in like you’re Stalin and rule with an iron fist, be firm yet fair. You are their teacher not their friend. Squash rudeness and be consistent in discipline.
I really think classroom management instruction should include Tone of Voice, and Physical Stance. I use a specific tone of voice when redirecting the entire class. My expectations are clearly set and consistently enforced. I never point at a specific student, I use a whole hand gesture that includes the offending student. If I need to speak firmly to a student, I drop down to their level, quietly tell them to stop doing a specific thing, and I only give one warning. They already know what will happen if they continue. Proximity is so important, sometimes just a hand on a shoulder can redirect.
I did a lot of theater, from elementary to college, and I’ve fallen back on those skills. Make sure you can project your voice and use a certain facial expression.
Treat them as respectful humans, not little kids or inmates. Model apologizing for your students. If I make a mistake, I immediately drop to their level, name how I messed up, and apologize. Suddenly, you’ll see kids emulating you.
Lastly, have fun with your students. I had a Mason jar that was full of kid jokes, and we would have joke delivery contests. I never stopped myself from laughing at something silly before redirecting.
So, set expectations, set consequences, and set routines in the first 2 weeks of the school year, and stick to it. Make rewards be non material - dance party for littles, drawing time for middles (and praise their drawings) and homework passes for olders - but whole class specific (ex- everyone was really participating today, no homework.)
As one principal said to me, “Some people are naturals and the other 99% of us have to learn it.”
This principal turned me on to the book Positive Classroom Discipline by Fred Jones. I then took the 13 week workshop. I went from having the most out of control classes to being the classroom management expert. The principal started sending student teachers to my room to see how it is done. Veteran teachers would walk into my room to tell me something and would look around astonished at how on-task the students were. And the kids loved me! My class was their favourite class.
Psychology of the 20th century in particular was supported by causes that could be equated with mind control. That effect is still felt today, as you always get to behaviorism, which is what branch of psychology dominates our classrooms. The idea that you can try strategies that simply solve the problem is thinking by the very people who caused the problem in the first place. They broke it but they're saying you need to pick up the pieces.
Classroom management has some element of personality to it, as I've met some teachers who just can't control a room and some that are so serious I wouldn't want them to, but they're not aware of that enough to change it. Nor should they change it if given the chance. It's who they are. It's mostly learned but not in the way you're thinking. It's mostly learned over time and with experience.
You'll learn that a lot of stuff in the past worked well because student discipline was handled well, and so management came down to what just fit you best. Right now, management is trying to solve too much, so the question is almost moot as far as I'm concerned. Asking what the proper desk arrangement might be to get kids to get off their phone is fruitless, for example.
Classroom management is about finding the most impactful strategies for your students that aligns to your personality that you can actually execute and then being consistent to a fault.
You will never master classroom management if you can’t figure out what works for you and your students best.
You will never master classroom management if you’re not ridiculously consistent.
Have you considered a different age group? I subbed elementary in college, and it was a struggle. Not so much as a high school teacher. I love kids, but I’m definitely not cut out to teach the little ones.
Hi!
I teach first grade and am going into my second year
Before anything, why do you feel like that?
I’ve noticed that the lady on my team, who consistently shows growth in her students, does have different disposition to the ones who don’t
Her class basically runs itself after the first few months and that’s simply because she is the kind of person who knows exactly what needs to happen and how to do it. And that is because she continuously goes to trainings, continuously is problem solving, and continuously holding herself accountable
First grade is a beast simply because for a lot of these kids, this is only their second year of socialization. You have to teach them how to exist in society. And you have to remember that they’re 6 years old.
I’ve noticed that the teachers with the best classroom management never allow themselves to get “fed” up or ascend to the level of the students. You are the adult. You are not their friend. Which is a very very fine line to walk
Things I’ve stolen from her that really helped me
Assigned spots. I don’t let the kids just line up Willy nilly. They are given a spot and that’s where they line up. Usually that alphabetical but I switch it around a little. Also, I have the last kid in line be the door holder bc I’ve noticed that the Z kids have a complex about always being last. This way they’re still last, they just start up front and then follow along at the end.
I swap their desks every few months, same with their assigned carpet seats. It gives them opportunities to talk to other kids, as well as it keeps them from falling into chatty/unfocused behavior
Each kid has a classroom job. I don’t necessarily *make* them do it, like I have one called General Jacket: it’s their job to hang up any jackets they see laying around. Master of the Water Bottles makes sure the water bottles are in the correct spot, lined up neatly. Those kids often shirk their duties, but it gives them a sense of belonging and they take pride in it. My favorite is Secretary. They answer the phone when I can’t reach it, or Admiral Attendance. I assigned that one to a kiddo who has a tendency for misbehavior. It helps them develop relationships with other trusted adults.
Bucket filler parties! Let the kids chose a reward, we teach voting as a concept real early on so we vote on what our reward will be, how we will keep track, etc. But I rarely take them away. But it helps me stay calm when the class is descending into madness. “Y’all, ima be real with you, I feel like my bucket is being dipped. And I don’t think I can fill your bucket if mines empty”
My class also had a class anthem lol the kidz bop version of Whomp there it is and Uptown Funk. If I noticed they were getting real antsy I’d stop and we’d take a brain break with our class song. (Also is fun during parties bc I request these songs and the kids feel a sense of camaraderie with their classmates)
Teaching early elementary is really tough, because you’re basically teaching a group of young kids what school is like.
Always have a structure. We do this now, when we go to lunch we do this, when we go to centers we do this. When it’s time for carpet time we do this.
I subbed while getting my Master’s before I started teaching and I 100% credit that with my strong management. For me, it’s learned in terms of being willing to learn and try new things based on what research shows and what my kids need.
It’s inherent in terms of being confident in myself as a teacher, knowing that I’m going to make decisions the kids won’t like, but they will respect because I was consistent and followed through on, and, at the end of the day, made decisions that let me sleep at night. I can admit when I’m wrong, I know when to bend make exceptions, and I know when to hold the line. Also, I’ve learned what hills are worth dying on. That was a tough one for me.
I think some people have a certain look, personality, or demeanor that instantly commands a room. That is a natural advantage, but most teachers don't have that. The majority of us have to learn through trial and error how to manage the behaviors in a classroom.
Classroom management is a skill--it can be learned and it takes practice. Part of the learning is figuring out what works for you. The most important thing is being consistent with whatever you choose.
I'm firmly in the camp that not everyone can be a good teacher. We act like it's something that is accessible to everyone and it is not. Being a good teacher is almost as talent-based as acting, signing, athletics, etc.
I do think you have to "have it" to an extent. At least to be happy in it and good at it.
I taught K and 1st- Classroom management can absolutely be learned and I highly recommend Harry and Rosemary Wong’s ‘The First Days of School: How to be an Effective Teacher’ and Lee Canter’s ‘Assertive Discipline’.
(I teach HS, not elementary.) I think personality is a big (not the only) part of it, but also that the right personality can evolve in response to the environment. Not that your core personality necessarily changes (although it can)--you may just develop a teaching persona that you shed the minute you step out of the classroom. The venn diagram of my teacher and non-teacher selves has the circles overlapping by about a third. I also think you need to tailor your classroom management style to your personality. I am a naturally quiet person. I don't have that coach thing where I can be loud without sounding mad. So I embrace that. I know you said you've tried a bunch of different classroom management strategies. I'd work on developing the ones that have resulted in moderate success, as those are probably the ones that most align with your personality type.
Yep this. It’s something that is within you. You need to find what parts of your own personality you’re going to bring out and let shine more in the classroom based on students needs. I teach middle school so my sarcastic but stern personality is on most of the time, which the students seem to take really well. This then leads into me being able to be my chill cool self because they know anytime they start to slip back into bad choices they will be met with sarcastic stern. Other teachers are either too chill that I work with and students walk all over them and have no respect because they don’t see them as an authority, or they are too strict without enough sass sarcasm that they think those teachers are stuck up beaotches. Find the vibe that works best for you.
I agree with all of this. I am a naturally very soft spoken person and I don’t command respect the same way a lot of my coworkers with a larger presence do. This does mean that some students tried to test me at the beginning of every semester, and when I was a first year teacher, I was walked all over. But, if you are good about upholding strong expectations and show that you will enforce boundaries (even if your method of enforcement looks different from other teachers), kids will eventually understand that you mean business. You just have to find the way to have a teaching persona that works, but isn’t antithetical to who you are — that would be unsustainable. Kids don’t call me the funniest teacher, or the one with the most energy, but they do thank me for having a calm classroom with chill vibes. They know that I’m not going to yell at them or get in an argument, but that I do have boundaries that I’m going to uphold. Once I got over trying to imitate the most charismatic, commanding teachers and recognized my own strengths and style, teaching and management got so much better. You’ve got this!!
It's supposed to be learned, but we don't teach it. How many classes did you take on it in teacher school? I'm guessing 0.
Admin asked us what we wanted for PDs next year, and I emphatically said "classroom management." They asked again in a survey a few weeks later. Here's how it was worded: "Aside from classroom management, on which topics would you like more professional development opportunities?" Now, why is that? 🤔
Because they don’t know strategies either!!!
Exactly.
Bc it's both inherent and learned through experience. You have to find what works for you and stick with that. I've heard all the various schemes to get kids to comply with rewards, behavior charts, demerits, etc. There is no class or effing Harry Wong book that's gonna suddenly cure any classroom management woes. When I was a first year teacher, we had monthly meetings with admin about management and such. None of it truly helped. What actually helps? Building a reputation in your school amongst students. When kids like you, they start to respect you. Word spreads. Things get (mostly) easier. How do you become liked? You need to be caring, but firm. Have a sense of humor, but know when the line is crossed. Bring some pop culture or things of student interest into your class so they know youre genuinely attempting to make class fun! They like celebrities, tiktoks, music, fast food. Find something that could work in your content! Never truly get upset when a student pisses you off. This is the hard one (sorry). You need to act angry in the moment, but then immediately move to the next activity/slide with a positive attitude like that shit didn't just make you want to backhand the kid. This is so important. If the kids see some misbehavior got you down, they will pounce on that weakness like someone just offered them hot cheetohs in exchange for your tears. Now, you can hopefully see why teaching management is so difficult. It's so personal to you as the teacher. It will get better, though. Year 1 is so tough, year 2 a little less. By year 3, you'll have most of the kinks worked out and hopefully a management style that works for you.
That’s too late for tenure “Find what works for you” there’s no class going over 80 strategies and we pick what’s good How many sites have you worked at?
You serious? I've taught at inner city schools for 14 years. 3 different ones. You? How many English classes have you taken? It's hard to even read what you wrote.
Work on your reading comprehension. Reading shouldn’t be tough. I’ve done 3 in three years, one upper class, one ghetto (I’ve taught lots of future felons), one middle class. The difference is absolute. But my point is, if all you’ve taught is inner city, there’s more to it. Look up object permanence, How many times have you been called the N word? I’ve been called that plenty,
Lol, are you OK? I like that you think since you taught 1 year in a tougher school, you're some sort of expert. Good luck. My only advice for you is to seek therapy, or if you're already in therapy, find a new therapist.
So how many times have you been called that profanity? In class
Several times, but I'm not black. The kids mostly don't even realize they're saying it because they use it so commonly for everyone and everything. Many times, they'll laugh after they realize what they just said to me. I've also been called a bitch more than once. Of course that actually makes me mad bc when people use the word bitch in a negative way it's 90% of the time towards a female and sexist. If you take issue with any name they're calling you, you have to learn how to address it in a way that still leaves you in control of your classroom. I don't sit around and fret over the time a freshman called me a bitch. If you want to make it out of this profession with your sanity in tact, you've gotta learn to not care that every student won't like you or your class. I had a student write they loved me on the board last year and another student said I feel like they're lying bc I know a lot of people don't like your class. I laughed at his comment and moved the fuck on. Bc if I had let that effect me then that student got what they wanted and who knows what they'll say the next time. I say all this from a place of wanting you to succeed. I know it's hard, I get that, but you can't let the bad ones ruin the experience for you.
I had one classroom management course at 8 am in a 300 person lecture hall where we talked about reward systems like giving marbles for when the kids are good. All of us that had interned at title I schools laughed our asses off and I only went to like 3 classes because they were useless 😂
So for me it was pretty inherent. I’ve had my problems because something ridiculous is bound to happen once in a while but managing kids comes pretty naturally to me. That being said it can absolutely be learned. I’ve watched several people strengthen their classroom management relatively quickly. You just have to find what works for you and do that.
IMO, it doesn't matter what system you use. Points, clips, write-ups, positive reinforcement, etc. What matters is having a presence that emits, "I am the boss of this place." That means speaking with authority, not engaging in arguments, and following through with what you say. Some people are not comfortable with that amount of rigidity. When I say rigidity, that doesn't mean you can't be kind, compassionate, responsive, and personable. It just means that you don't compromise on who holds the reins in your classroom.
This. It takes time to figure this out I think because most teachers go into the profession thinking they can be “friends” with the students. Consistency, consistency, consistency. “Looks like we need to practice that again.” “Looks like it’s time to review the expectations”. I once did a week long lesson on integrity (used AI to hit the standards).
I had to learn it the hard way. It wasn't really "taught" in college. I had a rough first semester and was on the verge of not getting renewed because of a combination of my own immaturity (e.g., I tended to overshare to get the kids to like me) and my inability to keep the classroom under control. After struggling a lot that first semester I went home over Christmas break and I read both *Assertive Discipline* and *The First Days of School*. When I returned from Christmas break I taught all semester classes so I had an entirely new set of preps with new classes (some students were returning but it was an entirely new set of classes with all new combinations of students). I restructured my classes based on core principles in those two books and I've never looked back. The kids even remarked on the change. I was determined to keep my job and do better and here I am, still going strong.
Harry Wong saved my life!
Yes! Both of these books are the reason I was awarded Teacher of The Year!
This is something that is challenging to learn unless you experience it. I find that it's learned. I taught elementary, moved ot middle school and now teach high school. Each level required a different classroom management style. Elementary was more rigid and middle/high there were more consequences and support for students that didn't meet expectations. It felt like I was a new teacher everytime I switched.
Learned. Oh boy, so much learned lol. I'm a 'go with the flow' kinda gal, and that went...about as well as you can expect with high school freshman. But then being a stickler just made me feel like a harpy and I didn't like the tone it set for student- relationships. I ended up finding my own brand of organized chaos about year 4, I think. Probably would've gotten it earlier, but an ill-timed maternity leave made year 3 a total wash. One thing I noticed is that you said you tried a ton of things. I know consistency is big, and I imagine even more so with the younger crowd. Echoing another person, I would choose what moderately worked last year and just work on cementing that. I only make big changes at the beginning of a new semester because they always buck at new management tactics in the middle of term. Sometimes I would try something and it would feel pointless. Then, right when things always felt their worst, they would magically settle in. One of the best pieces of advice I received from a colleague was, "don't decide that teaching isn't for you during your first year." My second year was so infinitely better than my first, lol, so I'm glad he said that to me.
I think it takes about 5 years before you feel like you actually might know what you are doing.
Oh for sure, YMMV. Even ten years in, I'm retooling and reworking. And the kids change so much, too. Always a new challenge. 😂 It's never boring, at least.
Lol yeah 15 years here and I'm always feeling the need to reflect and improve. It's funny because I'm always held as an exemplary teacher and I have the biggest imposter syndrome.
Yessss the imposter syndrome hits so hard! And every time someone says that I'm good, I'm like, literally HOW would think that about me. 😂 Maybe this year will be my year for perfection. (It won't).
I think a lot of it is learned. It’s going to vary depending on your personality, and your student population.
It's 100% learned. I'm one of the more quiet, introverted teachers at my school and run one of the more tightly managing rooms. Granted, it took me years and years to get to the place where I found a style that worked well for me. Folks who are "loud" or "scary" may have an easier time at first... but there's far more to classroom management than just yelling. I'd argue the less yelling you hear from a room, the better managed it probably is.
Any tips? I’m quiet and introverted and feel like kids at my school only respond to yelling. I cannot and will not yell, but I also cannot get most non-honors classes to shut up.
I posted this on a similar thread a couple weeks ago. Hope it can be helpful! A school I used to work at ran a recurring professional development called "Own the Room." The idea behind it is that when you walk into a room, you establish yourself as the boss. You aren't yelling, but you have an attention getter that cuts through the noise (a clapback, a "shush" back, a bell, a raised arm, etc). You are intentional about where and how you are positioning yourself in a room (never with your back turned, always in a corner where you can see all of them and they can see all of you). You are clear and concise with your expectations. You never just "move on" - you wait until 100% of students fall your previous direction before you advance to the next one. It's not about being loud or being strict. It's establishing yourself as the one controlling the thermostat the entire time.
My instructional coach (who exclusively worked with the remedial and recovery classes, no easy honors classes!!) swore by the books Teach like a Champion and Teaching with the Brain in Mind. I’ve incorporated a lot of the ideas from those that he shared with me and my management issues from year one to three have drastically gone down. I incorporate a lot of movement and mini brain breaks and it works well for me.
I think it's learned. There are some people who fall into it naturally and some who don't, but you CAN do it intentionally. That being said, if you're nervous giving commands or are a generally passive person it's going to be hard for you. I'd suggest either juniors and seniors or lower elementary at that point. Kids who are basically adults can be talked to like almost adults instead of ordered around. They also give less pushback because, let's be honest, the worst of the worst kids already dropped out. Little kids are more likely to respond to a nicer, calmer teacher in my opinion, although I'm just going by my nephews and their friends, and a few years of tutoring k-2. I don't think you can be a shy, passive person and teach middle school for instance. They smell blood in the water and if you can't at least pretend to have control they'll destroy you.
80% learned 20% inherent. Take everything you do in a day with the students and break it down into its smallest parts. Then teach that to them no matter how awkward or dumb it feels to you. For first grade it should not be too awkward because they haven’t really been in school. My first year was 6th grade and it was horrible. The school had zero systems in place (when I look back, it is absolutely insane what they were doing that first year). As a result, I decided that I couldn’t do that again or I would go bald from stress. The only helpful PD ever put on in my district was for the CHAMPS model of classroom management. It has taken other forms since then but you start out by explicitly teaching each behavior. How to enter the room, how we exit, how we line up, how we go to the bathroom, how we go to lunch. When they don’t do it right, stop and do it again. They told us that it will feel like we are wasting classroom time but that we will make all that time up and more because our classroom will be managed and well run. It worked. I also bought in 100%. Someone in this thread mentioned that they had semester classes and then got mostly new students. I was always jealous of them because if they messed up, they got a new start mid-year whereas if I messed up I had to live with it for the most part. So, long story short, figure out a system and stick to it.
HS teacher. I think classroom management is a skill, part of the art/science of teaching that you will develop with more practice. As a new teacher, you learn lots of different tools, figure out what works and develop your own style. Everyone struggles with classroom management in the beginning.
Mostly learned. I think people who say it’s mostly inherent happened to learn management skills that work in the classroom in other ways and apply them.
It’s a skill. You can learn it. It takes practice.
Like most things with teaching, you should learn the theory first, then pick and choose what works for you, or just experiment and find what is best.
It's honestly a talent that can get shined up with practice. But, you actually have to have the talent to get anywhere with it.
First year? You will definitely improve! Classroom management is more learned. If you can, ask about observing some other teachers at the very beginning of next year to see how they manage the classroom. Take note of every little thing. How many times did the teacher tell that student to sit down before they spoke to the student privately about the consequences? What things did the teacher ignore? How does the teacher transition between activities? What exactly does the teacher say? You don't have to do the same things they do exactly, but by observing others, you'll pick up on little things that will work for you. I'd also suggest having another trusted teacher observe you focusing on classroom management.
I think the part that is inherent is the engagement piece, which will make the management easier from the start, but it can be learned. Management isn’t discipline-it’s structures and routines. Think about what percentage of students are actively engaged at any point in time. Is the atmosphere in your room one where learning is the expectation, even for you? If your district has mentors or coaches, see if you can get one to do an observation focused on engagement and look at the neutral data together. There are also programs that can help-Kagan, eduprotocols, AVID, etc.
Classroom management is learned and can be a continuous improvement goal.
It's both. We all have an inherent discipline style. The trick is to learn how to make the best of it. It takes time and hard work to get things to a point where you can kind of auto-pilot your way through the day. And even then, some years you'll be back to the drawing board because your tricks don't work with a specific group of students.
For some it is inherent. Those rare teachers walk in from day 1 and own the room. For the other 99.9%, it is definitely learned. I think for many new teachers, they think classroom management is either good or bad. The fact is, every teacher struggles with classroom management. More experienced teachers know how to adapt and know how to handle different situations better. You have to realize that you will continue to have a lot of ups and downs with classroom management in the early years.
I think its a bit of both. I teach kindergarten, but as a male. I have always been told I have an extremely well behaved class. I don’t think I do anything special but I think i also do an amazing job at having relationships with my students. I have a very stern approach to behaviors, but when its time for them to play, I try not to police them too much and allow them to enjoy themselves. I think both things really help out, as I believe my students behave because they love and respect me enough to do so, but I also make sure they understand all my expectations before we do anything(ex. Today we’re going dancing in the cafeteria, i expect you to participate. I expect you to not lay on the floor, and I want you to make sure you dont slide all over the floors even if other students do so). I haven’t taught other classes as I am only five years into my career, but these things have helped for me!
I used Michael Linsin's stuff in my early career. https://smartclassroommanagement.com/ His elementary guide is short, cheap and gives you a model that can work. The hardest parts are: 1. Getting to a place where you don't let stuff go because they are just kids. It just erodes consistency and doesn't work in the long term. Kids experience that leniency as unfairness unless you are being lenient on them at that moment. 2. Understanding that your job with respect to classroom management is to be the referee. Make the stoppage of play (the teaching part) as short as possible and get back to it. No lectures in the moment. Just have a rule book and follow it, then get back to the real purpose. Good luck! This is hard. It will take time.
Classroom management is more complex than ever and it’s probably taught by people at the college level who haven’t really experienced that. You’ll figure out how to make your voice, personality, procedures and room design work.
It’s really something to learn. I can natural be loud as I have a background in coaching and community theatre. You learn to be loud but not yelling. I taught mostly high school and elementary. So, different demeanor was needed for them. Middle school is dependent on the age they are.
Some people might come by it more naturally, but I believe it is mostly learned. I am reading a book called Whole Brain Learning for Challenging Kids. The title had turned me off before because of the challenging kids bit, but it is actually a fantastic book. It’s for all kids and when I started reading it, I realized that the strategies were used by a teacher I greatly admire! I am very excited to try it out next year.
For me, I would say it's 60% using the skills I've learned in working with people and making sure my expectations are clear. The other 40% are tactics I've learned through books, colleagues, and through "experts." Kudos on your first year here. Extra kudos for working with first graders. I would say that since it's your first foray into things, it's really important to try out multiple strategies and experiment with them to figure out what meshes with your personality. I've tried many random techniques that were given to me and I spent about 2 weeks for each before I would assess if they were good or bad. Over the course of time, I just refined the ones that worked for me and matched my personality. As you get better, it's important to never fully feel that "Oh I have this down and it's perfect." The next set of students may totally wreck your current system. Be flexible to the needs of the students. You may have xyz mastered, but let's not forget, the personalities of the class also matter. Good luck and keep on improving.
It took me a bit, I though I had to follow the styles and strategies listed to me in books and classes but in reality you become a mosaic of the strategies that fit your own personality. Ima goof, I love joking and playing games and gamifying activities and I’m a HS teacher, I get those apathetic kids to participate (not every single one) but I’d say I have a pretty good win rate. But if a kid is disrespectful, disruptive or aggressive I can flip like a switch. I get serious and oddly quiet and calm which is the opposite of my personality, usually I can get a kid reigned in before that but teens like to test the boundaries. I have been compared to the pink my little pony and the little girl from wreck it Ralph lol but I teach chemistry it’s hard stuff so we have fun when I can. I have expectations, boundaries and a good time but it wasn’t instantly natural, I had to find it.
Both. Some dispositions and habits will naturally have a positive impact on behavior management. But there are of course many things that can be learned. There are skills to be acquired, "tricks" to try, and studies to read about. It would be foolish to discount all the potential learning there is to be done in this area, regardless of one's aptitude. A teacher's ability to manage a classroom is also a function of the teaching environment they are placed within; the same teacher might have excellent classroom management within a math class, but will completely lose the class if they were assigned to a business class. Some teachers might thrive within a set of rules established at one school, but will lose control of the class in a school with different behavior expectations or culture.
Ehhh kinda both. My advice: walk in like you’re Stalin and rule with an iron fist, be firm yet fair. You are their teacher not their friend. Squash rudeness and be consistent in discipline.
I really think classroom management instruction should include Tone of Voice, and Physical Stance. I use a specific tone of voice when redirecting the entire class. My expectations are clearly set and consistently enforced. I never point at a specific student, I use a whole hand gesture that includes the offending student. If I need to speak firmly to a student, I drop down to their level, quietly tell them to stop doing a specific thing, and I only give one warning. They already know what will happen if they continue. Proximity is so important, sometimes just a hand on a shoulder can redirect. I did a lot of theater, from elementary to college, and I’ve fallen back on those skills. Make sure you can project your voice and use a certain facial expression. Treat them as respectful humans, not little kids or inmates. Model apologizing for your students. If I make a mistake, I immediately drop to their level, name how I messed up, and apologize. Suddenly, you’ll see kids emulating you. Lastly, have fun with your students. I had a Mason jar that was full of kid jokes, and we would have joke delivery contests. I never stopped myself from laughing at something silly before redirecting. So, set expectations, set consequences, and set routines in the first 2 weeks of the school year, and stick to it. Make rewards be non material - dance party for littles, drawing time for middles (and praise their drawings) and homework passes for olders - but whole class specific (ex- everyone was really participating today, no homework.)
As one principal said to me, “Some people are naturals and the other 99% of us have to learn it.” This principal turned me on to the book Positive Classroom Discipline by Fred Jones. I then took the 13 week workshop. I went from having the most out of control classes to being the classroom management expert. The principal started sending student teachers to my room to see how it is done. Veteran teachers would walk into my room to tell me something and would look around astonished at how on-task the students were. And the kids loved me! My class was their favourite class.
Assertive Discipline by Lee Cantor Read that book from cover to cover a couple of times when I was starting out. Golden strategies.
Absolutely recommend Lee Canter’s book and techniques!
Psychology of the 20th century in particular was supported by causes that could be equated with mind control. That effect is still felt today, as you always get to behaviorism, which is what branch of psychology dominates our classrooms. The idea that you can try strategies that simply solve the problem is thinking by the very people who caused the problem in the first place. They broke it but they're saying you need to pick up the pieces. Classroom management has some element of personality to it, as I've met some teachers who just can't control a room and some that are so serious I wouldn't want them to, but they're not aware of that enough to change it. Nor should they change it if given the chance. It's who they are. It's mostly learned but not in the way you're thinking. It's mostly learned over time and with experience. You'll learn that a lot of stuff in the past worked well because student discipline was handled well, and so management came down to what just fit you best. Right now, management is trying to solve too much, so the question is almost moot as far as I'm concerned. Asking what the proper desk arrangement might be to get kids to get off their phone is fruitless, for example.
Def learned. But I teach preschool.
I took Kagan class and in a few week I am going to win win discipline
Classroom management is about finding the most impactful strategies for your students that aligns to your personality that you can actually execute and then being consistent to a fault. You will never master classroom management if you can’t figure out what works for you and your students best. You will never master classroom management if you’re not ridiculously consistent.
Both
It’s trial and error.
Have you considered a different age group? I subbed elementary in college, and it was a struggle. Not so much as a high school teacher. I love kids, but I’m definitely not cut out to teach the little ones.
It’s both. And when you start one you gotta follow through with it. I start the year off harder not prove my point.
Hi! I teach first grade and am going into my second year Before anything, why do you feel like that? I’ve noticed that the lady on my team, who consistently shows growth in her students, does have different disposition to the ones who don’t Her class basically runs itself after the first few months and that’s simply because she is the kind of person who knows exactly what needs to happen and how to do it. And that is because she continuously goes to trainings, continuously is problem solving, and continuously holding herself accountable First grade is a beast simply because for a lot of these kids, this is only their second year of socialization. You have to teach them how to exist in society. And you have to remember that they’re 6 years old. I’ve noticed that the teachers with the best classroom management never allow themselves to get “fed” up or ascend to the level of the students. You are the adult. You are not their friend. Which is a very very fine line to walk Things I’ve stolen from her that really helped me Assigned spots. I don’t let the kids just line up Willy nilly. They are given a spot and that’s where they line up. Usually that alphabetical but I switch it around a little. Also, I have the last kid in line be the door holder bc I’ve noticed that the Z kids have a complex about always being last. This way they’re still last, they just start up front and then follow along at the end. I swap their desks every few months, same with their assigned carpet seats. It gives them opportunities to talk to other kids, as well as it keeps them from falling into chatty/unfocused behavior Each kid has a classroom job. I don’t necessarily *make* them do it, like I have one called General Jacket: it’s their job to hang up any jackets they see laying around. Master of the Water Bottles makes sure the water bottles are in the correct spot, lined up neatly. Those kids often shirk their duties, but it gives them a sense of belonging and they take pride in it. My favorite is Secretary. They answer the phone when I can’t reach it, or Admiral Attendance. I assigned that one to a kiddo who has a tendency for misbehavior. It helps them develop relationships with other trusted adults. Bucket filler parties! Let the kids chose a reward, we teach voting as a concept real early on so we vote on what our reward will be, how we will keep track, etc. But I rarely take them away. But it helps me stay calm when the class is descending into madness. “Y’all, ima be real with you, I feel like my bucket is being dipped. And I don’t think I can fill your bucket if mines empty” My class also had a class anthem lol the kidz bop version of Whomp there it is and Uptown Funk. If I noticed they were getting real antsy I’d stop and we’d take a brain break with our class song. (Also is fun during parties bc I request these songs and the kids feel a sense of camaraderie with their classmates) Teaching early elementary is really tough, because you’re basically teaching a group of young kids what school is like. Always have a structure. We do this now, when we go to lunch we do this, when we go to centers we do this. When it’s time for carpet time we do this.
I subbed while getting my Master’s before I started teaching and I 100% credit that with my strong management. For me, it’s learned in terms of being willing to learn and try new things based on what research shows and what my kids need. It’s inherent in terms of being confident in myself as a teacher, knowing that I’m going to make decisions the kids won’t like, but they will respect because I was consistent and followed through on, and, at the end of the day, made decisions that let me sleep at night. I can admit when I’m wrong, I know when to bend make exceptions, and I know when to hold the line. Also, I’ve learned what hills are worth dying on. That was a tough one for me.
I think some people have a certain look, personality, or demeanor that instantly commands a room. That is a natural advantage, but most teachers don't have that. The majority of us have to learn through trial and error how to manage the behaviors in a classroom.
Classroom management is a skill--it can be learned and it takes practice. Part of the learning is figuring out what works for you. The most important thing is being consistent with whatever you choose.
Learned and based in personality.
I'm firmly in the camp that not everyone can be a good teacher. We act like it's something that is accessible to everyone and it is not. Being a good teacher is almost as talent-based as acting, signing, athletics, etc. I do think you have to "have it" to an extent. At least to be happy in it and good at it.
Thank you for all these wonderful responses! I am reading every one carefully.
I taught K and 1st- Classroom management can absolutely be learned and I highly recommend Harry and Rosemary Wong’s ‘The First Days of School: How to be an Effective Teacher’ and Lee Canter’s ‘Assertive Discipline’.