Classroom Management

[TeacherBug08]

I am a pre-service teacher and will be student teaching this Spring. I want to ask experienced teachers what has worked best for them in terms of classroom management? I feel like I am swayed by Fred Jones and his classroom management techniques. I like the idea that the rewards are educational games they earn as a class.

Also what are your ideas on the marble jar or card flipping? Do you think students will be dependent on the rewards?
Thanks for your suggestions/feedback!

[readingrules12]

Fred Jones works best for me. Harry Wong has some good techniques to prevent misbehavior. Teach For Champions also has some good ideas. What is most important is consistency.

I remember 2 teachers who were teaching right next to each other at my school. One had one of the best run and best managed classrooms. The other one had a chaotic nightmare where the students ran around wild each day. The latter one's contract wasn't renewed. Guess what! They used the same behavior system. The pro used it with incredible consistency sprinkled with some extra common sense. The other teacher was incredibly inconsistent. Keep that in mind when looking for a good classroom management program.

[bondo]

Great advice and anecdote, readingrules12.

Closely tied with consistency is managing expectations. Being consistent is important because the students know what to expect - good and bad. The kids need routine and know what to expect.

[swansong1]

Originally Posted by bondo

Great advice and anecdote, readingrules12.

Closely tied with consistency is managing expectations. Being consistent is important because the students know what to expect - good and bad. The kids need routine and know what to expect.

This is the best advice anyone can offer to you!

[ciounoi]

Originally Posted by readingrules12

Fred Jones works best for me. Harry Wong has some good techniques to prevent misbehavior. Teach For Champions also has some good ideas. What is most important is consistency.

I remember 2 teachers who were teaching right next to each other at my school. One had one of the best run and best managed classrooms. The other one had a chaotic nightmare where the students ran around wild each day. The latter one's contract wasn't renewed. Guess what! They used the same behavior system. The pro used it with incredible consistency sprinkled with some extra common sense. The other teacher was incredibly inconsistent. Keep that in mind when looking for a good classroom management program.

This.

I would like to point out, however, that depending on how old your kids are and depending on how aware they are that you are not the "real" teacher, you will have more of a management problem on you than you might as a normally contracted teacher. I have pretty good management now, but in student teaching, I sucked! I sucked for two reasons - first, I was still learning, and second, my high school juniors were incredibly aware that I was temporary and not their permanent teacher. Work on your management, but try not to worry too much if not all goes according to plan. :-)

[Loomistrout]

Originally Posted by readingrules12

... The pro used it with incredible consistency sprinkled with some extra common sense. The other teacher was incredibly inconsistent. Keep that in mind when looking for a good classroom management program.

The most effective classroom management system is the teacher. Goes along with what Jones says about discipline techniques, "Any discipline technique has a nasty habit of failing when not performed correctly." If one were to buy one extra to improve classroom management I would suggest a mirror.

[TeacherBug08]

Thank you all for such great advice. What is everyone thoughts on the Canter's?...the marble jar...and card flipping?

I am thinkng of doing Fred Jones for PAT--where the rewards are educational, but what would you all suggest for managing indvidual students or just have the consequence be directly related to the misbehavior. For instance, a student doesn't bring in homewok the consequence will be during free time he will work on that.

I was thinking of having classroom meeting and establishing my expectations for appropriate behavior.

[First School]

I use Evernote to help me collect school plans, notes and lesson ideas. I don't do so well with the paper, so it's nice to have all of my thinking in one spot. I created a behavior stoplight for my kindergarteners. It was big, bold and colorful. See if it helps you!

[themilocat]

I used the clip chart last year. It worked really well for my 5th graders! I had a chart with 0-10 printed on it (10 being at the top, 0 at the bottom). Students would move their clips up and down during the day based on their behavior. There was some kind of reward or consequence for each level of the clip chart. Our school uses a green ticket system (super good behavior gets a green ticket, then once a month, classes draw winners for an activity with the principal).

Most clip charts I've seen (and the one we're using now) only have 6 levels, but I found that my older kids needed more.

Level 10- 2 green tickets, clip to the Principal, jewel for clip
9- 2 green tickets, jewel for clip
8- 2 green tickets
7- 1 green ticket
6- no reward
5- no reward
4- warning
3- 5 minutes of recess
2- 10 minutes of recess
1- all recess, write procedures/expectations
0- all recess, write procedures/expectations, phone call or note home

I had a REALLY rough group of kids last year and this worked amazingly well.

[DrivingPigeon]

I'm not a fan of the clip charts, card flipping, traffic light, etc. I don't like when behavior problems are out in the open for all to see. This sometimes causes kids to act out even more.