Struggles and Successes in Classroom Management

1. Struggles and Successes in Classroom Management Gabrielle Frontera 6th grade Language Arts Alexander Graham Middle School (UNCC Teaching Fellow Alumni) Gabriellea.frontera@cms.k12.nc.us

2. What do you think of when you hear the term “Classroom Management”??

4. The Truth About Classroom Management • Classroom Management does not mean your discipline plan!! • Classroom Management is PROactive not Reactive. • Classroom Management is going to be a challenge! • You are going to struggle with Classroom Management… and that is OK!

5. 3 Essentials

6. Turn and Talk • With your neighbor, brainstorm why these 3 essentials are important.

7. Relationships • Creating a bond with a student can make all the difference in student behavior! • Students who feel like they have a positive relationship with you will be less likely to show disrespect. • This is the easiest piece, by far!

8. Simple ways to build a relationship • Stand at your door and greet students each morning. • Use student surveys to gather information about their interests and engage them in conversations about those topics. • Showing students respect (sometimes you have to give it to them before they will give it to you!) • YOU CAN SMILE BEFORE CHRISTMAS!!!

9. Turn and Talk • Talk to a NEW neighbor! Tell that person one other way you could build a relationship with a student!

10. Procedures • Your classroom procedures are crucial to good classroom management. • Establishing, practicing and mastering these procedures. • Structured Classroom Environment • Example: • Launch Buttons • Effective rest room/water procedures • Trash buckets • Leaving Books in the classroom • Question Sticky Notes

11. Lesson Planning • Create lessons that keep students engaged in learning! • Think about how each portion of your lesson will play out! Engaging lessons require careful thought! • Hands on activities cannot be planned with the same level of thought as a lecture given with power point! • Bored students WILL find something else to occupy themselves! • 10/2 Concept • 10 minutes of content/ 2 minutes of break • Turn and talk (easy to slip into your lesson) • Student movement

12. IT’S NOT WORKING!!!! Now what? • Guess what? Sometimes your perfectly fabulous classroom management plan flat! • Don’t spend the rest of the year miserable and wondering how long it would take you to pay off your TF scholarship if you just quit now!

13. IT’S NOT WORKING!!!! Now what? • ASK FOR HELP! • Mentor teachers, Academic Facilitators, PLC leaders, Assistant Principal or even the Principal! – These people want you to succeed and will help you! • Have any one of the above come sit in on a few of your classes. (not just one class period) Ask if they could come for 20-30 minutes 2 or 3 times. • This is a great way to get an outside opinion on what is not working, why and to get suggestions on new approaches!

14. Continue to develop your craft • Developing classroom management skills takes experience, trial and error, pursuing resources, asking for help, being flexible and understanding that YOU WILL CONSTANTLY BE GROWING AND CHANGING the skills in your toolbox! • Classroom management is not something you can master once and move on from.

15. Teacher Education doesn’t end this May! • Teachers are life-long learners! • Continue to read new educational textbooks • Connect with peers and colleagues to share ideas! • Attend as many trainings and conferences as you can!

16. Want more CM tips, strategies and advice? • Feel free to contact me with any additional questions! • Come observe me (in your spare time ha!) • Attend trainings (PEAK is phenomenal if you can go to one – or observe a teacher who uses those strategies) • Research! Great books: • First Days of School Harry Wong • Any Ron Clark book • The Power of Our Words Paula Denton • Why Didn’t I Learn this in College?

17. Gabriellea.frontera@cms.k12.nc.us • Alexander Graham Middle School