Classroom management is crucial to the success of the students. This lesson was not a difficult one to learn when teaching middle school students, but it was certainly an important one. In order to establish and maintain control in my classroom, I approach each day with equal parts enthusiasm, charisma, and sternness. I usher my students into the classroom and create a routine for how class will run from start to finish.
In addition to my tone and body language, my most important management technique is my planning and preparation. My lesson plans are student centered so that I spend very little time "lecturing" the students and the students get to engage in hands on learning. I design a lesson so that the direct instruction flows smoothly into the activity, and each activity is designed to run for anywhere from 5-30 minutes. The length of each activity is important because students begin to lose focus at around 20 minutes, and students' capacity to learn is maximized when they are actively engaged in the material. Even when I have a longer activity planned, it is often broken up into smaller increments where another element is added, or students share with others.
In addition to my tone and body language, my most important management technique is my planning and preparation. My lesson plans are student centered so that I spend very little time "lecturing" the students and the students get to engage in hands on learning. I design a lesson so that the direct instruction flows smoothly into the activity, and each activity is designed to run for anywhere from 5-30 minutes. The length of each activity is important because students begin to lose focus at around 20 minutes, and students' capacity to learn is maximized when they are actively engaged in the material. Even when I have a longer activity planned, it is often broken up into smaller increments where another element is added, or students share with others.
I also provide students with the daily agenda at the beginning of each class. I feel it is important for the students to not only know what they will accomplish and where the lesson is headed, but also that they understand I have a plan for them, and everything I include in the lesson is designed for the purpose of reaching the goals of that plan.
My classroom environment is one in which students feel comfortable sharing their ideas and opinions with me and with their peers. I am quick to end any kind of bickering between students as well as any put downs or negative behavior directed between students. I celebrate new ideas, and am not afraid to admit to students that they brought up an idea I had not thought of. I want students to know that while I am in complete control of the classroom, and while I am well informed in my subject matter, I am also a life long learner, and I am excited to share ideas with the students, not simply lecture them.
I hold students accountable in my classroom by creating an environment in which students are frequently asked to share work with their peers. I also set high requirements, but I provide the appropriate scaffolding so that each student can achieve their individual potential. I provide students with detailed project rubrics when appropriate and provide for differentiated learning and student ownership by providing students with choices.