We talk lots about positive classroom management around My Teachers Lounge, because, let’s face it, if your classroom is out of control, then learning becomes about as fictional as a flying unicorn.
And so often, our default as teachers {and as parents!} is to LECTURE when the class begins to spiral into bad behavior. We teach as authoritarians who lay down the law and then expect students to quickly and immediately adhere to it.
The trouble is that this generation today typically doesn’t respond as well to authoritarian methods of classroom management. Their entire culture screams independence and even the questioning of authority, and the respect of the 1950′s classroom is becoming more and more elusive.
And so, we teachers can continue the lecture till we are literally blue in the face {or red, as the case may be}, or we can begin handing the burden of classroom management back to the students. We can assume the role of coach, rather than dictator. Watch the following short video of this style of classroom management in action, from ResponsiveClassroom:
Suzy Ghosh, the teacher here, has two roads before her as her class begins to get out of control. She can spend two minutes lecturing, or she can spend two minutes asking intentional questions that cause students to take ownership and reflect about their behavior. And, as evidenced in the video, it seems that her intentional coaching change the course of her classroom activity.
So, teaching-friends, next time you catch yourself about to launch into a speech-tirade, try this method instead:
1. Identify the problem. {Either by asking or pointing out the issue.}
2. Ask students the dangers of the problem.
3. Ask students to come up with solutions.
4. Coach the implementation of their answers.
And then, see what happens. Chances are it will be a two-minutes spent in classroom management that might be even more effective than the lecture– and it’ll give your voice a break, to boot.
-Laura Parker, former middle school teacher, avid blogger at aLifeOverseas.com
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Thoughts, teachers? Does this work? What are the downfalls to this method of classroom management? What are the benefits? Caught yourself in a lecture lately?
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Related. Classroom Mangaement that Works. Top Classroom Mangaement Resources.
