Classroom Management

When we are put in charge of a classroom full of students, we are responsible for their wellbeing. It's important to foster a safe environment for all children. Good classroom management skills are essential to obtain that goal.

Utilizing visuals in the classroom:

The key to utilizing visuals in your classroom management routine is CONSISTENCY. As with most things children learn from repetition. Repeated exposure to content will enforce the idea. If you decide to go with the visual approach… you definitely have to go all in. When you give time warnings… always show the visual. When you request that the children quiet down... show the visual. Make visuals for your schedule. A visual schedule is a great accommodation for children with special needs (specifically Autism). Showing a child with Autism a visual combined with a word makes the concept concrete.

On the first day of school introduce the class to your visuals. Explain to them what each picture means and for the first couple months quiz them daily. Most children will begin to recognize the visuals by the first couple of weeks, but some of your students will need extra time and support. If you have a “student of the day” give that child their own set of visuals to use for the day. Clip the visuals to your shirt or pants so they are always accessible for use.

It’s important to remember that not every technique works for every group of children. All classroom dynamics are different. There are several ways to get visuals to use in your room:

There are several resources online: Pinterest.com, google.com (or any search engine)

There are a couple software programs: Board Maker, Letter links

You can take real life pictures and make them into visuals. (When I work with children with Special needs I prefer to use the real life pictures).

Here are some visuals

I have used in my class

Why time out is a useless strategy

Removing a child from a situation teaches them nothing. The problem is not truly being dealt with. Think about it... don't you walk around your classroom some days thinking to yourself, "These children have brains like goldfish... I tell them something and they forget it right away!" That's what happens when we put a child in a time-out. Children often forget what they did wrong, they forget that they even did anything wrong, and the teaching moment is lost. It's important to solve problems as they arise. Also, sometimes being removed from the situation is what that child desires in the first place. DO NOT allow negative behaviors to achieve desired effects.

Creating a class that problems solves on their own

Always foster independence in your classroom.
Encourage children to first attempt to problem solve on their own and then ask for help if they need it.
Encourage children to identify their own feelings and the feelings of others.
Model "I" language with your students.
Teach your children calming techniques (turtle, breathing, counting).
Supply "problem solving boxes" in the classroom. Fill them with problem solving suggestions (IE: Take turns, put on a timer, make a different choice, seek an adult).

Co-teaching: The life blood of every successful classroom

Have you ever walked into an out of control classroom? Teachers look like they are running around like chickens with their heads cut off? Children are engaging in inappropriate behaviors and it doesn’t look like anything is being done to stop it? Did you see the adults in the room interacting positively together? If the answer was no, that teaching team isn’t successful. Children are like animals sometimes. They can often sense when something is just not right. When we work together for the greater good of the classroom, things seem to always work out better for everyone. That's not to say that sometimes we won't butt heads in the classroom. We can disagree, but when it comes to discussing the disagreement, it needs to happen at a time where the children are not present. We should always be viewed as a united front.

NEVER undermine your co-teachers. I repeat, NEVER undermine your co-teachers. Children should never think that if one of you says no, that the other will say yes. I repeat again... NEVER undermine your co-teacher.

When you notice that your co-teacher is having an off day, you should always pick up the slack. When one of us is down, the other should pick us up.

Delegate responsibilities. One person should not feel like they are responsible for all of the work (whether they are a lead teacher or not). The point of co-teaching, is doing things as a team, sharing the load.

Teaching Tools by Taylor