The desks in my second grade classroom, as a seven-year old fresh to the system first knew them, were bolted to the floor in rows. Black cast iron frames and wood tops marred with decades of wear welcomed me to the learnéd dictator’s realm where I dutifully sat in respectful silence to receive my education. Thankfully, those decades are gone, replaced with a new generation of learners eager to actively participate in their journey and teachers growing themselves professionally to keep up with the needs. Training for classroom management now includes social-emotional, technological, and pedagogical combinations never before seen which means getting the balance right matters for those claiming to make a difference.
Re-imagining classroom management for today’s and tomorrow’s students will require careful observation and a willingness to invest in the necessary adaptations. Traditional practices that worked well for the start of a veteran teacher’s career may no longer apply to today’s changing landscape of attention demands. New teachers will need to reach beyond the methods textbook for ways to fully engage the unique students in front of them. Engagement is the new answer to management concerns; captivated students focused on a task they value no longer entertain ideas for escapes and diversions. Creating student-centered classroom experiences where missing out simply isn’t worth it brings productivity to a whole new level.
The following six areas of growth, born out of research, observation and successful implementation across many classrooms nationwide are ones students themselves are hoping all their teachers will embrace and own.
Tear down that wall!
Boundaries command respect, but only up to a point; if overly enforced, boundaries end up damaging relationships. Disputes reflect power struggles as the two sides, instructors and distractors, compete for attention. The invisible curtain of authority sharply divides the front from the back of the room in a traditional class. One easy way to reduce or even eliminate this tension and win back an equitable classroom environment is to restructure the delivery points. Help erase the intimidation and hiding place in the front of the room. For the teacher who anchors behind the security of a podium or a desk, there will always be an increasing popularity for there to be an opposing back of the room where students can avoid responsibility. But for the teacher who moves and interacts with all students and creates access to all corners of the learning space, this opportunity to remain invisible or oppositional disappears.
Defiance or resentment is not always based on emotion; sometimes, one has to ask what structures in the room are supporting mismanagement and resulting behaviors. With no true “back” of the room, all learners feel welcomed into a shared space where a compassionate teacher moves freely and without intimidation to students in need of support. Students feel recognized and legitimized because coming to the front of the room is no longer the only place to demonstrate mastery. No one rushes for the seat farthest from the front because instructional opportunities can occur anywhere.
Zoom in and zoom out
For this more mobile instructor, two different yet essential cognitive functions should be happening while conducting class. Both relate to the purpose of a telephoto lens you often see at sporting events for photographers to get close ups. The ability to zoom in and zoom out between two layers of focus will improve classroom management and student engagement.
The first strategy is all about observation and intervention. Teachers begin the session with a zoomed out view of the class as a whole. Senses are on alert for student needs and support, not a gotcha sniffer for trouble (more on that in a moment). Then, when an opportunity to assist or intervene with a student arises, zoom in with physical movement closer to the area of influence. Zoom in as close as the student’s desk and get on eye level before speaking. Stay present and all-in with this student while attending to their need. This personalized investment pays dividends in students knowing you care enough to not call them out in front of everyone – which, by the way, makes you both look bad – and ensures moments like this will remain respected by others. A teacher’s level of personal engagement often translates to a student’s level of academic engagement. When ready, zoom back out to the class as a whole and continue sensing the next opportunity to support and reengage.
A second example of lenses refers to the dual dialogue tracks playing in one’s mind while teaching. The outer loop of conversation involves what one is actively speaking or listening to. Direct instruction, verbal cues, attentive listening and body language all happen within this area of activity. The second thought track internally plans ahead, asks questions, evaluates and informs the first active dialogue. This ongoing internal stream takes in observations and decides how to respond. When a lesson fails to reach the audience or its target, an inner voice tells you to make changes while you still can.
Run the dual dialogue and the zoomed-in proximity strategy as part of your renewed management style and notice the positive difference it makes! Students who recognize that their teacher is not out to get them can relax, relate and respond more effectively.
Draft a co-greeter and other valuable roles
One quick way to build relationships and community is to not be the only one doing it.
Recruit partners to join you in essential outreach tasks and teach empathy through immersion. Enlist a new co-greeter to join you in the hallway or near your door each day to welcome others to your room or just say hello to passersby. Noticing how you cheerfully recognize each person will help your student partner see others beyond an all-too-common comparative glance. Paying attention to how students walk, smile (or not) gives teachers insight into the overall mood of the day while there is still time to adjust instruction if necessary. Having a student with you helps break down stereotypes and assumptions. Today’s students are still very social, even if it looks like hand-held devices are the vehicle; valued connections with each other are not easily broken, so let’s help them out.
This paired welcoming role is not a punishment; kindness is not a consequence. If a student says, “It’s not my job,” you can say, “It’s everyone’s job.”
What other classroom tasks would benefit from having student participation and could provide learning opportunities about the needs of others? Can your students be one another’s reading tutors, writing coaches, practice speech audiences and accountability supports in small groups? Classroom management would become less of an issue for one teacher if the responsibility could be shared with multiple managers. Ultimately, of course, the teacher is the master. The “too many cooks spoil the pot” scenario comes to mind, doesn’t it? Holding everyone accountable for enforcement makes disruptions less about personal differences and more about the importance of preserving the sanctity of the learning environment for all.
Catch goodness
Full-time policing of your classroom can be an exhausting occupation and will rob you of enjoying the process of facilitating instruction. Did you really enter this profession to collar wrong-doers? Instead of trying to catch the next deviate, be on the lookout for goodness.
A “praise, not prowl” approach to the students on your roster sees the potential good in people. That’s a welcoming feeling to be out from the eye of scrutiny. Be on the lookout for students who exhibit compassion, who contribute to class in meaningful and unexpected ways. Be ready to acknowledge those who exceed expectations and students will make greater efforts to measure themselves accordingly.
An essential skill to expect more from yourself (the adult in the room) than from your students is how to de-escalate yourself. Model how to self-manage and control your emotions, how to put stressors and offenses in perspective, and how to handle disagreements with others. Students do not come pre-loaded with this desirable trait of maturity, so be prepared to patiently talk students down from anger, frustration, aggression and defiance. Having the conversation in calm tones about returning to the valuable task at hand keeps the reason for student self-control about the community and why their connected engagement matters.
Create a shared, gradual plan for behavioral intervention
The goal of any disciplinary intervention is to return the student to an active learning role as soon as possible. Three very important factors will help this process run smoothly.
- Develop a plan with students offering multiple steps. The first violation should not result in the most severe consequence. Allow students tiers ranging from a brief chat to a short walk before involving a detention or a dean. De-escalation strategies keep choices in students’ hands and away from being subject to teacher emotions. If students have helped create this system, they will be more likely to agree to and respect its use.
- Honor the individual without shaming or embarrassing them. Communicating your care for the student’s emotions keeps your rapport professional and intact.
- Preserve the integrity of the learning environment. The key to this intervention is to highlight the importance of everyone’s role in the community. Will your words say, “What we are doing today is important and your part in it matters.”? Or will students hear, “We’ll be fine without you, you might as well go somewhere else.”? Think about the end result of this conversation as you guide the student back to alignment with the shared expectations for all.
Make classroom spaces conducive for inquiry and discovery
A classroom’s physical layout may have much to do with how students manage themselves. The more students see themselves reflected in the décor and design, the more ownership they feel which results in more meaningful contributions to everything else. Remain attentive to this insight as students make requests for “Can we have…?” or “Can we do…?” as statements like this reveal the start of trust.
When observers come to your learning space, they (hopefully) see two things: the physical layout and the community dynamic. One influences the other in an ever-cycling process of growth or decline. Sure, you can master your content, but will that come at the sacrifice of knowing and adapting to your students’ needs? Make the adjustments to the space and the lesson plans together instead of alone to create the most engaging learning environment ever! Students who help shape their daily experiences instead of simply receiving instructions on what to do are more likely to see the task through – even if they encounter troubleshooting along the way.
Classroom management must be re-imagined to address the learners in front of you today. They are not who they were last year and will be entering a world no one can fully predict. The technology available, the interpersonal communication skills necessary, and the wider audience to which students can express their new understandings combine to facilitate learning in powerful and meaningful ways. Students who connect with each other, with resources and with a purpose produce amazing results. In your room, because their voices are heard, their needs and dreams are transparent, and their trust has been won, they will succeed without interruption. You are not alone in the mission to manage your class; the best resources are sitting all around you.