Managing a classroom can be hard whether you’re a newbie or you’ve spent a couple of years in teaching. Students are just students, and everyone has their own personality. However, there are some brilliant and proactive ways you can manage the classroom and keep your students in check.
In this article, we discuss the potential antidotes to chaos in a classroom. In fact, these are ways that you could solve problems that arise from classroom mismanagement.
1. Have clear rules from day one
The best way to let students know what they have to do or avoid, is by telling them before they get to do anything. This will guarantee that students don’t misbehave on the pretext that they don’t know the rules, and it’s nowhere among their excuses.
On the contrary, some teachers procrastinate this step, only to introduce the rules later when the students are used to behaving wildly.
2. Establish a good relationship with students
Even though sometimes you feel like exerting a little authority to create a reasonable gap between you and the students, it’s important that you create a good relationship with them.
Being on friendly terms with most of your students is one way that some of them can get themselves in check, because they don’t want to offend you.
3. Use reminders and cues
You might be having all the rules you need, but what are you doing to make sure you implement them? It is perfectly normal to keep reminding your students of what they have to do even though they alredy know it.
By the use of a notice board, verbal reminders or even creating and forcing them to keep copies of the class rules, you guard their memories from losing what matters most.
4. Classroom seating order matters
Before you even doubt this, there are so many students that behave in ways they don’t have to, simply because they’re seated where they don’t have to be.
To organize your students in an orderly way, you must first know a little about their traits, who doesn’t deserve to sit with who, and that will be your perfect guide. Seating order also does a lot to affect the classroom participation of some students.
5. Give behavior-specific praise
You’ll have so many virtuous students in your classroom. Considering the fact that they’ve resisted temptation from others, you need to encourage them by praising.
However, your praise should highlight what exactly they’ve done to deserve the praise you’re giving them.
6. Set clear expectations
Do your students know exactly what you expect from them during this term/ semester? As a teacher, you should take the time to share your vision along with the students.
This will somehow keep your students in check, thereby attaching purpose to their virtuous behavior.
7. Actively supervise
Supervision is key to maintaining order in the classroom. This is because the students themselves wil hardly misbehave if they know that you’re watching them closely.
Also, it will enable you to detect misbehavior and possibly control or eliminate it before it erupts.
8. Apply rules consistently
Creating rules is one thing, and applying them is another. For your students to take your rules and regulations seriously, you have to set the pace for them to follow or pick up on.
As soon as you let loose and break some of your own rules, some students will NEVER adhere to them again, and that’s just a natural instinct.
9. Design a daily duties routine
Every student, except under specific and strong limitation, has to participate in an activity that contributes to the order of the classroom. Common duties are usually related to cleaning and/or organizing the classroom.
In some cases, some students can’t participate in these activities due to allergies, but this doesn’t stop them from participating in other available duties.
10. Cultivate an atmosphere of respect
As a teacher, you always get what you give to the students, sometimes even in larger quantities. This is exactly why you should respect your students and yourself, so that they can also respect you.
If your students respect you well enough, your classroom will be organized and orderly under normal circumstances. Remember, it’s more about what you do, than what you say.
11. Take note of any negative behavior
Every student is capable of negative behavior, and you’ll find it in many students most of the time. However, you have to always take note of it, regardless of whether you call them out or save it for later.
Sometimes, you just don’t have to exert extreme patronage on your students, because it will suck all the fun out of your classroom.
Conclusion;
All the tips above are not a way to keep students extremely suppressed like it would appear in a prison. However, they are simple tips to make students maintain a calm and peaceful composure all through your lessons. This prevents further problems and punishments that might erupt from having a chaotic classroom.