

I can’t teach anymore. People punch these things into Google, and Google sends them here, because algorithms are strange, enigmatic beasts that I will never fully understand. These phrases crop up every single time my “Top Searches” are refreshed.Ī plethora of versions abound. This small change has led to a smoother day in my room and has resulted in nearly 100% of my students passing the state math tests for the last three years.The proof. The kids were unpacking and talking about math while they worked. My students were coming in and getting right to work. (The math improvement was awesome…don't get me wrong.) I was shocked at the difference it made…and it wasn't just in math performance. However, a few years into my teaching career I switched to a spiraled math warm-up because our math block had been cut short by lunch. Having a structured, purposeful start to your day can make a world of difference.įor my first few years of teaching, I was guilty of letting the kids come in and work on less-than-purposeful tasks for the first few minutes of our day until the bell rang. This needs to start from the moment they walk in the door. It also makes it easier for you to hold them accountable because the routine is set. When kids know what to expect, they are better equipped to do it. Fix #3: Start the day with a structured routine. Similarly, if you are seeing issues in a certain location of the classroom, consider moving furniture to help improve the flow of traffic and prevent issues. You can always go back to groups or add more flexible seating options once your classroom is running how you'd like. Remember that your changes don't have to be permanent. One easy adjustment is to change up your seating.Ĭonsider putting desks into triads or partners instead of groups.īring in chairs or stools if flexible seating has kids struggling to focus & attend. Regardless of your seating preference, if your students are struggling to behave, they are giving you a clear message. Or perhaps you jumped on board with flexible seating. Maybe you've done groups forever…because you've always done groups. You can avoid a lot of trouble if you can build in more opportunities for success. When you start to think about these questions more deeply, you may notice some patterns that you can work around. During which types of lessons do they thrive?.Which activities have caused issues in the past?.Consider your friends who have challenging behaviors. Whatever it may be, now is the time to do a little research to incorporate it into your plans a little more. Maybe they rocked hands-on lessons…or short lessons…or lessons with music. Here are three ways to make changes when classroom management problems occur: Fix #1: Analyze & focus on strengths and interestsĪs you analyzed your lessons, you might have noticed a few things about your class. When you start to notice things aren't running smoothly, there are several ways you can adjust your systems.

Thee small changes can add up to BIG results.Ĭlassroom Management Problems: Tips For When Your Plan Isn't WorkingĬlassroom management challenges happen to even the most seasoned teacher.Īnd even changes that happen in our own lives can leave things a little more hectic and results in some challenges. The strategies focus on simple tools and strategies for making small changes to what you currently do. Today, I want to talk about what to do when things aren't working in your classroom. Over the weeks, I've written about a lot of different ways to support classroom management.

Instead of feeling frustrated about certain parts of our day that didn't go how I envision, I was no longer stressed. However, when I finally wised up and started making small changes, my classroom took on a different feel.

I've been guilty of doing what I always do…and getting the same results. These small changes can make a world of difference. With different students each year, we are always adjustments to be made. Classroom management problems can rarely be avoided.
