Katie Kinder’s Top Ten Classroom Management Tips!
- Learn their names; be relentless about pronouncing their names correctly. On day one, don’t take attendance out loud. The kids are not loyal to you yet, but they are loyal to the other students sitting in the room. They will save face in front of them, so be discreet. Have the students be working on something while you move about the room saying hello to each student, and learning how to pronounce their names, and what they go by.
- Any issue that arises beginning on day one, you must address. Use the Love and Logic approach. “Oh, goodness,” SMILE, “We don’t talk out of turn in this class; do you have a question?”
- Procedures, procedures, procedures! How do we get a pencil in here? How do we ask to go to the bathroom in here? How do we ask a question in here? How do we sharpen a pencil in here? PROCEDURES! Reach out for my individual classroom procedures; complete with a fun group quiz.
- Address the technology procedures from the beginning. Ban The Phones! They don’t need them; the phones should not be in sight. Almost every single district post-covid is a one-to-one district. The kids have use of an iPad, chromebook, or other device for learning purposes. Phones are not part of the equation. Put them up.
- Create procedures around the devices even better if you can create team procedures around the school-issued devices. If the student chooses to do something unrelated to their education on their device, talk about the action steps? Warning? Call home? Confiscation of device for a period of time.
- Brain research shows that if kids are listening to music with lyrics while they attempt to work, their IQ goes down by 10 points. No earbuds, and if you are playing music for your students, play instrumental music.
- Go over group procedures. ‘No Cross Pod Talking.’ Every student has a role in the group in which they can be successful. Leader, Scribe, Researcher, Runner, Speaker.
- Create relevant and engaging lesson plans for your students. “Because we’ve always done it this way,” is never a reason to continue anything. Examine the standards and decide how you can best serve the babies in your rooms.
- Revisit procedures after a long break!
- Have fun and laugh with your kids. Life is too short not to be enjoying this work. It is hard, but so worth it. You are creating an experience for your students that will last a lifetime. What you do matters every day!
Need More? Reach out to schedule a Classroom Management Workshop for your school! untoldteachingtruths@gmail.com
OR Come see us at Relate Then Educate’s classes in Tulsa and OKC. Reserve your spots today!
9/12: Tulsa: https://relatetheneducate.com/classroommanagement-tulsa/
9/21: OKC: https://relatetheneducate.com/classroommanagement-okc/
Register your teachers now, and pay later when your PD money comes in. We just want to love on the teachers, and keep them in our profession, and classroom management is the key.
Katie Kinder 