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| Instructor demonstrating Threshold, a simple and effective technique to start class. |
This was the advice I got my first year teaching, and like everyone's first year, it had its challenges. One class in particular stood out to me. It had the most challenging kids in the whole school. One of them was sent to the office for playing with a lighter in class. Instead he walked out of the building and went home. Another kid would crawl on the floor to avoid doing work. And arguably the two most challenging students in the entire school were placed together in the class. I had to break up fights and call security frequently. I often asked myself what I was thinking signing up for this.
I'm still at the same school with similar students. There has not been a shift in the student population. And I have none of the problems that I did my first year. And there's no superpower inside of me.
Before I continue, I'd like to emphasize that my experiences pails in comparison to many's. Students punching teachers, teachers being chased by parents, and verbal threats have occurred in schools, and they still do.
You can't have learning with chaos. You can't have a successful school where students are throwing desks. Most importantly, it's significantly more difficult for students to become life-long learners in environments where their basic needs aren't being met.
But in discussing the challenges of urban schools, let's not generalize and simplify complex problems. We shouldn't say, "All they see is people hanging out on the corner", or, "They don't want to be anything besides rappers or basketball players." That is akin to going to a country you've never been and complaining because you don't understand the language. You cannot use rhetoric and distorted statistics to try to understand communities of which you do not belong.
Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs sums up the situation well. Many students in urban communities do not have their basic physical needs met, so it becomes clear that their perception of school may be different from those in more affluent neighborhoods. Is that an excuse and a reason to lower expectations? No; it's simply acknowledging facts so that we can better deal with the circumstances that arise in our classrooms.
Let's return to classroom management. There are various philosophies and success stories, but there are certain qualities that remain in all of them that I have observed in great teachers:
1. Great teachers utilize emotional constancy. When you raise your voice, you are sending a message to the kids that they've gotten to you. You are visibly and audibly frazzled, and showing those signs will not only make you less professional, but it also signals the students that you've cracked and they have won the battle. This frames the debate with a connotation that should be absent from it to begin with; the classroom is a struggle for power. It's not. You are in control. You are in charge. That does not mean you are tyrannical or maniacal; it means that there is a clear position of authority within the four walls in which you teach. There can be ambiguity there.
Being consistent emotionally means that we don't present a rollercoaster of emotions. When the student does not achieve mastery, we Normalize Error. We don't shame. We show them that errors are not only normal, but essential in the process of becoming great. Simultaneously, we use Precise Praise when students answer correctly. We don't need to scream with joy; we can use a simply, "Good work!" to show that we appreciate what they have done. When teachers go overboard with complements, we send a message of low expectations; we weren't expecting you to get it right, so we will make up for it by smothering you with unnecessary complements.
2. Great teachers make their expectations clear. This is, without a doubt, the most important component of classroom management. While the other points are important, this supersedes them immensely.
Research has shown us the importance of making expectations clear in the first weeks of school. It's important that we remind students of our expectations throughout the year and constantly hold them accountable in appropriate ways. Instead of reprimanding a student in a negative way, we can remind them, "Which conversation level should you be at?" and issue a consequence if necessary.
The term consequence has a negative connotation. But they don't have to be punitive. If we do not issue consequences, we send the message to our students that they can do whatever they please. We need to have consequences for a safe school. (We must also remember that consequences can be positive as well- class points, "scholar dollars", or my own "SWAG" awards- Scholars Working Always Great.)
CHAMP is, in my opinion, the best system for making expectations clear. I have mentioned it in other posts, but here are two sample posters explaining CHAMP(S) and conversation levels:
Research has shown us the importance of making expectations clear in the first weeks of school. It's important that we remind students of our expectations throughout the year and constantly hold them accountable in appropriate ways. Instead of reprimanding a student in a negative way, we can remind them, "Which conversation level should you be at?" and issue a consequence if necessary.
The term consequence has a negative connotation. But they don't have to be punitive. If we do not issue consequences, we send the message to our students that they can do whatever they please. We need to have consequences for a safe school. (We must also remember that consequences can be positive as well- class points, "scholar dollars", or my own "SWAG" awards- Scholars Working Always Great.)
CHAMP is, in my opinion, the best system for making expectations clear. I have mentioned it in other posts, but here are two sample posters explaining CHAMP(S) and conversation levels:
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| Sample CHAMPS poster. I have posted the ones I have made in my room. I had not seen the S added previously. This is optional, but I like the idea of talking about "success" to frame expectations in a positive manner. |
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| Example of possible conversation CHAMP voice levels |
The S for "success" is new. Some schools use it and others don't. While I am big on encouraging success and using positive framing, I do not use it in my classroom, because it's different from the other components. "Success" is not an expectation; it's the results of meeting and exceeding expectations. Let's break down each part of CHAMP for indepentant and group work.
C- Conversation. At what level should your students be speaking? I posted the sample above with five conversation levels, but I actually only use three in my room- 0 (silence), 1 (small group voice, or the "6 inch rule"), 2 (whole class voice). This is a simple, straightforward way to make clear what the volume in a class should be for a given activity. For example, when students enter and complete their Do Nows they're at a 0, when they are working in their groups they're at a 1, and when presenting to the class or reading aloud during guided reading they're at a 2.
H- Help. How do students ask for assistance? During independent work they can raise their hand or use the "book signal", which is taking a book and standing it upwards on their desk. (For some reason they really seem to enjoy doing this.) They can also use "seat signals"- crossing their fingers if they need to use the washroom (make sure to have a sign-out sheet ready by the door), holding up an unsharpened pencil (which can be swapped with pre-sharpened pencils), and twirling a finger in the air might mean they have dropped something and need to pick it up, possibly leaving their desk. You can use non-verbal corrections and indicators to communicate to avoid disrupting your lesson. For example, sometimes I put my hand up like a stop sign, indicating "hold on", or I might flash five fingers, meaning to wait five minutes. These are great procedural tools to help maintain the pacing of your lesson.
During group work, students can "ask three before me" if they have a question. I have used those exact words when students ask a question during group/partner work; "Did you ask three before me?" Sometimes they forget and then return to their groups and are able to determine the information they needed. If not, provide assistance as necessary.
A- Activity. What are they working on? What is the product that you will see? How will you know students are working on what they are supposed to be? This goes hand in hand with the objective; what will students be able to see and do? You should make it clear what you are expecting to get out of the lesson (such as by reading the objective aloud) and how you will be assessing this. For example, are student writing on sticky notes during a close read and then answering text-dependent questions? Will they be completing an experiment modeling chemical and mechanical breakdown using antacid tablets and vinegar, and afterwards, will they be completing some kind of analysis? Students need to be clear on what they are doing.
M- Movement. Student should be clear on where they can go in the classroom, for what purpose, and when they can go to certain places. Keep this in mind when running centers/stations, or if you have a small classroom and have some students working outside. If you are doing a project, you want the materials easily accessible. Finally, if it is independent work, students should be clear that they are to stay in their seats. Again, they can use seat signals if they need help.
P- Participation. This is how students will demonstrate that they are participating- discussion records in literature circles, answering analysis questions for a science experiment, or creating mathematical models with manipulatives. Keep in mind as well if they are working independently or in groups. Finally, model what participation looks like, especially in groups. Show them what model participation would look like. To create accountability, I have a CHAMP managers accountability sheet that I have my "managers" complete each week for their group members, including themselves.
If students are not meeting the CHAMP expectations, they can receive a "strike", "demerit", change their "color", or whatever consequence is appropriate. That is the immediate consequence. If they recieve a certain number of demerits in a week, they might recieve a detention. It is paramount that students be held accountable to their actions and that you follow through with consequences. This will set the tone for your classroom. Again, consequences can be positive as well, including for meeting and exceeding your CHAMP expectations. You could give them some extra free time, give them a coupon to switch seats with a peer for the day, or another appropriate incentive. This can be for the entire class as well.
C- Conversation. At what level should your students be speaking? I posted the sample above with five conversation levels, but I actually only use three in my room- 0 (silence), 1 (small group voice, or the "6 inch rule"), 2 (whole class voice). This is a simple, straightforward way to make clear what the volume in a class should be for a given activity. For example, when students enter and complete their Do Nows they're at a 0, when they are working in their groups they're at a 1, and when presenting to the class or reading aloud during guided reading they're at a 2.
H- Help. How do students ask for assistance? During independent work they can raise their hand or use the "book signal", which is taking a book and standing it upwards on their desk. (For some reason they really seem to enjoy doing this.) They can also use "seat signals"- crossing their fingers if they need to use the washroom (make sure to have a sign-out sheet ready by the door), holding up an unsharpened pencil (which can be swapped with pre-sharpened pencils), and twirling a finger in the air might mean they have dropped something and need to pick it up, possibly leaving their desk. You can use non-verbal corrections and indicators to communicate to avoid disrupting your lesson. For example, sometimes I put my hand up like a stop sign, indicating "hold on", or I might flash five fingers, meaning to wait five minutes. These are great procedural tools to help maintain the pacing of your lesson.
During group work, students can "ask three before me" if they have a question. I have used those exact words when students ask a question during group/partner work; "Did you ask three before me?" Sometimes they forget and then return to their groups and are able to determine the information they needed. If not, provide assistance as necessary.
A- Activity. What are they working on? What is the product that you will see? How will you know students are working on what they are supposed to be? This goes hand in hand with the objective; what will students be able to see and do? You should make it clear what you are expecting to get out of the lesson (such as by reading the objective aloud) and how you will be assessing this. For example, are student writing on sticky notes during a close read and then answering text-dependent questions? Will they be completing an experiment modeling chemical and mechanical breakdown using antacid tablets and vinegar, and afterwards, will they be completing some kind of analysis? Students need to be clear on what they are doing.
M- Movement. Student should be clear on where they can go in the classroom, for what purpose, and when they can go to certain places. Keep this in mind when running centers/stations, or if you have a small classroom and have some students working outside. If you are doing a project, you want the materials easily accessible. Finally, if it is independent work, students should be clear that they are to stay in their seats. Again, they can use seat signals if they need help.
P- Participation. This is how students will demonstrate that they are participating- discussion records in literature circles, answering analysis questions for a science experiment, or creating mathematical models with manipulatives. Keep in mind as well if they are working independently or in groups. Finally, model what participation looks like, especially in groups. Show them what model participation would look like. To create accountability, I have a CHAMP managers accountability sheet that I have my "managers" complete each week for their group members, including themselves.
If students are not meeting the CHAMP expectations, they can receive a "strike", "demerit", change their "color", or whatever consequence is appropriate. That is the immediate consequence. If they recieve a certain number of demerits in a week, they might recieve a detention. It is paramount that students be held accountable to their actions and that you follow through with consequences. This will set the tone for your classroom. Again, consequences can be positive as well, including for meeting and exceeding your CHAMP expectations. You could give them some extra free time, give them a coupon to switch seats with a peer for the day, or another appropriate incentive. This can be for the entire class as well.
3. Great teachers use Positive Framing. This is also crucial. When we use positive framing, we do not yell at students. We do not scream. We not only remain calm, but when students need redirection (which some inevitably will), we do so firmly but with care. We can still be "strict" and loving simultaneously. You can use other techniques like Right Means Right and No Opt Out to help frame scenarios in a positive manner. Correcting errors in simple ways can be done- "That would be a good example of a round character, do you remember how that's different from a dynamic character?" You could also "stretch it" by saying, "Great work, can you remind me why a dynamic character can never be static?"
Again, being positive doesn't mean that you aren't clear or that you aren't "strict". You can still assert your expectations with clarity- just make sure you do so in a positive manner.
Again, being positive doesn't mean that you aren't clear or that you aren't "strict". You can still assert your expectations with clarity- just make sure you do so in a positive manner.
4. Great teachers assign appropriate consequences and rewards as necessary. We enable negative behavior if we allow the improper behavior to continue without immediate consequences. Again, this could be in the form of demerits, "strikes", loss of "class points", etc. We simply do not want to send the message to our students that anything goes.
There's been an ongoing debate about the use of rewards in classrooms; should we use them or not, and what message do we send students if we use them?
I used to not believe in rewards, and that they often turned into a form of bribery. We want to promote intrinsic motivation, I thought, and rewards are extrinsic motivation. That is true, and we do not want our students to exceed expectations, not just meet them. But we have to ask ourselves, what motivates us to do what we do each day? While I love teaching, I also need to make money. Here I have intrinsic motivation (I want to be the best that I can) as well as extrinsic (I need to support my family). While we want students to be motivated, sometimes sparking that drive is difficult. I believe that, when used appropriately, rewards can help do this. Remember that rewards are a form of consequences. If all our consequences are negative, we show students that we will not reward them for pushing themselves. Yes, the thought of an A will motivate our students who are driven, but it may not push others to study. In an ideal society, rewards would not be necessary in schools. But this is far from an ideal society, and rewards can help push students to be accountable.
There's been an ongoing debate about the use of rewards in classrooms; should we use them or not, and what message do we send students if we use them?
I used to not believe in rewards, and that they often turned into a form of bribery. We want to promote intrinsic motivation, I thought, and rewards are extrinsic motivation. That is true, and we do not want our students to exceed expectations, not just meet them. But we have to ask ourselves, what motivates us to do what we do each day? While I love teaching, I also need to make money. Here I have intrinsic motivation (I want to be the best that I can) as well as extrinsic (I need to support my family). While we want students to be motivated, sometimes sparking that drive is difficult. I believe that, when used appropriately, rewards can help do this. Remember that rewards are a form of consequences. If all our consequences are negative, we show students that we will not reward them for pushing themselves. Yes, the thought of an A will motivate our students who are driven, but it may not push others to study. In an ideal society, rewards would not be necessary in schools. But this is far from an ideal society, and rewards can help push students to be accountable.
5. Great teachers treat all students treated equally and fairly and are cognizant of inherent biases to create a diverse community of learners. This seems like a no-brainer, but often occurs, particularly with white teachers in urban schools. I remember the first time I read Peggy McIntosh's essay on white privilege and was absolutely stunned. I had always thought of racism in an overt, blunt manner, but never as a system which was inherently set up to provide myself advantages and people of color disadvantages. It was a life-changing read. Lisa Delpit's "The Silenced Dialogue" was another essay that left me speechless, because it not only applied these ideas to education, but it showed the perspectives of many educators of color, and how I had directly abused my "cultural capital" in ways I had never intended.
It is critical for us to be aware of our entrenched prejudices- to confront them, and ultimately examine them. Only then can we be honest with ourselves. Biases can be entrenched to the point where we become oblivious. All teachers want to have successful classrooms, but we ultimately may be holding our students when we harbor prejudices, however minor they may seem.
Once we have recognized our defects, it is paramount that we implement a classroom environment free of bias. You might consider how often you call on students of a specific gender, race, socioeconomic background, sexual preference, proficiency with English (or native language), and those with or without learning and behavioral disabilities.
Finally, we cannot afford to be colorblind, nor can our students. Too many teachers politely tell themselves things like, "I don't see race". This is not only naive, but can be outright dangerous in a classroom. To pretend that Eric Garner's race was not a factor in his death is false; to suggest so in a classroom can be detrimental to students. I have witnessed teachers and administrators try to sweep racial problems under the rug. The problem does not go away; the problem grows until it can no longer be ignored. Please, for the dignity and respect of our students, do not ignore the cultural chasms that may exist in classrooms. Confront, learn, and ultimately grow from them. As a professor once told me, "It is not our students who must adapt to us, but we who must adapt to our students."
It is critical for us to be aware of our entrenched prejudices- to confront them, and ultimately examine them. Only then can we be honest with ourselves. Biases can be entrenched to the point where we become oblivious. All teachers want to have successful classrooms, but we ultimately may be holding our students when we harbor prejudices, however minor they may seem.
Once we have recognized our defects, it is paramount that we implement a classroom environment free of bias. You might consider how often you call on students of a specific gender, race, socioeconomic background, sexual preference, proficiency with English (or native language), and those with or without learning and behavioral disabilities.
Finally, we cannot afford to be colorblind, nor can our students. Too many teachers politely tell themselves things like, "I don't see race". This is not only naive, but can be outright dangerous in a classroom. To pretend that Eric Garner's race was not a factor in his death is false; to suggest so in a classroom can be detrimental to students. I have witnessed teachers and administrators try to sweep racial problems under the rug. The problem does not go away; the problem grows until it can no longer be ignored. Please, for the dignity and respect of our students, do not ignore the cultural chasms that may exist in classrooms. Confront, learn, and ultimately grow from them. As a professor once told me, "It is not our students who must adapt to us, but we who must adapt to our students."
6. Great teachers do not shame students when they are "wrong". I have talked about this a great deal with normalizing error. There is not much to say here that I have not written about previously; don't shame students, period. I have worked in schools where screaming at students for an incorrect answer was the norm. This continues the self-fulfilling prophecy that holds back many of our students from success. They fall into a cycle of learned helplessness. They receive the message that they can't do it repeatedly and it becomes ingrained in their psyche.
We know that great teachers are constantly checking for understanding. As a huge proponent of Cold Call, I believe that frequent informal assessments are one of the keys to successful differentiated instruction. Students need to feel comfortable when speaking and sharing their answers. Great teachers instill confidence and a classroom climate where it's not only acceptable to make mistakes, but is encouraged, because the effort is what we are looking for, second to ability.
7. Great teachers convey the importance of procedures to students from day one and throughout the year. Whether you've been teaching for decades or will start in the fall, you've likely heard how critical procedures are. The First Days Of School (Wong) was drilled into my head when I student taught, and has been a staple for teachers since it's publication. The author is relentless in his assertion of the critical nature of procedures on the first day of school. While Wong's signature text may seem outdated in certain aspects, his emphasis is not. Procedures are critical to the success of a classroom.
Studies have shown that the classrooms with the least amount of management problems occur when the teachers modeled their expectations and how they expect students to function in the classroom. Consider if you have clear, set procedures for the following:
-Entering the classroom
-Exiting the classroom
-What students should do if they need a sharp pencil
-Entering tardy
-Walking through hallways and taking restroom breaks as a class
-Obtaining various classroom supplies
-Accessing and returning books
-When to copy down homework and where to write it
-Writing headings
-Mainting a discipline system
-Class jobs
-All components of CHAMP
These are just a few examples. I love Seat Signals. They are fantastic for independent work. Regardless of your procedures, make sure you have systems for everything. The more consistent you are with clearly enforcing and modeling procedures, the more successful your classroom will be.
8. Great teachers prevent problems before they start. I recently was teaching in a classroom at another school over the summer, when I heard a fight break out into the hallway between two third grade boys. The teacher was oblivious to the situation and started blaming the boys for her lack of attention. This classroom constantly has problems, especially noise issues. Yet other classrooms in the school, with the same student population, do not have problems. In fact, these classes are models for behavior- in urban classrooms and beyond.
Ultimately, student behavior falls on us. Yes, there are extreme cases, but 99% of the time, student misbehavior is a result of teacher inattention. In another classroom, the teacher stepped outside and left the students alone with a student observer. Another fight broke out. Another teacher simply had students on iPads for hours. They were instructed to do an independent activity. The teacher was simply at her desk on her phone and I'm sure you can guess that the students became off task.
Great teachers investigate for conflict. They are always scanning and taking note of possible trouble before it starts. They have eyes on the backs of their heads. They are always aware that something can go wrong, but they work to prevent problems before they start. There is no reason that a classroom in a high-poverty neighborhood cannot function just as seemlessly as one in an affluent suburb.
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Classroom management problems burn teachers out more than anything else. Many of us were not adequately prepared in college to meet the needs of an overcrowded, under-resourced schools in a low-income neighborhood. That does not validate some sort of patronizing "Teach For America" style narrative or being a savior; it is simply repudiating this notion that "those kids" are the problem. Nor is it a means to suggest privatization, charter schools, education "reform" policies, and massive budget cuts. No, it is none of those things. It means we don't make excuses. In an ineffective classroom the teacher is the problem, and in an effective classroom the teacher is the solution.
