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My first ten tips come directly from class. As I have mentioned before I am compiling a list of classroom management and teaching tips for my Student Engagement course. As soon as you walk into class you learn that the number one tip is ROUTINES.
This first experience in the classroom took me back to my preschool teaching days. The first month of school was all about routines, where do you put your backpack, lunchbox, and coat? When is free playtime? Who is the class helper today? How do we know where to go? and what is next? For me, as a new student, I have to remember to sanitize, sign in, pick up my handout, and get ready to learn.
The importance of routines was my first tip. Here are a few other classroom management tips learned during first class:
Tip # 2- Get to know your students’ names as soon as you can! We cannot emphasize that enough. As teachers, we want to build strong close relationships with our students and the first step is to remember their names!
Tip # 3 - Building relationships is critical to student learning. When they recognize that you see them as a person they will be more likely to respond. Let them get to know you so they are willing to let you get to know them.
Tip # 4 - An attention cue is essential in a classroom to bring kids back to the class discussion/activity/lesson. Some examples might include:
A clap rhythm that they repeat.
Hands on top, that means stop.
Eyes on me, It’s Uni.
Put your hand up if you can hear me.
Show me when you are done by putting your hand up.
Tip # 5 - When setting up a classroom group discussion, make sure everyone has a partner, and everyone is connected. My role as a teacher is to walk around and make sure everyone is listened to, valued, respected, and connected.
Tip # 6 - When asking questions or any input from the class it is a good idea to give students some Think time. What do I mean by think time? Wait time = Think time. Students need time to engage, organize their thoughts and respond to a question. Five to eight seconds is optimal. When we are learning we need time to think. Research shows that with increased wait times students’ answers improve and it gives students the opportunity to process their learning.
Tip # 7- Put students in small groups. This approach gives students a chance to share their ideas with a small number of people, and it gives students more confidence when it is time to share.
Tip # 8 - The more lose the learning activity, the tighter the expectations and instructions. Independence is key to learning, but effective independence in the classroom requires a great deal of instruction before students are expected to work independently.
Tip # 9 Whenever possible encourage writing.
Writing is a great way to plan out what you want to say and it helps
you to stop, and slow down your thinking.
Tip # 10 - First days in elementary are primarily about routines and relationships.
Do not hurry this process along!
Depending on the age of your students setting up these routines might take up to several weeks.
Tip # 11 - In all, you do in education always ask yourself "Is this method/lesson plan/activity, etc
ENHANCING STUDENT LEARNING? If YES move forward, if NOT reassess.
Many of the teaching tips presented here, and in future posts will include the following information "d=0.15-0.4." This information relates to John Hattie's Barometer of Influence. Hattie's barometer ranks 242 influences that either reverse the effects of learning (Do Harm) to very positively influence learning. The closer the number is to 1 the greater the influence.
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