…creating an environment in which student behaviors are conducive to enjoyable and productive learning experiences. Enjoyable and productive: that's the key framing language to use with students. You have your rules and procedures and management moves not because you like controlling young people, but rather because you are so darn in love with enjoyable and productive learning experiences.
With high schoolers, when I'm introducing my rule about needing to raise your hand before speaking, I just ask them, “Who has ever been in a classroom where the same few students take up all the air time? Or where a few students just keep getting away with blurting out and disrupting the lesson?”
Every hand goes up.
“Okay, now keep your hand up if you've ever found that to be annoying or frustrating.”
Most hands stay up.
“Okay. Look around. That's why I've got this rule here. Not because I'm a control freak, not because I don't want to hear everything you have to say, but because in a room full of thirty-five students, there's got to be a way to protect an enjoyable and productive experience. Being annoyed or frustrated because of undisciplined speaking? Not enjoyable. Not productive.”
Though there's plenty more to classroom management (see below), the master move is to frame it in a way that's desirable to most teachers and students alike.
Because it turns out that most of us just want to have an enjoyable and productive day.
Teaching right beside you,
DSJR
P.S. Digging Deeper Into Classroom Management
What follows is a list of articles I've written on classroom management; see also this mini-course and this truly comprehensive and world-class course by Lynsay Mills Fabio.
BARBARA HALE says
Love the language — Enjoyable and productive. I get accused of being a control freak — and I might be. But this at least starts us out in a happier frame of mind. 🙂 As always, big thanks for helping me see my role differently!!!