Are you stuck in a rut in the classroom? Feel like student behavior is simply out of control? Well you’re not alone. In fact, in the U.K. over 50% of teachers consider leaving the profession each and every year.

And their reason? Inappropriate student behavior that makes classroom management almost impossible.

But it really doesn’t have to be like this. In fact you could go a long way towards improving your classroom management skills TODAY.

Simply enter your details into the field in the top right corner and get part 1 of your FREE classroom management guide within seconds.

Don’t wait until tomorrow. Claim your FREE effective classroom management guide NOW!

I was sat at my desk today and my thoughts were racing around my head at a million miles an hour.  And one classroom management question just kept popping into my head.

Now it’s only a small question, and it doesn’t really matter, but I just thought I’d throw it out there anyway.

Do you think teaching classes for just one lesson per week leads to better or worse classroom behaviour?

The only reason I ask is because a lot of my colleagues only teach many of their classes once a week.  And it’s often these teachers who seem to have more classroom management problems that others.

So what do you think? Does the amount of lessons that you teach your classes per week have a big impact on the behavior of the students you teach?

I’d love to hear what you think…

I have some pretty exciting news for regular readers of this classroom management blog.  I’ve been writing classroom management articles online for some time now.  Yes, it takes a long time to do, but sharing classroom management tips and tricks really does make me happy.

And receiving praise for your work is always nice.  Especially when you’ve been doing that work for free, just to help other teachers out there.  Well, over the past month I’ve written about 20 effective classroom management articles. 

And guess what? Today EzineArticles.com sent me a nice email, praised my work, and then awarded me EXPERT author status.  It seems that my classroom management articles have provoked a strong positive reaction with the EzineArticles readers.

I feel even more inspired now to share my classroom management ideas and tips with as wide an audience as possible.  I’ll speak  to you soon

Okay, I’ve just finished putting the final touches to a new classroom management video. Now, I’m no hot shot director, BUT I’m pretty happy with my latest attemp at making anything resembling a decent video.

Yes, it’s a bit silly. But then silly can be good sometimes! Hopefully the sillyness of this video will help spread the effective classroom management message of this teacher blog.

I’ll stop the fanfare now, and introduce ‘Classroom Management…and Jaws’, my latest creation. Yeah, it’s a bit silly, but then who said there was anything wrong with being silly?!

Hit the video below and my latest classroom management video will play. Enjoy

I just wanted to post a quick thank you to all the people who have sent such positive comments regarding my free classroom management mini course.  I knew people would like the course but I genuinely didn’t expect to receive such positive emails about it!

So, a huge thanks to everyone who has sent in such nice emails over the past few days…you really have made my week :)

If you haven’t already signed up for my FREE effective classroom management 7 part mini course then do so NOW!  Enter your details in the form at the top right of this blog and receive part 1 within seconds.

Not only will you get a fantastic classroom management mini course for FREE, but you will also get a few nice surprise too ….but it wouldn’t be a surprise if I told you about it now would it?!

Go ahead and enter your details NOW and receive part 1 within seconds.

One reason for poor student behavior is a lack of engagement with the curriculum. I’m not a believer in teachers having to entertain students, but if the pupils you teach are not engaged in the curriculum that you’re delivering, then poor student behavior will be just around the corner.

However, with the demands of teaching getting larger by the day, it’s getting more and more difficult to prepare the fresh and original teaching resources that are needed to engage the students that you teach.

So what do you do if you just don’t have the time to produce killer resources on a regular basis? Well one option is to visit the Primary Resources website. Run by Gareth, a dedicated UK based teacher, Primary resources contains hundreds of free resources for teachers everywhere.

Gareth has just updated his site and posted more than 30 new resources for you to download completely free of charge. Head over there now but make sure you say thanks to Gareth as you pass through!

Being a teacher in the the rainy UK means that I am curretly enjoying a very nice half term holiday. 

In fact, my holiday at home is so nice that I didn’t even get out of bed until near midday today

And now that I’ve had two full days off school I’m not sure I can even remember the names of the student that I teach!

Okay, I’m not quite that relaxed yet but I am having a very nice break!

Being a teacher in the UK does have some advantages though after all….

But just because I’m on holiday from school, it doesn’t mean that I’ve rested in my mission to spread classroom management help and advice far and wide.

In fact, nothing could be further from the truth….

You see, even when I’m on holiday I can’t rest.  Which is why I’ve spent the past 4 days putting together a very special FREE report, just for you.  It’s basically my thoughts on classroom management, and how it can be improved.

It’s taken a lot of toil and sweat to produce, but if it helps just one person improve their classroom management skills then it will have been worth it.

And remember…the report is completely FREE so you have no excuse not to download now.

>>> Classroom Management Nightmares….And How To Avoid Them <<<

Click the link above and then save the PDF to your computer.  But if you want to enjoy this FREE report you must download it NOW, as if I get too many hits I might have to pull it.

Download this FREE special report and then make sure you pop back to my blog to tell me what you think.

>>> Classroom Management Nightmares….And How To Avoid Them <<<

I can’t wait to hear from you

Now I’m off to enjoy the rest of my holiday and pray for some weather other than rain

You are awoken abruptly by the sound of a neighbour merrily dancing around the garden, cheerfully pruning a rose bush. The sweet smells of freshly cut grass invade your nostrils as you jump enthusiastically from your bed. 

Refreshed by your recent holiday, your thoughts turn instinctively towards the day ahead, and the inevitable pleasure that this will bring.  Being a qualified teacher in 2007; a truly joyful experience.  If you’re retired that is.

The reality of teaching today is that student behaviour is deteriorating fast, and teachers are left stranded and helpless to pick up the broken pieces.  The emotional anchor around your neck, pulling you under, as you gasp for air.  Wondering where it all went wrong as you thrash around frantically, desperately trying to grab hold of something solid.

Teaching in a 2007 classroom can be a draining experience.  A lack of support from above, and a lack of respect from below, conspires to make you question your chosen career.  A toxic combination of guilt, shame and embarrassment paralysing your social life, as you plough on through the monotony of yet another taxing term.

If this sounds familiar then you’re not alone.  Teaching is harder then ever, and it isn’t getting any easier.  A divorce of rights and responsibilities, and a breakdown in the traditional values of respect, have made classroom management almost impossible.

A huge ticking time bomb of youth irresponsibility, just waiting to explode in your face.   Just ask an older more experienced teacher if student behaviour has gotten worse over the years.  Just be prepared for the inevitable barrage of laughter that comes your way.

Everyone knows that classroom management is getting harder, yet few seem to want to acknowledge the problem.  Certainly not the senior leadership team in your school, who sit blindfolded and merry, meticulously designing yet another proforma for you to complete.  Since when did meaningless paperwork ever solve the problem of rude and aggressive student behaviour?  Even if it is completed on an fancy piece of paper, designed carefully by your dedicated six person leadership team, while you’re toiling knee deep in swear words and aggression.

If only the world knew what teachers go through on a daily basis.  The press, the government and the rest, completely oblivious to the poisonous nature of many of our classrooms.  Unaware that thousands of teachers are left without the antidote.

Surveying the profession is a depressing experience.  Teachers worn out and washed up, their hopes and dreams millions of miles away.  Looking for a way out, but trapped for life, surrounded by a never ending cacophony of inappropriate student behaviour.

But it’s not all doom and disaster.  In every school, there are teachers who stand tall and brave, marching on fearless and unruffled, while dancing to a very different tune. Yes, the classroom management techniques of old may no longer work.  But it is still possible to control and manage even the most difficult classes.  If you’re properly trained that is.

Teaching has changed for the worse, and it’s not going to change back.  If you want to get back on top, and discover again the joys of this profession, then you need to change too.  Stop flogging to death the same old tired classroom management techniques that worked so well in 1987.  This is 2007, and if you want to survive you need to get with the changes.  And fast.

To discover how you can regain control of your classroom as quickly as 1-2-3 then click then link below and download the hugely popular Classroom Management 101 NOW

==>> http://www.ClassroomManagement101.com
 

The article above was published on the Infet website on the 20th May as part of the Classroom Mangement 101 blog’s ‘recommended by Infet’ status.

I know the anguish that classroom management problems can cause.  You feel alone, frustrated and even worthless.  I know, because I’ve been there. 

Yeah, I don’t feel like that anymore, but I know that there are thousands of fellow teachers out there that are experiencing the pain of classroom management problems.  And they are going through this emotional turmoil right now.

Helping these fellow teachers is the main reason why I decided to launch this classroom management blog.  It’s the main reason why I spent months slaving away creating Classroom Management 101.

And I’m going to be completely honest with you now.  Even though this whole process has taken such a long time, it’s been worth every second that I’ve devoted to it. 

Why?  Because already I’ve received several emails thanking me for my advice in Classroom Management 101.  Thanking me for giving them hope again. 

Putting myself out there in this way wasn’t easy.  It took guts to write a book on a topic such as classroom management.  But when I receive such positive feedback that all just fades away. 

Which is why when I received an email today from Infet.co.uk I was so delighted.  You see, not only did they have positive things to say about my book.  They also gave me a ‘recommended by Infet badge’ to display proudly on my site.

And let me tell you now.  This kind of recognition from my peers is worth its weight in gold. 

Like a 7 year old celebrating his birthday with his shinny, round badge, I’ll be wearing by badge with pride.  If websites could puff out their chests then my shirt would be popping through your screen!

Enjoy the site, and as always get in touch by clicking here for any reason at all.

Wishing you a peaceful classroom.

Proudly sponsored by Infet!

Well, the remaining two reviews are back for my Classroom Management 101 book.  And guess what?  Yep, my smile is even bigger than yesterday.  They loved it, and I really am as happy as can be.

Writing Classroom Management 101 has been a real journey for me, and I find it incredibly scary having my fellow teachers review my work.  It makes me feel like a pupil again!

The great feedback meant that I could have spent the last few days relaxing, instead of worrying about the reaction to the book.  I knew the book would great a reaction, and I guess the lesson is that in futur,e I should have more confidence in my ideas.  But then again, teachers must be the most critical of all reviewers so you forgive me for being a little bit nervous!

I’m just putting the finishing touches to the chapter list, and a couple of other small things that need doing, but it should be ready VERY soon indeed.

I’ll let you the exact release date as soon as I have it.  In fact, readers of this blog will be the very FIRST to find out

With so many teachers struggling with inappropriate behavior it is hardly surprising that more people are coming online to find classroom management ideas.  Effective classroom control is hard, and coming up with classroom management  ideas is difficult when you are swamped by ever increasing piles of work.

One of the best sources of effective classroom management ideas, is also one of the most overlooked.  In every school, in every part of the world, there will be a few teachers who have superb classroom control.  No matter how much student behavior has deteriorated in the wider school, these teachers can control even the toughest students.

These teachers manage to demonstrate excellent classroom management skills, day in and day out. Each teacher will have a different range of effective classroom management techniques and strategies, but they will all be effective. 

I’m often amazed how few teachers actually commit the time to go and watch these teachers in action.  If you’re struggling with student behavior in your classroom, and if you’re desperate for some top quality classroom management ideas and tips, then go and watch these teachers tomorrow.

You will be surprised by how much you can pick up by watching them at work.  I frequently have other teachers, especially new ones, come and ask if they can observe one of my lessons. 

And each and every time, I’m delighted to say yes. Having your peers ask to observe your lessons is second only to seeing your excellent classroom management strategies start to yield results.

So if you’re desperately in search of effective classroom management ideas, then go and watch a fellow teacher tomorrow.  You never know, you might just pick up a life changing classroom management technique, and never look back.

One question that’s often debated is the effect that dress code has upon classroom behavior.  Some argue that dress code has a direct impact upon classroom behavior, and is one of the key drivers of inappropriate student behavior. 

So does dress code impact upon classroom behavior and to what extent?  In my opinion, what the dress code of a school is, is much less important that whether the dress code is enforced.  Failing to enforce a high standard of dress code is often the first step towards inappropriate student behavior.

Enforcing the school’s dress code really is that important.  If pupil’s see that you are weak in this respect, then it will only be a matter of time before they push the boundaries in other areas too.

Forget the hype that a school uniform is an essential component of good classroom management in the classroom.  The consistent enforcement of whatever dress code is already in existence is far more important when it comes to preventing inappropriate student behavior. 

One question that I get asked a lot, is what skills are needed for effective classroom management.  Now this is a hard question to answer for many reasons.  I’ve seen a lot of excellent teachers over the years, and they all seemed to be so different in their style.

Since good classroom managers all seem to have different skill sets, is it really possible to identify common skills needed to develop the effective effective classroom management  strategies that will reduce inappropriate behavior in your classroom?  Absolutely!

Teachers who have effective classroom management strategies might all appear to have different skills on the surface.  But scratch the surface a little, and you will discover that they all share some core attributes.

Below are some of the skills that all effective classroom managers seem to have.

1. Patience. 

I’m sure you’ve heard the saying that patience is a virtue.  Well scrap that, because in the classroom patience is a necessity. In order to maintain good working relationships with the students that you teach, you need to be able to demonstrate patience.  Get stressed out and start snapping at your pupils, and you will find classroom management harder than ever.

2. Determination

Effective classroom management takes skill, but it also takes determination.  You need to be determined to establish your authority in the classroom at all costs, or you will see a deterioration in student behavior.  The teachers with the most effective classroom management skills are the teachers who are determined to follow through, and appl their rules consistently, whatever the situation.

3. Consistency

If you’re not consistent in your classroom, then you will find effective classroom management hard to achieve.  The teachers who have the least problems with student behavior are the teachers who deal with the pupils in a consistent fashion.  Treat identical situations differently, simply because of the child involved, and you’re setting yourself up for failure.

Teachers with effective classroom management skills all seem to have different attributes.  Even so, all have the three skills above in abundance.  If you want to reduce inappropriate student behavior in your classroom now then concentrate on developing the skills listed above.  Your effective classroom management skills are dependent upon it!

Well, the UK bank holiday is over, and today I returned to school.  Now, I love my job, and I genuinely enjoy teaching every single day, but I still find it hard to return to school after a lovely long bank holiday.  Especially when the weekend has been so much fun!

Once I’m actually back in school though, it’s a different story, and I enjoy every second.  Is the same true for other teachers out there?  I’m not so sure.  A quick straw poll at lunchtime highlighted just how much some of my peers disliked their jobs.

When I was chatting to them, it was clear that they were all passionate about education.  For most of them, teaching is all they’ve ever wanted to do. So why do they all dislike teaching so much, and why are so many of them wanting to leave the profession or switch schools?

Well, my highly un-scientific, stroll poll showed that poor student behavior was the reason so many teachers are unhappy in their jobs.  And my observations around school back this up too.  The teachers who enjoy their job the most and the ones who have the best Well, the UK bank holiday is over, and today I returned to school.  Now I love my job, and I genuinely enjoy teaching every single day, but I still find it hard to return to school after a lovely long bank holiday.  Especially when the weekend has been so much fun.

Once I’m actually back in school though, it’s a different story, and I enjoy every second.  Is the same true for other teachers out there?  I’m not so sure.  A quick straw poll at lunchtime highlighted just how much some of my peers disliked their jobs.

When I was chatting to them, it was clear that they were all passionate about  education.  For most of them, teaching is all they’ve ever wanted to do. So why do they all dislike teaching so much, and why are so many of them wanting to leave the profession or switch schools?

Well, my highly un-scientific, stroll poll showed that poor student behavior was the reason so many teachers are unhappy in their jobs.  And my observations around school back this up too.  The teachers who enjoy their job the most and the ones who have the best classroom management skills.

It’s such a shame that so many dedicated, and talented teachers leave the profession each year, simply because of deteriorating student behavior.  In fact, it makes me really angry. 

So what can be done about it?  Well, that’s a question for a another post or 20, but one thing’s for sure.  In the vast majority of cases, it simply isn’t the teachers fault that the behavior of the students they teach is so poor.  But it’s such a shame that so many talented professionals want to leave the job because of it. 

If there is one thing likely to frustrate hard working, dedicated teachers its students talking out of turn.  You’ve worked hard preparing a lesson, but you just can’t develop a flow as students interrupt your lesson with inappropriate comment after comment.

Being able to prevent students talking out of turn is a fundamental classroom management strategy. So how exactly do you stop students interrupting the flow of your lessons to the detriment of teaching and learning in your classroom?

One effective classroom management  strategy which I use to prevent students talking out of turn is to proactively manage the behavior that I expect.  For example, before I ask a whole class question, I will briefly explain my expectations during this phase of the lesson. I will explain that I am about to ask a question, and that I want to hear their answers, BUT they must raise their hand and wait to be called.

This might just be a small, subtle change to your teaching, but by explaining your expectations in advance there is an increased prospect of improved student behavior.  I do this daily and rarely have problems with students speaking out of line.  Follow this simple tip and you could do the same. 

In the majority of cases, students want to behave well.  Sure, it might not seem that way sometimes, but it is the case for the majority of the students that most people teach.  Proactively explaining what is good behavior in advance is just common sense.  If you explain what you expect of the class, before you begin a task, you really will reduce the frequency of students talking out of turn.

Positive behavior in the classroom can make all the difference between an enjoyable teaching experience, and a teacher suffering from work related stress.  Having effective classroom management strategies really is that important.

So how exactly do you promote positive behavior in the classroom?  Below are three effective classroom management strategies that will reduce negative student behavior fast.

1. Be positive.

If you’re negative, then the students that you teach will also be negative.  And negative 
students are not well behaved students.  If you remain positive in the classroom, no matter how tired and stressed you feel, then you will have a better chance of promoting positive behavior in the pupils that you teach.

I don’t agree with the whole don’t smile until Christmas mantra.  Yes, you want to establish firm boundaries with the students you teach, but teaching with bubbly enthusiasm can do wonders for your classroom management skills.  Set clear limits, but remain positive while doing so, and your students will reward you with improved students behavior.

2. Highlight good behavior

How can students demonstrate positive behavior in the classroom, if they don’t know what it  is?  Find excellent examples of student behavior and then highlight it to the class. 

Highlight this good behavior, and explain why its good.  This can be as simple as praising a  group doing excellent quiet work, or a student who demonstrates constructive behavior with his peers.  Highlight good behavior and the behavior of the students you teach will 
increase.

3. Model good behavior

Like it or not, but in the classroom you are a role model.  And you’re a pretty influential 
one too.  So if you want to promote positive behavior in the classroom, then you better 
demonstrate as well. 

If students see you as moody, temperamental aggressive or worse, then you are not demonstrating the correct ways to behave in a classroom environment.  Show the  students how to behave well through your own actions, and your classroom will become a more peaceful place.

If you wan to promote positive behavior in the classroom then try these three top tips 
today.  Classroom management problems can be like a cycle.  When you experience poor student behavior you become negative, and the behavior gets worse.  Break the cycle today by being  positive and the students that you teach will reward you with improved behavior.

Wow, I have to say that I’ve managed to surprise myself with how well this blog seems to be running at the moment.  Day 2 and I’d had imagined crashing pages, broken links and worse….but at the moment the Classroom Management 101 blog seems to be running surprisingly well.

Fingers crossed that it continues that way in the coming days!  Fixing classroom management problems is one thing I’m good at.  Fixing broken websites is one thing I guess I’ll be very BAD at!

I hope that everyone is enjoying their weekend so far.  Here in the UK it’s a bank holiday tomorrow which means no school until Tuesday.  If you’re reading this from some place where you don’t have a day off tomorrow then I’m sorry to rub your noses in my good fortune!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend…

Wishing you a peaceful classroom!

After I posted my first post it occured to me that I didn’t really explain why I’m so incredibly passionate about promoting effective classroom management in the classroom.  Let me explain why.

When I started to train to be a teacher I was placed in a very rough, low achieving school.  Student behaviour was poor to say the least.  And the class that I had to teach my subject to 4 times a week were no better.  In fact, I’d go as far as to say they were probably the worst class in the whole school.  If not the whole world.  Okay, I’m exagerating, but it’s my story!

They were pretty bad.  Before I had to teach my first lesson I was up all night worrying about how I was going to control this rabble. Sorry to call them a rabble, but if you could see the class you would think I was being generous!

When the lesson came I was literally shaking with fear. My hands really were trembling.

 And so how did the lesson go?

This is the point where you will be expecting me to say that it went great, and that my amazing classroom management plan promoted excellent student behaviour.

Erm, well it didn’t! 

In fact, if I’m honest the lesson was a disaster.  I’d imagined some pretty horrible outcomes before teaching the lesson, but what actually happened was far worse.

So you may be wondering how did I go from a classroom management nightmare, to wanting to write a blog about classroom management tips and strategies.

And here’s why.  Not long after the lesson I sat down with my training course leader and explained the whole story.  He listened, nodded, and was understanding.  And he gave me some great advice.  Really, truly great, classroom management advice.

He believed strongly in positive and proactive classroom management, and he explained in detail how to use this model to promote good student behevior. 

What he told me that day inspired me.  It truly did.

There was no miracle.  My lessons didn’t certainly become amazing, and I didn’t become a classroom management ‘guru’ overnight.  But when I implemented what he told me my classroom management skills improved hugely. 

And more importantly he sowed a seed soemwhere deep inside that made me want to learn more about this stuff.  And I did.  Fast!  On my next teacher trainee placement my skills were unrecognizable from the months before. 

I had literally turned my greatest failing into my greatest strength.

And I owed it all to my very generous, and very clever course leader. 

You see, we are all passionate about something.  I just happen to be very passionate about sharing classroom management tips and strategies. 

So much so that it provoked me to write a book AND to write a blog.

To this day I am as passionate about effective classroom maangement as I was after that conversation.  I’ve left my course leader’s name out of this blog for privacy reasons.  But he know who he is.  To you sir, I say thanks!

Classroom management isn’t really that hard.  It just seems hard when you’re struggling.  But it doesn’t have to be.

I just hope that I can help share what I learned with someone out there and make it all a bit easier for you…

Wishing you a peaceful classroom!

Welcome to the first post of my effective classsroom management blog!  Those who know me will tell you that this project has been a long time in the making.  In fact, I’ve been planning to launch a classroom management blog for a considerable amount of time.

Why? Put simply, effective classroom management is the difference between a happy teacher with high achieving students, and a stressed out teacher with students not achieving their potential.

Sure, there are shades of grey in the middle, but there is no doubt that effective classroom management is of critical importance when it comes to the enjoyment that you and your pupils get from your lessons.

Well, that explains why I think classroom management is important, but it doesn’t explain why I’ve decided to write a blog about it.  Next time you are on Google have a look how much good information you can find about effective classroom mangement in the classroom.  My guess is that you won’t find much.  I certainly can’t and I’m pretty good at finding things online

So since I like learning new skills so much, and since I’m so passionate about good classroom management, it seemed like a great project to take on. 

I’m pretty new to this blogging stuff however, so please be patient with me if things don’t quite appear as they should.  I already have enough problems with my girlfriend nagging me, without having hundreds of you emailing to tell me that I messed up my blog, in some weird technical way!

Hopefully over the coming days and weeks I can share my own classroom management ideas and tips, and in the process help you to make your classsroom a more positive learing environment. 

That’s the plan anyway!

The aim of this blog though is not just for me to have fun.  The real aim is for you to learn some new classroom management ideas.  So if there is anything that you would like to see covered on this blog, please get in touch and I’ll see what I do:)

Wishing you a peaceful classroom!

So what is effective classroom management, and how can it be used to reduce innappropriate classroom behavior?

With more and more teachers suffering an ever increasing amount of teacher stress at the hands of negative student behavior, it is of no surprise to find so many teachers coming online to try and find effective classroom management tips.

There is no doubt that effective classroom management can provoke positive behavior in the students you teacher, while at the same time helping to reduce teacher stress. 

Different teachers have different standards of behavior that they expect from the students they teach, and so ideas about what is inappropriate pupil behavior, and what is an effective classroom management plan varies from teacher to teacher.

In my opinion, classroom management is effective when you are able to minimise innapropriate student behavior, and promote a positive learning atmosphere.

How you achieve a positive learning environomnet in your classroom is secondary to actually achieving it. 

Some people tell you that in order to have effective classroom management strategies you must be a strict teacher.  Others will tell you that the opposite is true. 

It’s important to realize however that we are all professionals with different skills and different personalities.   Stop trying to follow one one good  classroom mangement model, and understand that we are all made different, and so we will all teach differently. 

Effective clasroom management will differ from teacher to teacher.  How the teacher minimises inaproprate classroom behavior isn’t that important.  What is important is that the teacher uses their unique skills to promote positive student behavior in the classroom.