It’s Time to Teach (and Learn!) Effective Classroom Management Strategies

December 3, 2015
Colored pencils next to a stack of books.

It’s no secret that teachers are increasingly tasked with supporting students with special learning needs, improving test scores, expanding parental support, raising student participation, and reducing classroom disruptions—all while managing ever-growing class sizes and dealing with ever-mounting piles of paperwork.

Often, it can seem impossible to accomplish all this AND enjoy your job.

Believe me, I know. For 27 years I was a teacher and a principal in elementary, middle, and secondary schools, as well as at a special education center.

And I’m still an educator. I now have the great honor of educating educators about how to reduce as much as 90% of disruptive and off-task behavior.

Recently, I had the opportunity to help dozens of dedicated educators reduce their discipline challenges and bring their focus back to teaching.

I’d like to extend a big congratulations to CPI Certified Instructors Jodi Chesman and Nancy Fava of the Montgomery County Public Schools, and also Tim Brown of Charles County Schools in Maryland. Jodi, Nancy, and Tim arranged to be the first CPI Instructors to bring the Time To Teach!® training to over 40 educators in their schools.

You too can learn these practical classroom management strategies to keep your school both physically and emotionally safe. Developed by Rick Dahlgren with the Center for Teacher Effectiveness, Time To Teach!® resources and training enable teachers to develop a rapport with each student, TEACH much more of their curriculums, and empower students to learn appropriate classroom behavior.

One of the secrets to effective classroom management taught in the training is to pre-teach to your classroom expectations. For example, not every student, in every classroom, in every school, knows how to follow directions. You may have to teach your students what you mean in your classroom when it comes to “following directions,” without assuming that every student can on their own.

Consider this:

What do we do if a student doesn’t know how to read?

We teach.

What do we do if a student doesn’t know how to swim?

We teach.

What do we do if a student doesn’t know how to multiply?

We teach.

So, what do you do if a student doesn’t know how to “get ready for math”?

You teach.

To help you with this, one of the resources we offer is Teach To’s: 100 Behavior Lesson Plans for teaching skills such as following procedures, working in groups, behaving for substitutes, and using appropriate hallway behavior.

After completing the 6-hour training course, Jodi said, “The training and take-away books were full of practical strategies that can help me as a Behavior Specialist, and any teacher.”

Nancy said, “Time To Teach!® reinforces research-based concepts that align well with CPI training, PBIS, Skillful Teaching, and many other leading experts on behavior.”

Tim said, “I believe Time To Teach!® can help develop a positive, more respectful culture at St. Charles High School.”

If you’d like an introduction to the strategies taught in Time to Teach!®, be sure to click the graphic below and download the free guide, Quick Classroom Management Tips, by Rick Dahlgren from Time To Teach!® It details strategies for remaining calm and responding right when a student challenges you.

For information about how you can bring a Time To Teach!® training to your school, email me or give me a call at 414.979.7084.