6 ways you are sabotaging your own teaching
When it comes to classroom management, there are moments when we all unwittingly upend ourselves, says John Dabell…
- by John Dabell
1 | Not smiling
“Don’t smile until Christmas” is a teaching myth that isn’t big or clever. Or useful. Smiles are powerful, easy to put on and they can quickly go viral. They are also one of the easiest and most effective classroom management strategies we can employ.
That doesn’t mean teachers should spend their whole time grinning like Cheshire Cats – but genuine smiles over the course of a day can make a world of difference; smiling builds rapport, inspires trust, activates respect and lets students know that you happy to be teaching them.
2 | Shouting
There may be situations when turning the volume to max might seem the right thing to do. And yes, exploding can seem to work on occasions – because it has impact and shock-value – but a booming dressing-down is a costly mistake because it weakens your influence.
Shouting is intimidating, aggressive and it doesn’t change behaviour in the long-term. It means you have lost control and is a poor role model for students. It’s unhealthy.
3 | Over rewarding
Plastering students with stickers and bribing them with incentives to do what’s being asked of them can make your classroom management problematic. It sends the message to students that ‘being good’ is something they get paid to do, and can create a culture of entitlement. Good behaviour should be expected, and communicated to students as such.
For real results – and considerably less stress – time is better spent focusing on intrinsic motivation, as this gives students self-respect and self-confidence.
4 | Micromanaging
Keeping on top of students is important, but excessive guiding and hovering around them can be damaging. Drone teachers might worry that if they aren’t constantly keeping an eye on things then the class will fall apart – it won’t.
Hyper attentiveness and over-assistance interfere with learning and can persuade students that they need more help than they actually do.
Effective teachers know when to shut up, back off, and be inconspicuous.
5 | Being inconsistent
Consistency is the monarch of every classroom and reigns supreme… or should do. If you have rules, procedures and systems in place, then keeping to the script throughout the year is a must. Let a few things slip, turn a blind eye, or treat pupils differently – and watch the dam burst.
Students can sniff inconsistency like sharks can detect a single drop of blood in the ocean a quarter of a mile away; this can lead to resentment and you will quickly lose respect.
6 | Taking it personally
However brilliant your classroom management, you are going to meet disrespectful behaviours that test you, but treating them personally is a mistake; lose the battle and let it go. Holding a student accountable is key – but minus our emotions and feelings.
In the heat of the moment, when there is a lot of raw and primitive energy gushing through the veins, it is easy to lose perspective. If we can stay calm, pause, and handle disrespect without preaching or an angry outburst – then we are in control.
