July 19, 2024 • 39 mins
🎙️Welcome to another enlightening episode of the Lazy Learning Land podcast with your hostess, S.Dot. Whether you're a new teacher looking for guidance or a veteran educator seeking fresh strategies, this episode is tailored just for you.
🔥Join us as we venture deep into "The Rules to Rule Classroom Management," where S.Dot shares her proven strategies for maintaining a disciplined and engaging classroom environment. With over 15 years of experience in inner-city schools, S.Dot's insights are both practical and powerful.
🎧In this episode, you'll discover:
- Setting Clear Policies: Learn how to establish and enforce rules on tardiness, food & drink, and participation.
- Managing Student Behavior: Get tips on controlling speaking and movement, handling personal electronics, and enforcing a fair restroom policy.
- Addressing Common Classroom Issues: Tackle challenges like sleeping in class and managing dismissal procedures effectively.
- Creating a Respectful Learning Environment: Foster a growth-oriented atmosphere where respect and learning thrive.
- AND MORE!
💡S.Dot's actionable tips and pro strategies will help you create a structured and respectful learning space, making your school year effortless and seamless.
🎙️Don't miss out on this comprehensive guide to mastering classroom management. Tune in, take notes, and transform your teaching experience today!
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https://virtuallyimpossible.net/the-rules-to-rule-classroom-management/
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(01:04):
All right. Hey, everyone. Welcome back to another episode of Lazy Learning Lamb podcast.
Again, I'm your hostess, Esta, and today's episode will be nothing short of amazing.
We are going to whip all of your classroom management skills into shape today.
(01:26):
You will have the most effortless and seamless class school year ever if you
stick through to the very, very end of this episode.
Our topic today is the rules to rule classroom management.
I'll say that again, the rules to rule classroom management.
(01:49):
Let's jump right into it. Now, one of the biggest complaints that I seem to
get from administration is that I don't circulate my classroom very much,
that I do most of my behavior monitoring for my desk.
But since I am the queen of working and not working at the same time,
(02:09):
I rarely miss a beat when I do this.
What administration does not have the ability to complain about is the fact
that I still run a tight ship.
I write less than five discipline referrals every school year.
And I end up having some of the highest learning gains and pass rates on state
and district assessments.
(02:29):
How you gonna argue with the results, boo-boo?
So I feel like I have definitely earned the ability to rule my classroom from
what I like to call my throne.
And y'all, once I created the right combination of like classroom rules,
it has been smooth sailing from there. Again, I have been teaching 15 plus years
(02:51):
in the inner city hood school and I love it.
So I know what I'm talking about. All right. I know what I'm talking about.
These rules have allowed me to maintain my sanity during my tenure in this environment.
Now, in a previous episode, I did talk about don't be a fool,
post your classroom rules.
(03:11):
So if you have not listened to that already, it is a game changer.
And these two kind of go together because you'll hear me referencing some things
that I mentioned in that episode.
So, you know, after you finish this one, backtrack and go ahead and listen to
Don't Be A Fool, Post Your Classroom Rules.
(03:32):
Now, the types of rules we are going to discuss today, they must be posted in
your classroom for your students viewing pleasure in order for this method to be most effective.
Basically, this is a two step process. First, we're going to create the rules in this episode here.
Second, we're going to post them and we'll cover that in Don't Be a Fool,
(03:52):
Post Your Classroom Rules.
Now for the meat and the potatoes, what are the rules to ruling classroom management?
We are going to discuss some generic rules that should be a part of every teacher's
classroom management plan.
Now it is up to you to put your stank on it, put your funk on it,
(04:13):
and make that rule fit your personality and to fit what you want your student outcomes to be.
We're going to roll into the first one, the tardy policy.
What does being on time look like for your class?
Will you require your students to be inside of the room before the tardy bell starts ringing?
Or will you allow them to come in all the way up until the tardy bell stops ringing?
(04:38):
You see, I work with high school students and my
classes are conditioned to know that they must have two
feet inside the classroom before the
the tardy bell starts to ring and I am known y'all I'm known I'm that teacher
I'm known for from being for being millimeters from rearranging some ankles
(04:59):
arms and noses I literally shut the door in their faces at the first sound.
But that's for me. That is a rule for my class, simply because our school gives
the kids a one minute warning bell.
So they get five minutes between classes and then they get a one minute warning
bell to let them know they have one minute to be in class.
(05:21):
So the students should never be caught off guard and surprised when they're late.
I do know that other teachers give until the tardy bell finishes ringing and
then those students are considered tardy.
But again, your class, your rule, but figure it out. And a pro tip,
give physical demonstrations of what is and is not being on time for your class.
(05:44):
Get your students involved and have them help you act out the scenario.
Up next, the food, drinks, and gum policy.
Rule classroom management by knowing if your students are allowed to eat,
drink, and chew gum in your class. Are you okay with some of these happening and not others?
(06:07):
Are you willing to make exceptions for certain class periods because of where
they fall during the day?
So these are all questions you want to ask yourselves. Now, in terms of food,
I do not allow it in my classroom.
I make it absolutely known that our school has ants and roaches.
And if we are eating in the classroom, leaving crumbs and wrappers,
that it is an invitation for those critters to come and set up camp.
(06:33):
Plus, some of them be bringing roaches from home, like in their book bags and stuff.
So that's a whole nother thing. But anyways, there are some teachers that do not mind it at all.
I have heard rules such as no sharing or trading of food, but you can eat and drink in my class.
But, you know, just don't share and no trading.
(06:55):
I've heard other teachers say that if they're going to eat in class,
they have to give the teacher some. them.
So if their kid is going to eat a bag of chips, then they're supposed to bring
the teacher a bag of chips.
And other teachers only allow their first period class to eat because breakfast is essential.
And a lot of times kids don't have time to eat breakfast before the school day starts.
(07:16):
And then there are those few teachers that I've come across who have like the
second and third lunch, depending on how big your school is.
You know, you've got your A lunch, B lunch or your first lunch,
second lunch. But either way, you've got multiple lunch blocks and those teachers
that have a class period later in the day before they get to have their lunch
because they're the later lunch.
(07:37):
They allow that period of students to snack on things in class because they
understand like it's 1230 and you haven't eaten since 730 this morning.
But again, your discretion.
And although I am not the biggest fan of gum, if it is already in their mouth
prior to class starting, I let it slide.
(07:59):
I do not allow the eating of candy in my class, though.
I treat candy pretty much the same way that I treat food.
And if I start to see gum on the floor or on chairs or being stuck under the
desk, then gum becomes a complete no-go all the way across the board.
And I am a track and field and cross country coach.
(08:19):
And I understand the importance of people staying hydrated, whether they're an athlete or not.
Personally, I consume 70 ounces of water per workday. To be fair,
I do allow my students to drink water in class.
But, and there is a but, it must be clear and non-fizzing water.
(08:40):
And the water should be in a clear container so I can determine if it is okay.
If not, then what they had their quote unquote water in has to pass a poor test.
So they have to open their non-clear container, come to the trash can by my
deck and do a little pour out so I can test it.
And most of the times students that are trying to lie to me will just be like,
(09:05):
nah, man, nah, miss, you got it.
You got it, don't worry about it. And they'll just put it away. Okay.
So here's your pro tip. I allow gum so that students feel like they are getting away with something.
I don't let them eat in my class, but if they get to chew gum,
then they feel like there's some way somehow breaking the rule.
Whatever psychology hacks work, right?
(09:25):
All right, we're going to keep on moving. Next up, what does being prepared
and ready for class look like?
So once that tardy bell has rung and your class is starting,
what do you expect your classroom to look like?
What are your students expected to have out on their desk and what are they expected to be doing?
(09:46):
So you want to keep that in mind when you are painting the picture of what does
being prepared and ready for class look like.
I rule classroom management by requiring my students to have all their materials
out before the tardy bell rings.
That includes something to write on and something to write with. I teach math.
(10:06):
Every day you need something to write on and something to write with.
Along with any other specified materials mentioned in their bell work instructions.
All right. Now, once that tardy bell rings, they should already be seated.
They should no longer be walking around trying to sharpen a pencil or borrow pencils.
By this point, my students should have already taken out their notebooks or
(10:28):
borrow paper from a neighbor.
And if by chance that tardy bell rings and they are still missing some materials,
materials I rule classroom management by
enforcing the use of universal sign language
yes sir you still responsible for getting those
materials that you don't have but you sure enough can't talk because the first
(10:50):
five minutes of my class period is silent baby so they are forced to use non-verbal
gestures to ask for something to write on or for something to write in it's universal because
there's only so many ways to ask for paper with sign language and only so many
ways to ask for something to write with using hand gestures.
(11:12):
Pro tip, make the consequence of irresponsibility awkward in order to help minimize
the undesired behavior.
All right. Up next, rule your classroom management by determining how your students
will get permission to speak or get out of their seat.
(11:35):
Now, for this one, how do you expect your students to get your attention when
they have a question, when they have a comment or when they have a concern?
What is the procedure when they want to get out of their seat to either come
to you and ask you a question? if they want to get up and go throw something
away or they want to go get something from a neighboring classmate.
(11:58):
Now, as for me and mine, they must raise a quiet hand, wait to be acknowledged,
then they can speak or ask for permission to get out of their seat.
And when I say a quiet hand, baby, that is exactly what I mean.
I am gifted with the ability to look students in the eyes while they're talking
(12:23):
to me and ignore the crap out of them.
Now, you may ask, why are you so petty? Like, why are you ignoring somebody's child?
And I'm going to put it real plain and simple for you. They did not raise a
quiet hand and wait to be acknowledged.
I even ignore the kids that raise their hand. They throw their hand up and they blur.
(12:45):
No, honey, just because your hand up on me, I didn't, I did not acknowledge
your quiet hand yet. So you don't have permission to speak.
Therefore, I'm looking at you with this look on my face like,
what is you really doing right now?
And if one of their classmates does not redirect them, I simply,
all I got to do is point to it and say rule number four.
(13:08):
And if they get out of their their seat without permission, I asked them to sit down and try again.
So I've got it set up where my redirection is very minimal, but they know how to fix it.
Oh, why am I so tough on this, you might be asking.
Well, I am a stickler about students being up and roaming around my classroom.
(13:29):
I really am. As stated, I have taught all 15 years in the rough parts of town.
And there has been an instance where one of my students, very early on in my
teaching career, got up without permission, got up, walked across the room,
and punched another student in the face.
Now, this was some neighborhood beef that kind of spilled over into school.
Nothing that actually bubbled up inside of my classroom
(13:51):
the boy just got up and walked across the room and stuck on
me no warning no conversation no yelling across the room about it hence this
is why I'm a stickler about it in my latter days because if you're up and moving
I need to know why you're moving and where you're going so if you deviate from
that general geographic area of the classroom,
(14:13):
then I know something's up one way or another.
Now, rule classroom management by being as stern or as flexible as you want with this one.
It really and truly depends on what you can and cannot tolerate.
But due to my ADD, some people say I got ADHD, but I'm not claiming the extra letter.
(14:33):
It does not serve me well to have students blurting out at me.
If I'm talking, in, giving instructions. If I'm in the middle of a task or helping
a student, it really throws off my train of thought to have a kid just blurt out and yell at me.
By having this rule in place, I give myself permission to block out those that are out of compliance.
(14:56):
This way, my attention does not get unnecessarily diverted because I've already
programmed myself to know I don't have to listen to that. And I keep it moving.
Pro tip, stay the course with this one, okay? Do not make exceptions.
Do not entertain kids when they don't follow whatever your policy is,
(15:17):
or your students will constantly test the boundaries of this particular role.
OK, next up, we got the restroom policy.
Will you give unlimited passes? Will you limit passes?
If you're going to limit passes, how many is the limit?
When are they going to start over? What is the procedure for alerting you that
(15:40):
they need to use the restroom?
What will you use as a pass to allow them out of the classroom?
Will you require them to sign out before they leave? Sign back in when they come back?
Okay, so I know I am going to get some dirty looks and some not so nice comments
left on the bottom of this episode because I only allow my students to get two, count them, one, two,
(16:04):
four minute restroom passes each quarter.
So each nine weeks, each marking period, they get two, count them,
one, two restroom passes.
They do not get rollover passes. There are no borrowing passes or lending passes.
And there are some teachers that give three passes. And my students are like,
(16:26):
Ms. Such and Such, give us three.
Okay, well, I'm not Ms. Such and Such. You get two.
And I do know some teachers that do unlimited. Again, it's up to you.
But if you really want to rule classroom management, I have another must listen
to post dedicated to the importance of placing a limit on restroom passes.
(16:49):
It's called, I gotta pee in your class daily.
It's called, I gotta pee in your class daily.
Also, students who ask to get
water, I let them know you are using a restroom pass if you go get water.
Now, here is my logic behind this, all right?
(17:11):
First of all, I allow my students to bring water with them into class.
So your need to go to the water fountain could be eliminated if you brought your own.
Secondly, the way our school is set up, the water fountains are right by the restroom.
If I allow a kid to go get water, guess what else is probably going to happen?
(17:31):
They're going to slide into the restroom and now they've used the water fountain
as a freebie to get an extra restroom pass.
See, sometimes you got to think like a criminal so you can catch the criminal. You got me?
Not to mention, students will start to use the water fountain as I get out of class free card.
So for my people in the back with their nose turned up at me over here thinking,
(17:54):
huffing and puffing and turning all red in the face because you're asking yourself,
well, what if it's an emergency?
Because kids love to throw that around.
Well, I asked them, was it an emergency when you spent your five minutes between
classes talking to your friends or walking Bay to class first?
I do not give permission for my students to go to the restroom if they have used their passes.
(18:18):
If it is a real emergency, and I mean a real emergency, those kids will get up and walk out.
Now, in order to rule classroom management, you also need to learn how to save face.
Now, obviously, if a kid had to use the restroom that bad, that they got up
and walked out of class, class risking disciplinary action, they clearly had
(18:42):
to go to the bathroom, right?
But at the same time, I got 28 of the students looking to see how I handled
the situation when that kid walked out of the classroom.
So when that child returns, I send them to a neighboring teacher,
usually accompanied by a comment similar to, and I make sure I say it so the
(19:04):
rest of the class can hear me.
I say it like this. At this point, the situation will be handled between you
and your administrative dean.
So you can go next door to such and such's class.
I'll bring you your stuff and you can handle it with your dean whenever they call you about it.
Am I really that cold? Am I really that heartless?
(19:26):
Do I actually write that kid up?
No, I don't. Not the first time, but I do have to make it look like I did not
just let them get away with it. So that's what I mean by saving face.
You've got to save face. Otherwise, you're just going to have kids trying your
gangster and just walking out of your class whenever they got to use the restroom
or whatever they claim it's an emergency.
(19:48):
The kid does not get away with a clean slate, though. I do make a point to pull
them aside the next time they come to my class and we discuss a better way to
handle the situation, including using their time between classes more wisely.
And I do let them know that if they try my gangster again and walk out like
that, then the consequences will be very real.
(20:10):
Very real. I do want to put this disclaimer out there.
An exception is made for my young ladies who are on their monthly cycle.
You have to use teacher discretion.
You can tell when someone is using and abusing the I'm on my period and when it is actually genuine.
Pro tip, put a policy in place where students cannot interrupt you regarding
(20:34):
the restroom while you are giving direct instruction or addressing the entire class.
Next up, rule classroom management with cell phone and personal electronics policy.
Now, this one right here is a hot topic because this is a concern for so many
teachers trying to keep their students off of their personal devices during class.
(20:59):
Now, what will the policy be for your students using their cell phones,
earbuds, smartwatches, and personal tablets during your class?
Do you have your students place all their phones off of their body?
Is there a designated place in your classroom for all phones to be stored until
the class period is over?
(21:20):
When a student violates your cell phone and personal electronics policy, is there a warning?
Do you confiscate it? Is it a phone call home?
Are they sent to an administrative office for disciplinary consequences?
Consequences you need to know this and you need to
know this before those students are in front of you because
guaranteed the first week of
(21:42):
school somebody's gonna try you and
if you don't have a plan in place good luck chuck the rest of the year the district
i pay in sorry i the district i work in they might not pay much but they do
have a zero tolerance policy for personal electronics use At my school,
(22:03):
we send students to the office to turn in their personal electronics if they
were using them or if they were out and visible.
Those students then receive a ticket and they can go when the final bell rings
to go home and collect their items at the end of each school day.
Usually if I
(22:24):
cannot prove that it is that
they were actually using their personal electronic but their
electronic is out in a compromising position then I won't send them to the office
so in such cases where their phones are in their lap under their jackets in
their seats in their purse or backpack but they positioned it to where they
(22:47):
could still use their electronic while it's in the purse or backpack.
And I will then just ask them to put their electronic in my desk drawer and
I'll give it back to them at the end of the period.
Now, this does help me rule my classroom management because it helps to avoid
power struggles and false accusations because a kid will hard down argue with
(23:10):
you that they weren't using it.
If you say, hey, go turn your phone in because you was using it.
And they know that the rule is they got to turn it into the office because it was in use or it's out.
You don't want to get these kids. Some of these kids really could be lawyers when they grow up.
Don't put yourself in a position to get into a power struggle or get caught
up on the fine print. Okay.
I use the, go ahead and just put it in my drawer till the end of the period as a way to just.
(23:38):
It's an alternative from sending them to the office. And the kids appreciate
it more because they know they get it back at the end of the class period versus
going to the office and not getting it back to the end of the day.
And it usually just kind of lowers their defenses because I didn't accuse them falsely.
And they know they're going to get it back when the bell rings.
(23:59):
Over the years, I have truly become a pro at reading body language.
And my students are often very baffled at how I knew that they were on their
phone or using their smartwatches or how I knew they had their AirPod in their
ear without me even having to leave my throne.
I do highly recommend, though, until you really sharpen these skills,
(24:22):
please get up and circulate your classroom from time to time.
You will be able to tell those students that have those sketchy shifts in their
body language when you get up to start moving around.
Pro tip, make students keep a clear workspace.
I'm talking about no backpacks, no purses on their desk or in their laps or
(24:45):
on their body during the class period.
What this does is minimizes the chance of them using those items as shields
and covers so that they can use their personal electronics.
Everybody needs a sleeping in class policy.
(25:08):
What is your sleeping in class policy? Will you allow students to sleep and
do absolutely nothing about it?
How many times are you willing to wake them up without a consequence?
Will you have a designated area for nappers and non-workers?
Are you going to allow them to get a drink of water from the water fountain
if they're having a hard time staying awake?
(25:29):
Or will you allow them to go splash water on their face in the restroom without using a restroom pass?
Will your protocol be for them to stand up and stretch? Or maybe will you allow
them to take a few laps around the classroom?
Teaching high school students in the inner city, I get a gamut of reasons why
(25:49):
students are sleeping in class.
And they really can range from they have to work to help their family pay bills
and they get off work late, staying up to babysit while their parent or parents are working.
And sometimes them kids just be up playing video games. Let's just be real.
But for the simple fact that a lot of students more so tend to fall in that
(26:11):
hardship bubble, I do not give a consequence for sleeping in class.
And this does allow me to rule classroom management very well.
I will, however, ask them to, I'll give you two times. I will address you twice about staying awake.
If I have to address you a third time from there, I ask my students to stand
by their desk for two minutes. I set a two minute timer.
(26:34):
I tell them, hey, when this timer goes off, then that's your cue to sit down and continue working.
But while you are up standing for these two minutes, you are required to still be doing some work.
Once that timer goes off, they sit down and they continue working.
And for me, I just use it as a tactic to help get the blood flowing through their entire body.
Sometimes when you're sitting down, the blood just isn't reaching everywhere
(26:55):
and they just need a chance to kind of allow the blood to get everywhere.
And occasionally you're going to run into those kids that really don't care
and they just want to sleep. You're going to run into those kids that have their
head down because they don't feel good.
And for that reason, I have a designated section in the back of my room where
students who are not feeling well or students who just can't seem to stay up,
(27:16):
don't want to try to stay up or they just glad I say I'm not going to stay up.
They are able to go to this area and I will not disturb them.
But do your best
to separate the non-workers from the workers by
using physical distance so that's why i have a designated
area where they can go and be a bum but they cannot sit amongst the rest of
(27:38):
the working population because that can be contagious what about dismissal time
when you're really about to say bye felicia to your students when the bell rings
can your students just get up and walk out all willy-nilly?
Do you want them to remain seated until you physically dismiss them?
Are they allowed to line up at the door prior to the bell?
(28:02):
When should they start packing up their belongings for transition?
You should have an answer for all of these. And for my students,
they are to remain seated until I dismiss them.
So that I can rule classroom management, man, I inform them that the bell is
simply an indicator that it is time to transition.
(28:23):
However, I am the one that releases you to get up and transition out of my class.
This prevents my students from running out of the classroom screaming in the
middle of my last minute announcements because I forgot to say what I needed to say.
And now I got caught by the bell.
Now they have to sit there and be tortured for another 20 seconds while I finish
(28:43):
what I have to say, right?
Pro tip, set a timer on your phone to go off three minutes before the bell is supposed to ring.
This allows you to get to a stopping point and also allows your students to
pack up and gives you that special time to do any last minute announcements.
(29:03):
Policy for talking. What parts of your class period are silent?
Or are there certain assignments that are supposed to be silent all the time?
Are they only allowed to discuss the assignment at hand or will you allow your
students to talk about whatever they want as long as they are actually working?
(29:25):
Do you have a noise ordinance that they must comply with?
And how will you monitor and address the noise level when it gets too high?
Why? For this one, the rule to rule classroom management in my class is to stay
on task and talk on topic only.
(29:46):
For me, this is like all encompassing. Like you should always be working on
what I've assigned to you.
If it is if it is and collaborate, if it is a collaborative assignment,
then my students are only allowed to talk about the assignment itself.
So that's the on topic piece.
In the first five minutes of every class period for me, my bell work time is always silent.
(30:11):
Depending on the subject area, some teachers do not mind their students talking
about whatever they want as long as they are being productive on their work. And that's fine.
But for me and mine, because I teach math, usually off topic conversations and
productive problem solving skills are not happening simultaneously in their brains.
(30:34):
Which is why I only say talk on topic and be on task and talk on topic only.
Pro tip, play background music
and instruct your class to keep the overall noise level below the music.
When your class level gets louder than the music, simply say,
hey, y'all are louder than my music and voila.
(30:57):
Your students will know exactly how much they need to adjust.
Problem solved. R-E-S-P-E-C-T. What is that policy on respect?
What are your expectations for peer-to-peer respect, student-to-adult respect,
meaning your students to you, your students to administrators,
(31:19):
your students to visiting adults, your students to substitutes?
And what are your expectations for your students on respecting themselves?
Oh, give me snaps. Give me snaps because respecting yourself is a rule in my class as well.
In my realm, I always tell my students that I lead with respect.
(31:41):
Since I give respect first, I expect respect back in return.
And if you are going to act a plumb fool, do it in front of my face so I can
handle it, so I can deal with it. do not wait until I have visitors in here.
Do not wait until I have a substitute to act like you don't have no sense.
(32:04):
Because at that point, you really going to piss me off because I know in that
case, you are making poor choices and I will handle it accordingly.
Because if you can act like you got some sense when I'm here,
you can also act like you got some sense when I'm not here. Mm-hmm.
Pro tip, become the big bad wolf in your classroom so there is no room for bullies.
(32:29):
And I gave that pro tip before I finished up this section because you want to
rule classroom management by not allowing bullying, no name calling or teasing.
I make it absolutely known that I do not tolerate any type of put down talk in my classroom.
They cannot say things like stupid, stupid, dumb, retarded, slow, etc.
(32:50):
I let them know if they want someone to bully. You want somebody to bully?
Okay, come try me. Good luck with that though.
Really good luck with that. So the pro tip, you become the big bad wolf in your
classroom so there is no room for bullies.
Oh, if you made it this far, you made it to the end. We are on the last rule
(33:12):
to rule classroom management.
And that is a growth mindset policy.
What is your policy on attempting the work you assign?
What is your policy on negative self-talk or negative talk in general?
The policy when your students are hit with obstacles.
What do you expect them to think, say, and do?
(33:35):
My rules on this are as follows. Attempt all problems assigned.
I teach math and this just covers, again, the gamut for me. It covers everything
from bell work to classwork to homework to quizzes and tests.
I cannot teach my students without knowing what's going on in their brain.
So making participation mandatory, no matter how good their answer is,
(33:59):
no matter how bad their answer is, no matter how ugly the process for them getting
there was, Still, they're required to participate.
Now, next, I tell them to make a way, not an excuse.
Because again, I tell you, I work in the hood. I work in the inner city.
So life be lifing with these kids.
Like some of these kids are going
through stuff that some of us as adults haven't even experienced yet.
(34:22):
But I tell them you can always find a million reasons why not to do something.
Find some reasons why you should. Why should you be determined?
Why should you persevere? here.
Life is going to keep lifing. So find a way to work with the cards you are given and get her done, girl.
(34:42):
Because at the end of the day, life don't keep lifing. The world's going to keep spinning.
And just because there's issues in your world, that is just a small piece of the big world.
And a lot of times the big world don't care.
Hey, I don't just teach math. I teach life. I got to give it to them raw.
If you do not have a policy on participation and effort, you will waste a large
(35:05):
amount of valuable time trying to run.
Students in when participating, no matter if you know the material or not, is a policy.
From day one, it is much harder for students to rebel and dispute and refuse
to put their best foot forward.
Pro tip, find a way to incorporate participation, effort, and attitude into some of their grades.
(35:34):
In conclusion, I have other policies and procedures that I have not mentioned
here, but the ones that I did mention are my golden rules.
These are my go-tos. These are the ones that are literally posted at the front
of my classroom for the entire school year.
If you do not have any other rules for your class, please make sure you have
(35:54):
a rule policy and procedure in place for all of the ones mentioned in this episode.
When you can put your expectations out there from day one, it makes the world
of a difference and doing so allows you to rule classroom management.
You see, students can tell if you are prepared for their BS or if you're just out there winging it.
(36:17):
Simply making it up as you go, they gonna eat you alive.
Once they can sense you are being reactive instead of already having been proactive.
Be ready for the challenge of your lifetime. time.
Now, how strict or how lenient you want to be on each policy is completely up
(36:39):
to you, but do keep this last pro tip in mind.
And this pro tip says, it is easier to start off more strict and then loosen
the grip than it is to start loosey-goosey and then try to tighten up.
All right. Hey, everyone. Welcome back to another episode of Lazy Learning Lamb podcast.
Again, I'm your hostess, Esta, and today's episode will be nothing short of amazing.
We are going to whip all of your classroom management skills into shape today.
(01:26):
You will have the most effortless and seamless class school year ever if you
stick through to the very, very end of this episode.
Our topic today is the rules to rule classroom management.
I'll say that again, the rules to rule classroom management.
(01:49):
Let's jump right into it. Now, one of the biggest complaints that I seem to
get from administration is that I don't circulate my classroom very much,
that I do most of my behavior monitoring for my desk.
But since I am the queen of working and not working at the same time,
(02:09):
I rarely miss a beat when I do this.
What administration does not have the ability to complain about is the fact
that I still run a tight ship.
I write less than five discipline referrals every school year.
And I end up having some of the highest learning gains and pass rates on state
and district assessments.
(02:29):
How you gonna argue with the results, boo-boo?
So I feel like I have definitely earned the ability to rule my classroom from
what I like to call my throne.
And y'all, once I created the right combination of like classroom rules,
it has been smooth sailing from there. Again, I have been teaching 15 plus years
(02:51):
in the inner city hood school and I love it.
So I know what I'm talking about. All right. I know what I'm talking about.
These rules have allowed me to maintain my sanity during my tenure in this environment.
Now, in a previous episode, I did talk about don't be a fool,
post your classroom rules.
(03:11):
So if you have not listened to that already, it is a game changer.
And these two kind of go together because you'll hear me referencing some things
that I mentioned in that episode.
So, you know, after you finish this one, backtrack and go ahead and listen to
Don't Be A Fool, Post Your Classroom Rules.
(03:32):
Now, the types of rules we are going to discuss today, they must be posted in
your classroom for your students viewing pleasure in order for this method to be most effective.
Basically, this is a two step process. First, we're going to create the rules in this episode here.
Second, we're going to post them and we'll cover that in Don't Be a Fool,
(03:52):
Post Your Classroom Rules.
Now for the meat and the potatoes, what are the rules to ruling classroom management?
We are going to discuss some generic rules that should be a part of every teacher's
classroom management plan.
Now it is up to you to put your stank on it, put your funk on it,
(04:13):
and make that rule fit your personality and to fit what you want your student outcomes to be.
We're going to roll into the first one, the tardy policy.
What does being on time look like for your class?
Will you require your students to be inside of the room before the tardy bell starts ringing?
Or will you allow them to come in all the way up until the tardy bell stops ringing?
(04:38):
You see, I work with high school students and my
classes are conditioned to know that they must have two
feet inside the classroom before the
the tardy bell starts to ring and I am known y'all I'm known I'm that teacher
I'm known for from being for being millimeters from rearranging some ankles
(04:59):
arms and noses I literally shut the door in their faces at the first sound.
But that's for me. That is a rule for my class, simply because our school gives
the kids a one minute warning bell.
So they get five minutes between classes and then they get a one minute warning
bell to let them know they have one minute to be in class.
(05:21):
So the students should never be caught off guard and surprised when they're late.
I do know that other teachers give until the tardy bell finishes ringing and
then those students are considered tardy.
But again, your class, your rule, but figure it out. And a pro tip,
give physical demonstrations of what is and is not being on time for your class.
(05:44):
Get your students involved and have them help you act out the scenario.
Up next, the food, drinks, and gum policy.
Rule classroom management by knowing if your students are allowed to eat,
drink, and chew gum in your class. Are you okay with some of these happening and not others?
(06:07):
Are you willing to make exceptions for certain class periods because of where
they fall during the day?
So these are all questions you want to ask yourselves. Now, in terms of food,
I do not allow it in my classroom.
I make it absolutely known that our school has ants and roaches.
And if we are eating in the classroom, leaving crumbs and wrappers,
that it is an invitation for those critters to come and set up camp.
(06:33):
Plus, some of them be bringing roaches from home, like in their book bags and stuff.
So that's a whole nother thing. But anyways, there are some teachers that do not mind it at all.
I have heard rules such as no sharing or trading of food, but you can eat and drink in my class.
But, you know, just don't share and no trading.
(06:55):
I've heard other teachers say that if they're going to eat in class,
they have to give the teacher some. them.
So if their kid is going to eat a bag of chips, then they're supposed to bring
the teacher a bag of chips.
And other teachers only allow their first period class to eat because breakfast is essential.
And a lot of times kids don't have time to eat breakfast before the school day starts.
(07:16):
And then there are those few teachers that I've come across who have like the
second and third lunch, depending on how big your school is.
You know, you've got your A lunch, B lunch or your first lunch,
second lunch. But either way, you've got multiple lunch blocks and those teachers
that have a class period later in the day before they get to have their lunch
because they're the later lunch.
(07:37):
They allow that period of students to snack on things in class because they
understand like it's 1230 and you haven't eaten since 730 this morning.
But again, your discretion.
And although I am not the biggest fan of gum, if it is already in their mouth
prior to class starting, I let it slide.
(07:59):
I do not allow the eating of candy in my class, though.
I treat candy pretty much the same way that I treat food.
And if I start to see gum on the floor or on chairs or being stuck under the
desk, then gum becomes a complete no-go all the way across the board.
And I am a track and field and cross country coach.
(08:19):
And I understand the importance of people staying hydrated, whether they're an athlete or not.
Personally, I consume 70 ounces of water per workday. To be fair,
I do allow my students to drink water in class.
But, and there is a but, it must be clear and non-fizzing water.
(08:40):
And the water should be in a clear container so I can determine if it is okay.
If not, then what they had their quote unquote water in has to pass a poor test.
So they have to open their non-clear container, come to the trash can by my
deck and do a little pour out so I can test it.
And most of the times students that are trying to lie to me will just be like,
(09:05):
nah, man, nah, miss, you got it.
You got it, don't worry about it. And they'll just put it away. Okay.
So here's your pro tip. I allow gum so that students feel like they are getting away with something.
I don't let them eat in my class, but if they get to chew gum,
then they feel like there's some way somehow breaking the rule.
Whatever psychology hacks work, right?
(09:25):
All right, we're going to keep on moving. Next up, what does being prepared
and ready for class look like?
So once that tardy bell has rung and your class is starting,
what do you expect your classroom to look like?
What are your students expected to have out on their desk and what are they expected to be doing?
(09:46):
So you want to keep that in mind when you are painting the picture of what does
being prepared and ready for class look like.
I rule classroom management by requiring my students to have all their materials
out before the tardy bell rings.
That includes something to write on and something to write with. I teach math.
(10:06):
Every day you need something to write on and something to write with.
Along with any other specified materials mentioned in their bell work instructions.
All right. Now, once that tardy bell rings, they should already be seated.
They should no longer be walking around trying to sharpen a pencil or borrow pencils.
By this point, my students should have already taken out their notebooks or
(10:28):
borrow paper from a neighbor.
And if by chance that tardy bell rings and they are still missing some materials,
materials I rule classroom management by
enforcing the use of universal sign language
yes sir you still responsible for getting those
materials that you don't have but you sure enough can't talk because the first
(10:50):
five minutes of my class period is silent baby so they are forced to use non-verbal
gestures to ask for something to write on or for something to write in it's universal because
there's only so many ways to ask for paper with sign language and only so many
ways to ask for something to write with using hand gestures.
(11:12):
Pro tip, make the consequence of irresponsibility awkward in order to help minimize
the undesired behavior.
All right. Up next, rule your classroom management by determining how your students
will get permission to speak or get out of their seat.
(11:35):
Now, for this one, how do you expect your students to get your attention when
they have a question, when they have a comment or when they have a concern?
What is the procedure when they want to get out of their seat to either come
to you and ask you a question? if they want to get up and go throw something
away or they want to go get something from a neighboring classmate.
(11:58):
Now, as for me and mine, they must raise a quiet hand, wait to be acknowledged,
then they can speak or ask for permission to get out of their seat.
And when I say a quiet hand, baby, that is exactly what I mean.
I am gifted with the ability to look students in the eyes while they're talking
(12:23):
to me and ignore the crap out of them.
Now, you may ask, why are you so petty? Like, why are you ignoring somebody's child?
And I'm going to put it real plain and simple for you. They did not raise a
quiet hand and wait to be acknowledged.
I even ignore the kids that raise their hand. They throw their hand up and they blur.
(12:45):
No, honey, just because your hand up on me, I didn't, I did not acknowledge
your quiet hand yet. So you don't have permission to speak.
Therefore, I'm looking at you with this look on my face like,
what is you really doing right now?
And if one of their classmates does not redirect them, I simply,
all I got to do is point to it and say rule number four.
(13:08):
And if they get out of their their seat without permission, I asked them to sit down and try again.
So I've got it set up where my redirection is very minimal, but they know how to fix it.
Oh, why am I so tough on this, you might be asking.
Well, I am a stickler about students being up and roaming around my classroom.
(13:29):
I really am. As stated, I have taught all 15 years in the rough parts of town.
And there has been an instance where one of my students, very early on in my
teaching career, got up without permission, got up, walked across the room,
and punched another student in the face.
Now, this was some neighborhood beef that kind of spilled over into school.
Nothing that actually bubbled up inside of my classroom
(13:51):
the boy just got up and walked across the room and stuck on
me no warning no conversation no yelling across the room about it hence this
is why I'm a stickler about it in my latter days because if you're up and moving
I need to know why you're moving and where you're going so if you deviate from
that general geographic area of the classroom,
(14:13):
then I know something's up one way or another.
Now, rule classroom management by being as stern or as flexible as you want with this one.
It really and truly depends on what you can and cannot tolerate.
But due to my ADD, some people say I got ADHD, but I'm not claiming the extra letter.
(14:33):
It does not serve me well to have students blurting out at me.
If I'm talking, in, giving instructions. If I'm in the middle of a task or helping
a student, it really throws off my train of thought to have a kid just blurt out and yell at me.
By having this rule in place, I give myself permission to block out those that are out of compliance.
(14:56):
This way, my attention does not get unnecessarily diverted because I've already
programmed myself to know I don't have to listen to that. And I keep it moving.
Pro tip, stay the course with this one, okay? Do not make exceptions.
Do not entertain kids when they don't follow whatever your policy is,
(15:17):
or your students will constantly test the boundaries of this particular role.
OK, next up, we got the restroom policy.
Will you give unlimited passes? Will you limit passes?
If you're going to limit passes, how many is the limit?
When are they going to start over? What is the procedure for alerting you that
(15:40):
they need to use the restroom?
What will you use as a pass to allow them out of the classroom?
Will you require them to sign out before they leave? Sign back in when they come back?
Okay, so I know I am going to get some dirty looks and some not so nice comments
left on the bottom of this episode because I only allow my students to get two, count them, one, two,
(16:04):
four minute restroom passes each quarter.
So each nine weeks, each marking period, they get two, count them,
one, two restroom passes.
They do not get rollover passes. There are no borrowing passes or lending passes.
And there are some teachers that give three passes. And my students are like,
(16:26):
Ms. Such and Such, give us three.
Okay, well, I'm not Ms. Such and Such. You get two.
And I do know some teachers that do unlimited. Again, it's up to you.
But if you really want to rule classroom management, I have another must listen
to post dedicated to the importance of placing a limit on restroom passes.
(16:49):
It's called, I gotta pee in your class daily.
It's called, I gotta pee in your class daily.
Also, students who ask to get
water, I let them know you are using a restroom pass if you go get water.
Now, here is my logic behind this, all right?
(17:11):
First of all, I allow my students to bring water with them into class.
So your need to go to the water fountain could be eliminated if you brought your own.
Secondly, the way our school is set up, the water fountains are right by the restroom.
If I allow a kid to go get water, guess what else is probably going to happen?
(17:31):
They're going to slide into the restroom and now they've used the water fountain
as a freebie to get an extra restroom pass.
See, sometimes you got to think like a criminal so you can catch the criminal. You got me?
Not to mention, students will start to use the water fountain as I get out of class free card.
So for my people in the back with their nose turned up at me over here thinking,
(17:54):
huffing and puffing and turning all red in the face because you're asking yourself,
well, what if it's an emergency?
Because kids love to throw that around.
Well, I asked them, was it an emergency when you spent your five minutes between
classes talking to your friends or walking Bay to class first?
I do not give permission for my students to go to the restroom if they have used their passes.
(18:18):
If it is a real emergency, and I mean a real emergency, those kids will get up and walk out.
Now, in order to rule classroom management, you also need to learn how to save face.
Now, obviously, if a kid had to use the restroom that bad, that they got up
and walked out of class, class risking disciplinary action, they clearly had
(18:42):
to go to the bathroom, right?
But at the same time, I got 28 of the students looking to see how I handled
the situation when that kid walked out of the classroom.
So when that child returns, I send them to a neighboring teacher,
usually accompanied by a comment similar to, and I make sure I say it so the
(19:04):
rest of the class can hear me.
I say it like this. At this point, the situation will be handled between you
and your administrative dean.
So you can go next door to such and such's class.
I'll bring you your stuff and you can handle it with your dean whenever they call you about it.
Am I really that cold? Am I really that heartless?
(19:26):
Do I actually write that kid up?
No, I don't. Not the first time, but I do have to make it look like I did not
just let them get away with it. So that's what I mean by saving face.
You've got to save face. Otherwise, you're just going to have kids trying your
gangster and just walking out of your class whenever they got to use the restroom
or whatever they claim it's an emergency.
(19:48):
The kid does not get away with a clean slate, though. I do make a point to pull
them aside the next time they come to my class and we discuss a better way to
handle the situation, including using their time between classes more wisely.
And I do let them know that if they try my gangster again and walk out like
that, then the consequences will be very real.
(20:10):
Very real. I do want to put this disclaimer out there.
An exception is made for my young ladies who are on their monthly cycle.
You have to use teacher discretion.
You can tell when someone is using and abusing the I'm on my period and when it is actually genuine.
Pro tip, put a policy in place where students cannot interrupt you regarding
(20:34):
the restroom while you are giving direct instruction or addressing the entire class.
Next up, rule classroom management with cell phone and personal electronics policy.
Now, this one right here is a hot topic because this is a concern for so many
teachers trying to keep their students off of their personal devices during class.
(20:59):
Now, what will the policy be for your students using their cell phones,
earbuds, smartwatches, and personal tablets during your class?
Do you have your students place all their phones off of their body?
Is there a designated place in your classroom for all phones to be stored until
the class period is over?
(21:20):
When a student violates your cell phone and personal electronics policy, is there a warning?
Do you confiscate it? Is it a phone call home?
Are they sent to an administrative office for disciplinary consequences?
Consequences you need to know this and you need to
know this before those students are in front of you because
guaranteed the first week of
(21:42):
school somebody's gonna try you and
if you don't have a plan in place good luck chuck the rest of the year the district
i pay in sorry i the district i work in they might not pay much but they do
have a zero tolerance policy for personal electronics use At my school,
(22:03):
we send students to the office to turn in their personal electronics if they
were using them or if they were out and visible.
Those students then receive a ticket and they can go when the final bell rings
to go home and collect their items at the end of each school day.
Usually if I
(22:24):
cannot prove that it is that
they were actually using their personal electronic but their
electronic is out in a compromising position then I won't send them to the office
so in such cases where their phones are in their lap under their jackets in
their seats in their purse or backpack but they positioned it to where they
(22:47):
could still use their electronic while it's in the purse or backpack.
And I will then just ask them to put their electronic in my desk drawer and
I'll give it back to them at the end of the period.
Now, this does help me rule my classroom management because it helps to avoid
power struggles and false accusations because a kid will hard down argue with
(23:10):
you that they weren't using it.
If you say, hey, go turn your phone in because you was using it.
And they know that the rule is they got to turn it into the office because it was in use or it's out.
You don't want to get these kids. Some of these kids really could be lawyers when they grow up.
Don't put yourself in a position to get into a power struggle or get caught
up on the fine print. Okay.
I use the, go ahead and just put it in my drawer till the end of the period as a way to just.
(23:38):
It's an alternative from sending them to the office. And the kids appreciate
it more because they know they get it back at the end of the class period versus
going to the office and not getting it back to the end of the day.
And it usually just kind of lowers their defenses because I didn't accuse them falsely.
And they know they're going to get it back when the bell rings.
(23:59):
Over the years, I have truly become a pro at reading body language.
And my students are often very baffled at how I knew that they were on their
phone or using their smartwatches or how I knew they had their AirPod in their
ear without me even having to leave my throne.
I do highly recommend, though, until you really sharpen these skills,
(24:22):
please get up and circulate your classroom from time to time.
You will be able to tell those students that have those sketchy shifts in their
body language when you get up to start moving around.
Pro tip, make students keep a clear workspace.
I'm talking about no backpacks, no purses on their desk or in their laps or
(24:45):
on their body during the class period.
What this does is minimizes the chance of them using those items as shields
and covers so that they can use their personal electronics.
Everybody needs a sleeping in class policy.
(25:08):
What is your sleeping in class policy? Will you allow students to sleep and
do absolutely nothing about it?
How many times are you willing to wake them up without a consequence?
Will you have a designated area for nappers and non-workers?
Are you going to allow them to get a drink of water from the water fountain
if they're having a hard time staying awake?
(25:29):
Or will you allow them to go splash water on their face in the restroom without using a restroom pass?
Will your protocol be for them to stand up and stretch? Or maybe will you allow
them to take a few laps around the classroom?
Teaching high school students in the inner city, I get a gamut of reasons why
(25:49):
students are sleeping in class.
And they really can range from they have to work to help their family pay bills
and they get off work late, staying up to babysit while their parent or parents are working.
And sometimes them kids just be up playing video games. Let's just be real.
But for the simple fact that a lot of students more so tend to fall in that
(26:11):
hardship bubble, I do not give a consequence for sleeping in class.
And this does allow me to rule classroom management very well.
I will, however, ask them to, I'll give you two times. I will address you twice about staying awake.
If I have to address you a third time from there, I ask my students to stand
by their desk for two minutes. I set a two minute timer.
(26:34):
I tell them, hey, when this timer goes off, then that's your cue to sit down and continue working.
But while you are up standing for these two minutes, you are required to still be doing some work.
Once that timer goes off, they sit down and they continue working.
And for me, I just use it as a tactic to help get the blood flowing through their entire body.
Sometimes when you're sitting down, the blood just isn't reaching everywhere
(26:55):
and they just need a chance to kind of allow the blood to get everywhere.
And occasionally you're going to run into those kids that really don't care
and they just want to sleep. You're going to run into those kids that have their
head down because they don't feel good.
And for that reason, I have a designated section in the back of my room where
students who are not feeling well or students who just can't seem to stay up,
(27:16):
don't want to try to stay up or they just glad I say I'm not going to stay up.
They are able to go to this area and I will not disturb them.
But do your best
to separate the non-workers from the workers by
using physical distance so that's why i have a designated
area where they can go and be a bum but they cannot sit amongst the rest of
(27:38):
the working population because that can be contagious what about dismissal time
when you're really about to say bye felicia to your students when the bell rings
can your students just get up and walk out all willy-nilly?
Do you want them to remain seated until you physically dismiss them?
Are they allowed to line up at the door prior to the bell?
(28:02):
When should they start packing up their belongings for transition?
You should have an answer for all of these. And for my students,
they are to remain seated until I dismiss them.
So that I can rule classroom management, man, I inform them that the bell is
simply an indicator that it is time to transition.
(28:23):
However, I am the one that releases you to get up and transition out of my class.
This prevents my students from running out of the classroom screaming in the
middle of my last minute announcements because I forgot to say what I needed to say.
And now I got caught by the bell.
Now they have to sit there and be tortured for another 20 seconds while I finish
(28:43):
what I have to say, right?
Pro tip, set a timer on your phone to go off three minutes before the bell is supposed to ring.
This allows you to get to a stopping point and also allows your students to
pack up and gives you that special time to do any last minute announcements.
(29:03):
Policy for talking. What parts of your class period are silent?
Or are there certain assignments that are supposed to be silent all the time?
Are they only allowed to discuss the assignment at hand or will you allow your
students to talk about whatever they want as long as they are actually working?
(29:25):
Do you have a noise ordinance that they must comply with?
And how will you monitor and address the noise level when it gets too high?
Why? For this one, the rule to rule classroom management in my class is to stay
on task and talk on topic only.
(29:46):
For me, this is like all encompassing. Like you should always be working on
what I've assigned to you.
If it is if it is and collaborate, if it is a collaborative assignment,
then my students are only allowed to talk about the assignment itself.
So that's the on topic piece.
In the first five minutes of every class period for me, my bell work time is always silent.
(30:11):
Depending on the subject area, some teachers do not mind their students talking
about whatever they want as long as they are being productive on their work. And that's fine.
But for me and mine, because I teach math, usually off topic conversations and
productive problem solving skills are not happening simultaneously in their brains.
(30:34):
Which is why I only say talk on topic and be on task and talk on topic only.
Pro tip, play background music
and instruct your class to keep the overall noise level below the music.
When your class level gets louder than the music, simply say,
hey, y'all are louder than my music and voila.
(30:57):
Your students will know exactly how much they need to adjust.
Problem solved. R-E-S-P-E-C-T. What is that policy on respect?
What are your expectations for peer-to-peer respect, student-to-adult respect,
meaning your students to you, your students to administrators,
(31:19):
your students to visiting adults, your students to substitutes?
And what are your expectations for your students on respecting themselves?
Oh, give me snaps. Give me snaps because respecting yourself is a rule in my class as well.
In my realm, I always tell my students that I lead with respect.
(31:41):
Since I give respect first, I expect respect back in return.
And if you are going to act a plumb fool, do it in front of my face so I can
handle it, so I can deal with it. do not wait until I have visitors in here.
Do not wait until I have a substitute to act like you don't have no sense.
(32:04):
Because at that point, you really going to piss me off because I know in that
case, you are making poor choices and I will handle it accordingly.
Because if you can act like you got some sense when I'm here,
you can also act like you got some sense when I'm not here. Mm-hmm.
Pro tip, become the big bad wolf in your classroom so there is no room for bullies.
(32:29):
And I gave that pro tip before I finished up this section because you want to
rule classroom management by not allowing bullying, no name calling or teasing.
I make it absolutely known that I do not tolerate any type of put down talk in my classroom.
They cannot say things like stupid, stupid, dumb, retarded, slow, etc.
(32:50):
I let them know if they want someone to bully. You want somebody to bully?
Okay, come try me. Good luck with that though.
Really good luck with that. So the pro tip, you become the big bad wolf in your
classroom so there is no room for bullies.
Oh, if you made it this far, you made it to the end. We are on the last rule
(33:12):
to rule classroom management.
And that is a growth mindset policy.
What is your policy on attempting the work you assign?
What is your policy on negative self-talk or negative talk in general?
The policy when your students are hit with obstacles.
What do you expect them to think, say, and do?
(33:35):
My rules on this are as follows. Attempt all problems assigned.
I teach math and this just covers, again, the gamut for me. It covers everything
from bell work to classwork to homework to quizzes and tests.
I cannot teach my students without knowing what's going on in their brain.
So making participation mandatory, no matter how good their answer is,
(33:59):
no matter how bad their answer is, no matter how ugly the process for them getting
there was, Still, they're required to participate.
Now, next, I tell them to make a way, not an excuse.
Because again, I tell you, I work in the hood. I work in the inner city.
So life be lifing with these kids.
Like some of these kids are going
through stuff that some of us as adults haven't even experienced yet.
(34:22):
But I tell them you can always find a million reasons why not to do something.
Find some reasons why you should. Why should you be determined?
Why should you persevere? here.
Life is going to keep lifing. So find a way to work with the cards you are given and get her done, girl.
(34:42):
Because at the end of the day, life don't keep lifing. The world's going to keep spinning.
And just because there's issues in your world, that is just a small piece of the big world.
And a lot of times the big world don't care.
Hey, I don't just teach math. I teach life. I got to give it to them raw.
If you do not have a policy on participation and effort, you will waste a large
(35:05):
amount of valuable time trying to run.
Students in when participating, no matter if you know the material or not, is a policy.
From day one, it is much harder for students to rebel and dispute and refuse
to put their best foot forward.
Pro tip, find a way to incorporate participation, effort, and attitude into some of their grades.
(35:34):
In conclusion, I have other policies and procedures that I have not mentioned
here, but the ones that I did mention are my golden rules.
These are my go-tos. These are the ones that are literally posted at the front
of my classroom for the entire school year.
If you do not have any other rules for your class, please make sure you have
(35:54):
a rule policy and procedure in place for all of the ones mentioned in this episode.
When you can put your expectations out there from day one, it makes the world
of a difference and doing so allows you to rule classroom management.
You see, students can tell if you are prepared for their BS or if you're just out there winging it.
(36:17):
Simply making it up as you go, they gonna eat you alive.
Once they can sense you are being reactive instead of already having been proactive.
Be ready for the challenge of your lifetime. time.
Now, how strict or how lenient you want to be on each policy is completely up
(36:39):
to you, but do keep this last pro tip in mind.
And this pro tip says, it is easier to start off more strict and then loosen
the grip than it is to start loosey-goosey and then try to tighten up.
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