I vow to never raise my voice because what’s the point? When have you ever listened to a person who was yelling at you? When has anyone ever been inspired by or attracted to a yelling person? “Oh hey, that person is yelling, we should all listen and take into consideration whatever it is he’s saying,” said nobody, EVER. So, one of my rules that I will stick to, above all else, is that I will not raise my voice. If student chatter becomes too loud, or if they need to stop talking altogether, then I will ask once, and then one more time. If students do not quiet down after the 2nd request, then I will start handing out referrals. I refuse to raise my voice, but I’m not going to set aside time to ask them for silence more than twice. I’ve realized after working with middle schoolers that they were taught how to come to attention in 6th grade, and they know better than to challenge a teacher’s request. I plan to lay that law down on the first day of classes, and I do not mind making an example of anyone who challenges me. I’m committed to this because I’ve never liked people who yell, and I think it makes teachers look like they don’t have control when they have to yell. I think giving a warning is fair, but students will only get one warning. The next time I have to quiet them down outside of the first two requests, they will be referred.
Category Archives: Classroom Managment
The most important things I’ve come to understand about classroom management are listed here.
Compassion & Classroom Managment
Think of a teacher who significantly impacted your life and/or changed your path for the better/worse.
What about this memory has resonated with you for so long?
Everyone has had experiences with teachers that they will remember until the earth corrodes; these memorable experiences may have affected us in both positive and negative ways of which we’ll never forget. I’m saddened by the fact that some teachers do not use their roles in society to better the lives of its young people, but I’m also SO incredibly thankful for the teachers who are conscious of their students’ needs and the obstacles they face every day.
Most of the memorable moments I can remember with teachers involved some kind of compassion they showed to my classmates or myself. I read an article that claimed compassion to be the best rule of thumb for classroom management. Although this may seem like some fairytale ideal, my memory of being a student rings true to this principle. All memories I have with teachers involve either compassion or a lack there of. Elizabeth Peyton’s article has a bold title: “The Secret to Classroom Management in a Title I School.” The “Title I” part is also very significant to this concept because kids who don’t have enough to eat at home need a certain level of compassion every day, without fail. The basic fabric of this idea lies within this quote from the article:
Treat a kid like a decent person and, more often than not, they’ll act like one.
The Secret to Classroom Management—No Matter Where You Teach