Challenge : Share a classroom management tip. What is one thing that you do that works for you? How could it be adapted to others?
At the beginning of the school year we discuss what it means to be a family. How being a family doesn't mean that you will always get along but you still live together and you work out your problems. We talk about how every person in the room deserves the same amount of respect and we do a LOT of role play. The main thing we talk about is how we learn to love and trust each other especially me and that anything that we talk about will stay with me unless I'm concerned about their safety. The big thing is the THRESHOLD! I tell my students (remember I teach SIXTH graders) that whatever attitude, anger, meanness that they feel BEFORE my class must stay outside the threshold. I do role play where I'm angry but when I walk in my room TADA the anger is gone. So all year long when something happens or they start being mean I say threshold and my students will remind each other that they can't bring that into my room. I RARELY have issues during my class time and my children really do trust me. I think that any teacher can implement this in their classroom if they have a conversation... telling them they can't do this and giving this long list of rules doesn't work. I have learned using examples (such as being a family) works much better for children. I've done this even when I taught elementary school and must truly say that I rarely have to write up children and I rarely have conflict between children in my room. It isn't NONEXISTENT but it definitely is rare!
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