Classroom management has proven to be essential to my teaching career. In August, I was determined to come in strong and stern. My rules, consepquences, and rewards were all posted. I went over them extensively. I even quizzed my students on the information on the first Friday of the year. My efforts proved to be in vain. The students seemed to rebel immediately. I had no idea what to do as I watched myself slowly loose control of the class. The danced, the walked around freely, they talked out, they threw things. Noone showed for detention, EVER. I knew I was inover my head. I knew I had to do somethingt drastic. Jake Roth spoke once about classroom management being like "trench warfare." He described a battlefield in which as the teacher I was holding the front line of defense. However, the students are constatly pushing me back with their misbehaviors. Just as in trench warfare, there comes a time when I must "redraw" the boundary. There comes a time when I must use all of my "heavy artillary" to reassert control. That time is now.
After being absent for an extended period of time, my goal is to go back in with a positive mindset. No longer will my focus be on consequences for breaking the rules, but on rewards for following the rules. In redirecting behavior, I will still be stern, but I will mve swiftly past the negative, and focus on the positive. I no longer want to be at war with my students. I want us to exist in the classroom in a fashion that allows us to grow and learn from one another. I know that this is not going to be easy (they have been without strucuture for a whole month). I am ready for the challenge. I have planned ahead and am prepared to keep them busy from bell to bell in an effort to curb some of the overactive behaviors. I look forward to this semester.
