How New Teachers Can Manage a Classroom

As John Polasko, Head of the Cincinnati Country Day School pointed out in the New Teacher Resource Center "rules are good, but teaching in a way that leads to very few opportunities to respond to inappropriate behavior is even better."

This is why a well-planned lesson is king - the more effectively you engage your students, the less (and less) they will feel a need to disrupt you.

Are there places in your lesson where students are still testing your authority? Not on task?

Just for today, take a look at your lesson plans for tomorrow. Is there a place or two where you can engage them more effectively?

I'm not leaving out the importance of combining effective instruction with a classroom management plan. We'll relate to that soon.

But for now, don't be afraid to engage your students in ways you never thought and dreamed were possible.

That's really your job right now.

Another reason why new teachers struggle so much with managing a classroom is because they fail to choose a teaching approach that suits their personality and style.

Simply put, a teaching approach is a plan for engaging students.

For example, will you provide quick activities for students to do right at the beginning of the lesson?

Or, will you start by explaining a new concept, word or idea?

Will you work frontally or provide opportunities to work in groups/pairs?

No matter how you engage your students, you should know why you are doing it and stick to what you believe in. Otherwise, you need to find another teaching approach right away.

Today, if you don't have a teaching approach, choose one that represents your intentions so you won't be full of "good intentions," which will never help you acquire success you really want.

If you already have a teaching approach, make sure you're using it to the best of your abilities.

So make those teachable moments count.

Work it!