Behaviour management

I remember a time when I used to use my voice for everything in the classroom. I used it to explain what was coming up next, how I wanted students to line up, to provide praise, to provide redirection and to get students to be quiet to listen to instructions.  The problem with all this talking was that it left me with a sore voice and wasn’t actually that effective in helping students engage in the classroom.   In fact, the louder I was in trying to get the students to be quiet, the harder it wa…

The start of a new school year (or term, or week, or day) brings with it a desire to establish routines and expectations in our classrooms.  It is usual to spend time with students talking about rules and outlining what will be expected of all members of the class.   These will be reinforced each day as you give instructions to students. You might ask them to enter the classroom quietly or move quickly to pack up.  

This is all great if students understand what it is you want them t…