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When a new teacher asked members of the MiddleWeb listserv for some help in managing her classroom, veteran teacher and teacher trainer Mary Lorenz sent this reply.


Discipline Tips from a Teacher-Survivor


My first year of teaching was a total disaster. I almost lost my job. In March of that year I was finally assigned to a master teacher who helped me through the next two years. During the summer after my first year I found this book. "Discipline in the Secondary School Classroom" by Randall Sprick (ISBN 0-87628-248-6).

Over the years I have shared this book with hundreds of classroom teachers from every discipline. I sponsored well over 25 student teachers over the years and I purchased this book for every one of them. It not only deals with classroom discipline, it deals with classroom routines and management (AKA Harry Wong).

Attached are two handouts I give every new teacher whom I meet, and very often veteran teachers who need a new approach. There are also two other pieces of information I always pass along:

1.) http://www.disciplinehelp.com -- When you realize why/what the students are reacting to, you will be better able not to "react to them", but to help them solve their own problem instead.

2.) "The Quality School" by William Glasser - This book completely changed everything I thought I knew about my students and how I handled them and the problems that occurred in my classroom.

These three items along with Harry Wong's "The First Days of School" are on my required reading list for new and veteran teachers.

Mary Lorenz
Program Specialist for Technology Education
Texas Education Agency

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TIPS ON CONDUCTING THE FIRST TEN MINUTES OF CLASS

Step 1: Stand at the door to greet students.

Greeting students at the door will demonstrate your interest in interacting with students from the moment they enter the classroom. Your presence will also reduce the likelihood of misbehavior. Finally, if any students try to enter your room rambunctiously or disruptively, you can take care of the inappropriate behavior outside your classroom.

As students enter, introduce yourself and give them any directions needed to complete the introductory task. If students are entering the classroom in a loud or boisterous manner, stop them before they actually enter your room.

Tell students that they must enter quietly and begin working on their assignment. If students do not quiet down, tell them to remain in the hall until they are ready to enter quietly. Then, if any students remain in the hall as class is about to begin, indicate privately that they must enter quietly and take a seat. If a student does not enter the room, explain that you will have to count her absent unless she chooses to join the class. If you greet students at the door, these last steps are rarely needed.

Step 2: When you are ready to begin class, get everyone's full attention before you start.

Always wait to get everyone's attention before you begin the class. If you start class while some students are still talking or are out of their seats, students will assume that it is all right to engage in those behaviors while class is in session. Make this waiting a habit and give directions or start class activities only when you have the attention of the entire class. If the students do not quiet down when you tell them you are ready to begin class, wait quietly. If the students get quiet within ten or fifteen seconds, begin the first activity and say nothing about the time it took them to get ready to listen. If they take up to thirty seconds, inform them-when they have gotten quiet-that from now on you will expect them to be quiet and ready to listen within a few seconds of the time you call for their attention. If they are not quiet after thirty seconds, tell them in a firm (not shouting- firm) voice that you need their attention. Repeat this instruction until you have the attention of the class.

Step 3: Present class rules and consequences for misbehavior.

When you have everyone's attention, introduce yourself. Let students know you are glad to have each of them in class and hope they will find your class enjoyable and profitable. Present your class rules as procedures for ensuring that class time is beneficial to everyone and then discuss consequences for inappropriate classroom behavior. Give them the handout on rules and expectations and make sure everyone understands how your class will be conducted. This is an important first activity because it allows you to clarify your expectations prior to any opportunity for student misbehavior.

Step 4: Take attendance.

Once you have presented your classroom rules, take attendance. Have student's work on completing the introductory task while you call roll. In some schools, it may be necessary to take attendance right after the bell rings. If so, you may wish to take attendance while you are greeting students at the door. During a roll call, students know that they will be involved in the activity for only one thirtieth of the time. If the roll is taken before you present the rules and expectations, students may tune you out even before you have begun.

Step 5: Explain your procedures for assigning and collecting work.

Introduce the procedures and routines for assigning and collecting work. Distribute any related handouts, making sure that students understand how they can monitor their own assignments. Be clear when explaining that work will be due at the beginning of the class period on the day it is due. Explain any consequences for late assignments.

Step 6: Explain your grading system.

Pass out the handouts on assignments and grading. Explain in detail how students will earn their grades. Tell students to show the information to their parents. You may wish to have students bring back parent signatures indicating they have been informed of your grading system and of your expectations for the semester. This is an excellent way to document that your students are informed.


A FIVE-STEP PROCESS FOR
TEACHING STUDENTS HOW TO BEHAVE

For every subsequent class activity during the first couple of days, implement the following steps. This process is useful for all activities from listening, to lectures, to passing out books, to excusing a class. The purpose of these five steps is to teach the students precisely what they should do to demonstrate that they are following the classroom rules. This will require some extra time the first few days of class, but will save time in the long run because students will more quickly begin to follow your rules and expectations.

Step 1: Get everyone's attention before you begin any class activity.

Step 2: Introduce each activity and describe exactly how you expect students to behave during that activity.

* In describing how you want students to behave, provide as much detailed information as possible. Students have had many teachers over the years. Some allow talking, others do not. Some teachers want students to raise their hands, others do not. Each individual teacher must clarify his or her expectations. This is also how you will clarify any differences in how students are expected to behave during different activities in your classroom. For example, you would probably inform students before lectures and independent work times that they need to raise their hand if they have a question or something to say. However, during discussions you might allow them to speak without raising their hand as long as they do not interrupt someone who is speaking.

* Provide explicit information on how you want students to interact with each other and with you. Introduce each activity by telling students whether they may talk to each other and if so, how loudly, about what topics, and for how long. Some students will talk during the entire period if they are told that talking is allowed. It is important to clarify exactly what you mean

Step 3: Provide students with positive feedback when they are meeting your expectations.

It is important for you to let students know they are on target. Students need to know that you appreciate their efforts. Simple matter-of-fact feedback will not embarrass secondary-level students. It tells them that you recognize their mature and responsible attitudes and actions. Provide feedback that will not be embarrassing to secondary-level students.

Step 4: Provide immediate feedback when students are not meeting your expectations.
* Use a gentle verbal reprimand when students engage in minor misbehavior. A gentle verbal reprimand involves a matter-of-fact statement telling a student or students what they should be doing. For example, you may have a rule stating that students must raise their hand if they have a question or comment during lectures. If a couple of students begin whispering during a lecture, you might walk over to them and say, "Remember, if you have something to say during a lecture you are supposed to raise your hand and wait to be called on. If you do not wish to share your thoughts with the class, you should not be talking." It is critical that the gentle verbal reprimand be delivered very calmly and quietly. Emotion weakens the procedure. Your manner should imply that the students probably did not fully understand your expectations. You will therefore give them more direct information so that they can improve their behavior. This reduces the likelihood that students will resent a reprimand. If you are harsh with this procedure the student may justifiably feel, "Well, I didn't know what was expected in this stupid class!"

* Verbal reprimands should be private, brief, and as immediate as possible. The more private the reprimand, the less likely the student will feel that he needs to challenge your authority to save face in front of his peers. However, immediacy should not be sacrificed for privacy. If you wait until the end of the period to reprimand a student, others will think that the misbehavior was acceptable. Similarly, do not take the student into the hall for a reprimand because immediacy is lost and the interruption could prompt other behavioral problems in your classroom. Verbal reprimands are most effective when the teacher immediately walks over to the student or students and quietly tells them how they need to improve their behavior.

* The only caution in using verbal reprimands is that they are only short-term interventions. If the misbehavior continues after you have used verbal reprimands several times, you must change your strategy.

Step 5: At the end of each activity, tell students how well they have met your expectations. If students have been successful in meeting your expectations, they need to know that you are aware of their cooperation and effort. If there have been problems, go over the problems without naming names. Identify class goals for the next activity of this type. Let your class know that you have higher expectations than were demonstrated, but that they will have an opportunity to work on improving their performance.


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