Sometimes being a teacher is far too stressful. Mounting workloads, lack of resources and even staff shortages cause all manner of issues within a school, but the biggest disruption is one that has always existed – keeping control of the classroom. The best laid plans can go awry when one student decides that today is the day they鈥檙e going to impress everyone by refusing to behave. Well, don鈥檛 lose your head – here鈥檚 a few tips for keeping control of the classroom.
1. Make the rules clear
The rules in your classroom will define the way it runs. The advice often given is to have 5 very clear, very firm rules. You need to make them short and easy to remember, and you need to teach them in a positive light. Remind students that behaving isn鈥檛 just going to avoid reprimanding, but can also lead to rewards. It鈥檚 also a good idea to get students to agree to the rules, through show of hands or even a written agreement. But don鈥檛 forget that you too will have to obey them. It has to be a fair system, one rule for them is just as much a rule for you.
2. Innocent before proven guilty
Sometimes misbehaviour is simply a misunderstanding of the boundaries. If someone is acting up, let them know why it鈥檚 not acceptable and explain what the rules are. Don鈥檛 let the student feel like a victim of ignorance – first offenses can slip, but repeat behaviour requires a firmer hand. Lay down the law and you鈥檒l find that most, if not all students will be more than happy to obey. The point is to not assume malice – when you have someone actually causing active disruption you need to have no ambiguity that that鈥檚 what鈥檚 going on.
3. Be fair, but be authoritative
Is it better to be loved, or feared? Machiavelli is said to have fallen on the side of feared, but in truth he agreed the ideal was both. When disciplining students it鈥檚 always best to deal with the student in a way that they will be able to understand and accept, but if you need to put your foot down make sure not to hold back on the agreed consequences of breaking the rules. Authority is derived from respect, and to earn respect you must be consistent, both in mercy and in justice.
4. Don鈥檛 Argue
Arguing is a guaranteed root to misery, it inflames a pupil鈥檚 need to 鈥渨in鈥� and will lead to further disruption. Instead make sure you discipline students separately, as this gets them in an environment where they don鈥檛 have to defend their ego. Tell them they鈥檝e broken the rules and then instigate punishment, don鈥檛 instigate a shouting match. Do hear your students out, let them make their case, but only once. Think of it as a 3 stage conversation.
Stage 1
Explain what rule they have broken.
Stage 2
Allow them to respond
Stage 3
If their input doesn鈥檛 change your mind enforce the punishment.
Don鈥檛 mistake not arguing for not listening – often the scuffles in the playground are rarely one student acting up, so make sure that all those involved are dealt with appropriately, and don鈥檛 punish the innocent, as nothing will erode your authority faster than being unfair.
5. Make sure cover teachers know the rules
As we鈥檝e established, consistency is everything, so even when you aren鈥檛 in you鈥檝e got to keep your classroom in order. Create a printed pack for substitute teachers explaining what the rules are and the expectation of the pupils. It might even be a good idea to have the substitute teacher explain to pupils that they鈥檙e aware of the rules and that they too agree with them. If you鈥檝e done your job well, kids will respect the authority you laid down for the rules, even when you aren鈥檛 there.
6. Every day is a fresh start
Don鈥檛 hold grudges – there鈥檚 no such thing as a 鈥渢roublemaker鈥�. Once a student has served the consequence of their misbehaviour they should be treated like all the others regardless of past behaviour. If you help cultivate the reputation of a troublemaker it鈥檒l become a self fulfilling prophecy, so try to encourage pupils to refresh their attitudes.
Keeping control of the classroom is tricky, but create a proper culture of discipline and you鈥檒l soon see the need to monitor behaviour fade into the background of everyday teaching. It鈥檚 worth bearing in mind that although discipline is worth maintaining, rewards are what backup good behaviour.
Classroom Discipline 101
Maintaining classroom discipline is essential for creating a positive learning environment.
Effective strategies include:
- Setting clear, fair rules for everyone.
- Addressing misbehaviour calmly.
- Ensuring consistency even with substitute teachers.
Treat each day as a fresh start to avoid negative labels and create a culture of discipline reinforced by rewards. This approach helps manage behaviour and supports a productive and engaging educational experience for all students.
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