Secrets of Classroom Management

I have read a lot of blog posts on classroom management. Teachers believe that their best form of classroom management is to get the students to do what you want when you want them to do it. This may be true, but what about the students? I have struggled with classroom management in the past. I believe every new teacher can attest to the fact that they have failed to properly manage the classroom. Throughout my years of teaching, I have tried and failed to make my class achieve the ideal vision of classroom management. I am still working on trying to achieve this goal. When I have failed to figure out the secret to classroom management, I have turned to reading countless number of books and articles about how to effectively manage the classroom. None of the suggestions below I obtained by reading a book or an article. All of these pieces of advice I have learned through trial and error.

Experience 

Every blog post and book I have read did not appropriately address this issues of experience. I believe experience in the classroom will not only make you a better teacher, but at classroom management. Experience gives you the presence and confidence to demand attention in the classroom. I did not realize my true confidence in teaching until my fifth year of teaching. 

Presence 

The students need to feel like you are in the room and that they can learn from you. A teacher with a strong voice and powerful stance will definitely command the attention of the classroom. If you do not have a strong voice or command the attention of the classroom, then you should practice this skill in front of the mirror. Students will respond to you better when you have a stronger presence in the room. 

Content Knowledge 

I am a major advocate of teacher knowing the information they are teaching especially in high school. If you do not know what you are talking about, then the students will sense that you don't know what you are talking about. Students will be less engaged in your class and the subject matter. Teachers will also feel nervous when they teach the subject which will lead to less classroom management. Teach a subject that you about and what to teach others about. This will make the class more interesting for your students and for yourself. 

Lesson Planning 

If you have a solid lesson plan, then you for lesson will do the classroom management. Students trust teachers who have a clear vision for their classes. They want to know that their time in your class will be informative and engaging. Teachers who do not put the time and the care into their lesson plans will see that their classroom management techniques are not effective because their students do think their class is important. Lesson plans allows you to not worry about what you are going to teach and more about whether or not you students are learning in the classroom. Lesson planning is a daunting task. I know. I strongly believe planning ahead will allow you to be a more effective teacher over time. 

I am going to create a lesson planning series for high school biology course on my blog. There are so many resources out there waiting to be used. I will show you how to get these resources use them to create great lesson plans. Subscribe to my blog to get more updates on lesson planning.