Classroom Management: Seven Steps to Being “PREPARED” Dr. Vanessa Tucker, Ph.D.

Classroom Management Why is this such a priority? Gain of instructional time Less time spent supervising and directing Increased student engagement Less time spent organizing Less time spent on redirecting or responding to challenging behavior

First Year Most first year teachers: Fantasize Expect Assume Struggle!

Management of Human Behavior What is it about fast food restaurants? What do fast food restaurants do to manage human behavior effectively?

Your First Steps: PREPARE Prioritize Reflect and Research Envision Plan and Implement Assess Reteach and Review Evaluate and Make Changes

PREPARE: Prioritize Prioritize the “must haves” What are the top three things you value the most? Turn to your neighbor and share. Don’t worry-you will find more than three to focus on your first year! Respect? Organization? Grouping? Academic Arrangements?

For Example: (My List) Expectations Are Taught and Retaught Parents’ Roles Are Planned Procedures Are Planned Out

PREPARE: Reflect and Research Multiple Points of Influence Your School’s Priorities and Teaching Team’s Practices Your Thoughts, Opinions, and Current Beliefs about Teaching Your Knowledge of Best Practices and Justification for Arrangements

PREPARE: Reflect On Beliefs/Style Instructional Arrangements Inclusiveness Expectations for Behavior Parental Involvement Community Involvement Communication And…Your Teaching Plan Classroom Management Includes Intentional Teaching

PREPARE: Reflect and Research What does the literature say? What plans and practices are in place at the building? In your internship? Can you find evidence to support these practices?

PREPARE: Envision How does it: “Look” “Flow” “Work” Picture in your mind what the kids are doing, at each point of the day. Some things to consider: -ALL of the “WH” (and related) questions -Structured activities at the beginning/end of the day/period

PREPARE: Envision What about expectations for behavior? Go back to your listed priorities Create a short list of expectations Decide what these will “look like” Determine what constitutes “hidden” expectations and how you will deal with them Create a positive behavior support system and a contingency plan Be prepare to teach, reteach, and reteach again

PREPARE: Plan and Implement Consider the following techniques for planning: “Walk” the room/day Matrix planning (by period, academic section) For students as a whole, in small groups, and individual For implementation: Don’t be afraid to walk students through exactly what you want them to do. Show, model, check, role play Engage the assistance of parents as well as others Practice, practice, practice!!

PREPARE: Assess A well planned and managed class: -Kids are more on-task -Less behavioral problems or need for intervention -Less time spent waiting (e.g. transitions) Weak spots are might be: Transitions taking too long Unwanted behaviors occurring (e.g. calling out vs. raising hand) Time spent on student behaviors vs. teaching

PREPARE: Assess ASK for a second set of eyes on the action This could be a peer or your principal Give them specific things to watch (rather than a whole day’s worth of observations) Be aware of observer bias Be open-good management comes from the manager’s leadership.

PREPARE: Review Dangerous assumptions: “I taught them these routines the first day” “Everyone in my class should be able to do (x, y, z)” “It is their problem-they should know better” Consider always that it is the manager’s responsibility to manage the behavior of those in his/her setting-the manager is YOU!

PREPARE: Evaluate and Make Changes Change with the understanding that: Change takes intentional teaching and practice Behaviors naturally go by the way of what is known (expect kids to do what they know) Change takes time Pay careful attention to certain data points: -Transition times -Behavioral interventions and problems -Confusion and “inertia”