Thanks for the feedback on the report I gave last week…if you haven’t read your copy you still can here: http://www.teaching-tips-machine.com/least-intervention.pdf

I did receive lots of questions though about my closing remarks in the report regarding punishment. Don’t get me wrong here…I’m not saying that teachers must never punish misbehavior…I was just stating that punishment should be saved as a last resort.

Punishment often leads to other problems (as I mentioned in the report) so teachers should try other strategies first to try to minimize the repercussions that punishment may create.

For example, let’s say you are forced to RE-act to a student whose behavior has not improved…you have used all the PRO-active classroom management strategies you can think of to try to get this student involved in your lessons…you have used all steps under the “law of least intervention” to try to stop the behavior problems without disrupting the class…

Still, you have a student who is causing classroom management problems…

Now you must RE-act to the situation. HOWEVER, as I stated before you want to save punishment as a last resort only!

So, what’s a teacher to do?

Well here’s an idea…create a “behavior action plan”.

The key to changing inappropriate student behavior is to have the *student* take responsibility for his actions. The teacher should try to get the student to identify the inappropriate behavior, then determine why it is inappropriate, and finally, how the student plans to stop the inappropriate behavior.

The teacher can create a simple “behavior action plan”. The plan calls for the student to complete the following three statements:
1. I am writing this plan because I…
2. This behavior was not appropriate because…
3. To prevent this from happening again, I plan to…

Then, at the bottom of the handout make sure to have the student sign his or her name.

By signing his name the student is making a promise to follow through with their plan.

You may even want the parent to sign as well.

In the end, this is significantly better than simply punishing the student for the misbehavior. This approach has more potential for long-term results without the repercussions.

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Are you sick and tired of professional development training that is completely worthless?

Do you want REAL professional development that will actually help you become a better teacher?

Then make sure to “listen” to Marjan Glavac’s one-of-a-kind teleseminar entitled How to Thrive and Survive in Your Classroom @ http://teaching.telesem.hop.clickbank.net

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Over the past couple of months I have made several posts about how to handle minor classroom management issues.

To help out fellow teachers AND as a “thank you” to my subscribers and customers I have compiled many of those posts into one report entitled: Classroom Management: The Law of Least Intervention

There is absolutely no charge for this report…in fact, you don’t even have to sign up or provide your email

Simply right click the link below to download your own copy:
http://www.teaching-tips-machine.com/least-intervention.pdf

I’d love to get some feedback on the report so feel free to make a post here when you get a chance.

Hope your school year is going well.

Best Wishes,
Adam

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As you know I am a big proponent of the using a proactive approach to classroom management. My goal is to stop classroom disturbances BEFORE they start. I do this by using teaching strategies that increase student motivation, increase class participation and basically keep my students involved in the lesson. (For more on proactive classroom management sign up for my e-course @ www.Classroom Management-Tips.com)

Of course, minor disturbances still occur. When this happens I use the “law of least intervention” to stop the minor disturbance with the “least” amount of disruption to the lesson. (As discussed in many recent posts here on the Teaching Tips Machine)

However, even if teachers are being proactive and even if teachers are using the law of least intervention, classroom management problems do still occur. Fortunately, teachers will be faced with significantly less of these classroom management problems when using the above approach…

Yet, they still occur…

When this happens teachers obviously must become re-active. However, even when you must re-act to a disturbance in the classroom the teacher should keep these three things in mind:

1. keep your cool
2. maintain the student’s dignity (do not put the student down)
3. use punishment as last resort only

Remember, teachers should try to create a lasting change in the student’s behavior…not just a temporary fix.

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Are you sick and tired of professional development training that is completely worthless?

Do you want REAL professional development that will actually help you become a better teacher?

Then make sure to “listen” to Marjan Glavac’s one-of-a-kind teleseminar entitled How to Thrive and Survive in Your Classroom @ http://teaching.telesem.hop.clickbank.net

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I have made sveral posts lately discussing how teachers should use the “least intervention” possible when dealing with minor classroom management problems.

Obviously, we have been speaking about *minor* disturbances…passing notes, writing notes, talking with a friend etc.

We’ve discussed many different strategies for handing these minor problems…eye contact, moving to the proximity of the disruption, the pause, the look, the gesture, using student names appropriately, using praise effectively, the Premack principle (a.k.a. Grandma’s Law), and cueing.

However, sometimes we forget the most obvious and most simple way to handle minor disturbances…humor.

Some say sarcasm has no place in the classroom…I beg to differ.

Cupping your hands over your mouth and saying “Space shuttle to earth, can you hear me!” can get students back in their seats and refocused on task. Better yet, it does so with a little smile and a chuckle from everyone AND also helps build upon that all-important student-teacher relationship.

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The Teaching Tips Machine recommends…

Marjan Glavac’s How to Make a Difference

To learn how to make a difference in the lives of your students and inspire them to do their best for the rest of their lives with teacher tested techniques you can use immediately in your classroom…make sure to read How to Make a Difference @ www.howtomakeadifference.com

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Want to stop minor classroom management disruptions without even mentioning it to your students?

Then use “cueing” to stop the classroom management disruption.

Cueing is basically getting all your students to respond in a way that is NOT compatible with any undesired behavior.

For example, if a teacher is handing out a worksheet and has her students clear their desks of everything except something to write with, then that stops the two girls in the back who were writing notes to their friends…

…when a teacher has all students write down an answer to a question rather than having just a few students raise their hands it forces the boy in the other corner to put down the paper airplane and pick up his pen to write down an answer…

…when a teacher has students put their heads down on the desk and visualize what life must have been like as a slave as the teacher reads about life on board the Middle Passage it will most certainly redirect and refocus Johnny and Suzy from talking about their weekend plans…

Cueing, when done properly, can be an extremely effective classroom management strategy AND instructional strategy.

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If you can’t manage your classroom you can’t teach!

Adam Waxler, a full-time social studies teacher and adjunct education professor, has developed a FREE 5-part

Classroom Management e-Course…

Learn simple classroom management strategies that will result in an immediate and definite decrease in classroom management problems

To sign up for this FREE course visit:
www.Classroom-Management-Tips.com

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