DearAnxiousTeacher

It’s the end of the school year, and maybe it's becoming a little long in the tooth. You took this job thinking students would appreciate your efforts and caring attitude; in contrast, you’re dealing with some students who are just out to press your buttons and get under your skin. Accept that you’re not for everyone. Students, especially the challenging ones, will look to get you off your game and will eagerly await for your angry reactions. Don't give it to them. What do you do? You stay calm and controlled. Your behavior or attitude should be confident and unfazed. You then follow through with an actionable consequence with a matter-of-fact attitude. You're not rocked by teens. Discipline with kindness. Discipline without emotion and anger. Sometimes in the throes of classroom management, you wonder if students perceive and respect your kindness and support. “Why am I here” might even cross your mind as you question your sanity. We all just want a positive experience and...

  Hello seat changes! Changing students’ seats every quarter keeps the classroom fresh and functions like a computer reset. Things sometimes get stale in the classroom and students can get too comfortable sitting in their seats. To avoid this situation, change seats every quarter to help curtail unwanted behaviors and to freshen up the classroom. Each new quarter functions like a restart and this is a great time to move students into better placements. I like to look at my students individually and at their grades when placing students. Also, considering social needs may be a factor when assigning seats. Placing struggling students closer to the teacher is an excellent strategy, but maybe placing struggling students into a heterogeneous learning group instead. This may help them more than sitting closer to you. You never want to reveal your rationale or reasoning when directing students to assigned seats for obvious reasons. I like to mix the classroom seating by varying abilities ...