Classroom Management: The Fab 15

Number 4 of Fab 15

"If you do not have a plan, then you are planning to fail"; Plan, plan, plan; planning engaging and purposeful; lessons lead to an orderly classroom; over-plan lessons to minimize downtime; lessons should address all learning styles

Number 11 of Fab 15 (Develop effective behavior cues)

- be attentive of the entire class - don't talk over students' chatter; silence can be effective - use a softer voice so that students will really have to listen to what's being said

Number 5 of Fab 15 (Be prepared)

- be organized and on time - be prepared when changes occur in your plans

Classroom management is...

- effective discipline - being prepared for class - motivating your students - providing a safe, comfortable learning environment - building your students' self-esteem - being creative and imaginative in daily lessons - different for every teacher

Number 4 of Fab 15 (Plan, plan, plan)

- planning engaging and purposeful lessons lead to an orderly classroom - over-plan lessons minimize downtime - lessons should address all learning styles

Number 9 of Fab 15 ("With-it-ness")

- refers to a teacher's awareness of what's going on in the classroom - a teacher is doing this if they can take action to suppress the misbehavior of exactly those students involved in the problem and... - when two problems arise simultaneously, the teacher deals with the most serious one first - the teacher decisively handles off-task behavior before the behavior gets out of hand or is modeled by others

Classroom management is important because...

- satisfaction and enjoyment in teaching are dependent upon leading students to cooperate - classroom management issues are of highest concern for beginning teachers - classroom management and effective instruction are key to ensuring student success and learning

Number 7 of Fab 15 (Keep it simple, sugar or "KISS")

- simple classroom rules/procedures - the teacher gives clear and simple instructions - remember that even adults can only process 3-4 instructions at a time

Number 8 of Fab 15 (Educator "feng shui")

- students can hear and see clearly - classroom allows easy access for proximity control - classroom arrangement should be determined by the learning activity

Number 12 of Fab 15 (Proactive v. reactive)

- the best teachers use all of the Fab 15 strategies to ensure classroom is running smoothly - by using proactive classroom management strategies, more time is spent on teaching and learning and less on the teacher reacting to problems

Classroom management is different for every teacher due to...

- their teaching styles - their personality/ attitudes - student population - not all management strategies are effective for every teacher

Number 13 of Fab 15 (Using humor)

- use humor when appropriate - a teacher should never use sarcasm; sarcasm is unprofessional and damages the relationship with your students

Number 10 of Fab 15 (Proximity & body language)

- use of eye contact and facial expressions - physical proximity leads to calm control - the teacher is roaming the class and is facing the students

- the teacher sets the tone for behavior, procedure, grades, work ethic, attitude, etc. - the teacher teaches students to manage their own behavior - students LEARN to be on-task; being off-task is natural - the teacher models and provides examples for excellence in student work and attitude

Number 1 of Fab 15 (you set the tone)

- confrontation gives students a stage to perform - avoid power struggles - give students a dignified way to escape a bad situation - address behavior issues in private

Number 14 of Fab 15 (Every performer needs a stage)

Number 6 of Fab 15 (Transition v. allocated time)

increase the variety of learning activities (allocated time), but decrease transition time (time allocated)

Number 15 of Fab 15 (It is not personal)

kids make poor choices, misbehave, test boundaries limits, don't always do what teachers want them to do

Number 2 of Fab 15 (Be fair, firm, and consistent or "FFC")

students are able to spot inconsistencies; students do not enjoy the consequences of inappropriate behavior, but they will respect your decisions if they know you are disciplining and applying consequences fairly