Latest / New Teacher Talk / Ep 183: Redirecting Behavior #3 Five Proven Strategies to Improve Classroom Behavior and Student Engagement

Transcript

Ep 183: Redirecting Behavior #3 Five Proven Strategies to Improve Classroom Behavior and Student Engagement · New Teacher Talk

Welcome back to New Teacher Talk.
I'm Dr.
Anna,
and today we're continuing our four-part series on redirecting
and managing behavior in the classroom.
This is part three,
and I'm excited to share some practical strategies that
often get overlooked but can really transform your
classroom management.
Today, I want to focus on five key areas,
setting effective routines,
using voice levels strategically, avoiding excuses,
following through with consequences,
and bringing your authentic energy to teaching.
Let's dive in.
Let's start with routines.
Routines are the invisible scaffolding that holds your
classroom together.
When every student knows what to expect, they feel secure,
and you reduce so many behavior issues before they even
start.
Here's what makes a routine effective.
First,
your routines need to support your goals and align with
your school's rules.
Don't just copy another teacher's routines because they
work in their room.
Think about what you're trying to accomplish.
Do you want students to enter silently and start a warmup?
Or do you want them to come in, greet each other,
and then settle into independent reading?
Both can work, but they serve different purposes.
Age matters, too.
A routine that works beautifully with second graders might
be too simplistic for eighth graders.
Consider the complexity that's appropriate for your
student's developmental level.
Now, here's the critical part.
Initially, you need to teach each step with intention.
And I mean really teach it,
not just tell students what to do and expect them to
remember.
Let's say you want students to transition from whole group
instruction to small group work.
Break it down.
When I say transition to group,
you'll first return your materials to your desk,
then bring your notebook and pencil to your assigned table.
Finally,
sit down and look at the task card to see what your group
will be working on.
Model it, have students practice it, give feedback.
It feels like it takes forever at the beginning of the
year, but I promise you,
investing that time up front saves you hours of frustration
later.
And don't be afraid to change routines as the year goes on.
Maybe you didn't anticipate how chaotic the pencil
sharpener would become.
So you create a routine where students only sharpen pencils
at designated time.
That's not failure, that's responsive teaching.
And let's talk about voice.
I'm talking about being explicit with students about the
volume and tone they should use in different situations.
We often assume students know how to modulate their voices
appropriately, but many don't,
and they genuinely need us to teach them.
Think about when a student is providing an answer to the
whole class.
I'll remind them to use a class voice,
which means projecting so everyone,
including the person in the back corner, can hear them.
That's different from a small group voice,
which is conversational,
but not loud enough to disturb other groups working nearby.
During Think Pair Share,
students should use a partner voice,
quiet enough that other pairs can work without being
distracted.
And during independent work,
that might be a voice level of zero, complete silence.
I actually practice these with students,
especially at the beginning of the year.
I'll say,
show me a class voice and have a student demonstrate.
Then, show me a small group voice.
It seems almost silly, but it removes ambiguity.
Think through what different activities require.
Be explicit with your students about voice expectations and
follow through.
If students aren't using the appropriate voice level,
address it immediately and consistently.
The next topic might make some people uncomfortable,
but it's important.
Teachers sometimes make excuses for classes.
Well, it's first period.
They're still waking up.
I have them right after lunch when they're all wound up.
Oh, this is my Friday afternoon class.
They've already checked out.
Here's the problem.
When you make excuses,
you've already decided that class is going to be difficult
and you lower your expectations.
You accept behavior you wouldn't accept from other classes.
If you're teaching multiple sections,
recognize that each one is its own puzzle.
Each class has different chemistry, different dynamics,
different needs.
Take time to figure each group out.
Your second period might need more movement breaks.
Your sixth period might need stricter routines because
they're tired.
Your first period might actually work better with
collaborative activities to help them engage.
You're not ignoring the challenges,
you're problem solving them.
Maybe you're after lunch class does better with a calming
activity right when they walk in.
That's not lowering expectations,
that's being responsive while still holding them to high
standards.
When you stop making excuses, your mindset changes.
You stop seeing certain classes as burdens and start seeing
them as puzzles to solve and the students feel the
difference.
When you believe they can meet your expectations,
they are more likely to rise to them.
Now let's talk about consequences because this is something
new teachers really struggle with.
Here's what I want you to hear.
Don't be afraid to meet out consequences.
I know why teachers hesitate.
Nobody goes into teaching because they wanna be the bad
guy.
We want students to like us, but here's the truth.
Students who won't dislike you because you're strict and
consistent.
In fact,
they often respect teachers who followed through more than
teachers who let behavior slide.
You are not being cruel if you ask someone to sit in a
different place.
You are not being mean if you ask a student to stay for a
few minutes after class to discuss their behavior.
These are reasonable logical consequences that help
students learn accountability.
Good follow through means if you say there's a consequence,
you deliver it calmly, matter of factly, without anger.
Sophia,
you chose to continue talking during independent work after
I redirected you once.
You'll need to move to the seat by my desk.
That's it, no lecture, no drama,
just a clear connection between the behavior and the
consequence.
Consistency is key.
If talking during silent work results in a moved seat for
one student, it needs to be the same for all students.
That's what fairness actually looks like,
applying the same standards consistently.
Your students want to know where the boundaries are.
They feel safer in classrooms with clear expectations and
consistent consequences.
Let's end with something I'm really passionate about,
finding your energy as a teacher.
Find your energy, show passion for your content.
Your students deserve the most engaged and authentic
version of you.
Teaching is exhausting.
We all have days when we're tired,
when we didn't sleep well, when we have a lot on our minds.
But when you step into that classroom,
your students deserve your best, not your perfect,
your best.
And energy doesn't mean being bouncy and loud all the time.
Energy looks different for different teachers.
Maybe you're naturally enthusiastic and animated.
That's great.
Maybe you're quieter, but deeply engaged.
Also great.
The key is authenticity.
Students can tell when you genuinely care about what you're
teaching and when you're just going through the motions.
When you bring energy and passion to your teaching,
students are more engaged.
And engaged students have fewer behavior issues.
Think about it.
When was the last time a student was disruptive during a
lesson they found genuinely interesting?
If you're teaching Romeo and Juliet for the 15th time,
find something about it that still excites you.
If you're teaching fractions again,
connect it to something you love, baking, music, sports,
whatever makes it real for you.
Your energy is contagious.
When you're excited about learning,
students are more likely to be excited too.
Let me recap the five ideas we covered today.
First,
set effective routines that support your goals and teach
them with intention.
Second,
be explicit about voice levels for different activities and
follow through.
Third,
stop making excuses for challenging classes and figure out
what each group needs.
Fourth,
don't be afraid to follow through with consequences.
Consistency builds trust.
And fifth, bring your most energetic,
authentic self to your teaching.
None of these are earth-shattering concepts,
but together they can really transform your classroom.
It's about the daily,
consistent implementation of these practices.
You won't get it perfect, none of us do.
But every day you show up and try to be better at these
things,
you're creating a stronger learning environment for your
students.
Next time, we'll wrap up this series with part four,
where we'll talk about five more ideas surrounding
classroom management.
Until then, take care of yourselves, new teachers.
You're doing important work.
And thanks for listening to New Teacher Talk.
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