How to Be More Consistent with Classroom Behavior Issues

Linda's Story

my school context

However, the school that I did my internship at was kind of, if I'm being honest, a little over-the-top strict. Now, that is like the opposite problem most schools face today. But at this time in this school, if a student in high school or middle school talked once in class, they were supposed to get an immediate detention. And for the most part, that is what teachers did.

As a result, it did keep the classrooms pretty orderly, but I just felt like that was over the top. I did not want to be like that in my own classroom. So I said, I'm not going to do that. I'm not going to give a detention every time a kid talks. But what I failed to do was come up with an alternate plan. I said, I'm not going to give it attention, but I didn't figure out what I was going to do instead.

The Result

So when kids started talking or being disruptive, I didn't really do anything. I've shared this with you before if you've listened to the podcast long. As a result, I kind of let a lot go. And that led to a whole lot of problems. And that's what happens, right? I tended to let stuff go because I didn't know what to do. 

I just didn't deal with it. But for a lot of teachers, when you don't know what to do, you end up being really inconsistent.? One time you might let it go, the next time you might come down really hard, then it's in the middle, then you just blow up one day because you are just frustrated, right? And so when we don't have a plan, when we don't know how we're going to handle common problems in the classroom, even things as simple as talking, right, then we tend to be really, really inconsistent with it.

why is it hard to be consistent?

we are uncertain

As we talked about before on the podcast, when students see that we're inconsistent, they tend to pounce. Even young students sense this because it's like an unspoken thing. It's this kind of signal that says, I don't really know what I'm doing. You can get away with more. Students can just sense that uncertainty, that inconsistency in us. 

Students are always naturally going to push boundaries. That is part of human nature under the fall. If we don't hold the line consistently, then they're not going to know where the line is. It's not going to be clear to them. They're going to keep pushing it and keep pushing it, often way past where we want it to be. 

Another problem with being inconsistent is sometimes we do blow up. If we don't have a clear plan and, you know, this time we let it go and so students think, oh, maybe this is fine. Then the next time we come down really hard on it and then maybe one time we truly do blow our top because we're so frustrated, that obviously can really hurt the relationship.

It can create an environment where students don't know what to expect from us and it feels like we are unreliable. We definitely don't want that either, right? That does not help build relationships. So it is so important to be consistent.

We don't have a plan

I want to make this statement here really clearly: a lot of the time, the reason it's so hard to be consistent is because we don't have a plan. We don't know what we're going to do when students do X, talk out of turn, are rude to a classmate, don't have their work, whatever it is. We don't have a plan for managing our classroom. And so we're reacting in the moment based on whatever pops in our head or whatever mood we're in. Having a plan really is so, so key for us to be consistent.

It also really helps us avoid both extremes. It helps us avoid those blow-ups because we simply can follow our plan. We don't feel helpless. We have a plan and we can follow it. And then it also helps us avoid that over-permissiveness where we kind of let everything go because we don't know what to do or, like I said, or the swings back and forth in between, none of which are good. It helps us be consistent.

And when we are consistent, then that boundary line becomes clear and students start to realize, okay, when I step over this boundary, the same thing's going to happen every time.

And that builds an environment of trust and an environment where students know what is expected. They might not like it at first, but they really do appreciate that and they thrive much better in that environment. It reduces disruptions and creates a place where you can actually teach, you can help your students, they can learn, and you can even have fun together with learning with them.

So that's a little bit of the background of why we aren't being consistent, and why it's so important. Let's talk clearly about how to be consistent when managing your classroom.

managing your class with consistency

There are three keys to being consistent:

1. Create a plan for how you'll deal with common classroom issues.
2. Follow your plan. It really is that simple.
3. When you miss a behavior issue, get the next one. 

1. Create a plan

Number one is to create a plan for how you're gonna deal with the most common classroom issues. That is number one. That is so important. We have to have a plan for how we're gonna deal with all of our common problems so that when they come, we can follow the plan.

So if you've never done that, if you've never sat down, I really encourage you to actually write it down. Because when we have a plan in our head, a lot of times it's actually kind of fuzzy. We're think, “Yeah, I'll do this, this, and this.” But then we might not remember what we said. Or we might actually not have as much clarity as we think. Because when it's just in your head, you can kind of just gloss over parts of it. Maybe even without realizing it.

But when you write it down, it kind of forces you to be like, okay, what am I actually going to do? And then you have that to reference. So it's so valuable to actually write it down.

We actually talked in detail in a recent episode about this in episode 312. We talked in detail about the five parts of a classroom management plan that we recommend and that we teach the teachers we work with in Classroom Management 101 to go through and create. But at the very least, you need to have a plan for when a student, like write down the five most common classroom issues you face in managing your classroom and write down, this is how I'm going to handle them? So that is number one. You have to have a plan. This is how I'm going to deal with these common issues.

2. Follow the plan

Once you have your plan, step two is follow your plan. Kind of obvious, but it's really, really important.

Commit

When I say this is what I'm going to do, I now have to make a determination, okay, I am going to follow my plan. And it helps, at least for me, to predetermine that ahead of time. Because if in the moment I'm debating, that's not good. That's going to lead back to inconsistency. I have to instead say, okay, this is what I'm going to do and be really determined this is how I'm going to do it.

Now, everyone's personality is different, but I'll tell you what I struggled with in this. It's like a muscle. It's like when the more you exercise it, the stronger you get and the easier it becomes, right? So I remember the first time I had to give a detention, I literally called my husband and was like, I needed like a pep talk or something. It was so hard for me and it still is not easy for me to hold students accountable, to even hold my own kids accountable. I just, I don't like to do it, but I know it's so important. 

So if you feel similar to me, you have to predetermine "This is what I'm going to do," so that in the moment you're not debating, you just say, "No, I already said I'm going to do it. I'm going to do it. I'm just going to follow my plan."

Practice

It might also help to practice ahead of time. So in other words, literally stand in front of a mirror or get a friend or a coworker or a spouse to practice with you and actually practice saying your response.

Actually practice doing it a few times so that you have those repetitions under your belt so when it comes time to do it in real life, you have that, that helps you be more confident, be like, "Okay, I already know what to do and am ready to do it."

So if you are nervous about that or you struggle with that, I definitely do recommend thinking about it, imagining it, and actually practicing it out loud. This will keep you managing your classroom consistently.

3. Get the next one

When you miss a behavior issue, get the next one. Here's what I mean. Let's say that according to your plan, when a student talks without permission, they get a warning, okay? And you have a warning system and all that. But when you're teaching and you see George talk, but you didn't do anything about it. You let it go. You missed it; you just dropped the ball. Okay? It is going to happen. You need to be determined not to let it happen, but it's still going to happen. Okay?

Avoid this one mistake

Now, here's the mistake I see teachers make. They say, "Well, I didn't correct George. So now when Alicia is talking, I can't correct her either because that wouldn't be fair." No, no, no, no, no, no, no. That will compound the problem. If you don't correct George and Alicia, now you can't correct it ever, and it just snowballs so fast. And there's no way out of that. So what you have to do is say, okay, if I miss George, I'm getting the next one. And when Alicia talks, you do exactly what your plan says, okay?

You have to imagine yourself getting right back on that horse and just letting that one go. You might say, "Well, what about, that's not fair." Okay, in a perfect world, you would be fair, but we are not perfect. Only God is perfect in his justice. We are not. So we need to do our absolute best, but we also need to recognize we are not going to be perfect. We are going to mess up. And messing up with one doesn't mean we should mess up with everyone else too. It means get back at it and keep going, okay?

When you do that, that one thing you miss is just a blip on the radar. It's really no big deal. If you let it snowball, it becomes a huge deal. So just recognize you're going to miss stuff. You're going to mess up. You're not going to consistently follow your plan 100% of the time. But when you miss those 1% of misses, as long as you get right back on track,  as long as you are following it 98, 99% of the time, you're actually really doing good.

Be ready to respond

So don't let those trip you up. And by the way, if you're worrying, "What if students call me out and say that?" You can have kind of a canned response ready. It could be something like, "You know, I'm not perfect and I don't catch everything, but I'm doing my best," or, "I'm doing my best to be as consistent as possible." And just move on. Don't get sucked into a whole debate or conversation about that. Just keep going. They don't really need a big explanation.

Justice + Mercy When Managing a Classroom

We’ve covered the practical side of consistency, but I want to delve into the biblical thinking side of this and address the question: What about grace and mercy? Is the right goal, biblically, to be consistent all the time when managing my classroom? Are we even aiming at the right goal from a biblical perspective if we say, "I'm going to be really consistent"?

Let’s consider this. First, I’ll make the case for why consistency matters biblically. Then, we’ll discuss when there are times we shouldn’t be consistent and some biblical principles we can learn from that.

God's Example

First, some thoughts on consistency and how God operates. God is the perfect example of both justice and mercy. He is perfectly just and perfectly merciful and gracious. He embodies both love and justice at all times.

We, however, are not perfect; we will never get this perfectly right, and we need to accept that. However, we should seek to reflect God’s heart and be good ambassadors of him and the way he cares for us, so that we do the same for our students. We need to recognize that consistent justice is important in managing a classroom, but there is also a place for mercy and always love. 

Another thing to consider is 1 Corinthians 14:40, which says, "Let all things be done decently and in order." The context of this verse is about the orderly use of tongues in the church, but it highlights that God is a God of order. We see this in nature and in the verse itself. Consistency helps create order in our classroom, which is important for reflecting God's orderliness.

Do Not show partiality

Consistency also helps create a fair and just environment, preventing partiality or inadvertent favoritism. If we're not consistent, it can be easy to favor some students over others, which is not just. God honors justice, and while the term "fairness" is complex (as God’s justice often transcends our notion of fairness), consistency does help to create a more just environment.

There are many verses warning against partiality. For instance, James 2:9 says, "If you show partiality, you commit sin." This principle applies broadly, not just in the church. Consistency helps us avoid partiality and treat all students more equally and fairly, reflecting God’s character, who does not show partiality.

But what about grace and mercy? If we were literally consistent 100% of the time, we would never show a student grace or let them off the hook. This wouldn’t fully reflect God's character, as God does show grace and mercy.

So, there is absolutely a place to let students off the hook, to give grace, and to offer mercy when managing your classroom.

Caring for our class

But here is the key. We must do that when it is best for the students. We need to be caring first and foremost for their benefit and for their good. And talking, we also are responsible as teachers to care both for the individual and for the class. So when we're making these decisions, we need to ask what is best for the individual student and what is best for the class. And we need to care about both of those.

Now, this is where, once again, we're never going to get it perfect. God is perfect in his decisions. So we can pray and ask him for help us as we seek wisdom to manage our classrooms. And like I said, seek to reflect his heart.

So what we need to recognize is that in most cases, what is best for both the individual and the class is consistency and discipline. That should be kind of the standard, the normal, the modus operandi, so whatever you want to say, right? That should be the norm is I'm going to follow my plan. I'm going to be consistent and in my discipline.

However, we do need to be prepared to offer mercy or grace when it is the best thing to do. And how do we know? Well, we look at what is truly best for the student. And if you're praying, you'll know. Like I said, you won't get it perfect all the time, but you'll know.

Mercy for individual students

There's those moments where you see a student trying so, so hard. They're making so much progress and technically they fell short and need this consequence. But you're like, that is going to destroy them. And what they really need is encouragement. They don't need me to come down hard right now. They need all their progress acknowledged. Okay.

That would be an example of a situation where you say, nope, I'm not going to give this consequence because this is what's best. But what I want to caution you against saying I'm giving grace, I'm giving mercy, when in actuality, it's just that I don't want to deal with it. It's almost a cop-out for me. I'm just going to give grace so that I don't have to deal with this problem. I don't want to give this consequence. I don't want to have to deal with it.  And it's not actually what's best for them. My primary motivation is I don't have time for this. I don't want to deal with this. Something like that.

So that is my bottom line recommendation is really just sharing, asking yourself that question, what is truly best for the student? And knowing that the vast majority of the time, it's going to be sticking to your plan, being consistent, letting them experience consequences, right? That is what is normally best for the student.

So default there, but do be ready to give mercy and grace on those special, unique times when it is called for.