Part 2: Cut Out Those Disruptions

A couple things before you go….

1. Comment. Let us know what strategy stood out to you.

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If You Want the Cliffs Notes….

Here’s a summary of the main points of the video.

4 Strategies to Cut out Disruptions

Address problems while they’re small. If you let little things go, they’ll quickly escalate to big things. So try to address problems while they’re small. (Remember this when school starts next year. If you start the year by dealing with little issues, things will go so much more smoothly.)
Develop a plan for how you’ll address specific problems. Think of the top two discipline problems you have in your classroom. Then, put together a plan for what you’ll do next time they happen. When you have a plan, you’re much more effective at dealing with the problem. If you don’t know what to do, find a teacher to ask for help or post your question in the comments below.
Build confidence by practicing. If you aren’t confident, your students will sense that. So build your confidence by practicing exactly what you’ll say to various classroom problems. And when I say practice I mean literally practice out loud in front of a mirror or a friend.
Be consistent. Next time Veronica blurts out an answer or Isaiah turns around and starts talking to Rick, take a deep breath and answer with the response you’ve practiced. Be consistent and do it every time.

Secret Weapon: Most importantly, develop relationships with your students. Ask them about their interests and show them you care. When you talk to them about discipline problems, seek first to understand their point of view before you try to explain to them your own.

Watch for video #3 in which we’ll discuss 8 simple ways to motivate your students to learn.