Classroom Management Strategies To Help Get Students on Track

Uncategorized Mar 10, 2021

Dear Lesson Plan Toolbox,

I am a first year teacher in first grade and I truly need some help with my classroom management. I’m just not sure what happened. My students were so well behaved, but we had a inclimate weather days earlier in February and I just can’t seem to get them back on track. I’m an organized teacher and have my lessons planned out for two weeks. My lessons seem engaging to me, but my students show very little interest and are quite disruptive while I’m teaching. A big part of my classroom management focuses on manners and respect. These seem to have gone out the window these past few weeks and I’m not sure how to get them back. Of course it’s not everyone, but it is definitely the majority of my class. 

My goal is to begin taking a deep dive into states of matter with a pretty involved unit, but I have to be honest, that if they can’t even sit through a thirty minute lesson on story elements I have little faith in knowing that they will sit through less structured lessons with this unit. Is this normal or is it just me?

 Please help!

Miss Managed

 

Dear Miss Managed,

The very first takeaway I want you to have from this response is that you are DEFINITELY NOT alone. You are already an amazing teacher if you are surviving this first year and right now is your bump in the road. There are many teachers with years of experience that are having probably even more difficulties than you are with your class.

As grown-ups we often feel like time is going so fast, but remember when you were a kid and it seemed like summer vacation was never going to get here? Well, now try being a kid living through a pandemic and imagine how long the days must feel. And now imagine being a kid who is six years old and is expected to sit in a desk all day while being socially distanced from his/her friends when finally being able to move about. That has gotta be so hard! This isn’t meant to justify behavior, but rather serve as a possible explanation.


Good news is that not only am I going to suggest that you move forward with your states of matter unit, but I encourage it! This sounds exactly like what your students will need. Think about it. You are serving more as a scaffold rather than the “main show.” Students will be leading, problem solving, and communicating with each other which are some of the most important skills for a 21st century learner. The sooner you can begin this unit of study, the better.

Beyond that, try going back to basics. Schedule an appointment with your class so you can have a meeting with them where you will discuss the flow of the classroom lately. Turning this into a conversation rather than you simply stating your frustrations will make your students more likely to listen and want to change. You would be AMAZED at how far having a conversation will go with students no matter what their ages.  


I hope this helps you move through the rest of the school year! It sounds like you have some higher level academic lessons that you are planning which is incredible especially for our youngest of learners. Please do not hesitate to reach out if you feel that you need more guidance on your teacher journey. We’re happy to serve primary teachers the best we can. 
 

Don’t forget to grab your FREE 7 Habits To Avoid Burnout Guide!

Think~Relax~Repeat

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