Lessons in Classroom Management

Almost eight years ago I moved to the San Francisco Bay Area to teach high school at an expulsion school in San Jose Unified School District. An expulsion school is an alternative program for students who have been expelled from their comprehensive high school for gang related or drug related reasons. I was often asked what I taught. Instead of replying "History or English" I often replied jokingly that I taught "Behavior Modification." In the five years that I taught there, I learned a few things about classroom management that any teacher can benefit from.

1. Choose your battles! Figure out what issues you want to stress the most in class and then let the rest go. You can not fight with students over every little thing. For example, I always greeted my students at the door with a pen/pencil and paper. Some teachers feel it is important that students come prepared with materials to class. However, when working with students who had little if any motivation to be at school, coming "prepared" was the last priority on their list and a fight I was not willing to fight. I found that by providing supplies, I was able to reach my end goal: having productive students in the classroom.

2. Do not get in arguments with students. When students challenge or confront you, do not get into an argument with them. Do I always adhere to this? No...but I have found that when I remember to do this, I usually am able to get the student back on the right track. Also, when you find yourself leading down the path of an argument, you can always stop yourself and tell the student that you are not going to argue with them further and then stop. I promise it works. It also helps with the stress level.

3. Create consistency and routines. This is my number one piece of advice. Kids termed "at-risk" or in "chaos" have a love/hate relationship with consistency and routines. At first, they will fight you about the routines that you establish (i.e. getting folder from bin and sitting at desk and working on warm-up upon entering classroom). However, at some level they eventually realize that they crave this. One of the greatest joys of my job was to provide a place where they could feel like there was some kind of consistency amidst their chaotic life outside of school.