Taming the Wild

Today's Blog Hoppin topic day 4 is Taming the Wild- management. This is critical to teaching. No matter how wonderful your classroom looks or how fantastic your lesson is, you have to have good management. Here are just some of my ideas to 'tame the wild':

1. EXPECTATIONS! EXPECTATIONS! EXPECTATIONS!

I spend several weeks at the beginning of the year setting up my classroom community. My kiddos need to know the boundaries and what I expect out of them. How can you reward or discipline if they don't know what you expect from them.

2. When to Praise and when not to.

I have lived by this quote my entire teaching career as well as with my own children. Vince Lombardi used the word 'criticize' instead of 'reprove'. I think reprove is a little more gentle and loving than criticize. No one wants to be embarrassed in front of their peers.

3. Pick your battles.

I teach 6-7 years old children. They WILL NOT always obey, be nice, or do what they should. I CANNOT try to correct every little thing they do wrong. Decide what is the most important and work on that. 

4. My management system.

I've blogged about it before. I try to use LOTS of praise and rewards but need consequences too. I use 'Caught Ya' and 'Stop and Thinks'. You can read my post about my system HERE.

DISCLAIMER

These are the things that have worked for me MOST of the time. Each child is unique and what works for one doesn't work for another. I work closely with parents and try to find the best for the child. 

But the best thing of all is to just LOVE each child for who they are!

Wonderful things happen when a child KNOWS they are loved.