Classroom Management Techniques That Really Work

Watching a good teacher teach is like listening to a beautiful musical composition. Competent teachers engage the class so beautifully, guide their students through potential pitfalls so marvelously, that we are left in awe. As a teacher, you may feel that “classroom management” is something people are born with, however, the truth is far from it! Classroom management is a skill that can be learned. In this blog, we give three basic starting points to help you wrap your head around the idea of “classroom management” with techniques that really work.

• Build trust amongst students and their parents

Building trust amongst stents and parents is the baseline of classroom management. It is non-negotiable. You may be speaking English with the Queen’s accent, but till you incorporate this step, your journey as a teacher will remain incomplete. And this one takes time; it doesn’t happen overnight. It takes patience to build a relationship with each and every one of your students. Your job as a teacher is not just limited to delivering educational content, rather it is also to create a safe and positive environment for the children to bloom.

When students feel a personal connection to their teacher, they involuntarily make an extra effort in the teacher’s subject. Imagine a young child who opens a particular subject notebook and is reminded of no personal connection with the teacher. What will the child most likely do? It is likely that the child will start with that subject whose teacher has a personal connection to him.

Teachers who go out of their way to create a positive environment in their class rarely worry about discipline issues in the class. This is because the students are positively engaged during the teaching and are less likely to create a ruckus.

Such teachers invariably have a great bonding with the parents of tier students. When parents hear positive things about such a teacher they are more likely to connect with the teacher and share their concerns freely.

• Maintain authority

Being engaging as a teacher doesn’t mean allowing the students to do as they please. Students in your class should always know that you are in charge and your word is the final word. We are not suggesting that you become a Hitler in the class, but you shouldn’t be thought of as a clown either.

When you instruct your class to stop talking and get back to work, but you don’t follow through, then what you are indirectly telling them is it doesn’t matter that much whether they stop talking or not.

To control a class it isn’t necessary to raise your voices; rather students must understand clearly that you mean what you say.  and saying things they regret. At the beginning of the academic year itself, frame a list of rules for your class that you think is necessary and clearly share them with your students. Refer to them often in the initial classes. These rules can be as simple as “no late submission of homework”; whatever be the case, make sure your students know and clearly understand them. Also, make sure that students understand why these rules are in place. Many teachers do not bother to discuss the rationale of the rules with students. You will be surprised how well children react when they understand why a rule is being imposed on them.

• Everyone in the classroom is your student, not just the bright ones

Many teachers make the mistake of focussing only on the bright kids and neglect the weaker kids completely. This will only alienate the kids who are struggling in your subject.

Make sure that you reach out to the academically weaker kids and give them love and extra support. You will be surprised what wonders a kind word to a struggling kid can do. As a teacher, you have to understand that a child lags behind not just because of intelligence but many other factors too. Disturbing home life, abusive parents, etc are some realities that many of our students have to go through. Taking interest in them can often be the difference between steering a child to the right path as opposed to letting the child deteriorate. Remember, compassion is always a strength and never a weakness.

In short, what defines a great teacher from the average ones are attributes such as trust-building, clear authority in the right places and a healthy dose of compassion. Follow these three simple pointers and you will definitely be on your way to being one of the top teachers in your organization.