Secrets of Classroom Behavior Management
Beyond the College Textbooks for New Teachers
By Mamie Jefferson-Hill
Smashwords Edition
Tex Ware
Everett, WA
© 2009 Mamie Jefferson-Hill All rights reserved.
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Cover art by Geneva Forte
ISBN-13: 978-1-935500-18-6
Print book ISBN-13: 978-1-935500-07-0
Print book Library of Congress Control Number: 2009942776
I would like to dedicate this book to my family.
Grandmother: Mamie Cooper, who encouraged me to write this book
Mother and Father: Frances Butler-Jefferson and Thomas Edward Jefferson Sr., for all of their love and support
David H. Higgins for helping me with behavioral management strategies
Brother and Sister-in-law: Thomas Edward Jefferson Jr. and Bridget Ward-Jefferson, for their love and support
Table of Contents
Chapter 1 – Perception of Education
Change Your Students’ Perspective
Chapter 3 – Classroom Management
Chapter 4 – Your First Structured Activity
Chapter 5 – Classroom Procedures
Chapter 6 – Managing Too Many Students
Chapter 7 – Managing Undesirable Behavior
The Sneakiest Behavior Problem
Chapter 9 – Commonly Used Behavioral Strategies
Chapter 10 – Rookie Mistakes to Avoid
Chapter 11 – Reduce Your Work Load
Chapter 12 – Prepare for a Substitute Teacher
Chapter 14 – The Last Weeks of School
This behavioral instruction booklet was designed to help new teachers manage student behavior, making the classroom conducive for learning. New teachers have no idea of the challenges they will face. In recent years, not only are teachers expected to teach, but they also must prepare students to compete in the global economy that has been created by modern technology. This is a monumental task considering that many students in the United States cannot even pass a standardize test. Unfortunately, there are many students who lack discipline, making it stressful and difficult for their teachers to teach the skills necessary to excel on standardize tests.
This manual should be viewed as your behavior management reference handbook. Some of the information in this manual you have read in your college textbooks. I am simply taking it a step farther by providing practical applications that you can learn and use as you begin teaching. I like to think of it as the reality of teaching. When you get a teaching job, especially in the inner city, it will seem as if the professional experts who wrote the college textbooks never taught in an inner city elementary school environment. Most of what you learned in college is theory!
I have taught elementary school for several years. You will read about and learn from my personal experiences. I have mastered effective behavioral strategies that have proven successful in managing the toughest inner city students from kindergarten through fifth grade. After you read this manual and implement the behavioral strategies, you will experience the rewards of teaching.
Chapter 1 – Perception of Education
I believe that one of the biggest reasons students fail to achieve academically is because of their and our perception of education. In order to prepare students for the competitive technological world it is essential to acknowledge that there is a problem with our perception of education.
America’s biggest dilemma is that we do not value education. It is up to each and every one of us as educators, as well as parents, to change the perception of education, starting with our children. Our society feels that education is not important. An example of this is that athletes are paid much more than teachers. In fact, most professionals are paid more than teachers, even though teachers’ salaries are better now than in previous years.
Nevertheless, our view of education is being manifested in our children. It is a known fact that in African American urban schools, children feel that if you are smart and earn good grades, you are trying to be White. This reflects what they think about themselves. They feel worthless. They are saying that if you are Black, your birthright is to be stupid. In some Caucasian schools, if a child is extremely smart, his peers will call him a nerd. It is that type of thinking that has to change. I usually tell my students that if someone calls you a nerd for being smart, do you know what they will call you when you grow up? Boss!
Change Your Students’ Perspective
Give a visual representation of the importance of learning the basics. It is easier to start in the primary grades. Children do not understand the reason they should pay attention to a lesson that involves learning the vowel sounds or one plus one equals two. The child is thinking, “big deal.” I have found it helps tremendously to give students a visual representation of the importance of the foundation of education. This sounds obvious and insignificant, but I have met first and second graders who did not know the reason that it is important to learn the alphabet sounds or the significance of understanding that one plus one is two. I usually explain the importance of learning the fundamental concepts of education by giving a visual illustration. I begin by drawing a picture of a house on the board. Next, I draw horizontal lines inside the house. Then, I label the lines starting at the bottom, each line represents a grade, such as, first grade, second grade, on up to twelfth grade. I tell the students that this represents a house made of bricks. I ask them what they think will happen to the house if the bottom bricks are weak. They are able to answer and tell me that the house will collapse. I tell them this is what will happen to them if they do not pay attention to math or reading. I continue to explain that if they do not have a fundamental or basic understanding of these subjects, school will become harder and harder, which will make them feel as if their life is crumbling. After doing this demonstration, I get results from the students.
The next thing I do is compare American students with other students their age from around the world.
You will need to be prepared for your first day of school. These are some of the basics that will help you get started on the right track.
1. Observation Stand at the door as the students enter the classroom. Notice on the first day that most of the disruptive children sit in the back and the very studious kids choose to sit in the front. The well-behaved students usually come to class early and the disruptive students usually come to school late or right before the tardy bell rings.