Mike is spot on. I recall the advice I got early on "never talk while other people are talking (students). Never!" As I passed this on to other teachers, especially those in inner city schools) they would respond with "I will never talk than, because they would never stop!" Could be 10 minutes, could be an hour, could be a day. But it works. Also, Mike is correct, my pay attention signal (yes we even have them in audition admittance arts high schools) is "twinkle twinkle twinkle" hand arm and voice response. You can see it in practice at sotatheatre.org YouTube videos - theatre games.
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Phillip Rayher
Director, Theatre Dept.
Ruth Asawa San Francisco School of the Arts
San Francisco CA
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Original Message:
Sent: 09-02-2015 15:06
From: Michael Corliss
Subject: It's gonna be a looooooong year. Please help.
The best advice I can give is this: Never give instruction until everyone is quiet.
Decide what the signal will be for 'quiet', and use it consistently. Be patient, but don't wait forever for them to quiet down. Say, "Ask your neighbor to be quiet." This teaches them that it's everybody's job to get everyone settled down. The more compliant students will help you quiet the class. Start calling on individual students by name, choosing the ones who are most stubborn about complying, and pointing out that you are giving the signal for quiet (just say their name, nothing else). And wait for it.
I frequently, at the start of the year, give the signal for quiet, and then count the seconds till they are silent. I tell them how long it took, and either praise or 'encourage' them ("I know you can do better"), depending.
Once you start talking, if anyone begins speaking again, stop. Look directly at them, say their name if necessary, and wait. The class will help you. Then start over. The class soon learns that nothing happens until everyone is quiet and attentive, and most of them actually do want to hear what's happening next.
No need to yell, no frustration, and the class learns the deal very quickly.
This one tool will make the majority of your classroom management problems go away.
Mike Corliss
Livonia Stevenson H.S.
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Michael Corliss
Livonia MI
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Original Message:
Sent: 08-31-2015 10:07
From: Michael Johnson
Subject: It's gonna be a looooooong year. Please help.
Many great suggestions for books and things to do-- and I'm not sure this has been posted for you, yet-- so here goes.
Seek out help from the teachers in the grade levels. Find a teacher in each level that you think is a good teacher. Ask them for help. They are your best resource and will not judge you any less for it. Indeed, the best teachers will see that you want to grown and learn. If you get one tip from each of them, that will be quite a tool kit.
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Michael Johnson
Trinity NC
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Original Message:
Sent: 08-31-2015 08:29
From: Peter Duffy
Subject: It's gonna be a looooooong year. Please help.
Hi Jennifer,
You have some great replies here. I would second "Teaching with Love and Logic". Very useful resource.
A couple of things to think about right away.
1) You never win a power struggle. If you feel yourself starting to engage in one, take a few steps back and remember that it can only be a power struggle when you engage. Rely on the fact that you are the teacher. That will give you a lot of strength to stay calm, breathe, and remain loving and firm. My favorite phrase is, "That's okay, you don't have to want to."
2) Find things to help keep your room calm. Play soft music, whisper to the students (you won't be able to talk over them, so talk under them. It's amazing how that works). Get lamps in the room to dim the light if possible. Atmosphere matters.
3) I agree with others who've said establish reliable routines. Every class the students know what to expect (sit in a circle on the floor that you've established or sit at their desks -depending on what you've set up, look at an image on the board and think about it and wonder how it connects to the day's lesson, etc.) Routines are your best friend. I know many teachers who use Sean Lane's Actor's Toolbox to start every class. Though I quibble with the phrase "control my imagination", it's a really useful way to get students focused. http://www.kennedy-center.org/education/partners/touringbrochure/teacher/Layne_Sean.pdf
4) Make sure you make use of the time as the students are entering your room to make connections with them. Say good morning, comment on new shoes, etc. That goes a long way. As I am sure you know, relationships matter. If you're teaching 400 students a year (like many elementary drama teachers do), make sure your students come into your room with name tags. Make in the other teacher's job to ensure that their children come into your room with name tags on.
5) I am a firm believer that you can cut down on of the classroom management issues during your lesson planning. Focus on your transitions in between things. That's where we tend to lose students. So, if you're doing a warm-up activity, for example, make sure there is an ending to it that will allow you to move onto the next thing easily. For example, if you're wanting to give new instructions about the next activity, make sure the previous activity will end in a spot where you want your students to be (in a circle, being quiet, standing on a line, etc). I play a the old chestnut of a game where I call out numbers and shapes and students have to get with that number of people and create that shape with their bodies. "4, trianlge", for example. If I have to give directions after that, I make sure that I will say the number of kids in the class (plus 1 for me) and circle "27, circle," for example. Once they are in the circle, you go right into the next thing or quickly reflecting on what just happened. Be aware of using the silences and stillnesses that exist within warmups and games.
6) I try and keep each activity contained to no longer than the average age of the children I am teaching. So six year olds, do one warm up or lesson moment for no more than 6 minutes (plus or minus). Some you can do for much longer because they could play "Night at the Museum", for example, for 22.5 hours without stopping, but you get the sense of what I mean.
7) Lastly, watch the master teachers in your building. Ask for help. Get observed and form allies with your students and the other teachers in the building.
I hope these thoughts are useful.
Get in touch if you need helps/ resources etc.
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Peter Duffy
Head of Master of Arts in Teaching, Drama Education
University of South Carolina
duffyp@...
@peterbduffy (twitter)
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Original Message:
Sent: 08-29-2015 16:27
From: Jennifer Riker
Subject: It's gonna be a looooooong year. Please help.
Hello Everyone,
I am a brand new Theatre teacher. I have to teach Pre-K - 8th grade. I have absolutely NO Classroom Management Skills and it is beginning to show. This last week was my first ever and the kids have kicked my you-know-what into submission. I already lost my power. I tried hand gestures to silence them as well as a bell. My voice is not big and booming and I have to either teach the lower school students in their tiny classroom and the upper school kids in the cafetorium which makes their 20 voices (at a time) sound like 40 to my one. I burst in to tears in FRONT OF a 6th grade class when two kids sassed me and I could not get them to stay focused and silenced.
I received a $100 gift card to Amazon from the Parent Teacher Assoc. during Orientation week (all the new teachers did) and I am wondering what best to spend it on book wise. Do you have a favorite Classroom management book (I was told about 1-2-3 Magic for Teachers today) that you swear by? Also, I would like to begin my first ever drama bookshelf in my office and do not even have one acting book or play yet....please help me stretch this $100 and by best material to grow my little collection. I appreciate all of your feedback so very much.
Thank you
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Jennifer Riker
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