I remember as a beginning teacher, how I struggled to state everything in a positive way. When you see a child remove the entire top of a liquid glue bottle and hold the open bottle over another child’s head, calmly stating “We don’t pour glue into our friend’s hair.” just doesn’t seem effective. Yes, this really happened and all I could do was yell “FREEZE!” Which was effective, but I didn’t want to be known as the kindergarten teacher who yelled.
Do you have any fond classroom behavior memories?
Direct teaching of behavior expectations is crucial during those first days of school. You set the tone for classroom management from the very first moments of the first day of school. You will explain and model routines, rules, procedures, and behavior expectations. Repetition is required for students to internalize all this information.
Mix it up by acting out the good or not so good choices, and using games and activities to reinforce the expectations that you have taught.
So how does one avoid being known as the teacher who yelled?
- Think ahead of possible behaviors, routines and procedures and have a plan for teaching them. Jot down any new ones that occur for next year.
- Act out the behaviors, routines, and procedures with your class.
- Always have the poor behavior choice played by an adult. Never allow a child to model the poor behavior choice.
- Keep it light and fun.
- Make it into a game. Pass a bean bag and whoever has the beanbag tells a good behavior, procedure, or routine choice.
- Use center or station games for reinforcement.
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