The Strategy Most Teachers Were Never Taught Teacher-student relationships is one reason why teachers struggle with classroom management. The advice they’re often given sounds like this: “Be more consistent.” “Tighten your rules.” “Don’t smile until November.” “Show them who’s in charge.” But here’s the uncomfortable truth: Many classroom management problems are not rule problems.They are…
Most “defiant” students aren’t trying to challenge you. They’re trying to survive something. This module will focus on the perception of why students are defiant–and the truth, that we are often misreading it. Defiance is one of the most common—and most misunderstood—labels in classrooms. When a student refuses to work, ignores instructions, talks back, or…
We often talk about student motivation and engagement as if it’s something students bring to the classroom. They’re either motivated… or they aren’t.They care… or they don’t.They’re engaged… or they’re checked out. But decades of research tell a different story. Engagement is not a student trait. It’s a classroom response. Students don’t disengage because they…
There needs to be psychological safety in the Classroom because when students feel unsafe, their brains shift into protection mode. That “unsafe” feeling doesn’t always come from trauma or crisis. In classrooms, it often comes from much quieter things: Not knowing what’s expected Feeling singled out or embarrassed Feeling invisible Feeling like mistakes are dangerous…
Most classroom management problems don’t come from students choosing to misbehave. They come from students not being explicitly taught how to succeed in the learning environment. That’s why teachers should attempt to teach classroom management as instruction. This module reframes classroom management as instructional design rather than discipline. When teachers treat routines, expectations, and behaviors…
If classroom management feels exhausting, frustrating, or oddly personal at times—it may not be your strategies that are the problem. Often, it’s the beliefs we’ve inherited about what management is supposed to look like. Many teachers are working under outdated classroom management myths that quietly increase stress, escalate conflict, and make normal student behavior feel…
Most classrooms already have rules. They’re posted. They’re explained. They’re revisited in September—and again in January—sometimes in bold font with consequences attached. And yet…behavior issues persist. That’s because rules don’t regulate behavior—relationships do. When students feel seen, respected, and safe with the adult in the room, behavior becomes easier to manage. Not perfect. Not silent….
What is classroom management? If you ask ten teachers what classroom management is, you’ll probably get ten different answers—some involving seating plans, others involving consequences, and at least one involving the phrase “you just have to be tough.” Here’s the problem: most of us were trained on what classroom management looks like, not what it…
Classroom management is one of those things teachers are expected to just know—and yet it’s rarely taught in a way that actually reflects what real classrooms feel like. If you’ve ever left a school day feeling exhausted, frustrated, or questioning whether you handled a situation “the right way,” you’re not alone. And you’re not failing….
Your first day of teaching is hours away and your mind races with questions. What happens when students talk over you? How do you handle a student who refuses to follow directions? Should you smile and be friendly or start strict? These questions keep new teachers up at night because classroom management often feels like…