Teachers giving grades students haven’t earned is rampant, staggering in its increasing frequency. Why is this happening? A few reasons. First, the pandemic and accompanying learning loss has added pressure on teachers to get students caught up. This has caused the standards for earning ... Read more The post Why You Must Stop Giving Fake Grades appeared first on Smart Classroom Management ..read more

How you present yourself to your students matters. The way you dress, speak, and move has an impact on how they view you and thus how they behave in your class. Here at SCM, we’ve covered each of these areas in previous articles. But ... Read more The post How To Stand Like A Leader And Get Respect appeared first on Smart Classroom Management ..read more

Sagging pants are a problem in the classroom. They’re a problem because they bring an attitude of rebelliousness. You’ve seen it yourself. When a student sags their pants, they behave differently than when they don’t sag their pants. “But Michael, it’s an expression! It’s ... Read more The post How To Deal With Your Students’ Sagging Pants appeared first on Smart Classroom Management ..read more

This is my 700th article. Will there be a party here at SCM? A parade perhaps? Maybe a speech about me, me, and more me and all the people who made me who I am. Yay, aren’t I amazing! Oh, the horror. The truth ... Read more The post Why You Should Take Responsibility For Your Students’ Behavior appeared first on Smart Classroom Management ..read more

They seem happy around their classmates. They do their work. They follow directions. But it’s clear they don’t like you. You never get a smile. You rarely get eye contact. When you speak to them they return one-word answers or nothing at all. If ... Read more The post How To Handle A Student Who Doesn’t Like You appeared first on Smart Classroom Management ..read more

Kids are inclined to roughhouse. And they should be encouraged to do so. It’s good for them. It’s a healthy way to build relationships, release pent-up aggression, and lower stress levels. It’s good exercise and teaches limits and resiliency. According to research, it’s also ... Read more The post How To Stop Students From Roughhousing appeared first on Smart Classroom Management ..read more

Setting aside your legal obligation to refer students to Child Protective Services if you suspect abuse or neglect, there are other instances where referral to your administrator, counselor, and psychologist are warranted. They’re warranted not just for the health and safety of the student ... Read more The post Disturbing Student Behaviors That Warrant Immediate Referral appeared first on Smart Classroom Management ..read more

Although in the moment it doesn’t seem like a big deal, accepting less than what you ask of your students is a form of failure. It’s a lowering of standards that communicates that you don’t mean what you say. It tells students that they ... Read more The post How To Turn Your Classroom From Failure To Excellence appeared first on Smart Classroom Management ..read more

In educational parlance, building community means to manufacture it. It means to organize activities and “circles” in order to create camaraderie and a cohesive family-like environment. The sentiment is good. A sense of togetherness and altruism is something every teacher should strive for. However, ... Read more The post Why You Shouldn’t “Build Community” appeared first on Smart Classroom Management ..read more

The SCM approach to classroom management isn’t complicated. It isn’t burdensome or overbearing. It’s neither stressful nor manipulative. It doesn’t entail stickers or stamps, tokens or prize boxes. It doesn’t require lectures and talking-tos, admonishments and reprimands, behavior contracts and counseling sessions. It’s neither ... Read more The post The True Purpose Of Classroom Management appeared first on Smart Classroom Management ..read more