Sometimes a class just gets out of hand. When this happens, you’re looking at group norms, which are difficult, but not impossible to change. You’ll need a few things–clipboard, paper, something to write with, poster paper, markers, a calm, firm, pleasant demeanor, and the willingness to commit to the rating routine outlined below.
1. Meet the students at the door, with the door closed, and do not let anyone in. Have your clipboard in hand and do not start talking until everyone is quiet. Look at students who are talking or acting out. Write down names and the misbehaviors. (TIP: Use a code T=talking, H=hitting, K=kicking, etc.) It is very important that you stay pleasant, calm, and patient.
2. Kids close to you will notice the clipboard action and will peek at what you’re writing–let them. They’ll get quiet or they might ask, “What’s going on?” Look pleasant and say, “I’m waiting for it to get quiet.” After what seems like an unbearable amount of time, kids will start telling each other to be quiet. Keep looking pleasant and calm. Once it’s quiet, go through a rating routine, as follows:
3. Have the students use a show of fingers to rate the WHOLE CLASS on overall behavior with regard to your expectations and/or rules for the classroom. 5=always on task and appropriate, 1=chaos. Stay pleasant, look at each student’s rating, pleasantly and calmly.
4. Choose a sampling of students to explain their rating (why a 2? why a 4?, etc.). If anyone starts side talk, stop talking/stop whoever’s talking. Write the names of the side-talkers on the clipboard (consider faking it if you don’t know) and wait until it’s quiet again, then pleasantly start your sentence over from the beginning.
5. Next say, “We are going into the classroom now. I need you to enter and be seated without talking or touching one another. Wait for my next instructions once you are seated. Can I count on everyone?” Pleasantly make eye contact with each student.
6. Sure as not, someone will talk as you enter. Make notes on your clipboard and say, “Please rate yourself on how well you entered the classroom and waited for instructions without talking. 5=no talking or touching, 1=chaos.” Call on a few students to explain their ratings. Write the rating range on the board, for example 2-3 or 2-4. If the rating average seems to be 3 or lower, have them leave the room so that they can practice entering again. They will groan. Just stay pleasant and firm and patient and write the new rating on the board. Your attitude should be, “I’m happy to use all class period for this–all year (grading period) if needed–if there’s no learning going on anyway, what’s the dif?
7. When you get back out in the hall, wait until everyone is quiet, make sure you have your clip board and keep making notes as needed. Repeat your instructions for entering the classroom and have the class rate themselves again. You can also have each student do a personal rating.
8. As crazy as it sounds, keep doing this (clipboard, practice, rating/post rating on board/stay pleasant) until everyone can enter correctly and wait for your instructions without talking. Did I say to stay pleasant and calm? :)
9. Have a T-chart ready with a heading on the left that says “Looks Like” and a heading on the right that says “Sounds Like.” Lead a whole class discussion about what a “5″ in classroom behavior looks like and sounds like. Don’t put anything on there that you can’t live with. Have some expectations in mind so that you can ask reflective questions to get what you need on the T-Chart. If at any point there is side talk, write names on the clipboard or say to the open air, “I hear side talk. If it continues, it probably means we need to practice entering the classroom some more.”
10. Next, brainstorm ideas for consequences for individuals who cannot follow the guidelines on the T-Chart (this would be personal ratings of 1, 2 or 3). BTW it is always the students who do the rating–you give feedback on their ratings and try to go easier on them than they go on themselves. Back to consequences. When you get several options for consequences that you are willing to put on the T-Chart, have the students vote their approval of the T-Chart and then have everyone sign the T-Chart and keep it posted in the classroom.
11. Leave the ratings on the board if you can, because you’ll be rating them again and again until they can get themselves in the 4/5 range. The ratings are a concrete, indisputable representation of behavior improvement AS A CLASS. Stress whole-class identity at every opportunity, because this will establish the appropriate behavior as a GROUP NORM, not a teacher imposed notion. Group norms are far more powerful-–you’ve seen this already with the out of control behavior from so many students.
12. By the time you do all this, you might not have time for instruction–darn, the class work you planned for today has now become homework! :( But tomorrow’s a new day. Meet them at the door with the clipboard pleasantly in hand, and wait until it’s quiet; then call on a student to remind everyone of how they are supposed to enter the classroom. After entering, refer to the class T-Chart and do a class rating. Write the rating on the board. If the rating is 3 or lower, practice. If the rating is 4/5, have them pat themselves on the back–Hooray! If at any point you observe that a student’s behavior is getting out of hand, have the student rate him/herself. If it’s a 3 or lower, have the student choose a consequence from the T-Chart.
14. Meet the class at the door everyday until they prove they have the routine down. Once they do, meet them with the door open and welcome them to class without stopping them outside. Be sure to continue the rating routine, maybe not as frequently. Try to “catch” them being 5s. If you can pull it off, have them turn and thank their neighbor for being a 5.
15. If the class gets wild again, go back to the clipboard/stop ‘em at the door/rating routine–did I say pleasantly and calmly? :)
(modified from my post here: http://teachers.net/mentors/classroom_management/topic4439/9.25.08.04.30.20.html)
