Hello!
We’ve made it to March, which means we’re entering the gauntlet of classroom management. Soon, the weather will be warmer and students will look longingly out the window instead of at your teacher’s Smartboards.
If you’ve been following along, we’ve been discussing classroom management and relationship-building techniques. In the last few months, we’ve talked about using restorative practices, starting the year off right, and how to build resilient relationships.
This month, we’re tackling the uncomfortable topic of yelling in the classroom. And simply put, this could be one of the most important videos you share with your staff.
The topic tends to make teachers feel a little regretful about some of their worst moments with students. However, I’m quite proud of this video. It includes a very heartfelt excerpt from a conversation I had with a very reflective teacher. And I think we’ve done a good job of approaching the topic in an authentic and non-judgemental way.
At least I hope we did. You can let me know. (Note: The video embedded at the top of the page only allows about 11 min of content. I’ve included the full 21-minute video at the bottom of this page for paid subscribers.)
Monthly Staff PD - January
Topic: The Golden Rule in the Classroom
Staff Objectives:
I (the teacher) can explain the unintended consequences of yelling at students
I can evaluate strategies to be used to promote respectful dialogue in moments of frustration
I can outline additional communication and coping strategies with the help of my colleagues
Context:
Every single teacher has a handful of memories involving students that they’d love to go back in time and handle differently. I’m no exception, as I cover in detail in the video.
I find that this topic can be a little painful for teachers at first, but cathartic in the end. The things in our lives that cause us shame and regret are at their worst when they’re hidden and we feel alone. When we realize that everyone is human, however, we’re able to see the problem for what it is and generate strategies for doing things differently in the future.
In this video, I cover why yelling in the classroom is not only unhealthy but also a bad classroom management strategy. I also offer several tips on how teachers can more effectively deal with those scenarios when their patience is long gone.
I’ve also included a clip of my conversation with Darla McClelland - a brilliant classroom teacher. As an administrator, I think showing it to your teachers might yield your own catharsis. She covers some concepts that only a teacher can credibly address, such as:
how teachers sometimes treat students differently than they would teach anyone else
how these behaviors deteriorate trust with the class as a whole
how teachers are often off-task and struggle to pay attention during professional development, but ironically forget this when dealing with students
I’ve found that, when these conversations come from a fellow teacher, they can be very powerful.
At the end of the video, I also have a brief conversation about being honest with ourselves as educators. When we can’t find something positive in our jobs or in our relationships with kids, it may be time to rethink continuing in our profession.
This is a very heartfelt conversation, and I hope it serves you and your staff well!
How to Use this Content:
Open and edit the slideshow linked below as needed. A lot of the research from the video is shared here.
Show the video above. (A YouTube link to the video is also included in the slideshow linked below. You can embed it or link to it anywhere you’d like)
Complete the activity found in the slideshow with your staff
