Classroom Management: How to Manage Student Behavior

As the infection rates of the COVID-19 virus ebb and flow, schools around the country and the world are deciding if they should reopen. Many have already decided to resort to only virtual classrooms for the foreseeable future.

This is a very stressful time for children and teachers, but especially for children. Misbehavior, temper tantrums, and lack of respect for authority figures can be a more acute problem in both virtual and physical classrooms. Educators will need to prepare themselves for avoiding classroom disturbances of various kinds while staying focused on teaching effectively.

Learning Leadership and Collaborative Skills

Many teachers and others in the field of education would benefit from some kind of teacher development program. These are programs that are designed to encourage emotional well-being, increased self-awareness, and the social skills necessary for interacting effectively with students as well as other faculty members.

Teachers and educators can learn patience, tolerance, and proper disciplining practices that don't injure children psychologically. Learning to defend themselves against any violent or otherwise abusive behaviors from troublesome students also comes into play. During this uncertain time, learning to cope with collective trauma and the inevitable and uncomfortable changes that will follow is a skill that will be invaluable for months to come.

Avoiding Classroom Disruptions

While physical violence from students will require the help of law enforcement, minor class disruptions can be staved off much more easily. Try never to let negativity enter your classroom in the first place, then keep it out. The list of suggestions is long, but here are a few suggestions for keeping order in the classroom.

Raising Your Voice

Try to restrict yourself to raising your voice only when necessary. Indeed, it would often be better to lower your voice most times. When you are always trying to shout above the noise, the students will take your loud voice very lightly in just a day or two.

Moving Around the Classroom

Remember that, as a teacher, you are an authority figure to your pupils. Never forget the mere power of your presence. This is especially true if you have done hard work that causes your students to have a significant amount of respect for you. Walk around the classroom and observe your students as they work when you're not speaking. Talking to them about their tasks and encouraging feedback keeps all students from being distracted and drifting off.

Making Eye Contact with Students

Eye contact is the key to making professional, social, and romantic connections. This isn't just a theory, either. Science has proven that making eye contact is critical to establishing a connection with anyone you are speaking with, and this includes your students. You don't have to look at every pupil in the eye, but you should have made eye contact at least once with every student within days of first meeting them.

Making eye contact with your students lets them know that you are serious and that they should be too. Making eye contact benefits you as a teacher as well. When speaking in front of a room of people, it's good practice to make eye contact with one or more people you feel comfortable with. This technique can be used as an anchor to keep you focused and relaxed while speaking publicly. With a little reflection, you'll see how powerful eye contact is to various forms of human interaction, and you can pass this knowledge down to your pupils with your actions.

Sticking to a Routine

Although sticking to a routine that works every time might seem boring, it doesn't have to be. You want learning to be fun for your students, but you don't want to encourage them to start thinking they will be doing anything other than learning in your class. There are always ways of keeping things interesting without breaking the daily classroom routine. Use your creativity to make lessons interesting, while taking into consideration the maturity of the class and how they respond to this.

Most people, even children, will take kindness for weakness and not do anything to improve themselves. Instead, they will likely fall back into old lazy habits. Simply be kind but stern with your teaching, and this will keep most students positively engaged.