My class this year is immature. They cry….a lot. They struggle with the basic social skills such as sharing, taking turns, and losing at games. And, I have one student that screams and throws things when he is frustrated. There are days where I feel like I am teaching three year olds, not kindergarteners. I am spending a lot more time creating a positive classroom community, where my class understands why we support one another.
Build Relationships
If you have followed my blog for awhile, you have heard me talk about this before. I wrote an entire blog post on it here. It is important o build a relationship with all of your students, even the ones that drive you crazy. I greet every student at the door and ask them how they are doing. When we sit down in the morning, we have a morning meeting and I let students share. this only takes 5 minutes, but it helps me to get to know my students. When you student know you are invested in them, all of them, not just their academics, they will become invested in you. They will want to please you. Does this mean they will no longer be impulsive? No. It takes time to learn how to control impulses, but, they will try, and over time it will reduce.
Teach Social Skills
We all went to school to be teachers, not counselors. I hear this a lot. I understand the pressure you feel to have high academic scores. I feel it to. But, for a moment, I want you to think about this five year old eventually getting a job. Do you think they will be able to keep a job if they can’t get along with their coworkers? Who cares if they can read CVC words if they don’t know how to interact with others. I like to use read alouds as a way to naturally build in social skills. On Wednesdays, our schedule is a little different so that is the day I focus on Social Skills. I pick a book and we do an activity to go with it. Check out my Classroom Community Read Aloud for more ideas.
Provide Specific Praise
When praising students, it is important to go beyond saying, “Great job,” and tell them specifically what they are doing great at. If you are on the carpet, and the lesson is going well, point out what you like. “I like how your hands on in your lap.” If students are struggling on the carpet, try to find one student who is following the rules. ” I like how Ryan is sitting quietly on the carpet.” if you have built relationships with your students, they will want to please you, and try to do the same thing. Are there days when my entire class is crazy? YES! That’s when I stop instruction, tell students what I am looking for, and then I like to give out a brag bracelet to students who following the rules. I always write on the back why they earned it.
Provide Choices
Think about the life of a child. They are constantly being told what to do. Get dressed, brush your teeth, get in the car, sit on the carpet, line up, be quiet, work hard….and so on, and so on, and so on. It’s no wonder some children start to tune out what adults are saying. Give students as many choices as you can. Do you want to work at the table or on the carpet? Do you want to use a pencil or a crayon? Can they choose who they sit by? The most important choice you can offer a child… Do you want to take a break? I know a lot of teachers struggle with offering a break. They need to get their work done. Ummm… are they getting their work done? Or are they screaming, throwing chairs, and destroying your room? Which is better, having a child throw a chair (and not work) or sit in a calm spot…and maybe eventually work?
Be Consistent
Have you ever noticed students struggle with subs? It’s because students don’t know what the sub expects from them. When children know what is expected, they are better behaved because they feel like anxiety. Create a schedule, and follow it. If there is a change to the schedule, tell students about it. I go over my schedule multiple times a day. I have a student helper who flips over the cards on the schedule as we complete the activity. We are six weeks into the school year and they do this independently. I have all of my visuals around my Smartboard since that is the front of the classroom. When my class sits down on the carpet, we review whole body listening. When they go to work, I put the visuals up on the side of the board for name, color, write. My students know what is expected of them because I always remind them. You can get these visuals free here.
Meet Your Class Where They are At
When you think about your day, what is the most challenging part? Are your students rolling around on the carpet? Review carpet expectations. Practice carpet expectations. Are they sitting on the carpet for to long? Do you need to reduce the amount of time students are sitting on the carpet? yes, your last class might have been have been able to sit for a 25 minute lesson, but this class may not have the stamina. You may have to start with 10 or 15 minutes, then provide them the chance to move. One way that I do this is have kids on the carpet, then at their tables, then back at the carpet. Even that 1-2 minutes it takes to move to their table is providing a movement break, and helps them to refocus.
Sometimes we have to change up the way we have always done things to meet the needs of our students. If you are losing 10 minutes of class instruction due to behavior problems, don’t you think it’s better to spend 10 minutes improving those behaviors? If you have a student that isn’t getting any work done, isn’t it it better to get 5 minutes of work after a 10 minute break then no work at all?
