Student behavior is something that can dictate the entire classroom and day. Its these ranging behaviors that can cause the day to be spectacular or one of the worst days in the classroom. Knowing this, student behavior is something first-time teachers don't know how to handle due to inexperience or scared about handling it. To me, personally, this is the second most important thing for teachers to figure out in a classroom right behind their identity as a teacher.
This article from Scholastic is a gives great tips on how to handle situations such as words to use, things you can do in the situation, and even gives you tips on how to handle a situation if personalities don't quite mesh. In my opinion some of these tips can be useful in a secondary classroom especially the tips about clashing personalities, and things you can do as a teacher to calm yourself down before handling the situation. However, most of the other tips would be better used for an elementary classroom. On the flip side these tips can help students handle conflicting situations on their own something a lot of students don't know how to do. It would help them think before they use their fists. It might be difficult to instill, but it might help down the road.
Even though student behavior can be a dictating force their are things you can do to try to not make it that. The best way to figure out how to handle students in different situations is to do teacher observations is various different classrooms. This will help give new and upcoming teachers different ways to handle students. For me personally, I'm not scared. I have had previous experience dealing with students, but I know it will be different when I'm in charge of my own classroom. At first it'll be difficult, but will become easier over time.
I definitely agree with your very last statement- we will struggle but we will learn and grow. Student behavior is unpredictable unless taken under control. Building mutual respect definitely is helpful in this area.
ReplyDeleteYou're right-teacher observations are helpful. While another person's strategy may not always be effective for you and your students, observing other teachers can at least give you some ideas. And you may have to use different strategies for classroom management for different groups of students as well.
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