[kinderlady7]

I am a second year teacher, teaching kindergarten. Over the past 2.5 months, I have gained 6 new students. I am feeling as though my classroom management plan is just flat out not working any longer and I am in need of a change. Our coach came into my class today to model a lesson and I was AMAZED at all of the awesomeness my kids did under her direction. I want that sooooo badly!

Through research, I have found that I have a permissive teaching style. I encourage my students as often as possible, focus on positive behaviors, and work to build these positive relationships. In the process, I have been too lax. I'm seeing that now. At least, across the past few months, since Christmas (before Christmas my classroom ran fairly smoothly). I'm finding students who didn't previously show negative behaviors are beginning to. There is a lack of respect. In my research I found the statement "permissive teachers are full of love but demand no control. Students run the classroom and love their teachers." I feel like that is exactly how my classroom is. They love me but do not respect our classroom rules.

I'm falling short on some steps to take to make this change. How can I start over with the rules and redevelop that respect? I want my kids to be able to reach their full potential and right now I know they are not in my classroom.

Just fyi, I have asked for help multiple times from admin (which is no where near as supportive as I would like) and this modeling has occurred after the principal was unhappy with one of the lessons she saw. So I won't be getting much more support from her even though she is awesome with them and I would love the support.

Thank you in advance!

[Fenwick]

I'm falling short on some steps to take to make this change. How can I start over with the rules and redevelop that respect? I want my kids to be able to reach their full potential and right now I know they are not in my classroom.

Before you start over you should ask yourself if you are prepared to enforce every rule each and every time, no matter the situation, the place or the time. On an intellectual level most teachers answer “yes”. It’s the practical level where the “yes” often turns into “most of the time”. To help with the commitment to enforcing rules is the caveat: Don’t make any rule you are not prepared to enforce. This should narrow your rules from the must have to this one can wait. In other words, imagine a student breaking one of your rules, then imagine yourself stopping instruction and switching to discipline.

An example that is quite common in classrooms: Rule - Raise your hand and wait to be recognized before speaking. Assume the teacher, A, has taught the rule with modeling and practice. It’s two weeks later, and A is leading a lively discussion. A bright student blurts out a comment. A decides to ignore it because the call-out was thoughtful and on-topic, and A doesn’t want to lose momentum of the discussion. Sounds reasonable. Many teachers would agree that’s what should be done.

The whole class just witnessed a student break a rule and A didn’t nothing about it. With the best of intentions, A has just taught the class her/his rules mean zilch. In the moment of truth A chose instruction over discipline. And since this rule doesn’t apply expect students to start testing other rules to find out what is for real and what is a fake.