Fall 2008
	Cover Story

You're in Control! Right?

Even if you've had a bumpy start, you can still tackle discipline problems.

By Tim Walker

Any new job can test the nerves and teaching is no exception. The uneasiness Laura Mathurin felt as the first day of the 2006–07 school year drew closer was pointed, but not unusual. She was confident in her years of training, keen grasp of the content, and commitment to teaching. But she also recognized that her well-thought-out lesson plans could still quickly unravel at the hands of a few unruly students.

"I felt this great anxiety," she recalls. "I was otherwise well-prepared, but not knowing how my kids would treat me made me nervous."

She still had the scars from a rough student-teaching stint at a high school. Disrespect from students coupled with an overwhelming sense of helplessness had Mathurin second-guessing her ability. When it came time to choose her teaching assignment, she opted for a middle school, but her prior hazing made her wonder what these younger students had in store for her.

"Everything can go wrong if you're not prepared for this challenge," she says. "Students love to test your boundaries."

So how do you walk the line between being an authority figure and a helping hand? What do you do about the incessant whispering and snickering in the back of the classroom? Then there's the proverbial class clown, bent on disruption and the ridicule of his classmates and you. What to do about him and all the others who seem to make a mockery of classroom rules?

Teaching takes patience, practice, mentoring, and, yes, a few hard knocks along the way. Classroom management skills in particular only jell after a few years on the job, but the good news is that there are steps newer teachers can take to keep classroom management issues in check. Student discipline not only can be, but must be addressed—it's an important first step to winning the respect of students, building self-confidence, and thriving as a classroom teacher.

Same Old Challenges, New Intensity

"Kids have always misbehaved in class," says Janet Steward, "but young teachers entering the profession now face a slew of problems and trends that have only intensified over the years." Steward, a 25-year teaching veteran in Vermont, cites, among others, stricter academic standards, more abrasive cultural influences, and entrenched family problems.

As a result, says Steward, classroom management is a greater challenge today than it was when she started out.

Not helping matters is the lack of courses in most teacher education programs to help prospective educators develop the necessary skills to manage problems in the classroom. In addition, many school administrators, preoccupied with testing, testing, and more testing, haven't exactly gone the distance in establishing support networks for new teachers.

"Teacher prep hasn't focused on classroom management because years ago it really wasn't needed," Steward explains. "Now a new teacher can't learn it quickly enough."

Ann Swenson, a second-year teacher at Oviatt Elementary School in Norfolk, Iowa, would have welcomed such a program. She was hoping the administration would provide her with the necessary assistance to manage her classroom of unruly and rowdy students. A lot of new teachers, Swenson says, are left alone.

"I was at a loss during my first year," she recalls, "I really didn't know what to do and the administration didn't know how to help me. Many new teachers are hung out to dry."

So is the answer to brace yourself, keep your head down, take the hits, and lick your wounds over the summer? Not at all. It helps to have a thick skin, but there are options for a new teacher to keep those "dark days" as the exception rather than the rule.

For Laura Mathurin, it helped to establish rules in the first week on the job, by repeating over and over classroom procedures that required students to respect each other and the teacher.

"For a new teacher, the classroom can be a room of many little power struggles," Mathurin says. "Students are always pushing the boundaries." She says that establishing a clear voice of authority helped her students take her more seriously.

Establishing such clear boundaries is a key part of a green teacher's development of what Jim Burke calls an "adult professional persona." "New teachers must have a voice of greater presence, a different tone to help create a little distance between you and your students," says Burke, a California educator and author.

Students also have to know that you will honor their boundaries, says Mathurin, who won't, for example, yell at students and avoids reprimanding them in front of the class.

"Any confrontation with a student has to be taken outside the classroom," explains Mathurin. "You can't let the student know they are in control of the situation. Control the action yourself and the incident will be contained to that one student."

Overall, the number of confrontations with her students dropped significantly between Mathurin's first and second years of teaching.

Relationships, Relationships

Building a network of relationships—with students, parents, and your peers—says Janet Steward, can lay the groundwork for successful classroom management strategy.

"The teaching profession is a wonderful job," says Steward, "but, for a new teacher especially, it can also be very lonely." While some schools have sizeable ranks of rookie educators, newer teachers at smaller schools may find themselves a little more isolated.

Steward urges any new teacher to seek out mentoring relationships with more experienced colleagues, who can be invaluable sources of guidance, friendship, and support. Most states already have some form of mentoring program but only a handful have actually put aside significant money for this purpose. Still, seeking out a mentoring relationship, even a very casual one, can provide significant rewards for newer educators.

Erin Wiggins, a young teacher in Franklin County, Kentucky, had a mentor with more than 30 years of experience guide her through her first years in the classroom.

"It's great to be around experience," says Wiggins. "As a teacher you want to have your own style, but they've been doing it a while and they have advice that actually works, so listen."

New teachers should also take the time to open up lines of communication with parents. Economic and social pressures in many parts of the country have disrupted many families from partnering with teachers and schools to address the behavioral problems of their children.

Ultimately, however, successful classroom management depends upon the teacher's relationships with students. After her first year teaching, Ann Swenson decided to get to know each and every one of her students, a time-consuming and difficult task that she believes will pay enormous dividends over time.

"Asking about their lives, their families, and friends can help build trust and familiarity that will foster a more respectful and manageable classroom…and a more stable learning environment," explains Swenson.

Every classroom is home to many different types of personalities (you'll get to know some of them on the following page), and it will be necessary to tailor your approach to the class.

"Kids behave and learn differently," Swenson says. "Your classroom is full of different behaviors and each requires a different response. It's difficult, but get to know all your students to develop those individual relationships. It will be well worth any new teacher's time."

Send comments on this story to twalker@nea.org

Illustration: Joel Castillo

An Illustrated Guide to the Kids Who Make You Cry

Every teacher has them. And some even know what to do.

By Mary Ellen Flannery

Your experienced colleague across the hall may not know Bobby, the kid who hides under his desk during reading hour, but she knows what to do about him. After 36 years in the classroom, teachers like Missouri's Peg Scholl have seen it all—and handled it, too. Dave Foley, a retiree from Michigan with 29 years of experience, wrote the book (literally) on discipline—with chapters that you might appreciate, like, "Using the Stay-After-Class Threat Effectively," or "Using Peer Pressure to Improve Behavior." And many others serve as trainers for NEA's I Can Do It! classroom management program for new teachers. Read on for their helpful strategies:

The Music Man

When you invite students to open their books, The Music Man shakes his head wildly. (This is not his opinion of Macbeth!) He's listening to his iPod only. "This is a confrontation that's begging to be had," says California teacher Jim Burke, author of The Teacher's Essential Guide Series: Classroom Management. "The new teacher thinks, 'Oh, I don't want to stir the waters already!' and says, 'I'll let you slide today.'" Mistake! "The experienced teacher takes it off the table by taking it off the table right away," Burke says. "And you've got to be consistent. If it's Friday afternoon and the kids are taking a test, and the first kid done says, 'Can I listen to my iPod?' If you answer yes, it's a progressive loss of territory.... You don't have to be a jerk. Just say, 'I have to be clear. This is school policy.'" And always follow school policy. To do otherwise puts you at risk for discipline, he adds.

The Short Fuse

Even more experienced teachers are overwhelmed with growing numbers of students who just seem angrier than ever. What's the deal? There always have been kids with issues, but maybe more lack support, says veteran Vermont teacher and I Can Do It! trainer Kathy Buley. Frequently, those kids simply need to know that somebody is paying attention—and that's you. Try to commit to two minutes at the beginning of each class to touch base with the often-angry student, Buley suggests. "Prime the pump for the day—ask 'How is the day going to go today?'" To her second-graders, Buley says, "Did you have breakfast? Was everybody nice at the bus stop?" For older kids, you could ask, "How has your day been?" Pay attention to the things that make them unique. "When you can talk to them about the fact that they go to the skate park every weekend, you're modeling that they're not a paper cutout."

The Kid with the Hungry Dog

A majority of veteran teachers say at least 80 percent of their kids do homework, but just 37 percent of new folks say the same, according to the MetLife Survey of the American Teacher. And it doesn't stop there: The vets also say they know their assignments are interesting, and they're much more likely to use them in class discussions. "One of the things you find is, nobody likes busywork," Burke says. So, if you're one who assigns homework out of a sense of duty and collects it without comment, you won't get much. "But, if you say, 'I want you to go home and do this because we'll need it tomorrow,' then they'll do it." Burke also asks students to jot down how much time an assignment took. They're much more likely to take on shorter work, especially if they have other responsibilities— jobs, babysitting duties, etc. One of Burke's math colleagues halved her homework problems from 10 to 5 and found that the completion rate skyrocketed.

The Attention-Starved Child

This is the child who cleaves to your body like a workout top. She circles you on the playground like an adoring moon. Hold my hand! Talk to me! Pleeease! "I have a girl this year who'll act like she doesn't know an answer—just to get my attention!" recounts Peg Scholl. "If I ask somebody else a question, she'll answer. She'll just blurt out, blurt out, blurt out." Scholl cut the barrage with a card taped to her student's desk and instructions to mark it every time she talked out. They set a goal (without a reward) and it was met. Interestingly, many experienced teachers don't regularly reward kids for good behavior. "When I do use rewards, they're random, unexpected, and unannounced" like, "Man, everybody got their work done! Let's play mental tic-tac-toe!" says Kate Ortiz, an Iowa middle school teacher and I Can Do It! trainer. "If you do give a reward, you have to be very specific about why you're giving it."

The Time Gobblers

If you're a secondary school teacher with a 45-minute period, you know every click counts. So, what to do with kids whose delay tactics include skipping in late, fiddling with their books, and then moseying out of their seats? "Having lots of established procedures is key," says Kate Ortiz. "When the bell rings, everything but [class] materials must be stowed, and there's an assignment on the overhead...usually three or four review questions and it's very effective because it's graded." Ortiz also writes every name on a clipboard and walks around, tallying misbehavior. They have 10 "self-starting points" a week and they do figure into final grades. And, for those kids who pack up early? Dave Foley, author of the Ultimate Classroom Control Handbook, has a neat trick. With a few minutes left, close the door. Firmly. And say, "We really need to finish this lesson....I'll close the door so you won't be distracted by people passing in the halls." Aaagh! That's prime socializing time! "The core thing is, find out what they don't want to happen and make it a possibility."

Your Student, Your Friend

Ah! A trick question! They're not your friends. "A lot of young teachers want to be everybody's friend—and their kids will walk all over them!" warns Scholl. You need to create "an adult professional persona," Burke says. It may even require a new voice—one with greater presence. Basically, be an adult—although not necessarily a scary one. "Everybody who stays in the game likes kids," says Foley. And you can use that to your advantage. If you're the good guy, who jokes with kids in the cafeteria and offers the occasional outdoor class, then the kid who ruins it is the bad guy, Foley points out. "Is teaching a popularity contest? You bet it is. Think back…was there a time you worked harder in a class because you liked the teacher? Did you behave better, too?"

Send comments on this story to meflannery@nea.org

Illustrations: Joel Castillo