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We share evidence-based K-12 learning strategies that empower you to improve education.

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Blogs on Classroom Management

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Summer PD: Use a Web Site to Help Manage Your Classroom

Nicholas ProvenzanoAugust 9, 2011

Tags Classroom Management, Classroom Technology, Technology Integration, Upper Elementary (3-5), Middle (6-8), High (9-12)

Many view classroom management as how a teacher runs the day-to-day operations of the class. In the 21st century, classroom management goes beyond the classroom walls. To keep students working and focused on the tasks at hand, a Web site can be utilized to make class time more efficient.

Student Learning Groups: Homogeneous or Heterogeneous?

Ben JohnsonAugust 2, 2011

Tags Classroom Management, Student Engagement, Teacher Development, Upper Elementary (3-5), Middle (6-8), High (9-12)

OK kids, we are going to be learning in groups today! Each group needs a math checker, a presenter, a writer/editor, and an illustrator. You decide who does what. You will be reviewing the best ways to solve polynomial problems.

Please pull out the instructions and the rubric for this assignment. As a group, your task is to create a one page, step-by-step process that some one could follow to arrive at a solution...

Creating Classroom Rules with a Bill of Student Rights

Nicholas ProvenzanoJuly 21, 2011

Tags Classroom Management, Project-Based Learning, , Student Engagement, High (9-12), English Language Arts, History

I am a Social Studies and English teacher by trade. I have a fondness for American Literature and History because they are woven together very closely. Indeed, they are two facets of the same innovative and collaborative process: Determining how our newly formed nation would function. When it comes to important American documents, I find myself teaching them in a government class and a literature class.

Summer PD: Three Levels of Effective Classroom Management

Nicholas ProvenzanoJuly 8, 2011

Tags Classroom Management, Primary (K-2), Teacher Development, Upper Elementary (3-5), Middle (6-8), High (9-12)

To Send or Not to Send (To The Office)

Over the past 5 years, I have sent about 2- to 3-students to office during class for discipline issues. I would like to tell you it is because my students are perfect angels or that every student respects me the moment they walk in (ha!). The truth is, I have students that cause trouble and goof around like 99 percent of all classrooms. But save for the most egregious behaviors, I refuse to send them to the principal, and this has created a better classroom environment.

Debunking those Pesky Classroom Myths

Ben JohnsonJune 29, 2011

Tags Classroom Management, Education Reform, Student Engagement, Teacher Development, All Grades

We have all heard the following classroom myths: If you want discipline to go well, don't smile until Christmas, and, if you want to have good classroom management, never turn your back to the students.

Want Better Project-Based Learning? Use Social and Emotional Learning

Thom MarkhamJune 21, 2011

Tags Classroom Management, Dropout Prevention, Primary (K-2), Project-Based Learning, , Teacher Development, Upper Elementary (3-5), Middle (6-8), High (9-12)

Today's guest blogger is Thom Markham, a psychologist, educator, and president of Global Redesigns, an international consulting organization focused on project-based learning, social-emotional learning, youth development, and 21st-century school design.

An unfortunate legacy of the cognitive model that dominates education is the belief that everything important in life takes place from the neck up. This belief is the primary reason that many teachers struggle with project-based learning (PBL). At its best, PBL taps into intangibles that make learning effortless and engaging: Drive, passion, purpose, and peak performance. But peak performance doesn't start with a standardized curriculum.

Ending the Year on a Positive Note

Mary Beth HertzMay 25, 2011

Tags Classroom Management, Primary (K-2), Student Engagement, Teacher Development, Technology Integration, Upper Elementary (3-5), Middle (6-8), High (9-12), All Grades

It's that time of year. You look up at your calendar and begin counting down to the last days of school. You might even have little numbers in the corner of the boxes indicating how many days are left in the year or until graduation.

Likewise, your students are on the edge of their seats. Maybe the weather has been getting nicer and nicer, or maybe students are in a hubbub about the upcoming dance or graduation or their summer vacation.

Finishing the School Year Strong

Larry FerlazzoMay 12, 2011

Tags Classroom Management, Dropout Prevention, New Teachers, Primary (K-2), Teacher Development, Upper Elementary (3-5), Middle (6-8), High (9-12)

Editor's Note: Larry Ferlazzo teaches English at Luther Burbank High School in Sacramento, California. He writes a popular blog for teachers and is the author of three books. He also supports a blog that shares ideas and resources to improve the school-parent relationship. This post first appeared on edweek.com

This article is adapted from Helping Students Motivate Themselves: Practical Answers to Classroom Challenges by Larry Ferlazzo, just published by Eye on Education.

A teacher thinks: State testing is done, the weather is getting nicer, and we are all getting spring fever. There are six or seven weeks left of school and students are easily distracted. It's even hard for me to stay focused. I don't just want to "coast." What can I do?

Implementing Mutuality in the Composition Classroom

Kerri FlinchbaughMay 5, 2011

Tags Classroom Management, Curriculum, Literacy, Project-Based Learning, Student Engagement, Teacher Development, High (9-12), English Language Arts

It is tempting. Every time I sit face-to-face with a student who seems desperate to please, a momentary urge comes over me to take the pen out of her hand and write for her. Then I remember I want what is best for her and resist. If I grab the pen, I will be the one writing, talking, and creating as the student sits idle. But if students are allowed room to discuss their writing, explore their process, make thoughtful decisions about their revisions, and explain their choices, the students are the ones creating and learning. And when I take a step back to look at the big picture, all we are is two writers sitting face-to-face, thinking and talking about writing.

How to Work With the No-Homework Kid

Holden ClemensApril 25, 2011

Tags Classroom Management, Homework, Mental Health, Primary (K-2), , Student Engagement, Teacher Development, Upper Elementary (3-5), Middle (6-8), High (9-12)

Editor's Note: Holden Clemens (a pseudonym) is an educator who has dedicated his life to providing hope to students in his classroom. He is also a humorist, and he hopes to bring smiles to the faces of hard working educators around the globe. This is the first in his series on how to teach to a variety of different student archetypes.

I wanted to talk briefly today about a series of posts I have entitled: The Other Student. The Other Student is about those kids in your class that seem to fall between the cracks of our great educational system. (It's hard to believe that a student can slip by in a class of 32 with varied special needs, but I heard a story once where a child was left behind, and it made me sad.) Today's post will be on the Missing Homework kid.