A lot is to be said for managing your class by means of creating a positive setting, building relationships with your students, and instilling discipline when necessary. While the latter two days of the workshop still touched and made call-backs to these ideas, they also addressed some of the finer aspects of effectively handling situations and running a class. These aspects include “parent-teacher” discussions, children with learning differences, relationships with one’s supervisors and how to effectively manage your own time.
Some of the most dreaded moments in teaching (in theory – and maybe just for new teachers – or just me) are parent-teacher meetings/conferences. Sometimes they come when planned and expected, and those are much easier to deal with, though still require some of the same preparation. When approaching a meeting with a parent, there are certain things that one must have prepared in advance. First, do your homework on the parents. Know what they do, where they live, and other case specific details. Know if their child has had academic testing, gets tutored or attends therapy of any variety. Make sure you know this meeting to avoid, at any point, putting your foot in your mouth and making the parents upset at both you and your administration. While this groundwork is important, be sure to keep it confidential. If you have notes with you, be sure the notes are not seen.
Other aspects seem more intuitive. Take notes of the meeting; it shows you are invested and paying attention. Welcome the parents with a smile and be sure to listen carefully. Building positive relationships with parents is not unlike building them with students. When discussing the child, use specific examples – don’t generalize and don’t discuss them as just “part of the class”. Parents want to see that you know their child. Showing you know, shows that you care. Always – always have something positive to say; and then make sure you say it!
Unfortunately, not all parent meetings are planned in advance, and they aren’t always addressed civilly. It is also important to know how to respond when suddenly approached by an upset parent and how to have that conversation. The first thing is to deflect. Not the meeting, but that moment. In the heat of the moment you are at an extreme disadvantage, not knowing why the parent is upset, you might not know critical details of the family, and you yourself may not be as calm as ideal. Accept the meeting, but have a reason to schedule it at a later time. But, avoid scheduling on Fridays or before long breaks – you want to be able to enjoy those. Before separating for the moment though BE SURE to find out what the parent wanted to speak to you about. It is important to enter your meeting prepared.
As for the rest of your meeting, much of the rules of good conversations apply. But, should this conversation go badly you’ll need a form of “eject script”. Keep yourself calm, and try to keep things positive. If receiving a tirade, be sure to note points of interest to the parents that you will return to, but let them continue. We’re all human; apologize if necessary and work WITH the parents towards a common goal. If you make a plan of action steps be sure to follow up on them and most importantly, if a conversation goes badly, tell a supervisor.
Children with learning differences are a presence in all classrooms. It is important to know who they are, what their differences are, and what extra help they are receiving (if any). Remember, learning differences are not disabilities. The child can learn just as well and can be just as smart as any other student. All they need is someone (you) to guide the information in a way that is accessible to them. Some tricks can be helpful to most learning differences, as well as your plans and the good of the class. Use guiding question – make goals clear – be sure that every lesson has a clear purpose so that students know what they should take away from the day. But always remember, learning differences are not a reflection of intelligence, just a reflection of style.
Your relationship with your supervisor is one of the most important connections you have, and in more ways than originally come to mind. Don't be fooled, it can, and in many ways IS, a stressful relationship. Your supervisor is in many ways the person who chooses your future in this given career. But, aren't we all supposed to seek out our supervisors when we're struggling and ask them for help? It feels awkward to tell the person who judges your employment that you don't know what to do.
Keep in mind, if your struggling it's likely your supervisor already knows. Go speak to them! There is far more value than you think. First and most importantly, your supervisor DOES want to help you, and everyone knows that everything will not always go to plan. The fun part of living is learning. Second, asking for help leads to multiple valuable reflections. First, it's quite possible that you have thought about your problem for hours, but never discussed it. Sometimes just speaking the words helps find resolutions. Second, Asking for help shows your supervisor that you are self aware to know there's a problem, that you are willing to learn, and that you want to improve. Even when things are going well you should want to improve, so don't feel you can only ask for help when things are going poorly.
Remember that your supervisors are people too. They aren't just your boss and they aren't just your mentor. Respect the time they spend working on administrative problems, as well as individual dilemmas. When was the last time you told a supervisor, or any member of your administration, that they gave a good speech? That they helped you with a problem? That you appreciate their advice? Communication remains the key. They ARE invested in you and they DO want you to succeed. Talk to them when things are good, and ask for help when things are bad. They aren't just your supervisor and they aren't just your mentor; they're your friend.
It is important to remember that the most valuable asset you can give to your students is yourself and your energy. Make sure you take care of yourself and use your personal time well so that you can attend class in positive spirits and high energy. So, how can we maximize our time, while still giving maximal time to our students? There are a few things to think about.
Grading: How long do you spend grading? Do you mark every error – correct every typo? Do you write paragraphs explaining how things could be improved? I know I've done some of these things before, only to return the papers and watch my students skillfully slide those hard graded papers into their bags with little more than a glance at the grade. Don't go beyond halfway if your students will not meet you there. Perhaps don't put the grade on the paper. Force your students to read their marks and speak to you. Or even just hide the grade in a written paragraph, spelling out the numbers. Its a small increase in time for you but might lead to huge gains for your students.
Planning (not “planning ahead” - see here: http://tb13logbored.blogspot.com/2012/07/whos-plan-was-it.html ): Know what you want to get out of the year. When are the critical moments in the year that are always crazy? When do semesters end? When do breaks start? When are formal comments required? Think about these in advance and make sure you have enough grades, but don't be cramming them in not realizing a deadline was approaching. You need not plan out every day of your year during the summer, but have an outline to guide you and to pace you.
Homework: How much are you giving? And how are you grading it? If you're collecting every assignment its likely that you are looking for accuracy and precision. This will take both you and the students more time. Respect both their homework time and your own time that you can offer to grading. Do you care only to see effort and attempts? How are you grading that? Is that clear to your students? Know what you want from your homework as much as you need to know what you want from each class.
Personal Time: Remember, weekends and vacations are for you as much as for your students! Sure, sometimes you'll have grading or comment writing to do, but remember that you need your rest, your sanity and your health. If you can give a test 2 weeks before a long weekend, so you can be all graded before then; then don't wait until the long weekend! You need that time to recover as much as your students do. This is the same reason that you should not schedule parent meetings before weekends or vacations, particularly if you expect them to go poorly. You NEED to be able to recoup during that time.
This concludes my synopsis for the classroom management workshop I attended. There was more to learn that I cannot write, but I hope some big ideas that I took away from my time there might benefit you as well. Remember, know what you want out of the year, and have a plan for how to get it. The better you do, the better your students will do. The better they do, the better you'll do. In essence the system is easy and everybody wins!
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