A High School Teacher’s Guide to Classroom Management

by California Casualty | Educators | 0 comments

Classroom management is one of the central facets of teaching … and often the most difficult. This is especially true for high school teachers, because teenage students tend to be more rebellious and uncooperative.

By understanding the challenges you face and learning to strengthen your classroom management skills, you can promote a healthier learning environment that enables your students to thrive.

Understand your problem

Do you know what the issue is? Why does your classroom get out of hand, and is there something students are taking advantage of?

These are questions you have to ask at the outset. Before you can tackle classroom management, you must take a critical look at yourself and determine the root of the problem.

For example, some teachers struggle with insecurity and aren’t confident enough to command a classroom. This is a major issue and must be dealt with as soon as possible.

Other instructors are people pleasers who don’t ever wish to offend or upset their students. In still other cases, teachers are too confrontational for their own good.

It’s up to you to identify what the issue is. While your students may be part of the problem, it almost always comes back to you in some way or other. If youaddress your issues first, you’ll be readyto implement strategic initiatives to combat poor classroom behavior.

Tips for better classroom management

 If you’ve come to terms with your strengths and weaknesses, you’re ready to home in on specific tips and techniques for offsetting challenges and using your assets to manage classroom behavior more effectively.

Here are a few to get you started:

• Take charge from day one. As every teacher knows, it’s much easier to start strict and potentially loosen your grip later than the other way around. At the beginning of each semester — and ideally every day — you should begin by taking charge of the classroom and commanding respect. You do this by drawing students in, curbing side conversations, and directing the focus toward the subject matter.

• Provide positive reinforcement. While an unruly classroom can strain your patience, it’s important to give credit where it is due. When a student does something well, provides a valuable insight, or follows the rules, praise him or her for cooperation. Students need to know that good behavior will be rewarded as much as bad behavior won’t be tolerated.

• Focus on engaging content. The truth is that most classroom behavior issues can be overcome by creating engaging content and hands-on lessons. Contrary to popular belief, most students are interested in learning; you simply need to draw them in with something that’s sufficiently exciting and intriguing. Break up lectures with visuals and challenges to keep the focus on the content.

• Humanize yourself. Have you ever thought that maybe your classroom is unruly and out of control because they don’t have any reason to respect you? This can be a sobering thought, but it can be true. Have you taken the time to let your students know who you really are, or are you just another fact machine at the front of the classroom? Identify yourself by telling students who you are, where you’re from, what your interests are, and why you enjoy teaching. Students are much more likely to respect someone they understand.

• Handle issues swiftly. When problems arise, it’s up to you to handle them swiftly and effectively. Don’t let behavior issues go on for too long, or bad feelings will develop between you and your students. Address problems and actively pursue resolutions in a timely manner.

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5 Ways Teachers Can Encourage Classroom Discussion

by California Casualty | Educators | 0 comments

Whether at the elementary or post-graduate level, teachers everywhere often struggle with facilitating classroom discussion. You may have one or two students who are completely engaged, but too often you catch yourself wishing everyone would share their thoughts for a better overall learning environment.

Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to encourage meaningful discussion.

Understand the issue

 Classroom discussion can be a touchy issue. Some teachers claim they can’t get their classrooms to stop talking and have to work hard to curb side conversations and redirect attention to the subject matter at hand.

Other instructors can’t get their students to talk at all, which becomes frustrating over time and can adversely affect the overall learning environment.

For teachers who have difficulty facilitating conversation in the classroom, it’s vital to get to the root of the problem. In most cases, the source is fear, lack of interest, or an insufficient base of knowledge.

When fear is the issue, students are afraid they’ll be laughed at for their opinion, or embarrassed for stating something incorrectly. This may have more to do with the shyness of the particular student, but you can rectify this by leading a frank conversation about how to respect others’ opinions.

Lack of interest can be combated by making the content more engaging, incorporating more visuals, and avoiding mindless repetition. This is usually the easiest obstacle to overcome, but it can be frustrating for teachers who don’t want to go to the trouble of changing their approach or curriculum.

Finally, a lack of knowledge can lead to a quiet classroom. In other words, the students simply don’t know enough about the topic to offer any valuable insight. This is either a sign that they aren’t doing homework, but it might also suggest the content is too challenging.

Five tips for fostering classroom discussion

 Depending on the dynamic of your classroom and the underlying issues, any or all of the following strategies can help you foster better classroom discussion:

• Employ silence. One of the oldest tricks in the book, but one often overlooked, is to use silence to your advantage. Instead of filling the space with your views and opinions, offer questions and wait for a response. Look confident, use eye contact, and encourage participation. If nobody takes the opportunity to talk, ask a question about the question.

• Respect sensitivity. Depending on which subjects or courses you teach, it’s possible that you may encounter sensitive subject matter from time to time. In these instances, it’s critical that you respect all viewpoints and commit to learning, as opposed to descending into argument.

• Never criticize individuals. As a teacher, you should always follow the mantra “criticize ideas, never individuals.” No matter how ridiculous an opinion sounds, you can’t take it personally. When you’re a teacher, any bit of criticism can evoke fear in students and kill your ability to facilitate conversation and classroom discussion in the future.

• Encourage group discussions. If students won’t discuss ideas in a large classroom setting, you may find it more productive to break students up into smaller groups and encourage them to conduct a discussion among themselves. This allows them to speak without the direct oversight of an instructor, and almost always enhances classroom discussion when students return from their groups.

• Break the ice. Instead of jumping into the curriculum as soon as class starts, consider beginning each class with three to five minutes of casual conversation. Ask about other classes, current events, or other lighthearted topics. This can prime the class for more formal discussion and increases everyone’s overall level of comfort.

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California Casualty is Presenting Sponsor of California Honoring Educators That Make a Difference

by California Casualty | Educators | 0 comments

San Mateo, CA, March 2, 2015 – Educators and dignitaries gathered February 16 to honor five 2015 California Teachers of the Year. The gala recognized the dedicated, exceptional teachers for their passion in helping all their students achieve both in and outside of the classroom. One, Maggie Mabery, seventh and eighth grade science instructor at Manhattan Beach Middle School, was nominated as California’s National Teacher of the Year candidate.

As the Presenting Sponsor of the California Department of Education’s School Recognition Program, California Casualty was proud to take part in the event. California Casualty’s Assistant Vice President Lisa Almeida was privileged to introduce State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson. The gala was so moving that a California Casualty Field Manager who attended was inspired to contact all the special teachers that had made an impact in her life to say thank you.

California Casualty’s sponsorship also makes possible these other California School Recognition Programs:

• California Gold Ribbon Schools – honoring exemplary public schools which demonstrate significant gains in narrowing the achievement gap
• Classified School Employee of the Year – highlighting those who symbolize the profession’s commitment to education
• California Green Ribbon School Awards – recognizing schools that accomplish great things in the areas of sustainability and health
• California Blue Ribbon Schools – celebrating schools that promote and support the improvement of education

The partnership with the California Department of Education is a testament to how schools, businesses and communities can come together to promote the remarkable successes of schools and educators across the Golden State. California Casualty Field representatives will help present the awards and attend the special recognition ceremonies, enhancing the company’s commitment to California educators.

“Since we partnered with the CTA in 1951, California Casualty has been vested in helping California educators in their passion of making a difference for their students,” said California Casualty Vice President Mike McCormick. “It’s an honor to help recognize the everyday heroes who educate our children and make our communities better.”