| One of the most effective classroom | | | | I promise you, if you do this right you will |
| management strategies a teacher can use is | | | | be amazed at the results. |
| also the strategy that teachers are most | | | | |
| skeptical of. | | | | I use this teaching strategy with my own 8th |
| | | | grade social studies classes and I can |
| Why? | | | | honestly say that when that timer signals |
| | | | that their break is overyou've never seen 14 |
| I'm not sure | | | | year-olds get back in their seats and ready |
| | | | to work faster. |
| This simple teaching strategy has a positive | | | | |
| impact on the student-teacher relationship | | | | Break-time for students is truly a powerful |
| and greatly reduces classroom management | | | | teaching tip! |
| issues and behavior problems. | | | | |
| | | | However, like all the teaching tips I |
| Of course, there is more than a slight | | | | suggest, I can not make you try itonly you |
| connection between the teacher-student | | | | can do that |
| relationship and classroom management. | | | | |
| | | | Along with teaching middle school social |
| So what's this simple teaching tip? | | | | studies full-time, I also teach a course on |
| | | | classroom management as an adjunct professor |
| Teachers need to give their students a break | | | | at a local college. Recently, one of my |
| | | | college students confided in me that she |
| That's right an actual 2-3 minute break | | | | thought I was absolutely nuts to suggest she |
| during class. | | | | give her 7th grade math students a break |
| | | | during class time. |
| Now many teachers may say that there is no | | | | |
| way they can give a 2-3 minute break in the | | | | But, she decided to have an open mind and |
| middle of their 50-minute class when they are | | | | gave it a try. This is the difference |
| already so pressed for time. To those | | | | between an effective teacher and an |
| teachers I say, "I am willing to give a | | | | ineffective teacher. The effective teacher |
| 2-minute break to get the other 48 minutes | | | | is willing to take risks. |
| back." | | | | |
| | | | Needless to say the student was thrilled with |
| The fact is, if you give a 2-minute break you | | | | the results. She set a timer, gave her |
| can get so much more out of the rest of | | | | students specific directions, and when that |
| class. | | | | timer went off signaling their break was |
| | | | over, those students got right back in their |
| Of course, you must teach this procedure just | | | | seats, were refreshed, and motivated to |
| like you must teach every procedure (teach | | | | learn. |
| the students exactly how much time they have, | | | | |
| what they can do and can not do, and exactly | | | | Giving students a break during class time |
| what you expect of them when the timer | | | | does not only aide in classroom management, |
| signals that break-time is over.) | | | | but it also contributes to building on that |
| | | | critical teacher-student relationship. |