# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Motivation. What motivates you as a teacher? What types of positive reinforcement would we, as teachers, love and appreciate in our school day? While it is simple for us to think about what would make us work to our highest ability as teachers, it is often more difficult to recognize some rewards and/or positive reinforcements for our high school students in our classrooms. Oh, and did I mention that these motivators had to be free? That's even more difficult! It's so easy to say to your students "Pizza party!" or "Gift cards for everyone!" or something else of monetary value. But honestly, who has that kind of money for each and every student? Nobody I know!

In order to find out what would make my students more motivated (and in order to save teachers a little extra $$$) I conducted a survey of approximately 130 high school students, ranging from grades 9 to 12. I asked them to provide two suggestions of rewards and motivators that they would love to receive from a teacher (keeping in mind it had to be free for everybody). I have compiled a list of the most popular ideas among the students.
This is what they came up with:

1. Movies: Kids love movie days! They will do anything to just sit back and watch a movie for a class period.

2. Games: The students suggested playing team-style games where the winning team receives extra points on an upcoming assignment or test.

3. Music: More than movies, kids LOVE music! Using their own headphones, they can listen to their favorite music, while working on an independent assignment or the class, as a whole, can make requests and listen to songs as they complete their work.

4. Extra credit: You can determine how many points and on what assignment they can receive the extra credit. They will be grateful for anything!

5. Homework pass: Provide students with a pass to skip a homework assignment.

6. Personal time: Give students 10-15 minutes at the end of a class to socialize, catch up on other homework or just to relax.

7. Drop the lowest test/quiz grade: Either for the marking period, semester or the year.

8. Test/quiz re-take: This one will surely be a motivator for anyone, especially those high-achievers!

9. Late assignment pass: Provide students with the opportunity to turn in one assignment late, but make sure it's ONE assignment and maybe only ONE day late! It's important that students continue to meet deadlines :)

10. Positive note to parents: A few of the students said seeking their parents' approval and showing them they are hard workers meant to much to them. I have definitely taken note to do this more often!

Well, there you go! A list of the most popular FREE rewards that you can give your students. They are absolutely doable and I hope you were able to take a few ideas away from the list. If you choose to implement these free rewards in your classroom, it's important to keep in mind to not over-do it! If you give reward after reward, pretty soon these special privileges will lose their value. Be mindful of the frequency you give out the rewards and of course, provide them to those students who truly deserve and have worked hard to earn the reward. As we come towards the end of the school year, I plan to test the rewards and see how the student's respond. I am excited to see their reactions!
Can you think of any other free rewards that have worked well for your students? Post them in the comments!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
High School Student Rewards That Won't Cost You a Penny

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Motivation. What motivates you as a teacher? What types of positive reinforcement would we, as teachers, love and appreciate in our school day? While it is simple for us to think about what would make us work to our highest ability as teachers, it is often more difficult to recognize some rewards and/or positive reinforcements for our high school students in our classrooms. Oh, and did I mention that these motivators had to be free?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
A few months ago I saw the idea of having a VIP table floating around social media. As soon as I saw it, I knew I had to give it a try. I had an extra table in my room that I used to use for writing. For some reasons my students never took to it this year. I knew it would be the perfect VIP table!

I had a lot of fun shopping for supplies and setting it up. It was ready to go on a Monday and caught the attention of my class immediately. We had to talk about what VIP mean and together we set expectations up for the table. We decided how we would choose who sat there and how the supplies worked.

I have had the VIP table in action for several weeks now. It has yet to loose its luster. I am sure if the luster does fade, I would just need to find some new supplies at the Dollar Spot to make it shiny again. It has been such an easy way for me to reinforce positive behavior in the classroom.

To learn all the details of my VIP table, click the picture below to be taken to my Teachers Pay Teachers store. There, you can download a freebie with details and signs for your own table!

Do you have a VIP table? I would love to hear about it!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A few months ago I saw the idea of having a VIP table floating around social media. As soon as I saw it, I knew I had to give it a try. I had an extra table in my room that I used to use for writing.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
After recess or lunch can be one of the toughest times to transition back into instruction. Often the kids are so wound up that it takes 10 minutes (or more) to get everyone ready to learn again, and with the amount of curriculum we need to teach during the school day, that's 10 minutes we can't afford to lose!

Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to get students back into learning mode. The key lies in creating structured, orderly routines and providing engaging, calming tasks that kids are excited to begin tackling. Here are 10 great tips to help you settle students down after lunch or recess:

1. Allow only a few students to enter the room at a time.

Rather than having 30 overexcited students tear into the classroom all at the same time, set a calm, controlled atmosphere right from the moment they step through the door by allowing them to enter and settle down in small batches. Stand in the doorway and let the first 5 kids in, pause for a few seconds while the area around your coat hooks clears out, then let in the next 5 children, and so on. You can have a student helper lead stretching or breathing exercises with the group waiting in line while you focus on getting everyone transitioned inside. Be careful not to make this a long, drawn-out process, because then you'll have kids playing around in the hallway AND in the classroom! The idea is to get everyone inside as quickly as possible without having the entire class crowded into a tiny corner of the room hanging up coats all at once. Alternatively, you could have the whole class enter the room at one time, go straight to their desks to take off coats/hats/mittens/etc, and then walk over to hang up their belongings once all the winter gear is off.

2. Set a calm ambiance with dim lights and relaxing music.

The old "lights half on" trick really does help, and playing classical music is a great way to further the calm atmosphere. Classical music is known to have a calming effect on kids-and adults. This can be a great way for you to decompress, too! I downloaded a number of classical music songs and organized them in iTunes by tempo so that I had a playlists that ranged from super mellow and relaxing to more upbeat and energizing. If you need quick song recommendations, check out this post with the 10 best classical music tracks for calm and tranquility, which has YouTube videos embedded so you can just hit play. Of course, you can venture beyond the realm of classical music: you might find jazz, Native American flute music, piano solos, and other instrumental tracks very calming for your students. I love to expose kids to all kinds of genres, and you can make playlists with relaxing songs of any type.

3. Engage kids in a read-aloud.

My teachers used to use this strategy when I was in elementary school, and I still remember everyone gathering around the rocking chair, enjoying the special treat of sprawling out on the rug and having a moment to unwind, listen to a story, and maybe even daydream a bit. You may want to read a chapter of a novel per day, or choose classic stories that are known to be very engaging for kids. Try to give kids input on the books you choose-the more interested they are in what you're reading, the more likely they are to pay attention-and they'll make sure their peers aren't preventing them from hearing the story.

4. Have kids read (or write) independently in different places around the room.

If you have a D.E.A.R, S.S.R., or other silent reading time built into your reading instruction, after recess is the perfect time to schedule it. Let the kids self-select their books and choose "their spot" in the classroom to read: on the carpet, at a table in the back, on a bean bag, and so on. It's helpful to have students stick with the same spot for about a month so you don't disrupt the calm atmosphere with kids trying to figure out where they're supposed to sit. This provides a great opportunity for kids to reap the benefits of independent reading, and the element of choice as well as the break from the normal "sit at your desk" expectation creates a routine that kids are often anxious to dive into. A similar option is to have them do journal writing or other silent writing time.

5. Use GoNoodle brain breaks.

GoNoodle is a website that provides very short video brain breaks. These are games and exercises designed for helping kids stay focused and motivated, and they're free! GoNoodle has an entire section dedicated to calming activities. I recommend doing the same brain break each day for a week so it becomes automatic for students and they can reap the calming benefits instead of focusing on the directions.

6. Lead students in yoga, breathing, or stretching exercises.

You can find these within the GoNoodle video collection, or lead them yourself! Having students spend a few moments stretching, practicing yoga, taking deep breaths, doing breathing exercises or yoga breathing exercises. Meditating or directing their thoughts toward particular topics can also be very calming and focusing. Once students get good at this, you can have them take turns leading the exercises.

7. Do handwriting practice (yes, really!)

Even if your district doesn't require handwriting practice, 5 minutes a day can make a difference in students' legibility and could be a great use of their time while they wait for the class to finish hanging up their coats, getting drinks, and using the bathroom. And if your state standards include legible handwriting, there's no better time for kids to write than after recess. Practicing handwriting is a slow, repetitive task that requires concentration and helps students slowly adjust back to the quiet energy of the classroom.

8. Dive right into a warm up activity.

Transition times tend to expand and fill however many minutes you allow, so I often prefer to give kids 30 seconds to enter the room, hang up their belongings, and start right away on a warm up activity. Try to choose tasks that are not too complex (as students will need to be able to work independently while you get everyone settled down and prepare to start teaching), but do select activities that require some level of focus. You might choose vocabulary building exercises, a simple math game, or practice problems similar to ones students learned how to complete the day before. I find it helpful to give similar warm-up tasks each day for several weeks so that students get used to the format and know exactly what's expected. The idea is to help kids switch back into learning mode and prime their brains for the next lesson you'll be teaching.

9. Call the quietest group to go to the water fountain first.

Kids love going to the water fountain and they're usually thirsty after recess, so establish a routine in which kids complete a warm-up activity and the quietest table is called to get drinks first. If the class is especially rambunctious, resist the urge to nag or threaten, and up the ante a bit by approaching it like a game in which getting called to get drinks is the prize: "I wonder which team will be the first to get drinks today? Team 1 is all sitting down, they're getting their pencils out for the warm up, it could be them! Oh, but wait! Team 2 is also all in place! Team 3 has only one person they're waiting for...oh, this is going to be a close one today!" Keep the hype going even after you called the first team: "Now, let's see which team is going to be next ... I see a lot of people following directions, so it's going to be awfully tough for me to decide!" No child wants to be the person that causes their team to lose because they were off-task, so this technique tends to be really effective.

10. Let kids doodle while listening to audio content.

This is a great special incentive to use on hectic days right before long weekends, holiday breaks, and so on. More than just a relaxing activity, doodling is proven to increase concentration, memory, and focus, and giving your students a few minutes to doodle or draw anything they want can be a great calming activity after recess. Play some soft music if you like, or, make the task more academic by having students doodle while listening to audio content that is related to your lesson. Many textbooks and curriculum series come with CDs or MP3 downloads that read the text aloud: play a section of the recording that reviews yesterday's lesson or introduces students to today's topic, and then begin your lesson by asking questions about what students heard. You can also play podcasts, web clips, radio interviews, or any other media form that's relevant to your subject area.
I've collected all kinds of practical teaching strategies on Please share your strategies for settling students down after lunch or after recess here in the comments. What works with your class? Pinterest-make sure you're following me there, or you can follow just my Classroom Management Pinterest board.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
10 ways to calm a class after lunch or recess

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
After recess or lunch can be one of the toughest times to transition back into instruction. Often the kids are so wound up that it takes 10 minutes (or more) to get everyone ready to learn again, and with the amount of curriculum we need to teach during the school day, that's 10 minutes we can't afford to lose!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Thanks to Pinterest I found this really cute idea. I can't find my original pin so I can't give credit to who thought of it!
Today I created badges for each teacher on our grade level. When a student reaches a goal, whether it be behaviorally or academically, their teacher can give them the badge for the day. The badge encourages students and staff to enquire about the achievement. We'll start these next week. Fingers crossed it goes well!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Thanks to Pinterest I found this really cute idea. I can't find my original pin so I can't give credit to who thought of it! Today I created badges for each teacher on our grade level. When a student reaches a goal, whether it be behaviorally or academically, their teacher can give them the badge for the day.

# data[].attributes.body
Student to Student Acknowlegement

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
First, a *big* congrats to the two winners of my Bloglovin' Giveaway: Andrea K. & Cathy P.! Check your email, ladies, and you get the choice of any two products from my store :)

Now, onto something I am sososo excited about! I came across a fantastic idea on Pinterest from Sugar Blossoms and had to share it with you all as soon as I could!

Click the image above to be taken to T.J.'s super-cute site Sugar Blossoms

T.J. at Sugar Blossoms not only came up with the greatest set of classroom cheers, she also made reminder cards and videos to show each one- yahoo!

As soon as I saw these, I immediately thought of using them as alternatives to our class' 10-Finger Woo! You can read all about that HERE, but the short of it is that anytime a student volunteers/shares an answer/does something awesome in my class, I'll say, "Let's give so-and-so a 10-Finger Woo!" and we'll all wave our fingers at that person and give a short "Woo!". It's a lot of fun :)

I'm loving these great alternatives to spice it up throughout our school year- I think my initial favorites are the Firework Cheer, Raise the Roof, and Snap & Cheer. I cannot wait to try them out with next year's class!

For more in-depth description of each cheer, as well as a video of each, be sure to head to Sugar Blossoms!

Do you use similar cheers in your class? What are some of your favorites?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
whole brain teaching: 10-finger woo! alternatives

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Whole Brain Teaching: 10-Finger Woo! Alternatives (3rd Grade Thoughts)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
First, a *big* congrats to the two winners of my Bloglovin' Giveaway: Andrea K. & Cathy P.! Check your email, ladies, and you get the choice of any two products from my store :) Now, onto something I am sososo excited about!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Teaching In The Fast Lane: Giving Attention Seeking Students the Right Kind of Attention

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The behavior chart has been taken out with yesterday's trash. But I still have to go back to school and face all those kids and all their BEHAVIORS!! Now what?!

After the post I wrote a while back aboutNever Using A Behavior Chart Again, I still get tons of emails, questions, comments, stories, pleas, suggestions, etc. I have really loved hearing from everyone and I have heard so many amazing stories from other parents and teachers. But since I was replying to so many emails, I decided to write several posts about managing classroom behaviors in the absence of a behavior chart. These are ideas that can be easily used in classrooms or homes with varying degrees of implementation depending upon need, experience, and comfort level.
You can read all of the posts in the series here:

BUT, but what about those few little people who still can't quite follow directions. The ones who try your patience, who struggle no matter what you do. The ones who disrupt every lesson, hallway line, and activity.
We are always going to have kids who have issues beyond what a whole class system can manage, we just need to help them in a different way.

I have been using an individualized goal setting system the last couple of years that I have found to be extremely successful in helping individual students make behavior changes. It concentrates on the individual needs of the child by setting specific goals and helps him to focus on changing behaviors in small, manageable chunks.

First, we use a goal setting form to focus in on the desired behavior. We talk about how the child, teacher, and parents will work together to help him find success.

When helping to create and meet behavioral or academic goals with kids, I have discovered a few basic tenets for praise and goal setting that are helpful to keep in mind.

1. Only focus on one or two goals at a time.
Really, one goal is best. More than two is overwhelming and none of the goals will receive enough focus and attention to become internalized or automatic. Chances are, these kiddos have some attention problems to begin with, so throwing a handful of goals at them is an exercise in futility.
Although, sometimes it's REALLY hard to choose only ONE behavior goal!

2. Allow the student to help choose the goal.
He must have ownership of the goal or he will not be invested in reaching it. The child has to really want to make a change and giving him a goal that he is not interested in working towards is a recipe for failure. You might have to do some resourceful psychological maneuvering to get the kid on board. Be creative!

3. Make sure the goal is well understood by the student.
The desired behavior should be broken down into each identifiable element and taught explicitly, step by step with very clear expectations. I usually try to meet with the child one to one when the class is busy elsewhere to model the expectation exactly and talk with him about it.

4. Goals should be very specific.
"Be good" is not an appropriate goal because it isn't clearly defined. 'Sit calmly with hands and feet to yourself on the carpet during lessons' is a more specific, definable, and attainable goal. Be sure to break that down so the student knows exactly what that looks and feels like and how to achieve it. If the behavior is complex, you might break it up into two or three separate goals and reach them one at a time.
If you've got a kid who is all over the place, talking, calling out, etc. during mini lessons, you might just start with 'stay in your own space' as a start. Once that is mastered, add in 'raise your hand to speak during a group lesson' and keep working to pull back each undesirable behavior.

5. Accept close approximations initially to build confidence.
When goals are first introduced, attempts and close approximations should be honored in order to provide an initial measure of success. As the student improves, more complete compliance is expected. This is how they learn what it takes to get to the expected behavior. Scaffolding, if you will.

6. Praise the behavior specifically, noticing effort and results.

Again, be specific and praise the behavior, not the child. Instead of 'You were so good!' be more specific about the actual behavior - 'I noticed that you listened so well without calling out during our math lesson!' "You kept your hands and feet to yourself during the entire recess time!"

7. Allow students to self assess.

Before you pass any judgement or give any praise, ask the student how it went. Most of the time, I find that kids are either too hard on themselves and do not recognize progress or they think they have done very well when they really haven't met the goal. In either case, asking the child how they felt about it will reveal volumes.

8. Keep it positive, optimistic, and consistent!

Sometimes it's hard to do when they're driving you crazy and you think you can't take it another minute! :)

Once we set a goal, I make sure we have a way to track progress. I use fun tracking sheets with stamps, stickers, bingo markers, etc. to keep track of progress.
And this is where I come to the thing that I think makes this so successful:

I never track failures to meet the goal. They never get a strike, or a sad face, or have something x'd out because they exhibited a negative behavior. We don't dwell on how often the kid failed to meet the mark or did the wrong thing. This is not about what the kid did wrong, this is about recognizing what the kid did RIGHT.

That's not to say that there are no consequences for highly unacceptable behavior. What I mean is that when the targeted behavior is not shown during the time period we are monitoring, there are no negative marks on the progress sheet.

The only thing that goes on the sheet is praise for meeting the goal. If the goal was not met, meaning the target behavior was not shown, then nothing goes on the chart. When the behavior goal was met during the specified time period, the child receives praise for the behavior and we chart the progress on the sheet by filling in one of the circles.

Welcome! I am Nikki Sabiston, a 20 year veteran teacher at Title I schools in Virginia. I share classroom management strategies and create teaching resources to enhance literacy, math, and behavior management in the elementary classroom.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
I've Given Up the Color Chart - Now What?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The behavior chart has been taken out with yesterday's trash. But I still have to go back to school and face all those kids and all their BEHAVIORS!! Now what?! After the post I wrote a while back aboutNever Using A Behavior Chart Again , I still get tons of emails, questions, comments, stories, pleas, suggestions, etc.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
I talk quite a bit about classroom management on my blog. I have to be honest here. I have tried so many different things. I have tried the clip chart, I have tried check marks, I have tried the "flip the card". NONE of them work for me.

The book Dream Class really changed my thoughts on behavior management, and I constantly recommend it to any teacher I meet. It's that amazing.

I'm here to talk to you about my favorite section of that book: How to improve classroom management by doing less.

You mean I don't have to go home every day exhausted? SIGN ME UP!

You may all think I am crazy, but I do less and it has improved my classroom management like crazy.

Here are my tips (adapted from Dream Class) on how to do less:

1.) Slow Down - The same way children emulate their parents' behaviors and mannerisms, if you haven't noticed yet, your students emulate you. You are with your students for about 7 hours every day. They watch your every move. I noticed that when I started to slow down and speak with a purpose, my kids started to slow down and speak with a purpose. When I stopped to say "bless you" or "excuse me," my kids also started doing this. You may think this isn't that profound, but trust me it is. When you slow down and stop rushing through everything and stop treating your day like you have way too much to get through, you will have calmer students. As a result, you will get through everything and you will get more done. Try it and watch the shift happen in your classroom.

2.) Talk Less - Let's face it, the more we talk, the more likely our kids are likely to tune us out. When they tune us out, they are more likely to misbehave. If you want your words to stay with your kids and have meaning, be brief, get to the point, then move on. Save your voice for inspirational or personal stories. Your kids will love to hear these!

3.) Do Nothing - My favorite. If your students are not doing what you want, do nothing. Stand in a prominent place where they can see you (perhaps on a chair!), and literally do nothing. Your kids will stare at you, they may wait for you to flip your lid or even lose your marbles, but you won't! When my students notice me standing there, I hear them reminding each other to be quiet. I hear things like like, "SHH, I want to hear this" or "Guys, be quiet or we won't be able to earn our fun project". If they don't catch on, simply take the moment of silence to gather your thoughts then remind them again precisely what you expect them to do.

4.) Lower Your Voice - When you raise your voice, you send a message to your students that they only have to listen to you when you're yelling. You're basically saying that it's ok to tune out when you are speaking at a lower or normal tone. Speak softly, and your students will listen. They should even have to lean in just a bit to hear you.

5.) Teach Your Classroom Management Plan - If students don't know what you want, they aren't going to give it to you. If you want them to come in quietly and open their books, then model how to walk in quietly and how to open a book. Figure out what you want your students to be doing at all times and teach, model, and show them every routine and procedure. When your students forget (and they will) stop in your tracks and practice it all again. Once your students are successful, trust in your management plan. Don't bribe, manipulate, or persuade your students to behave correctly. You created your management plan for a reason. Let it do the "heavy lifting."

6.) Enforce Logical Consequences - While your classroom management plan needs to be simple and effective, it also needs to work for you. You need to believe in it and follow through with it. Make your rules and stick to them. When a rule is broken, there needs to be a consequence. It can't be some random random consequence for the sake of just giving a consequence. You need consequences that will fix the behaviors that have occurred. Take a look at this document below for my logical consequence ideas.

Click HERE to grab this freebie!

Like I said above, when you start doing less, you'll have time for some inspirational and personal stories. You'll also have more time for inspirational lessons. One of my favorite lessons each year is when we read The Junkyard Wonders by Patricia Polocco and talk about our differences and coming together as a family. I typically do this at the beginning of the year, but it's great for a mid-year community building, too!

We talk about being there for each other and stepping in to help one another out when it's needed. My favorite part of the lesson is when the students brainstorm ways to pay it forward. Then, without a doubt, someone starts the year off by paying it forward and it has a domino effect in our classroom. :) We created this anchor chart on ways to pay it forward, and I keep it posted all year.
Here is an example of a student paying it forward. This student wanted to thank his classmates for electing him as student council representative, so he went home and printed all of these labels that say "Thanks a Million." He personally thanked every student when he gave them their candy. Is that not the SWEETEST most thing you've ever seen?!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How to Improve Classroom Management By Doing Less- Logical Consequences Freebie - Young Teacher Love

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
I talk quite a bit about classroom management on my blog. I have to be honest here. I have tried so many different things. I have tried the clip chart, I have tried check marks, I have tried the "flip the card". NONE of them work for me.

# data[].attributes.body
How to handle the disrespectful student

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
A student points their finger inches from your face and teasingly says, "I'm mad at you. That homework last night was hard!"

Or . . .

A student raises their hand and commands you to "Tell John to stop bothering me."

In either case you're uncomfortable with the way you've been addressed.

It's given you pause, and you're unsure how to respond.

On one hand, neither student appears to have any malicious intent.

From their tone of voice and body language, it's clear they don't realize they're being disrespectful.

On the other hand, they are being disrespectful, no doubt about it.

So how should you proceed?

Should you follow your classroom management plan as it's written and risk causing confusion and resentment? Or should you ignore their disrespect on the grounds that they don't know any better and risk more of the same behavior?

What follows are seven steps that will allow you to handle this surprisingly common situation with grace and sensitivity, while all but removing the chances of it happening again.
1. Move on.
The first step is to quickly move on from the incident while neither endorsing nor condemning their behavior. The key here is to keep your cool, avoiding any outward expression of anger or disappointment.

A thin smile and a nod of the head will usually suffice. However, if applicable, you may have to calmly tell the student that you'll speak to them about it later.
2. Pull aside.
After the incident is forgotten (30 minutes is a good rule of thumb), pull the student aside for a quick word. Here at SCM we typically don't recommend private meetings with students regarding their behavior. In this case, however, it's warranted.
3. Avoid confrontation.
There is no reason to question the student or force assurances from them. Your sole purpose is to educate. You see, when you tell students "this is the way it is," they readily accept it. It's when you browbeat them into telling you what you want to hear that they become defensive and argumentative.
4. Recount and inform.
Recount the exact actions and words the student used that triggered your instinct that their behavior was disrespectful. Then simply inform them that it crossed the line, that it isn't okay to speak to a teacher the way they might a friend or sibling.
5. Model the alternative.
The next step is to illustrate how they should have addressed you. Model it for them so they know exactly what you mean. No matter how irritated their behavior made you feel, be sure and maintain a helpful demeanor. It's key to ensuring that it doesn't happen again.
6. Pause.
A short pause will give the student a chance to speak if they wish. You'll often get an apology. If you don't, however, or if the student clams up, that's okay. It's not important that they admit their mistake. Your meeting isn't a form of accountability, and it shouldn't be construed as such.
7. Make a promise.
Finish your conversation with a promise that if it happens again, you'll enforce a consequence. By patiently setting the record straight, the student will walk away from your two-minute meeting with a greater appreciation of you and a fuller, more meaningful understanding of respect.
Defining Disrespect
Disrespect appears to be on the rise-particularly among younger students. It's important, however, to determine if the disrespect is intentional or a misunderstanding of the definition.

Sadly, as surprising as it may seem, due to poor home and neighborhood influences many students just don't know any better. And enforcing consequences for behavior your students don't understand to be wrong will jeopardize your relationship with them.

It will cause friction, distrust, and resentment and increase rather than decrease the chances of it happening again.

The good news is that body language and tone of voice will always tell you whether to enforce a consequence immediately or pull the student aside for a brief lesson.

This underscores the importance of teaching this particular topic thoroughly in the beginning of the school year.

If you model the most likely scenarios-like those above, for example-and define for your students precisely where the line is, then instances of disrespect, intentional or not, will be few and far between.

Note: This article was in response to several passionate requests. If you'd like us to write about a particular issue you're struggling with, just send us an email or leave a comment below.

Also, if you haven't done so already, please join us. It's free! Click here and begin receiving classroom management articles like this one in your email box every week.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How To Handle Disrespectful Students Who Don't Know They're Being Disrespectful - Smart Classroom Management

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A student points their finger inches from your face and teasingly says, "I'm mad at you. That homework last night was hard!" Or . . . A student raises their hand and commands you to "Tell John to stop bothering me." In either case you're uncomfortable with the way you've been addressed.