As a new teacher, the first thing you must decide is your role in the classroom. What responsibilities are yours and which belong to your students? Most patterns fall into three categories:

The pattern that you choose will set the tone of your classroom. Students who believe that what occurs in the classroom is a joint effort will be more likely to respond positively to what is being taught. Younger students usually require more direction than older ones.

Adler (2000) claims that all behavior is purposeful. Misbehavior is a student's mistaken assumption that it is a way to gain status and find a place in the world and in the classroom. If teachers are not able to identify the student's aim, they will reinforce the inappropriate behavior.

Four reasons why students misbehave are:

When a student’s behavior is interfering with instruction, the teacher must intervene. At all ages, the teacher can ask a student Glasser’s (2001) four questions:

These questions make students identify and evaluate their own behavior rather than just react to a judgmental comment from the teacher.

Ask students, “What will you do to rebuild our trust in you?” Another alternative is that the student must build a plan to solve his or her problem (Coloroso, 1990). If the first plan is not working, a second plan is required.

Consequences of breaking the rules must also be discussed and made explicit—what will happen if a student does not obey a rule. Consequences must be logical. That is, they must relate in a reasonable way to the misdemeanor.

All behavior is a question of choice. Students can choose appropriate or inappropriate behaviors. Students are urged to take charge of their own behavior. The teacher's role is to help students make responsible choices.

A critical strategy in successfully managing your classroom is to establish routines. Routines should be established and taught at the start of the term, particularly at the elementary and middle school levels. Once students know these thoroughly, they should rarely have to be reminded of them.

Establish a signal that means “I need your attention.” Having a standard signal reduces calls for attention. This is particularly important with younger students who may be involved in a variety of activities and are often moving around.

Many teachers use hand signals that are introduced as individual requirements for each finger (e.g., “eyes looking at me, mouth closed, ears open, facing me, hands still and empty.”)

Young students respond particularly well to music and rhythm. Clap a sequence and have the students clap it back to show they are listening. Sing a short song that the students know and can join in.

In middle school say something very quietly that everyone who can hear your voice must do at that moment (e.g., touch your nose, flap an elbow, or hold up a pencil) while looking around the room to see who the last person is to catch on to the command (Wormelli, 2003).

Some schools have specific guidelines regarding classroom absences such as trips to the washroom or the office (depending on the age of the students). Establish your rules based on these guidelines.

 Some schools have specific rules that must be followed when students come to school or class late. If your school does not have set rules, establish them for your class.Set aside time for sharpening pencils (not during instruction time).Establish rules for responding to questions you have asked of the class (e.g., students putting up their hands).Establish rules for when students should gather materials such as textbooks (before the lesson begins).In middle school it is often useful to have a clearly defined assignment that students start immediately upon entering the class in the morning. This allows the teacher to move around checking homework and filling in the roll call sheet while the students are engaged. Start the day with an interesting puzzle, a “Who Dunnit” or a particularly interesting bit of information.Always wait for quiet before starting to speak. This is effective if you make eye contact with students who are not paying attention and hold the contact until they do. Then say, “Thank you” and start instruction.Establish rules for lunchtime procedures.At the end of day it is a good idea is to leave a few minutes for closing routines. This may include giving out notices to go home, filling in homework folders, reminders, or just spending a few minutes reviewing some good things from the day.

To maintain a positive and purposeful classroom environment, guidelines should be followed when speaking to students, appropriate behavior and how to be respectful should be modeled, and consistency in applying rules and how to counter teasing and bullying should be exemplified.

Your actions set the tone for your students and how they behave and work. Be clear, firm, and consistent in your expectations. Follow your rules. Teachers who do not follow their own rules will lose respect and control. Apply rules universally and consistently. Teachers who apply different consequences to different students or threats that they do not carry through will soon find that their students lose respect for them.

·       Arguing

·       Sarcasm

·       Force

·       Threat

·       Criticism

·       Despair

·       Logic

·       Taking away

·       Telling on them to others

·       One-Ups man ship

·       Silent treatment