Tips+for+Classroom+Success+&+Management

**Review the Course/Instructor Evaluation Expectations**

Evaluations for the course can act as a guide for what the students and the college are looking for with their instructors. Review this evaluation (also available for download below; posted with permission) to get some ideas on what a successful instructor looks like.



Classroom Management Resources
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Wong H. K. & Wong, R. T. (1999). The First Days of School: A True Tell-All Book! [Summary of the book The First Days of School: How to Be an Effective Teacher]. Retrieved from http://www.educationworld.com/a_books/books100.shtml

This book is an excellent resource for how to create and implement rules, routines, and procedures in order to effectively manage your classroom. It is available for instructors from the SSE office. Students may be interested in purchasing a copy, and they can do so through Amazon for around $20 (new) and often $5 (used).

Edutopia website on classroom management- This site provides articles, videos, and blog posts pertaining to the topic of classroom management.

Edutopia 10 Tips for Classroom Management Guide - This guide addresses the practical aspects of managing a classroom, including how to improve student engagement and build a positive classroom climate. It includes suggestions and resources appropriate for grades K-12.

10 Tips from the SSE team:

 * 1. Have materials prepared in advanced. **Know what you will be teaching, and have the materials you need ready for a successful class. In case anything gets left out of your supply bag, you'll have ample time to get what you need from the SSE office.


 * 2. Create a safe, non-threatening learning environment. **With much of the information that is covered in this course, there are various opinions and more than one view point. Make sure that the classroom environment is one in which your students feel comfortable talking and sharing opinions. As a reminder, make sure not to dominate the conversation.


 * 3. Provide clear learning outcomes and instructions for the students. **It is important for students to know why they are completing a given activity. Stating a clear learning outcome will help students stay on task and know what is expected of them by the end of the class. Clear instructions will help the class run smoothly.


 * 4. Create memorable sustainability related in-class activities. **Students want activities that they can remember and modify for use in their future classrooms. You may want to distribute a copy of the lesson plan or email out a link to the class so that they can save it for future use.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**5. Connect activities to the K-8 classroom.** Students want what they are learning now to be related to their future jobs as K-8 educators. Make explicit connections from activities to students' future classrooms.


 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">6. Provide opportunities for student choice (when feasible). **<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Students at all ages appreciate having choices and some say in what they are doing. By providing students with choice in activities, you are giving them some ownership in their learning.


 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">7. Consider the Four Ways of Thinking. **<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The Four Ways of Thinking are a significant aspect of the course and should be discussed as a class during the activities. How does that activity relate to a way of thinking? How does this connect to the classroom?

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**8. Ask questions (Why? How?).** You want your students to continue to stretch their minds and look at topics differently. By asking questions during the activity, you are doing just that and are promoting critical thinking. Push students to think more critically and to consider viewpoints they hadn't previously.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**9. Encourage class participation.** Use tricks of the trade like numbered heads, the cards you were provided with, and various grouping strategies to mix students up and have them participate in groups. Remember that because students attend the same set of courses all day, it's best not to allow them to select their own groups all the time as they tend to gravitate to the same individuals.


 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">10. Provide time to reflect on the activity as a class. **<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Wrap up class with a summary discussion so that there are no loose ends when the students leave. It is important for the students to have time to deliberate and ask any questions they have.