What is the "X factor" when it comes to classroom management?

February 29, 2008 9:40 AM

What is the "X factor" when it comes to classroom management?

When it comes to managing a group of high-schoolers what is the personality trait that makes some teachers have more control of their classroom than others? When I was in high school, some teachers had complete control the minute they walked into the classroom whilst other teachers would walk in and the class that would erupt into laughter, talking and just general giddyness.


I have never quite figured out which personality triat in teachers dictates this sort of behaviour.


It seems to have nothing to do with verbal threats, how inspirational the teacher is or the subject matter being taught - there seems to be some other factor at play here - that I've never been able to work out. So what is this "x-factor"?

posted by jacobean to human relations (19 comments total)

gravitas?
posted by Rubbstone at 9:42 AM on February 29, 2008

You're right, verbal threats don't earn you respect. You earn respect by following through on your words with actions, by displaying mastery of your subject, by treating your students with respect and demanding nothing but the best from them. Detentions don't scare kids, but disapproval from someone you look up to and respect? That hurts.

The teachers who whine and yell and lose control of their classrooms do so because they don't culture this kind of attitude, and often don't understand how to.
posted by chrisamiller at 9:48 AM on February 29, 2008 [7 favorites has favorites]

Experience in good human interaction. A good teacher knows what battles to fight and what to leave alone. A good teacher isn't shocked by too much.

Being a bartender for six years has helped me in the classroom more than anything I learned in college.
posted by thedoctorpants at 10:04 AM on February 29, 2008 [5 favorites has favorites]

what chrisamiller said.
posted by mpls2 at 10:07 AM on February 29, 2008

Chris nailed it--a combination of respect for the students and demanding that they respect you and one another. Not easy sometimes!
posted by LarryC at 10:17 AM on February 29, 2008

High school students are tough, because they can be so random. And - truth be told - we don't treat them very well. So a lot of the reasonable behaviour you can coax out of collage students is difficult.

But, to reiterate the above: never lose your temper. Never get angry. That just poisons the atmosphere and shows you can provoked. (And someone will make that their aim.)

Be clear and be firm. Make it so they know what's expected on them, and when they're fallen short of that. Make the consequences clear and follow up on those consequences.
posted by outlier at 10:18 AM on February 29, 2008

Chrisamiller has it. I taught high school and was one of those teachers who had the "it" that you are speaking of. I was very firm with my kids, expected alot but they knew that I loved them and would do anything to please me. I rarely had to raise my voice but when I did, it really got alot of attention. I was flexible when I needed to be (you have to be with hs kids, they have alot going on) but treated everyone the same and demanded respect. I followed through with my actions and the kids quickly learned what my boundries were. Not to say they didn't test me, they cut up and were silly all the time but it only took one look and things were instantly under control and back to normal.

I have taught all grade levels and high school was by far my favorite. In a nutshell, show confidence and DEMAND respect. Be reasonable and fair and know when to laugh and you'll have a great relationship with great kids. Also, a little trick with athletes is to tattle to their coaches when they are not pulling the line in your class. Coaches will be your best friend if you need them to be!! They can turn bad behavior around in a flash!! Best of luck!!
posted by pearlybob at 10:24 AM on February 29, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

In addition to confidence, I think great teachers also have a fine balance between empathy and apathy. I've always liked the teachers who understand their students well enough that they can be flexible around the students' needs. But at the same time, they also exude a vibe of "If you're not going to try too hard, I probably won't either."

For whatever reason, now all I can think of is Whoopi's Guinan.
posted by ictow at 10:25 AM on February 29, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

Classroom management is a teachable and learnable skill - there's plenty of professional literature, and most education programs spent time on it. There are even workshops offered. I would say that it does come more readily to people whose interpersonal abilities are already high, and whose self-image and self-respect are strong. Teenagers are generally insecure (it's the nature of adolescence), and so they are very attentive to insecurity in others.

Knowing what's going on with them developmentally is also helpful.

(I haven't taught high school students in the classroom, but have taught them in alternative settings and work with them in museum programming).
posted by Miko at 10:29 AM on February 29, 2008

Consistency and Proximity
Period
posted by Seamus at 10:59 AM on February 29, 2008

It is, in many ways, an impossible question to answer, because it is so dependent on the personality of the instructor. Well, no, let me rephrase: the key to successful classroom management has nothing to do with "personality." What I mean is: I'm generally of the goofy and ironic humor sort of teacher, while another teacher down the hall is stern and unsmiling, while yet another of my colleagues is loud and bombastic. All three of us, compared to the average class in my school, have reasonably well managed classrooms. Well, then it's not our personality, it's our *systems*.

Classroom Management is *the* skill for the successful educator. It's a skill because, as mentioned above, it's learned, taught, and practiced. In my limited experience, the following things are what allow me to have a comparably smooth running classroom. (Although, to be fair, no class in this building is just going to jump right to attention when the teacher comes into the room, but you get my drift hopefully).

So, then, what are the characteristics of a well managed classroom?

Well, really, Seamus nails a lot of it with those two simple words. Teachers that tend to have well managed classrooms are the ones who, even when not lecturing or delivering instruction, are still monitoring and interacting with their classes. They're also consistant. I don't think it is wrong to threaten a punishment at all, but it's critical that (1) you are explicit about what behavior needs to be changed, (2) that, if necessary, you are clear on why that behavior has to be changed, and (3) you are willing to follow through on your threats. That is to say, when someone, say, gets up and wanders around without permission, you don't just dress them down in front of the class. "Johnny, if you insist on [A], then you will force me to [B]." Then, be willing to execute whatever that consequence is.

Interaction helps, as well. My hunch is those teachers who command respect are also those teachers who frequently come to sporting events, school plays, band concerts, and so forth. Teachers of the "7-3 for me" mindset, I've found, never really engender the respect of students.

Not to mention patience and professionalism. Well managed classrooms tend to be helmed by teachers who can control their emotions and not get too wrapped up in control freakishness. What I mean is this - in high school, you are dealing with moody, confused, lonely, and hormonal creatures. Good managers do not get caught in traps where they feel the need to show off or "defend" their authority when it is questioned, they don't lose hold of their emotions, things like that. Part of this goes to having a behavior plan already in place before the beginning of school, and part comes from knowing the psychology of your charges.

Something no one else has mentioned, surprisingly, is familiarity and reputation. Your first year at a new school? Good luck with that ideal classroom, let me know when you find it. But, once two or thee years worth of students come through, things are set. They know you, they know what you expect and what you do not expect, and see you as part of the school community. Freshmen see upper classmen respect you and follow suit. Students see you taking an active part in their lives (I mean, *I* have a life outside of high school, but THEY do not. Did you, really, at their age?) and are more willing to engage and give the benefit of the doubt.

Really, a lot of this is just more detail about what chrisamiller said, I guess.
posted by absalom at 12:09 PM on February 29, 2008 [3 favorites has favorites]

High school teacher here who would like to think I have "it" and I can't agree more with the consistency comments. Students like to know what to expect from you. If you say you're giving a test on Friday, give it. If you say you're going to "write up" the student that curses at you, do it. If you offer help after class, be there. Set your boundaries and stick to them. It's certainly ok to smile and laugh, but you have to be able to rein it in to get to the lesson.

They also tend to listen to you more if you're a doer and show them that you care, but won't put up with their drama and crap - and believe me there is plenty of that. Absalom mentioned being involved with the school and its activities and I feel that is important too, I do bus duty and am involved in several activities and the students see this and it shows them I do care about them and the school. They see that I love my job and I do it with passion. They know I'm not just there for the paycheck. I also mentioned doing bus duty, which is optional in my school, but I greet the students every day. All of them. This ties in to what absalom said about familiarity and reputation. I only teach seniors, but the lower classmen know me from bus duty and school activities so when they get to my class, they have some idea that I'm not a 'ball buster' but "that crazy lady who says hi to them every day in the hallway."

Treating them like the young adults they are helps too. Talk to them the way you want to be spoken to. If you got caught cheating on a test, would you want to be called out on it in front of the class and yelled at? :shudder: You have to build the bridges instead of tearing them down.

Finally, one thing I do at the beginning of the year is some team building activities with the class that sets the tone for a classroom community that we're all a part of. It's not my classroom, it's our classroom and we're all responsible for what happens here. I think this nips a lot of problems in the bud by setting the tone for the year.

Yeah, it is hard to put your finger on that one quality, if I was forced to say one, it's consistency, but overall, I think it's a combination of many of the qualities mentioned in this thread already.

Ya know what though, on preview, I think kids respect the teachers that really and truly love what they do. I guess that would be the one personality trait that sums up everything else. Because if they love what they do, they're probably already doing all the great stuff mentioned here.
posted by NoraCharles at 1:37 PM on February 29, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

I've been at it for four years.

I run a very hands-off classroom. I do not try to micro-manage the behavior of my students.

I think long and hard about the rules I do have. Why do I require certain things? Is it because it will contribute to the learning environment? Or is it because I think that that's how school should be?

Become involved in the school. My classroom is open every day at lunch (except fridays which I spend with my colleagues - also important for the ole' mental health) with video games, musical instruments, computers, randomness available for kids to drop in. Students are far less likely to give you any problems if you have a reputation for being a "cool" teacher - regardless of whether or not they are participating in the extra stuff. Kids talk a lot about their teachers.
posted by davey_darling at 4:22 PM on February 29, 2008 [2 favorites has favorites]

I was a secondary education major in college, but decided not to teach. I didn't have the "drive" for it. I am a very friendly, outgoing person. And I tried to be nice & approachable to students. I failed miserably. Had NO classroom control. The advice I got (too late) from one of my mentors was "Don't smile until Christmas".
posted by ObscureReferenceMan at 7:04 PM on February 29, 2008

Randomly- Respect, maturity, a certain amount of aloofness, competence. Charisma doesn't hurt either. "Owning" the room (like a good public speaker). NO fear- you aren't afraid, and they aren't afraid of you. High standards, fair standards, consistent standards. Well defined expectations for the material, and then don't change them. Don't create a system for them to be able to game. It's not about you, it's about the material. Be a trusted elder, not their pal. Know your students by name. Engage them. The teachers that I had in school that were successful invariably had these talents and skills. In a word, people skills.
posted by gjc at 12:19 AM on March 1, 2008

Chrisamiller's answer is correct but to me, not complete. Respecting kids, knowing your subject matter, following through on what you say - none of these are easy but they are doable.

And yes, you need to demand nothing but the best. But how to do that successfully is a much harder question.

You've probably encountered a teacher whose high standards just made you throw up your hands, and my kids try this all the time - you can't physically force them to do their schoolwork if they don't care (or want to pretend not to care because they fear failure) and there is nothing to make them care. And once they don't care, they will spend their classtime giving you a headache.

Demands can be refused, however they are stated - it's only through years of experience that you really learn how to get through to kids and help them meet your expectations. There is not, as far as I can tell, one magic way that will instantly motivate kids. It depends on the kids.

Motivation is a complex creature. Some kids are motivated by fear of their parents, some by genuine interest in the material, some by material that engages with their real life or identity, some because they like or respect you, some by grades, some by the desire to impress their peers. Most of my kids are motivated by experiences of success. . . your expectations can only go so far if you do not build the bridge that allows that success.

It doesn't happen the moment you walk into the room the first day. That first day, most kids are on their best behavior, and they will spend a few days or weeks sussing you out. But day by day, how well you build that bridge for each kid will determine their response when you walk in the next day (actually, walking in to the room is metaphorical for me, since I stand in the doorway as my students enter the classroom so I am basically already in the room).

I haven't mastered it yet. I consider it a lifelong process.
posted by mai at 12:06 PM on March 1, 2008

you know, i followed the "don't smile til Christmas" maxim my first year out. and it worked, to an extent. i had commanded respect, but it was at a big price, because i still hadn't learned to control my temper, to let go, and not treat teaching like the ego trip it really is. i am now a substitute teacher (i do it to pay for my "real life" as a writer), and so i have years of behind-the-scenes observation behind me as well as my teaching experience. it took the five years in the classroom as well as the final "letting go" of knowing i was quitting to get me to being really good at what i was doing.

Act Like a Human Being--have a willingness to laugh when a student does something funny but still be consistent/fair in reaction. have emotions but always be in control of them; allow the students to be human beings too.

Be a Real Expert--too many teachers stop learning about their subject at graduation, or spend all their time obsessing over classroom management and "teaching" in a game-playing sort of way instead of really knowing a whole helluva lot about their subject matter. never stop learning, because that's how you inspire kids to be lifelong learners too. and never pretend to know something you don't. find out and report back when you don't know the answer to a question, or help the kid find the information him/herself.

Be Honest: when you are stating your opinion rather than fact, say so. when you are feeling crappy, say so. when and if you neglect your expected duties, then don't offer excuses that aren't true. don't hold them to a standard you don't yourself. (if you yell, why can't they? if you don't follow through on commitments, why should they?)

Let Go: aspiring to/becoming a teacher requires a certain level of ego--you believe that you can control or inspire a group of people, but there are a bunch of kids on their way into your classroom who are going to be ready and able to cut you down to size. they will tell you you are boring when you are, and they will be quick to find your weaknesses as an individual and cut you down in a way that you will never experience on the street. they are forced to be there, by virtue of our current system, or by their parents. so you have a captive audience. if you don't like how they behave, you have power they don't. if you use it inappropriately, you will quickly be remembered and outed as an asshole. (even if your assholery is about forcing them to do things your way or the highway.) assholery inspires rebellion in the captives. an honesty about their predicament goes a long way toward building camaraderie. if an assignment/activity you are proud of falls flat, be honest with yourself and them about it. don't force it out of ego and a belief in your infallible taste. allow a level of liveliness in class if it's remotely on topic.

an appropriate level of detachment is really really important--too many teachers take student behavior or non-participation as a personal insult and react accordingly and with personal hurt. the student has no obligation to you, and behaving with this sort of emotional blackmail only works with kids who've found engaging in that to be personally useful.

Perform: i think the best teachers are the ones who see their task as performer as paramount--you are there to engage with a whole room of people, to get them to *want* to listen to you, not to force the drudgery down their throats. to be an inspiration, to make them listen, you have to be a public speaker in addition to an assigner of tasks. whatever your talent is--telling the tale if your subject matter is one you have to master.

Finesse the System: these are not college students, and you are an obstacle to a day of freedom. so it is your job to give them as many choices as possible and have it still "fulfill the requirements." let them maximize their individual talents--find out what they are good at, and let them shine at it. be honest and up front about what's required, and be willing to transform all else to the interests of the student. individualize as much as humanly possible.

and the last: don't let fears of "losing your job" and imaginary strictures stop you from doing spectacular things. when i knew i was quitting, i stopped being afraid of answering questions honestly and assigning what i knew students would find interesting. this made me a far better teacher than i knew possible.

there will always be someone in your class that is dealing with crazystuff in their life that far outweighs anything you say or do. your subject matter is the last thing of importance to them, and nothing you can do or say will inspire action. sometimes respect from a kid like that is gained simply by acknowledging in words their unfreedom. you cannot force them to participate--all you can do is give them a grade. so punishing them for not liking you or hating your class is the wrong tact. but making sure they never stand in the way of kids who are interested in what you're doing is your job. taking them outside for a minute and saying, "Look, I can't have you in here disrupting every little thing/intimidating/being a jerk. So, either get out (within the discipline policy) or sit down and be a rational human being." non-participation is not changed by yelling, threatening or otherwise butting heads. it is changed by the simple consequence of a grade.
posted by RedEmma at 2:53 PM on March 1, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

I'm not a teacher but I work in a support role and have observed hundreds of teachers throughout our district at various times. One thing I have seen many times is teachers trying too hard to be friends with their students - students using their first names, emailing them outside of school, chatting on My Space, etc. Not only is some of it highly inappropriate, it undermines their position of authority. High school students especially take advantage of this situation because they're closer to the age of younger inexperienced teachers.

From what I've seen, the teachers who have control of their classrooms are firm, fair and very consistent. My father just retired from teaching and he took a very firm approach. He probably wasn't as well liked as some other teachers but his kids knew his reputation before they even entered his class for the first time.
posted by bda1972 at 4:44 PM on March 1, 2008

Spending time setting up expectations and routines at the beginning goes miles too. While you might lose some curriculum time at the beginning of the year/term etc setting up the rules, lining up, waiting extra-long for attention, it sure does pay off in the long run. Being consistent with follow-up at the beginning with a few students goes miles for future incidents. When students know they can't play you, it all falls into place.

The no smile til Christmas (or Easter here in Oz), I've never understood. It's quite easy to be firm and fair and easily share your personality with the kids. Having that balance is what makes the X factor. I'm relaxed and easygoing and always joke in front of my high school kids, but they also know when it's time to step back from the bad behaviour.

Oh, the treating like humans thing doesn't go astray. I rarely scream at a class, and never at an individual student. There are complete turds at my school who I am more than happy to chat to, joke around with, tease, regardless of their behaviour. And it makes it a lot easier when you need to reel them in, too.

Yeah, love my job.
posted by chronic sublime at 3:14 AM on March 3, 2008