The Exact Steps You Take When Your Classroom Feels Like Chaos
A Mini-Guide for When You Feel Stuck, Frustrated, and a Little Lost in Your Own Classroom
I think every teacher has been in a situation where they wanted to run from their own classroom. Perhaps, if you are reading this, you want to currently bolt. Leave the keys on the desk. Grab your cold coffee and dreams of teacher inspiration and speed out of the parking lot. Tire tracks left behind you. This would be more than easy to do on many days throughout the school year.
But, the thing is you really, really care.
The fact that you care so much is the perfect starting point.
Teacher burnout is evident and almost inevitable, and sometimes we have particular classes that are more challenging than others. In my time in education, the repeated conversation of “what hour” was your rough hour or what grouping of students seemed to present the most challenges, both academically and behaviorally. This one class or grouping can be a contributing factor for teacher burnout but also presents a challenge because there is a mental block to tackle when working with a hard group day in and day out. This post has 5 steps you can take to reset any challenging class or group of students. It is meant to serve as a place of inspiration and hope because sometimes all we need to do is figure out some sort of a game plan to come back and try again tomorrow.
Step #1: Create A High-Structured Classroom Routine and Setup (Set Clear Expectations)
The first rule of thumb is to look at your classroom setup and routines in place. Often, there is a miscommunication between you and the students in your room surrounding these two topics. Some classes need more structure than others. If you are experiencing a class that is disruptive or harder to help focus on daily classroom activities, adding a higher structure to your routine and procedures may help. Below is an example plan in case you would like to see one way to restructure your routines. Coupled with consistency and follow-through, a structured classroom setup can help get things back on track.
The gist of a high-structured routine is that students know what to expect from daily activities and transitions. It does not mean that you schedule the same boring things or talk at them for a certain period of time at the same time each week. It means that they know they can expect variation, movement, and consistency with expectation for rigor.
If you look at the above example, you see that on a daily basis, there is room for a warm-up and 2 activities each day. There is also time allotted for a close and clean up. This type of structure is not needed for all classes, but if you find yourself struggling, or your students are struggling, you may want to break out the timers. This routine monitors not only the activities that are being done in the classroom but also monitors movement. There is nothing that can make a teacher feel like they are losing control or chaos when movement doesn’t have an expectation.
Step 2: Establish Your Own Happiness
Rita Pierson said, “Kids don’t learn from people they don’t like.” Take a second to pause and watch her video if you can (she says it better than I do), but the big takeaway here is a bit of self-reflection:
Are you happy? If yes, are you showing this to your students?
In what ways are you showing your happiness in your room?
Do you smile? Do you laugh? (I would tell interns, you don’t have to dance around the room like me, but I hope you are happy being in here. They need to be able to tell you are happy).
Are you unhappy?
What could you insert into your actual physical classroom and life to feel a bit happier?
These questions are hard because often when we feel unhappy, we simultaneously feel stuck. Nobody wants to really admit they are unhappy. Unhappiness is tied to failure. However, the thing about teaching is that the kids are always going to know when you are unhappy, and it is a subconscious cause for acting out.
So, what do you do about it?
Insert happy.
Pull back from the curriculum and do a fun project that is tied to a personal passion. When you are happy, it is contagious. Now is the time to do an activism unit with Angie Thomas's The Hate U Give as a mentor text. Break out the building fictional worlds dystopian story contest. Organize literature circles with high-interest books like graphic novels. Do a joy writing project where kids can choose their own genres of writing. Then, have a launch day where you announce something big. Build up to it. The day before let on that something huge is happening tomorrow.
Play music during work time. Again, dancing and singing don’t have to be involved, but you can set the tone with music playing overhead. Another reward (that’s more controversial) is letting kids listen to their own music during work time. As a middle school teacher, I always had a rationale that I liked to listen to my music when I worked. Some of that music wasn’t always PC or cussing-free. You have to decide as a classroom teacher and as a teacher in your building how you feel about that decision.
Set the vibe in your desk area. Now is the time when you buy the Keurig coffee maker and special Starbucks K-cups. Splurge and get the sticky notes, the flair pens, the bobblehead, the desk mat, the chair cover, the lanyard, the acts of kindness for a friend down the hall, etc. Whatever makes you happy in your space physically and mentally is what should be important when revising your space. I always managed to kill all the plants I brought into my classroom, perhaps you will have better luck.
Step 3: Establish Student Happiness
Once you have established your own happiness (think oxygen mask on an airplane) then you can focus on helping the kids actually enjoy the content in your classroom. Think back to step 2 and the things that you put into place regarding your own happiness, now think about how that can translate to their happiness as well.
Nobody comes to school wanting to be miserable.
Now is the time to learn more about pop culture, work in activities that have games or movement, and insert some friendly competition. The first step with this step is asking students what they want. Their demands will often be ridiculous, but there is a way to meet them in the middle.
Think about:
Reading outside if possible.
Doing a community service project.
Incorporating drawing or art in some aspect of your classroom projects.
Decorating the hallways or dropping off notes to other classes.
Playing practical jokes on another room (This is from writing camp during the summer, the kids almost fixate on how to “get back” at another classroom when this involves maybe moving some desks around).
Offer to have a gallery walk with members of the building to put student expertise on display.
The key to this is to remember that students (all kids, really) want to feel loved, appreciated, and respected. Anything you put into place that shows this level of recognition of who they are as people is going to help with your classroom culture.
Step 4: Reinforce Positive Behavior (Without Food)
Step 1 is about revamping routines and the setup. Steps 2 and 3 are about infusing happiness into your teaching world. Steps 4s and 5 involve revisiting the work that you are doing to change the chaotic elements of your classroom.
Consistency is really the only way to get out of a place of madness.
This applies to all areas of life. If I decide to get back in shape, and only work out one time, I am not going to see any results. After making changes, I need to reinforce the ideas that I am putting in place throughout my classroom.
Some easy things to consider:
Focus on norms over rules. We want people to be kind, caring, and curious.
Call out hurtful comments as much as you call out what people are doing right. When the room feels like it is slipping, start acknowledging who is with you at the moment (It may only be one kid).
Put up anchor charts so there is a present nonverbal communication method regarding expectations. Make it colorful and fun. Use this as a nonverbal reminder if someone is struggling to follow the routines, setup, or expectations.
Remember, predictable isn’t boring. Kids need to know what is expected of them. Repeat each process each day and in each class period.
Step 5: Practice Boundaries in a Fun Way
After I reinforce behaviors, I need to reflect on what is working and not working. I may need to revisit some boundaries that I have put into place.
What am I not willing to give in on?
Where can I be more flexible?
You may need to deliberately teach and practice classroom procedures and routines to ensure smooth transitions and maximize instructional time. Cue having students as actors. They can practice “acting out” scenes that often happen in the classroom to show them examples of acceptable and unacceptable behavior. Clearly explain expectations for entering the classroom, starting and ending lessons, group work, and other common activities. Consistently remind students about these expectations BEFORE they are expected to do something physically or mentally. These directions might look like this: “Before you move, stack and pack your area. Put your binder, pencil, and notebook in your hands. Stand up and push in your chair. Move now.”
After reflection, make sure you are following through with agreed-upon consequences when students don't meet the expectations. Be fair and consistent in your approach to maintain a sense of structure and accountability in the classroom. You don’t have to be angry or yell. The most powerful tool is family collaboration and deciding when you are going to call home or send a student out to get more support. Sometimes, as teachers, we have to create a world of support for our students, so this might involve going back to Step 3 on an individual basis.
In Review
Review your classroom environment through setup and routines
Find your happy
Help students be happy
Reinforce the changes you put into place
Reflect and collaborate when things go wrong