25+ Tips for Teaching Your Toughest Class
How to Insert More Love and Joy into Each and Every Class
I have been talking to my teacher friends about something that naturally occurs each school year: Each of us will end up with at least one tougher class than the rest of the classes. This might be an advanced class that is really concerned about grades, a class that struggles with engagement or behavior, or a class that seems to constantly be at odds with each other. We have all seen the teacher memes or posts that highlight many of these ideas:
Your most challenging student will never be absent.
Dear teacher, I talk to everyone. Moving my seat will not help.
When a student asks to go to the restroom, just seconds after their best friend.
Welcome to teaching! When salaries are low, and everything is your fault.
When you find out that your worst-behaved student…has 3 younger siblings.
There’s no tired like teacher tired.
The sayings are true. We are tired. We are constantly making minute-by-minute decisions, and we are genuinely exhausted. Instead of dreading a class, I would like to offer some ways to turn that class into one that you love again. Nobody wants to be miserable. So, if some systems are put into place for both the teachers and the students, then the parameters are setup to safeguard your happiness as the leader of the classroom. You are no longer controlling chaos, but perhaps enjoying being in front of 30+ middle schoolers (at least in my position) again. This post offers 25+ tips that are designed to revise and edit classroom systems, reframe negative thinking, and insert more love and joy into your classroom for each and every hour. Take what you need. If you are struggling with a particular hour in your day, maybe you try one or two of these tomorrow or next week.
Use hop-checks. Grab a clipboard.
Hop-checks are essentially participation grading. You grab your favorite clipboard, print out rosters, and mark off who is doing what. While this can seem punitive as participation grading often gets a bad reputation, it can also be powerful. I use this as a tool to check-in with each student and tell them I see them doing a great job. I remind them to get on track, and I often say it isn’t too late to make a good choice. It is also a great tool for warm-ups in getting a class settled because you can simultaneously get students on track, and you can take attendance. If you choose to grade participation in your class, your grading also gets completed in real time.
Setup a seating chart.
I hate making seating charts. The meme that depicts Indiana Jones trying to replace the old relic without setting off a million alarms is always how this feels. However, a seating chart helps you separate groups. It also helps you get to know students throughout the year. I use key spots on my seating chart to try to get to know students.
The student who never talks? By the window by my desk because I walk by that spot repeatedly.
The student who drives me nuts? By me. I need to work on my rapport and relationship with them.
The student who is always talking? Corner spot. Back left. Their voice can leverage the room and pull everybody in that is between them and me.
The student who is always struggling? Front right. Off to the side. I can touch base with them, but it isn’t obvious that they are in need of help.
Review your warm-up routine.
How you start class sets the tone for the day. I have tried every single way to warm-up a class. Among my favorites remain quickwrites and choice reading. This always starts with a greeting and then gets right into the routine. I often will start one marking period with one routine and move to another way to warm-up class. I like change. They like change. However, there is always a transition period when they are adjusting to a new routine. For example, when we go from choice reading to warm-up journaling, they are rocky when getting their journals from the crates. They eventually adjust in about a week. If we are doing choice reading, I like to talk to them about what they are reading. If they are journaling, we share out. I like to incorporate doodling into their journaling choices as well for the ones that seem hesitant about starting to write.
Positive individual interactions each day are possible. Use praise or check-ins.
Recently, our building librarian told me she really appreciates that I positively check-in with each kid everyday. I try to use my clipboard (see hop-checks above) to have some sort of positive interaction. When we think back to middle school and high school, we can easily see how some kids attend our classes, do the assignments, and participate in all of the activities. And, we still don’t know them. They don’t know us. This isn’t necessarily our fault, but a system where we have 150+ students each year. We can fight back by trying to have positive interactions each day.
How are you?
Hey, _____ (Insert name) How was your weekend?
Nice job on the warm-up!
I see you doing a great job reading, ______ (Insert name)
Say names…nonstop.
This one starts even before class. You establish your environment by welcoming each student. Names are a part of who we are as people. Our identity. When we don’t say names, we don’t acknowledge who is in our rooms. I like to tag on names with praise or check-ins, but I often will tag on names with redirections. The ultimate goal would be to make sure you say each kid’s name at least one time in the hour. If it isn’t possible, like always, do the best you can.
Attention grab in your own style.
One of my favorite conversations to have with new teachers is centered on how they like to get the class’s attention. This is also a source of contention when I have interns because they try to emulate my same style. No two teachers have the same attention grabber. The
Use generative writing to connect with students.
Generative writing often falls into the genre of narrative writing, but generative writing is really any writing that generates from your student’s prior knowledge or personal experience. It puts your student in the role of expert because the information is coming from them. For example, one of my favorite assignments is for students to list 100 things that they love. I show them my list first and they can see what we have in common. Then, they are more likely to share their lists with me. Little do they know that they have actually just created a hundred writing prompts and generated a hundred ideas for a potential personal narrative project.
Reward with choice. Candy comes later…
I am not above handing out some candy in my classroom. I like candy and treats,; so do they. However, my first line of rewards comes with choice. Students do not always get a say in what they are learning or how class is setup, but when this option is available, they are always on board. Here are some of my favorite examples:
Done with your assignment? What would you like to do next? (See choices on the board)
What is your feedback on the homework? Do you want to do articles of the week or quickwrites?
What pen would you like to write with today? Blue or purple?
What topic are you going to choose for your paper? Why?
Schedule positive parent phone calls or texts. Try one a day.
I can’t tell you the number of times this tip has come in handy. If I establish positive parent relationships, I am far more likely to make an impact with students. I love being able to text a parent that their student had a great day. On the blog, I have talked about my choice to use my personal cell phone in my classroom, but there are ways around this as well. The biggest hurdle is just the willingness to get on the phone and try to make the effort to call home. These call for positivities have endless benefits. I often will get a correct phone number for a family, I let the family know that I care about their student, and I can keep families updated on what is going on at school.
Check your content. Engage, engage, engage!
My personal mantra when lesson planning is I need to create lessons that I would want to be in class for and NOT fall asleep through. I do this with managing time and length of activities, but I also do this with checking my content. Am I recommending interesting books? Am I showing video clips to connect with content ideas? Am I using multimedia to reach students? How do I introduce content? Am I excited? Whenever I am in a personal teaching rut, I always check content first.
Start with purpose. Class isn’t something we “get” through.
Kids can tell when you want to be there. To paraphrase Rita Pierson, we at times become great actors and actresses because we often need to remind ourselves that kids don’t need to carry the load we are carrying. They can tell when we are unhappy, bored, or depressed. Especially in current times of teaching it can be difficult to remain positive. However, if you want the hour to be a positive hour, you are in control of the overall vibes. I keep a poster from my first year of teaching hanging behind my desk. You can’t really see it because it is covered in papers, and my classroom phone is in the way. But, it is a Haim G. Ginott quotation:
“I’ve come to a frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element in the classroom. It’s my personal approach that creates the climate. It’s my daily mood that makes the weather. As a teacher, I possess a tremendous power to make a child’s life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration. I can humiliate or heal. In all situations, it is my response that decides whether a crisis will be escalated or de-escalated and a child humanized or dehumanized.”
Be consistent with consequences.
Consistency takes practice. The very beginning of this conversation always starts at establishing your hard lines as a teacher. “Hard lines” means what behaviors are going to cause an escalation in the classroom that absolutely need to be addressed. For example, tapping a pencil on a table is not a hard line in my classroom, but it very well might be in another classroom. Another example, might be having a student stand up at their desk area. Some teachers may not allow this, while some are just fine if students stand during the lesson. Whatever your hard lines are in your classroom, be consistent. For example, if I am hop-checking around my classroom during the warm-up, and I see a student on games on their chromebook, I let them know explicitly what the next steps will be.
What this looks like:
Observation #1: I see you are on games instead of choice reading. You still have time to get back on track.
Observation #2: You are continuing to be on games. I know games are fun, but you are not following class directions. Time to get back on track. Next time I see you on games, the chromebook will be closed.
Observation #3: You are still on games. I’m closing your chromebook.
This interaction might escalate with the student upset or angry. However, I then fall back on calling home, conferencing with a student one-on-one, and providing other redirections. Whatever you say you are going to do, do it. There should always be a next step answer in response to lack of participation, behavior, defiance, or other extreme behaviors that doesn’t involve you getting angry, losing your cool, or being able to not complete your lesson.
Keep track of the clock to take back control of time.
Try shorter activities or use a timer. I love the magic number of 3 for middle school. I will plan lessons around the ability to accomplish 3 tasks during one class period. This might look like a warm-up, activity #1, and activity #2. It is important to understand the developmental zones of your students for whatever grade or content area you are working within. An example of this is at the beginning of the school year is when we are just starting to work on reading and writing stamina. I set the timer to a lower number and slowly work the time up. In this manner, it is tangible to them what the goal is, and I will have a visual reminder to move on to the next activity. The goal should always be keep things moving. I always tell the kids: “I hate being bored.” This conveys we have a purpose throughout the entirety of our day.
Repeat skills to build confidence.
If you find yourself stuck in a rut with a class, fall back on a skill that you know that they can do so you can offer them a ton of praise and support. Students always begin the year with narrative summary writing. We use Pixar shorts, and they catch on to the setup of this lesson quickly and easily. Each marking period, If I find that we are in a rut, I go back to this lesson because it provides a sense of safety and security to be able to say, “you guys already know how to do this.” Mastery builds confidence. Mastery comes from practice. It is scary to be learning new things all of the time, and while it prevents boredom, it can also be daunting to be constantly feeling like you don’t know things.
Add music.
Everywhere. I let them listen to music on their headphones during independent practice, I play music during free-writing time on Fridays, I play soft music during choice reading time, and I try to use timers that have music with them as well. Music is linked to the brain. We are happier people with music. If you need some playlists, you can checkout the ones I put together here.
Check your energy.
I truly believe energy is something manufactured. You have to create the climate in your classroom, and yes, this is exhausting. Sometimes I lament to other teachers or my husband that “I am just tired of putting on a show.” But, the show is needed. While you don’t have to get up and sing and dance like it is a daily Broadway music, you do need to act like you actually want to be at school around children. This is difficult when you are struggling with burn out, dealing with your own issues at school or at home, or are just tired. I have written extensively about burnout on the blog, but even in the midst of burnout, teachers can still create environments where kids can feel safe, have fun, and be drawn to positive energy.
Here are some of my favorite ways to check-in with my own energy:
Start class with a purpose and with positivity. I like to go over the daily agenda, welcome them to another day in class, and provide some reassurance.
Be honest. If I have having a low energy day, I verbalize how I woke up late, but I am still choosing to have a good day today.
Acknowledge the parts of the day that are hard. This year, my school switched sixth-graders to the last lunch of the day. Some hours are harder because we are all hungry. I like to say to my fifth-hour: “You can do this. It’s not that long until lunch.” Even the class after lunch can be hard. I like to remind them: “This is the last hour of the day. End your day on a great note.”
Love your content. Share that you are excited about something you are working on in class. I like to provide some clues to get them interested . For example, I might say: “Warning, today’s section of the book may make you want to throw the book across the room. Please don’t actually throw it, but prepare yourself to be angry.” The students then try to focus on the part that may make them upset or angry.
Check your body language and face. This one is for me. I am terrible at having a poker face when I am angry or upset about something. I often will get silly if I am having a bad day. This might mean that I dance around to the music or make a joke with students. They can’t see my smile with a face mask on, but students can tell if I am happy.
Who is the one talking? You or them?
Some lessons need the teacher voice. If I am starting a new unit or if the students are taking notes, there are times when my voice needs to be the main one in the room. However, these times are few and far between. The voice that should be heard the most are student voices. Kids need to learn how to listen to each other when they are sharing ideas, working together in groups or partners, or on their own when independent work is needed. I like to track this sometimes. I will record a lesson I am doing, and I will mark the minutes I am talking. A good threshold for me is 25% of class, and this might arguably still be pretty high. 25% of an hour lesson is 15 minutes. It is amazing to me how many classrooms and class periods are 75% or more of the teacher talking.
Laugh.
Often. Laugher will keep things going when it seems impossible. It may be putting a funny meme up on the board, doing an activity you love, or genuinely finding something that students say entertaining. One of my toughest classes is when I laughed the hardest. For whatever reason the phone rang for the ninth time during class and one of my students could really tell it was driving me crazy. He made his voice mimic mine (it sounded nothing like mine) and talk to the person from the office about needing a student to sign out. The office thought it was me. Everyone was dead silent, and this is still one of the funniest memories in class because I laughed so hard. The small moments of teaching matter. Find those small moments to laugh.
Tighten up your transitions.
Transitions are when you move from one activity to another. Some transitions are independent and some are dependent. Independent transitions are the goal. Students can move from one activity to another without assistance. They know how to retrieve materials, and they can do so with focus and precision. Often, when we have a tougher class, they struggle with transitions because they are still dependent on guidance. An example of this would be moving from the warm-up into activity #1 in your class period. As the time starts to wind down ( because I am using a timer), I know that students need the handout for activity #1, a pencil, the class novel, and to put their journals away. A dependent transition might look like me passing out the handout while the timer is still going, walking around with pencils, having the books on the desks already in baskets, and then instructing them to bring their journals to me at the crate before they move into the next transition. Another example of this is to have the setup on the board or document camera so you can ask: “Who can make their desk look like mine?” All too often we ask students to transition independently when they are not ready. If we offer a guided transition, they know how to move and the expectation to move to the next activity is easier to manage.
Nonverbal always wins.
Anytime you can make a correction using nonverbal cues, you have the advantage. Nonverbal can include a hand signal, a look, or even an eyebrow raise. If you can establish a level of relationship and rapport well enough to give the “teacher look” from across the room, you are then able to save the verbal redirections for when they really matter. Nonverbal includes the use of proximity to stand closer to a given distraction or even in between a situation that may come up. This directly goes back to the consistency point because students will come to expect what you want from them after you have repeatedly followed through on what you will say you will do.
Ask for help from your students.
Kids want to help and do odd jobs around your room. So badly. I teach middle school so my students have not yet reached the high school zone where they might be too old to help around the classroom. Some days helping around the classroom can even be a reward.
Can I pass out the disinfectant wipes, Mrs. Hampton?
Can I run those library books back to the library, Mrs. Hampton?
Can I organize your back room, Mrs. Hampton?
Can I take out your recycling, Mrs. Hampton?
You can even use helping as a redirection if needed if you and another teacher want to arrange rooms for timeouts. For example, I can send a student on an errand to a class if needed. My colleague signs their pass and sends them back after a few minutes. Then, they can reenter class with a fresh start.
Get office and bathroom passes under control.
There is a clear correlation between the number of times students ask to use the restroom and engagement with content in the lesson. I get that using the restroom is needed, but for the most part, kids want a break from working nonstop all day. Kids get bored and want to walk around because they are indeed bored. I do this during teacher meeting when I get bored, too. I don’t hold this against them, but I do use office and bathroom passes as a way to gauge how my class is going. I also have a one pass a week rule. This does not count for running to get a library book quickly from a locker or grab a snack. This is using the restroom or needing to go to the main office for something. I keep track of this on the same clipboard that I use for hop-checks, and I simply highlight their names after they run to the restroom.
Teacher movement shows urgency.
If you walk into my classroom and see me moving really quickly around the room, please know that my energy is matching their energy. If a class seems out of control, I will often move around the entire room so that directions can be clear even in the back. I am never standing at the front of the room when I am not being heard. I will acknowledge kids that are with me as a move around the room, and I interact with those that are not with me. When I am calling the class together, I will stand at the back because I want everyone to see what the purpose is for the day. Your movement matters. Do not get locked in behind your desk even during note-taking. Another important cue is your doorway. At the beginning of class, I want to be near the door to greet students and at the end of the day I want to be by the door to contain them and say goodbye. You can’t always be perfect with your placement throughout the day, but if you are moving around the odds are your students are trying to keep up with you.
Get the kids moving.
In order to let kids move, you have to give up control. They need to get up throughout the lesson and not sit in the same place. Start small. This can be handing their journal to you at the crate, getting materials needed like a pencil or headphones, or participating in a lesson where movement is planned. I have done activities like 4 Corners or Table Twitter and kids always report that these are their favorite lessons. Like transitions, you can setup expectations for movement and how this should look. You can also use timers to help them navigate movement from one place to another.
Social-Emotional-Learning is still key.
One of the things I wanted to keep from virtual learning is the focus for using Social-Emotional-Learning strategies or SEL in my classroom. SEL might include using read alouds geared toward mindfulness, calm, and kindness. It also might be incorporating a mindful minute, mediation, a calm-down corner, or a mood meter where you check-in with students to see how they are doing. I always believe in the power of journaling. If we continually come back to helping students navigate mental, emotional, and physical self-care, we are able to also get them to engage with content. Teachers and students can benefit from the power of focusing on this kind of work in any subject area or age group.