Middle School Classroom Management Behavior Action Plan

One of the most difficult skills to master as a teacher is classroom management. Unfortunately, if you can not master this skill you are not going to survive as a teacher, especially as a middle school teacher.

However, when the school year starts, many first-year middle school teachers are pleasantly surprised. All through their teacher training they were told how difficult classroom management at the middle school level can be and how important it is to have effective classroom management skills in order to be a successful teacher.

Yet, during the first days of school there doesn’t seem to be much of a problem’students seem fairly attentive, no one is really talking or passing notes, there certainly hasn’t been anyone talking back or any fights during the first few days’but then things start to change.

You see, those first few days are the honeymoon period’students are nervous and many are a little scared so they sit back and wait. However, by the end of the first week of school, or certainly by the second week of school, middle school students start to feel more comfortable, they start to test the teacher’s limits and classroom management becomes more and more difficult.

It is at this point that many teachers start to panic and immediately resort to various reward/punishment systems, or as Alfie Kohn refers to them'”carrot and stick” systems.

Unfortunately, these elaborate systems are a mistake. They provide only temporary solutions to an ongoing problem. Students who respond to the rewards begin to do their work and behave ONLY if a reward is involved, while at the same time many students who thrive on negative attention actually begin to seek out the punishment.

The better plan is the “proactive approach” to classroom management. The proactive approach is based on the premise that the best classroom management plan is a strong instructional plan’that the key to middle school classroom management is to keep all of your students actively involved in all of your lessons.

Unfortunately, there are times when teachers are still forced to REact. There are times when the teacher has used every proactive trick in the book and still a student does something that requires the teacher to react.

HOWEVER, just because a teacher must react to a situation does mean the teacher must punish the student. The teacher must still save punishment as a last resort only!

So, what’s a teacher to do?

Well here’s an idea…create a “behavior action plan”. Better yet, have the student create the “behavior action plan”.

The key to changing inappropriate student behavior is to have the *student* take responsibility for his actions. First, the student must identify the inappropriate behavior, and then determine why it is inappropriate, and finally, how he plans to stop the inappropriate behavior.

All the teacher needs to do is have the student complete a “behavior action plan”. The plan calls for the student to complete the following three statements:

1. I am writing this plan because I…

2. This behavior was not appropriate because…

3. To prevent this from happening again, I plan to…

Then, at the bottom of the handout make sure to have the student sign his or her name. By signing their name the student is making a promise to follow through with their plan.

In the end, this classroom management approach is significantly better than simply punishing the student for the misbehavior. This classroom management approach has long-term results.

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Is An Anger Management Program Right For You

Well, it has finally gotten the better of you and now you have landed yourself in a predicament. You had a case of road rage, spousal rage or simply blew a proverbial gasket and went off on a tirade against other people.

The cops were called and now you find that managing anger on your own is not an option. You were handcuffed, a ticket was written and now you have to make an appearance in court and a judge will likely order you to take an anger management program. Congratulations for losing your cool and providing a great example for others.

Hopefully, you have not let your anger go too far. You really may want to think about how seriously the law takes anger aggression. Murders have been committed over less than an improper lane change. Anger management courses are filled with people who did not think they had a problem.

Most anger “addicts” believe that they are in the right. This usually is a very, very misaligned perception. But you can manage anger by attending a course about anger management. You will be surprised to learn what your triggers are, how to resolve conflicts peacefully and how to be more assertive.

Aggressive people cannot be doormats for other’s but may only be able to assert themselves through anger and aggression. It may seem a bit silly to think of an aggressive person as being dominant but it may not be the case and they can still find themselves trying to manage anger in their lives. Just remember: there are times to be assertive and times to be aggressive. You must know the differences between the two.

There are certain triggers that seem to set some people off. It may be the morning commute with all of the traffic jams and other bad drivers that is setting you off. You become irritated on the drive and by the time you get to work you are in a foul mood.

An anger management program can help you deal with managing anger and the triggers that can cause you to go into a rage. Sometimes you have to just let the situation go since you cannot control the actions of others. Just tell yourself, “It could be worse. Maybe I’ll find a different, less congested route.”

It may feel like you are making a mistake and you feel that you do not have a problem if you are forced to enter an anger management program. Take the time to listen what the therapists and counselors are saying. Talk to others that have gone through the program. Being involved with the anger management group is the first step to healing your body and your mind.

Visit Mike Selvon portal for more information on the anger management program, and leave a comment at our anger management help blog. Don’t forget to claim your FREE gift.

What You Can Expect From An Anger Management Class

An anger problem can be a huge deterrent in your life. It affects every single part of every single thing you do. It affects your relationships with your children, your spouse and your friends. It can cause huge strife in the workplace if people are afraid that you can’t control your anger.

Taking an anger management class is in your best interest if you want to manage anger and stop letting anger control your life. Sure, anger does have its place but it should not be on a daily basis. There are ways to avoid confrontations with other people that may land you in the court system.

The worst case scenario regarding an anger management class is that you did something and are now within the long arm of the law’s reach. It may have been an argument with a family, friend or stranger in which the police were called. Perhaps it was a case of “road rage” and now you are in front of a judge who has ordered you to partake of a stress and anger management program. If you are a smart guy/girl, then you obviously want to give the anger management treatment program a chance. How do you do this? You must first acknowledge that you have a problem with anger.

It may be limited to road rage, but road rage can quickly escalate into dangerous territory. What can you expect from your class? Well, you can expect to meet other people who are in the same situation. They need to learn to manage anger just as you do.

Classes will generally start off simply. The therapist will identify the level of anger you feel. Is it just irritation at life or does it escalates into a rage that blinds you to reason? Step two is to identify the triggers that spark the anger that lies within. Are you ignoring an issue in your life that is bothering you? That issue could be triggering your aggression towards other people.

There are alternate methods of dealing with anger and you will discover these in your anger management class. Many counselors advise deep breathing and meditation. You can also take stock of the situation and look at it with humorous attitude.

If your coworker makes you angry and you think he or she is bear, then it may help to imagine him or her as an actual bear, such as that one that steals picnic baskets. Do whatever you can to help diffuse your anger and gain control again.

Visit Mike Selvon portal for more information on an anger management class, and leave a comment at our anger management help blog. Don’t forget to claim your FREE gift.

Time Management Skills and Tips to Help You Save Time Online

Possessing time management skills can be beneficial in all aspects of life. Not only are they essential when doing physical tasks or activities, but time management skills can also be helpful when spending time online.

As an increasing number of people begin to spend much of their time on the internet, the idea of putting that time to more efficient use becomes all the more important. Here are some great tips that can help you make each minute count online.

A good time management skill to develop, even while online, is learning how to be more organized. This might seem an obvious tip, but it is something that most people fail to make a habit of. Not being able to organize things can lead to a considerable amount of time wasted on finding things and remembering tasks. Developing good organizational skills, in itself, can be a great time saver.

Keeping organized online is a practice that can help you provide more time to spend on important tasks. One of the simplest ways to do this is learning to keep important website addresses organized. Surfing the net is faster and easier if you know where you are going. Less time is also spent on wondering what sites you need to visit.

If you already have a number of websites that you frequently go to and wish to return to on a daily basis, it is important that you always have a list of them with you. This list can either be in a document file that you save on your computer or a paper list that you keep in a safe place.

Better yet, you can conveniently organize these websites by using the bookmark feature of your PC browser. This way you can always access your bookmark sites every time you wish to visit them. You no longer have to spend time trying to remember them from memory.

Another good time management skill to develop online is by learning how to check your emails on a scheduled basis. More online time is spent browsing through emails, even those that prove to be useless. Without a schedule to follow, you can easily immerse yourself just checking your emails with complete disregard of time. Keep it a habit of giving a specified amount of time just checking up on your emails. Try to strictly enforce the schedule on yourself so that you don’t waste time solely on it while leaving other tasks behind.

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-Your Anger Management Support Network Benefits

Knowing that you have a problem managing anger is the first step to getting treatment but you cannot do it alone. You need an anger management support network to help you conquer your feelings of rage.

It may be a close friend, family members or even a peer counselor who can help you overcome the problems of trying to manage anger and it is possible with the right people in your corner. An additional plus is that your loved ones can receive the help they need in regaining their trust of you.

The thing about anger management is that managing anger is only one part of the whole equation. You have to identify what it is that sets you off into a fit of rage. Your support network needs to be comprised of individuals and situations that are not “triggers” or you will make little progress. You need people who do not initiate stress or make unnecessary demands. Non-confrontational people are best but we cannot always get that in our spouses, children, family and friends.

Many people seem to think the thing about anger management is all about the person having trouble managing anger. It is not so because his or her anger management support network needs help as well.

They need help understanding what causes anger, the levels of anger and what the results of anger can be. They also need therapy and help for themselves on how to deal with the hurt the angry person has inflicted upon them.

Anger management programs also teach you that relapses will occur. It may not be at the start when you are expecting the explosion of anger. Most relapses occur weeks after treatment begins. Your support network needs to understand that you will have problems and it will not be easy for you to change your behavior.

But there are ways they can help with anger aversion or a dissipation technique for diffusing the situation. There are many options, such as meditation, running, working out or just listening to your problems and what it is that makes you angry. Perhaps they will have an outside perspective that can illuminate the facts you are missing.

Control your anger and learn that your anger management support network can make the difference between succeeding at beating your problems or sinking back under into the abyss of fury and rage. You are endangering your health and your sanity by continuing to let anger control your life. Find some friends to speak with and sit down and meditate with them. Seek out their advice on some of the problems and worries you have going on in your life.

Visit Mike Selvon portal for more information on the anger management support network, and leave a comment at our anger management help blog. Don’t forget to claim your FREE gift.