Love and Logic Approach to Classroom Management

Classroom Management is often a struggle for Teachers-Teaching-On-Call. Most classroom management workshops, books, and ideas focus on "developing a rapport over time" with students. TTOCs don't have time for that (or at least they don't have time to develop meaningful rapport, especially if it is a one day gig) but there are some things TTOCs can use to assist with classroom management.

Obviously choices is a big one, problem solving, choosing your battles, being respectful and being respected.... but I recently saw some cool strategies from Jim Fay's Book http://www.loveandlogic.com/

I discovered this information at The Sub Hub and wondered how some of these ideas could be used for TTOCs:

As a sub, one of the hardest parts of the job is classroom management. No matter who the student is, each one acts at least a little differently when a sub is in the room. The district I work for encourages the Love and Logic^® approach, a system that is all about using empathy and empowering students to take responsibility and solve their own problems

The Sub Hub Website had some great ideas, some I mentioned above, but one that I really liked was wording "rules" as if they are for you, the teacher, not them.

For example:

1.  I listen to one person at a time
2. I listen to students who raise their hands
3. I teach when there are no disruptions.

Another part I liked was how to deal with students who argue. I encountered this recently in my contract class and instead of engage in a power struggle I let the student know we could continue the discussion/debate after school, but not during class time. I really like this idea for next time:

Neutralizing Arguing. Anyone who has tried to argue and reason with an angry student knows how useless it is, so use the techniques of staying calm, “going brain dead,” using (and continuing to use) a one-liner like “I respect you too much to argue” or “I know it feels that way,” and if the arguing continues, responding with “I argue at 12:00 or 3:00 each day. Which would be best for you?”

I really love hearing new strategies to try in different classrooms. I wonder what strategies you have used that worked or that didn't work? Why? Why not?

You can read more about this idea on the website: http://www.loveandlogic.com/