genghis

Posted on 10/21/09

CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT
Genghis the Teacher
Teaching is a great job if you can do two things:
1. Teach the students to be kind and polite.
2. Manage the paperwork.
CANI:
Constant
And
Never-ending
Improvement
If you improve by 10% per year, in a very short period of
time you will be one of the best teachers in the school.
Take responsibility for your students. How do you explain why
some classes are orderly and others are chaotic? If Patton
walked into the class, do you think for one second anyone
would be disrespectful? Norman Schwarzkopf, or Jaime
Escalante?
Blaming the students, their parents, their neighborhood or
your principal for rude and disrespectful behavior only
eliminates your chance to effect change. Many teachers like
to play the blame game. They do not take responsibility for
their students’ behavior, but are quick to place blame on
someone else. If you acknowledge your own responsibility as a
teacher and a mentor to your students, you have the
opportunity to change in your classroom.
All is fair when controlling 30 or 40 recalcitrant teenagers.
A) Lessons from military history.
B) Lessons from evolutionary psychology.
C) Lessons from interpersonal relations.
D) Lessons from experience.
Let’s take our lessons from:
A) Military History.
1. Get as many students on your side as possible. I was
talking to a new teacher in the room next to mine. He
asked, “Why are your classes so calm and orderly and mine so
chaotic?”
As usual, I was thinking about war. “It is like war,” I
replied. “War? What do you mean? Aren’t you supposed to be
nice to them?”
“Rule one in warfare: get as many guys on your side as
possible.” What do I mean by this? If you have thirty kids in
your room, and if twenty-eight like you, your discipline
problems are over. Always be nice to the students. Always be
positive. Tell them how much you like them. Mention their new
shirts and shoes and haircuts and any other successes they
have had. After all, how many people like you, but you don’t
like them? Not many. Teenagers are the same, if someone likes
them; they are far more likely to like the other person. Work
every day on finding the good in each, and praising it.
Smiling solves many problems. Each day is new and precious---
act accordingly.
2. Gather information. On the first day of school, give the
students a personal questionnaire. Ask about siblings,
hobbies, likes, dislikes, favorite teachers, problems with
teachers. How they would like to be addressed, class
schedules, successes they have had in school, perceived
failures in school, how they like to be taught, and problems
they have had in school. The more you know about them the
easier they are to control.
If you know Johnny is looking for a job, and Robert has one
and the firm where Robert works is looking for another
employee, well, you have just made a friend for life and at
least one of your problems is no longer. If you know Johnny
plays baseball, often a word to the coach can eliminate rude
behavior. If Johnny is causing problems and you know he is
smoking marijuana, an anonymous note home to mom might get
Johnny in so much trouble that he no longer has the energy to
cause you trouble. The point is, knowing things about your
charges can make a huge difference if you are vigilant and
creative in using that information to your advantage. Talk to
counselors and other teachers that have your problem
children. Often identical students will behave remarkably
differently in different classes. If you find a teacher who
has found a way to get Johnny to be kind and polite, ask what
they have done that you haven’t yet. Often counselors have
insights into behavioral problems and can provide actionable
intelligence that you can use to your advantage.
3. Use technology. Wars are won by those with the best
technology:
a. cell phones
b. laptops
c. tape recorder-it is amazing how differently kids behave
when they know they are being recorded.
d. Camcorder- see above.
e- web cam
f-loud whistle. Blow on that thing for five seconds and you
will have the quietest class on the planet. (Make sure the
paramedics are available because some might have a heart
attack.)
f- bull horn- No lie. My first year, I taught at an “inner
city” school. One teacher was having particular trouble. The
class just talked all period. One day he walked in with a
bullhorn. It was hilarious. One of the loudest things I have
ever heard, you could not hear yourself think. After two
weeks, some students came to him and said,” If we agree not
to talk, will you stop using that thing?” The point is- be
creative, there is a solution to these problems. As Patton
told his troops, “ I do not want you to die for you country,
I want you to make that other sorry sob to die for his.”

4. Employ the indirect attack. When someone is fooling
around, walk up to him from behind and tap him on the
shoulder. This will send the message that you are aware of
everything and have the presence to do something about it.

5. Beware of Pyrrhic victories. If you humiliate a kid, that
kid may shut up for that day, but there are two problems.
First, you now have an enemy and teachers do not need more
enemies; and second, you have sent a message that the class
is not a team that you are not on their side and the mutiny
is only one misstep away.

6. Always weigh the costs and benefits. Wars aren’t always
won in a day. Save up and get in a good position for victory
tomorrow.
7. Remember that speed counts. As Patton said, “It is better
to have a good plan today than a perfect plan on the day
after the battle.”
8. You don’t have to win every battle every day.
9. Do what is necessary but not more. All you want is for the
students to be kind and polite. Once they are kind and
polite, it is not necessary to impose more punishment. It is
not necessary to hold grudges. This will just poison the
class and you will have a harder time getting the students to
see that you are on their side.
10. Focus on the goals. What do you want your class to be
like, and what do you have to do make this happen?
11. Be strong to fight another day. Ok, you had a bad day. It
happens to the best. Figure out what went wrong, why, and how
you can remedy it. Reflect on the near-certain fact that it
is going to be better tomorrow.
B) Evolutionary Psychology.
1. Students learn from peers, including how to behave. If you
get most to be kind and polite, others will fall in line.
2. Fitting in. Most teenagers desperately want to fit in. If
most students are kind and polite, they will have influence
on the rest.
3. Stand out. Throughout the ages some young males have
gained status by challenging the alpha male (You). The
teacher has to make it clear that no matter what, you are in
a position to make that child’s life worse.
4. Students want to help. Have chores for as many students as
possible. Get them to do things for you.
5. Students were not designed to sit and listen to old
geezers talk. You will have less trouble if you talk less.
You need to find a way to get the students involved and doing
something - not just listening. In general, well-focused,
motivated humans can actively listen to a monologue for no
more than twenty minutes, and few teenagers can be described
as focused and motivated. So, you need to reduce monologues
even more.
C) Interpersonal Relationships.
1. Make friends. Find out who the best teachers in the school
are, and do what they do.
2. Almost every good teacher likes to be asked about tricks
of the trade. You should always ask these people how they
handle specific problems (no book, tardies, rudeness,
bathroom policy, writing referrals, etc.).
3. You should always ask general questions about how they
conduct class, handle papers, give tests/quizzes, give
grades, etc.
4. Make friends with those around you. Often they can provide
a great deal of support. Many teachers won’t mind if you send
a problem student to their class once in a while. You can
always reciprocate.
5. Make friends with those in your department. Often if you
are teaching the same class the same period, you can trade
problem children. Problem children are only problem children
because of their environment. Change their environment and
you drastically change their behavior.
6. Make friends with those who are having problems and want
to change. This support group can give you an opportunity to
vent and talk about more effective strategies to use in the
future. Bounce ideas off others and get a different
perspective. Think of more effective strategies.
7. Make friends with those in administrative offices
(counselors, deans, assistant principals, security personnel,
janitors, clerks). Make sure every one knows you are doing
everything in your power to improve. Also ask for their
support and guidance.

8. Body language. A huge percentage of communication is non-
verbal. Kids can smell fear and trepidation. You must look
competent and confident. Presence and proximity matters - you
will have fewer problems if you walk around the room. You
will have more trouble if you sit at your desk. Not very many
bank robberies are committed in front of the police.

D) Experience.

1. First Day. Here is how I actually run my classroom on the
first day—my own tricks of the trade, so to speak. Contrary
to intuition, or common sense, I never tell students the
rules. Instead I present a glimpse into my position. I invite
their empathy. “I have a very difficult job,” I say. “I am
not complaining. I only mention it so you’ll understand: If
you do anything in this room to make my job more difficult
than it already is, God help you… In fact, not even God will
be able to help you.” Kids understand this immediately. They
know right off that you are serious about maintaining
standards in the classroom.

You must find a way to make it very unpleasant for
misbehaving students. I tell them that I have three rules:
1. I went to University of Southern California. I love that
school! I especially love the football team. If by chance
they lose, do not say anything to me about their loss.
Not “tough loss”, or “they almost won”. Especially do not
laugh about it. Because if you do, I will hate you and you
will not enjoy this class.
2. I will be in this room at lunch, nutrition and after
school each day for you to get extra help. The only exception
is Fridays when I play golf. Golf is very important to your
teacher! So do not come here after school on Friday. Any
other time is fine.
3. If I say anything that you don’t understand, raise your
hand right away.

This takes about five minutes. Next I tell the students a
story that helps them memorize 20 words:

Ice cream
Skunk
Friend
Heart
Balloon
Nail
Hand
Flower
Fork
Belly button
Worm
Horse
High heels
Sunglasses
Finger
Lamp
Hamburger
Mickey Mouse
Skateboard
Mars

There was this fifty-foot ice cream cone, out popped an eight-
foot long skunk ran down the ice cream cone and sprayed your
best friend. Why was he your best friend? Because he has a
big heart, as big as a purple balloon. The balloon went up, a
nail came down (kaboom). The nail went into your hand, and
out popped a flower. On top of the flower was a fork. The
fork went into your belly button and out popped a worm. (Hey!
it could happen so don’t try this at home.) The worm turned
into a brown horse. What was special about the horse? It had
pink high heels and blue Elton John sunglasses. A finger was
coming out of the sunglasses. It went straight into a lamp
(kish) and turned into hamburger. The hamburger was eaten by
Mickey Mouse riding a skateboard on his way to Mars.
I tell this with a great deal of embellishment and weird
sound effects. I break it into four groups of five words. The
first row must repeat the first five words, the second row
must repeat the first ten words, and the last row does all
twenty. While I am telling the story and calling on students,
I am studying the seating chart. I talk to myself: First row:
Joe
Joe, Sally
Joe, Sally, Maria, etc.
I remember three girls sitting in a row. Their names were
Michelle, Alice and Pamela. They all looked alike, I just
thought of MAP, and got their names right in seconds. Tricks
like this can make the process more efficient. I do this
until I can say each student’s name without fail. The story
takes about twenty minutes.
After the story I teach them how to prime factor the first
twelve numbers. Their first assignment is to prime factor the
first one hundred numbers. I walk around the room and correct
the papers while they are doing the problems at their seats.
With five minutes left in the class, I pull out a one-dollar
bill and say, “would anybody like to bet that I don’t know
his or her name?” Robert raises his hand, and I
say. “Probably not a good decision, Robert.” Then I go around
the room and correctly say everyone’s name.
So what was accomplished the first day? I learned all their
names, the class got to laugh and have fun. I told them a
little bit about how to improve their memory and how the
brain works. They learned that most of the class is about
solving math problems and the teacher is very helpful. I
conditioned them to expect to take out a sheet of paper, copy
the board, and start doing what you can to solve the math
problems. This is what they are going to do every day.
Conditioning is very important, once they get into the habit
of walking into the classroom, copying the board and start
working, most of your problems are over. I learned which
students have learning problems. (If you can’t remember the
words from the story, there are going to be problems), who is
going to have trouble with the math and who will be my
problem students. I start designing strategies to deal with
them right away.
2. Problems.
a. Asking to go to the bathroom. The first time in the
semester this happens, I tell them did you ever notice that
in some classes 5 people per day have to go to the bathroom
and in others hardly ever? Well, man must ask himself three
questions:
· What do I want?
· What is the price?
· Am I willing to pay the price?
The price of going to the bathroom is 10 minutes at lunch.
Invariably the student says, that’s ok; I don’t have to go
that badly. I say, next time, it costs 10 minutes to ask.
Very few ever even ask. When this happens and I have some
time to teach another lesson, I say let me show you a trick.
Stand up. Put your hands on your head. Now hop for 5 minutes.
Yes it is funny. No I have never had a student that did this,
but they get the message, it is not wise to ask to go to the
bathroom in my class.
b. Not having the proper materials. If you come to class with
no book you stand in the back of the room.
· Pencils on sale for a quarter.
· Paper on sale, 5 for a quarter
c. Getting out of seat. I just never have this problem. The
first day, inevitably someone will get out of his seat. I
SCREAM. The class reacts like a puppy doing something bad. I
then say, “I am sorry, but I get very nervous whenever
someone leaves his seat. You see, what happened about ten
years ago, a kid was going to sharpen his pencil, and then he
stabbed me. I would show you my scar, but there are ladies
present. But he made a terrible mistake. Whenever you knife
someone, always turn, this damages the vital organs, and the
victim will die. That kid forgot to turn and I survived. What
happened to the kid? He disappeared. Just flat out
disappeared. The police investigated and the CIA, but not one
ever saw him again. So, please, please never leave your
seat.” No one ever does. (Sometimes being a little crazy
helps.)
d. Throwing things. My first year I was writing on the board
when an orange whizzed past my head. I thought - gee, they
didn’t talk about this in Teacher College. I had no idea what
to do. I went home and thought. The next day I walked in,
told a sweet pleasant girl to go to the board and write
everything I told her on the board. I walked around in the
back of the class and dictated the lesson. Problem solved. I
don’t know how much they learned that year, but that class
sure was quiet from then on.
Recently, I heard a projectile whiz past my ear again. This
was a wonderful class with one bad apple. After the lesson
was complete, I took a few kids from the back of the class
out into the hall and asked who did it. No one said anything.
I then took the bad apple out of the class and said three
people said you throw that thing. He said, “Well, I was mad.”
I called the dean (who is my best friend) and we arranged a
confession and a permit to go to another school. Make friends!
e. Talking out of turn. This is the most serious problem you
will face in your teaching career. If you can solve this one,
it is all down hill.
First, what not to do:
Warning. Never give warnings, ever under any circumstances.
They have to realize that the first word out of their mouths
will have consequences.
Arguing. If you are arguing with a student, STOP! You are
doing something terribly, terribly wrong. Calmly ask Johnny
to come in at lunch (or after school). Johnny immediately
asks, why? At that point in a loud voice, “BECAUSE I ASKED
YOU NICELY!” Then I say, you have a choice, but 8000 students
have said you can’t make me come in at lunch. And 8000
students have been wrong. But, hey, maybe you are special, I
wish you well. If they do not show up at lunch, I have a
referral slip already filled out for them as they walk into
class the next day. It just says “Student is confused as to
how to behave in class, please send back at lunch. Welcome
back any time.”
The Dean says if you don’t show up for detention, you will be
suspended.
At lunch I always ask, “Why are you here?” The student
invariably says, “I don’t know,” at which point I go back to
reading the newspaper and say, “When you figure it out, raise
your hand.” Five seconds later, the hand goes up. The student
says, “I was talking when I should not have been.”
I say, “Yes you were. What are you going to do to make sure
this doesn’t happen again?” “Well, I am not going to talk any
more in class.” If contrition is sincere, I let him go.
The next time that same student is in at lunch, I have him
take out a piece of paper and start writing about how he is
going to behave in class. After he makes a few attempts and
his pain seems to be sufficient, I let him go. If there comes
a point with a student when this is no longer effective, I
bring him in at lunch and say, “This doesn’t seem to be
working. It seems we are going to have to go to Phase 2.
Phase 2? Yes, I will call your mommy, you will go to the
dean’s office, and you will not be allowed back in class
until you, your mommy, the dean and I sit down and figure out
a way for you to be kind and polite in class.”
I wish I could tell you that Phase 2 is effective, but I have
never actually implemented this myself. On a very few
occasions I have threatened to go to Phase 2, but once the
student hears about Phase 2, I have never had any more
problems.
Remember: it’s amazing what a student will agree to at 3:04
p.m.
f. Head on desk. I say, “Johnny, let me show you a trick.
Stand up. Stand in the back of the room.” After between five
and forty minutes, I ask if he is feeling better and would
like to complete the assignment.
g. Reading magazines and putting on makeup. I walk around the
room a lot. When I see someone doing something like this, I
walk up behind her and pick the objects up very quickly.
Student always asks, “When do I get it back?” I
answer, “Whenever your mother comes and picks it up.” But she
is not going to come. Oh well! I have been doing this for
twenty years, and have never had a problem with this
technique. If a student comes and asks for the object back at
lunch usually I will say, “ come back in one week with the
homework perfect. Then you can have it back.” Periodically
during the year I will give the stuff away. Poor girls get
the makeup and the truck magazines go to those that like
trucks.
h. Eating and drinking. I allow this. Small privileges that
do no disrupt the class are allowed. It helps bonding, they
like it, it helps keep them awake. Again, you want them to
think you are on their side and not being capricious.
i. Off task. They can only have books and paper on their
desk. They can’t get out of their seat or put their head on
the desk. They can talk about math, but not anything else.
The only alternative is just to stare at the book, not such a
pleasant alternative. (Though a few do, much to my chagrin)

3. Procedures. Most problems occur at the beginning and end
of the class. So take particular care to establish effective
routines at the beginning of class and at the end.
a. Beginning of class. When they walk in, have something for
them to do. A quiz, copy from the board, read something so
that each student knows exactly what to do when you take roll
and pass back the papers.
b. End of class. You must establish precedent that books are
not put away until the bell rings. They can work on their
homework, they can read, but they are not to talk. If they
don’t comply? That is why God invented detention.

4. Teaching. Pay attention to when there are problems. In the
vast majority of classes, the more complicated the
instruction, the more problems. So if things are not going
well, simplify the instructions. The more interesting the
lesson is, the fewer the problems. This is just a fact and
needs to be dealt with.

5. Pitfalls.
a. Not having something for the students to do, when they
walk through the door. It could be a quiz, something to read,
a worksheet, or something to copy.
b. Treating each student the same. Students, like all people,
are different and must be treated differently. After all, if
everyone is treated the same, what is the incentive to be
good? If a good kid makes a mistake, the penalty should be
much less severe than if a problem child commits the same
act. When kids ask, “Why do you always pick on me?” I always
say, “I just pick on the weak ones.”
When they say, “Other people were talking,” I reply, “I am
not concerned with any one else. I only care about you. You
do not have detention because someone else was talking. You
have detention because you were talking.”
c. Keeping grudges. Once you have meted out the appropriate
punishment, it is a new day. Act accordingly.
You win wars when you have more friends, not more enemies.
Smiling solves many problems.
d. Arguing. Many things happen when you argue. None of them
are helpful. Reasoning with recalcitrant teenagers is fine
during detention; it leads to disaster when done during class.
e. Not having enough work for the students to do. Humans are
social animals. We like to talk. If they have nothing to do,
they will think of something to occupy that time. Most of the
things they think of doing are not conducive to good teaching
so make sure the students always have enough to do. Have
extra work for those students who finish quickly. It is
always ok to have the fast ones read at the end of the period.
f. Not asking others for help. You always tell them to ask
for help when they are stuck, because you want to help. Each
school has many people that would like nothing better than
for you to be a better teacher. Find these people and ask.
g. Talking too much. How much do you remember your teachers
telling you? Virtually nothing you say will be remembered by
lunch by most students and certainly nothing you say will be
remembered after the next exam. People learn by doing things,
so have them do things. Remember - if they stop listening,
stop talking.
h. Not going after the ringleaders. Every group has
ringleaders and followers. If you go after the followers, you
will still have problems. You must go after the ringleaders.
It is an exercise in dominance. If you don’t handle, it you
are not the alpha male and the class is one step from chaos.
Once the ringleaders have been subdued, the followers will
not cause any trouble either.
i. Trying to reinvent the wheel. Study people who have
achieved the success that you hope to have and duplicate
their efforts.

Copyrighted 2004
genghistheteacher@yahoo.com

On 10/15/09, MS wrote:
> This is my fourth year teaching, second year at middle
> school. I am a special ed teacher-co-teaching 4 classes
> and 1 self contained class. ALl the teachers say this
> group of kids this year is really tough, but I am feeling
> really inadequate this year, stressed and tired of
> discipling all day (except my self-contained 6 kids). I am
> a young, short, white female and the majority of students
> are african american middle schoolers. The boys are just
> rude, the girls have too much attitude and I am just tired
> of "baby-sitting' all day. Sorry for the negative post,
> but I am really thinking about changing careers, and at the
> same time I am working on finishing my master's degree in
> special education.... for what?
>
> Maybe I can become a supervisor someday if I stick through
> the next few years....
>

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