Classroom Management

Community Norms and Communication

• The main goal of creating community norms is to create a common language of respect.

Daily Check-Ins

• A suggested method for checking in with participants daily is through Morning Cabin/Homeroom.

Giving Directions

• Before giving directions to a child, it is recommended to come down to the child's eye level.
• Keep directives brief and simple to ensure the child understands and remembers them.

Managing Emotions

• When a child is experiencing a big emotion like anger, it is recommended to let the child vent while responding softly.

Community Norms and Behavior Management

• The main goal of creating community norms is to create a common language of respect.
• Establishing community norms helps to promote responsibility and respect, and ensures clarity and buy-in regarding the rules of the classroom.

Effective Communication

• It is recommended to check in with participants daily, and morning cabin/homeroom is a suggested method for doing so.
• Before giving directions to a child, it is recommended to come down to the child's eye level.
• Keep directives brief and simple to ensure they understand and remember the directive.

Emotion Management

• When a child is experiencing a big emotion like anger, it is recommended to let the child vent while responding softly.
• This approach helps to calm the child and de-escalate the situation.

Managing Inappropriate Behavior

• Students may behave inappropriately due to emotional baggage, unclear standards, expectations, and consequences.
• Creating a Social Contract in the classroom helps to promote responsibility and respect, and ensures clarity and buy-in regarding the rules of the classroom.
• When addressing inappropriate behavior, it is recommended to distract the student by asking them to engage in a favorable behavior, defer the behavior discussion until the class is on task, or defuse the situation with an unemotional response.
• Avoid addressing the behavior immediately with a stern reprimand.

Setting Clear Expectations

• One of the key components of setting clear expectations for student behavior is to tell students directly and make a chart of the rules.

Field Trip Protocol

• The primary goal of field trip participants is to learn and connect their experiences with their thoughts and interests.
• A trip leader is responsible for contact between the trip and the center, and all documentation during a field trip.