Category Archives: Classroom Management

Students with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS): They Really Are Trying!

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Written by Nicole Lehman

According to studies reviewed by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 1 to 5 out of every 100 students in the United States are somewhere in the range of the fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (“Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders,” 2018). This means at some point in your ministry, you’ve probably encountered at least one student with FAS in your classroom or in your school. Some of these students may have very recognizable physical characteristics or intellectual disabilities, while others may just appear to be “lazy” and/or “defiant” when it comes to getting homework done—doing well on tests and quizzes, memory work, paying attention, and following instructions. This can be extremely frustrating for you, the teacher: no matter what you do or say, and no matter how many times you try, they just don’t seem to get it! Continue reading →

What Does Effective Classroom Management Look Like?

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Written by Amanda Weinrich

What is meant by classroom management? It involves how students should behave in the classroom. A common misconception is that classroom management is a set of rules to address discipline problems. Rather, classroom management involves a well-planned set of procedures and routines for avoiding problems and having a plan for when misbehavior does occur (Lester, Allanson, & Notar, 2017). Continue reading →

Classroom Procedures Take You Where You Want to Go

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Written by Benjamin Clemons

Procedures in our classrooms provide the framework for operating our schools. Procedures answer a vital question of “How?” in our buildings. We may be more familiar with the questions of “Why?” (to provide high-quality Christian education) and “What?” (our curriculum) because they are highly visible. Procedures, on the other hand, can fade into the background, especially when they run well. Continue reading →

Five Tips to Help Your Struggling Student

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Written by Nicole Lehman

Do you have a student who struggles to pay attention? Who struggles to sit still? Who struggles to grasp a concept because they just can’t concentrate? Do you have more than one of these students in your classroom?

According to the U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 4.5% of students have a diagnosed learning disability (Fast Facts, 2016). To help them succeed academically, school districts provide 504 Plans or IEPs. What about the students who struggle, yet don’t qualify these plans? What can teachers do to help them succeed without reducing their learning expectations? Continue reading →

Are Common Beliefs About Homework Wrong?

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Written by Nathan Gartner

“There is no evidence that any amount of homework improves the academic performance of elementary students” (Shumaker, 2016), concluded Cooper after he completed his two meta-analyses of 180 studies of homework and its benefit. Research like Cooper’s suggests that some commonly held homework beliefs and traditions may be wrong. There are two beliefs about homework that are worth rethinking. Continue reading →

Peer Mentoring: A Solution

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Written by Calista Leistekow

Lutheran school educators need an effective instructional strategy to meet the needs of every student, including those with special needs. When the “Individuals with Disabilities Education Act” and the “No Child Left Behind Act” were enacted in the early 2000s, the inclusion of students with disabilities in the classroom became a requirement and not an exception. This requirement has its rewards. However, the lack of funds, teacher training, and manpower cause many challenges. In WELS schools these challenges are especially prevalent. Our schools may turn students away because we do not have the resources to help them achieve their best. In short, we are losing evangelism opportunities. Continue reading →

Assisting Disruptive Students in Our Classrooms

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Written by Dr. Tracey Enser

As I finish a school year, one of my favorite things to do as a teacher is reflect on my year. I enjoy thinking about the pros and cons and using these to improve for the next year. After talking with many teachers about their pros and cons, a common theme on the con side is the one or two students who demonstrated extreme difficulties with the classroom management plan. The time needed to focus on this student or students affected classroom instruction and caused the teacher to become frustrated and burnt out quickly. This challenge is becoming more prevalent in schools across the United States, including WELS schools. Continue reading →

Are Your Students Stuck in the Box?

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Written by Heidi Groth

Students today are free from independent thinking that pushes them to use their God-given creativity.

While that may seem a bit harsh, consider carefully the type of curriculum that students experience in our schools. Do our classroom procedures, assignments, assessments, and facilities encourage students in their creativity or do we lead them by the hand to the answer that we want? It is too often a priority for a teacher to cover specific information during the year rather than teach and encourage students to use their critical thinking skills. In further efforts to form students into the kind we want, we reward students based on their compliance rather than performance. The children who are easy on the teacher or can regurgitate the information are praised; children who disrupt the class with their tangential questions and do not complete their worksheets are the ones who are failing. Continue reading →

Increasing Effectiveness and Learning Through Flipped Classrooms

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Written by Adam Mateske

The use of technology is commonplace in the lives of today’s students. Consider the dramatic change these students endure after they step into their elementary or secondary schools and are asked to sit in desks and focus on traditional teacher-led instruction. In response, classrooms around the world are introducing flipped learning to students. A flipped classroom model provides teachers the opportunity to effectively focus on student achievement while allowing student learning to excel and grow. Continue reading →