If you are a high school teacher then you will surely need tips and tricks for managing high school students. It is particularly difficult to handle high school students because they lie in the age group where they are not kids and not adults.
With raging hormones and to act like adults, they test their teachers the most and that is why most teachers need classroom management tips for managing high school students.
- Establish a Relationship with the Students
Always establish a positive relationship with your students. Become their friend, discuss any issues if they are having. Make eye contact with them and put all your attention towards them when you are talking or when they are talking. Listen to them as well and decipher their inhibitions. Make them feel comfortable in the class and then start with the lecture. This positivity will make them feel relaxed in a classroom. Make sure all the students participate every day and walk around as you teach them.
- Never Shout
The best tip for managing high school students is to never shout or raise your voice at them. Shouting will not make them scared but will turn them into rowdier and they will look at every chance to test your patience or pass an unreasonable comment. Instead, use the power of silence. The students are usually displaced from their seats while waiting for the teacher and they hurry up to proceed to their seats as the teacher enters the classroom. Give them time to settle down on their seats and take out their books. Instantly shouting in a loud voice will never do the trick. Wait patiently while they settle without saying anything and just looking at them with a smile. This way they will settle down quickly and also will be quiet and attentive.
- Make the Lectures Engaging
The best thing a teacher can do for his or her students is to make the lecture interesting and engaging. Look for new teaching methods rather than the old school monotonous lectures and give real-life examples, technological notes, and 3d explanations. Whatever way of teaching is used, the end should be that the concept is clear.
- Encourage Group Activities and Discussions
The sole purpose of teaching is that the chapters are clear to each and student. Generally, students are more comfortable with one another so give them a chance to explain the topics to other students. For this, you should encourage group discussions, group projects, and activities. Assign the students a task to explain others. Also, you can give each group a certain topic or chapter and tell them to explain it to the whole class, while you can sit as a student. This way you will know whether the students have fully understood or not and they will be more interested in teaching others and will prepare thoroughly.
- Show Dedication
A dedicated teacher will be loved by all his students. The students will also adopt your dedication towards learning and striving hard. Be there for your students whenever they need you, whether it’s in the middle of the night. Explain and explain the concepts until it is planted in the mind. Answer their queries and problems and explain them giving their examples and in a way which is simple for them. A dedicated teacher will always get his rewards.
- Establish Rules and Abide by Them
Although you have formed a friendly atmosphere and environment but remember you are the teacher and you will have to form some rules. Form a set of rules and display it at the class board and get a copy of the rules and give to each student and give one copy to each parent. This way the students will know what they are expecting. Be stern and adamant when necessary and follow the rules religiously and also state punishment if any of the rules get broken. Rules are a necessary part of classroom management.
- Make a Plan
Plan out your syllabus at the start of the term and state what is going to be done in each class. Distribute the syllabus plan to the students so that they are mentally prepared for the lectures. Also, take pop quizzes and surprise tests whenever you can so that the chapters are inculcated completely in the mind of the students.
These tips will surely help you in making classroom management easy to manage.