Eyes in the Back of Your Head: A Toolbox of Exceptional Classroom Management Strategies (The Effective Teacher Series)

What question would you like us to answer about being an effective teacher? When we asked this question of our teacher candidates at Washington State University, the answers were very similar. “How can I manage my classroom?” “What are the most important rules students need?” “How do I teach my students to be quiet on the first day?” Notice the questions always centered on classroom management. According to a 2014 report by the National Council of Teacher Quality on training our future teachers, “classroom management was the ‘top problem’ identified by teachers.” They also commented that teachers found it difficult to “deliver engaging instruction and at the same time manage appropriate behavior. This was intense, overwhelming, and ultimately defeating.” We recognize the juggling act between effective classroom management, engaging instruction, and building strong relationships. While a class or a textbook cannot replace actual classroom experience, our belief is that this book will help you build a toolbox of effective management strategies. It will place you on the right path to understanding how this balance works. Most of our strategies are suggestions from effective teachers and are research-based.