Behaviour barometer: Four keys to managing your classroom

Handling low-level disruption and behavioural issues are part of the daily grind for many teachers.

Perching on the end of the teacher’s desk, watching with hawk-like attention from the front of the room, might seem like the obvious tactic when trying to pounce on any off-task dalliances, but the reality is that this is one small aspect to the job of managing your classroom.

Some teachers refer to managing classroom behaviour as spinning plates. I prefer to think of my role as the classroom barometer – fashioning my actions on this vintage device I remember my grandparents had hung on the wall.

Their purpose was to measure the air pressure and supposedly forecast short-term changes in the weather. It is questionable as to whether the predictions were actually correct, but I like to think my own classroom barometer is far more accurate.