Managing High School students is different than managing students in the lower grade levels. If you are not careful you can get sucked into behavior problems that you might not be able to get out of. Be sure to be consistant with discipline, make them feel grown up, treat them like their parents, and implement a few more of the 27 strategies below.
You are a real teacher, you need practical advice.
Not every single strategy is going to work for you and your classroom but you should be able to pick a few that you can implement.
If you need realistic and practical tips and advice then keep reading.
I’m going to give you tips and advice compiled by actual high school teachers. You ready?!
1. Learn To Speak Loudly Without Yelling
Never let them hear you yelling because to them this means you cannot control the room.
It is also a sign you are emotionally weak.
If you have to resort to screaming in order to get their attention you have already lost the battle.
They are going to eat you alive.
Make sure to check out the rest of this list so you don’t get to the point where you are screaming.
2. Learn Their Names ASAP
Make sure you know the names of your students as soon as possible.
Not being able to correct student behavior by using their first name is not good. I know it may sound odd but students knowing the teachers last name and the teacher not knowing their first names spells trouble. It’s a power struggle. If they know your name but you don’t know theirs then you are already losing.
3. Decide What Kind Of Teacher You Are
This is what they mean by “be yourself”.
You basically have three paths here.
You can be the authoritarian teacher that doesn’t take any misbehaving, the teacher in the middle, or the kind and understanding teacher.
Which is best? Which ever one fits your personality. Be one of them and stay consistant, students like when teachers are consistant.
I would say that I am the middle one and students know what to expect from me every single day.
They know I am going to hold them accountable but am still going to care for their well-being and learning.
4. Be Consistant With Dicsipline
Have a set way of dealing with bad behaviors and don’t stray from it.
I can’t tell you how you should administer detentions or warnings, each teacher is different in terms of their tolerance level but you should be consistant so students know what your expectations are.
You have to decide that based on you and your school policy.
For example: If you tell a student that they are being disruptive and if they continue they are going to be given a detention then you better back it up by giving them the detention if the disruptions continue.
Read this: Don’t be hard on some kids and soft on others. Show that even good kids can get in trouble too when they misbehave. Students need to see that you are fair.
5. Make Them Walk To The Garbage Can
High school students will often throw things into the garbage like they are shooting a basketball.
This can actually be quite disruptive because they start screaming as though they just won the final game of the NBA finals.
Don’t let them do it.
Tell them on day one that they have to walk their paper or bottle over to the garbage and set it in.
Students will think you are joking but make it clear you are not. Trust me, this one little thing makes a difference.
6. Don’t Overthink the Syllabus
Don’t waste a lot time on the syllabus if you have one.
Make it simple because students don’t read them. Add to it what is important to your class and what students should be aware of before the class starts so that everyone is on a level playing field.
What is important in your syllabus should be reniforced throughout the school year.
If you have a discipline plan or a specific grading policy then that is something that you need to discuss with students and add to the syllabus as well.
7. Keep Rules Simple
Don’t have a list of 30 rules taped to your wall.
This is too much. Actually, don’t do that for any grade level.
Instead you should seek one thing: A civilized class that focuses on learning. When you establish this then talk to your classes about what “civilized” and “focused on learning” means and looks like.
8. Be A Good Educational Role Model
Let students know that you love your content and enjoy teaching it.
This is contagious, if students see that you are interested they will be too.
I love science and love teaching science.
I often have students tell me that they love that I love science because its makes class and content more interesting.
9. Cell Phone (and ear bud) Policy That Makes Sense
Don’t take away their phones, you can’t do that. If you do then you may land yourself in trouble.
What you can usually do (depending on your school district) is confiscate their phone until the class period ends.
Note: Schools may not enforce their own cell phone policy so you might have to create your own.
This is what I do: Cell phone and ear buds must be put away when the bell rings. If they have it out during class you confiscate it by telling them to put it on your desk and they pick it up when the class ends.
10. Be Reasonable With Them
If you are teaching 17 and 18 year olds then you are dealing with young adults that have real problems going on in their lives.
Be reasonable.
Tell students that if they absolutely need to use their phones to contact a family member or boss then that is okay. Make sure they make it quick, it’s good that the students see that you are a normal person too and understands that things happen in life.
11. Don’t Fight Over The Restroom
Simply ask them if it’s an emergency or not.
I often finds that students will say it’s not an emergency and will go back to their seat.
Another technique I use is to ask them to complete what we are doing in class and then they can go.
By the time they finish they activity they suddenly forget that they needed to go to the restroom.
12. Make Them Feel Grown Up
High school students feel grown up and want to be treated that way, even the 9th and 10th graders.
Listen to what they have to say and then make a decision.
Don’t talk down to them but don’t act as their equal either.
The more you treat them like young adults the more they will act like young adults.
13. You Already Are the Authority
You don’t have to try being the authority, you already are the authority figure in the classroom.
Act likt it. Be firm, say what you want to say, and move on as soon as possible.
14. Treat Them Like Their Parents
This is what I mean:
Pretend like your students are their parents. How would you react to their parent during class if they had to make an emergency phone call? What would you do if their parents were talking during a lecture? If you treat the students like you would their parents the students will respect you.
15. Reserve The Right To Treat Them Like Children Too
Let the know that they deicide how they are going to behave and if they decide to behave like children you will treat them as children.
It’s unfortunate but the reality of teaching is that you are going to get a lot of these students during your career.
Actually, you will get several of them every school year!
16. Start The Year Strict
Its easier to start off the year strict and ease off as the year progresses.
If you start off soft then it’s nearly impossible to get more strict.
17. Assigned Seating As Soon As Possible
As soon as possible you need to assign seats.
Let them sit where they want for the first few days so you find out who are friends.
Now that you know who are friends you can move them as far part from one another as possible.
18. School Is A Place Of Learning
No “ice breaking” activities on the first day of school.
They will get all that garbage in their other classes.
On the first day you need to establish that in your class they are expected to work and learn. Set the tone for the rest of the school year.
19. Look Confident Even If You Aren’t
Even if you aren’t confident you need to look like you are.
Stand upright, look at students, and use a steady voice. Eventually, if you do things right you will be confident and won’t have to pretend it anymore. Command the room, you are the leader of it.
20. Know Your Content
If you are teaching Chemistry then make sure you know everything there is to know about what you are teaching.
High school students can tell when they have a teacher that doesn’t know what they are talking about.
They can sense when you don’t know the content. This often leads to a decline in respect from the smarter students. Don’t underestimate content mastery, it still means a lot.
21. Tell Them What You Expect Of Them
You are an adult professional and they are high school students.
Tell them you expect their phones to be put away, their participation is required, and that you expect them to not disrupt the learning environment.
If they don’t meet expectations then calmly remind them what your expectation are.
Here are some examples of what to say and not to say to them:
Don’t say, “Are you on your phone?”
Say, “Please put away your phone for now”
Don’t say, “What are you doing?”
Say: “Please refocus on the activity we are doing”
22. Don’t Talk Over Them
Never talk over them.
Refuse to continue.
Students that care about their GPA will eventually realize that they need to help you quite down the class.
If you need to just stare at the few students that are not getting the “hint”. They will stop too.
When they do you can continue instruction.
23. Bring Down The Leaders
In every class you are going to have a few leaders that are going to spark bad behavior.
Neutralize them.
Immediately talk to them, contact their parents, and assign detentions if necessary. If you neutralize them then your class is going to be much easier to manage.
24. Be Prepared That Sometimes Nothing Works
You may try all of the strategies that are listed above and there are going to be some students that nothing will work with them.
Nothing works for them in your class, in other classes, at home, or out in the real world. It’s unfortunate but it’s just the reality of life.
You know who these students are, we all have them.
25. Give Them Priveleges, Not Rights
If you start off the year allowing them to eat and drink during class they will view it as a right and expect to do other things because it’s their “right”.
When the year starts don’t let them have any food or drinks in class and as the school year progresses ease up on that rule. Now the students will view it as a privilege, not a right. You can do the same thing with any other rule.
Some teachers may not agree with a rule that is not enforced all year but it works for me and it’s worth trying, it may work for you too.
I don’t want to mislead you though, I don’t change my rules for work completion or learning standards. Don’t do that.
26. Never Break Science Lab Rules
You have to enforce lab rules for student safety.
Don’t compromise these rules. If someone violates a lab rule then hold them accountable.
27. No Hurtful Language
Don’t allow language that is hurtful in any way or is hurtful towards another person or group of people.
Hurtful language isn’t always curse words either, students will try using the work “retarded” and I simply explain to them why it is considered offensive to someone.