The Secret Strategy

The beginning of the year can be a hectic and stressful time for teachers.  There are many, many things that must happen outside the classroom and instructional day.  There are also lesson plans, students and resources to manage.  This juggling act continues all year, but during the first few months of school, it can seem overwhelming.

While instructional delivery is paramount, taking time to work on behavior management during the first few weeks of school will lay fertile ground for the instruction.  ERG is often asked about favorite behavior management tips and secrets that will ensure a great year for everyone.

One strategy that gets immediate results is a very simple one.

Call students by their names.

This may sound too simple to be true, but taking time to learn the name of students sends many messages about how you value the students and can help you model appropriate communication.  Instead of making blanket statements like, “sit down” or “stop”,  calling students by their exact name helps personalize the behaviors you are trying to teach.

We think it is important to time to learn the names of students and call them by their names as quickly as possible.  Alice used to work in middle schools and had over 100 students.  The very first priority was to learn the names of each student so by the end of the first week, she was able to address every single student by their name.  That got their attention and it also sent a silent message that each and every child was important.  It also helped with quickly diffusing situations that may pop up early in the year and helped each child feel like they mattered in a sea of many children.

It is important to start learning names on the very first day of school so the name use can begin to take hold quickly.  One way to learn names is to take time to play name games and use icebreakers.  A few games that help you remember names involve having students toss a soft ball to each other and call out their name before they toss it.  Another name game is to have students say what their name is and an item they like that begins with the same letter.  For example, Katie might say she likes eating KitKats.

If you are not good at remembering things in general, you can always jot down notes on a roster during the icebreakers (the item the person says they like) or specific things about appearance (long, red hair) right beside their name.

At the end of the first day, review your notes and try to visualize the student and something significant about them.  The next morning, take time to call them by name when you are greeting them or use their name often across the day when you speak to them directly.  You can even make a game of it and have them be quiet for 3 minutes while you work to name each of them.  If you continue to review your notes, reflect on your students and play name games, you will have a clear handle on them within a day or so.

People feel valued when you call them by their name.  The value they feel creates a sense of community which leads to a feeling of belonging.  Students who feel like they belong are more likely to follow the class expectations and rules than students who feel isolated and invisible.  What’s the secret?  Use names.