Classroom Management

Best ideas I picked up from this breakout session at the 2008 Catechist Retreat:

1-ALWAYS have a backup activity for those 5-10 minutes of "extra" time at the end of class that we worry about; that way, I'm a better planner for the activities that I really want to accomplish & I don't have to worry about dead time

2-ALWAYS have an quick activity that you can pull out when you see glazed over eyes and need to wake everyone up

3-When you use something like a hand held in the air or clapping to get attention, make sure you wait until EVERYONE is quiet before continuing...sets up a precedent & will work faster each time once everyone knows the routine

4-If you have a child in class who likes to go off topic, it's OK to tell him/her "You need to wait for after class" to talk to me about that; if it's a continual problem, you might try asking before you call on him/her "Are you on topic?"

5-This idea was from my hubby :) Keep the parents busy...give them jobs, too & be sure to remind them that you need a table leader before you get tables started on discussions - it works!