1,2,3,4...I Declare a Paper War!

Classroom management is never deleted from my list of ongoing concerns. Each new group of students…..heck…..each new school day brings a very different dynamic to the classroom depending on many varibles such as what went on at home the night before, what the student ate or didn’t eat, and whether or not my lesson is as educationally sound as it can be.

I’ve had my fair share of students that push my buttons, lack of administrative support, and I’ve dealt with some of the most incorrigible students our society offers today. It’s a real challenge to build a relationship with these students as they struggle with me for control of the classroom, but that’s always my focus. With a small degree of our student population more punishment does nothing. I try to remain on the positive side as much as possible.

I’ve read the current literature regarding classroom management, but sometimes great ideas for handling discipline issues come from history. After reading a biography of James Madison by Ralph KetchamI was inspired to try something out with a particularly rambunctious group of fourth graders that were stepping on my last nerve.

So, you have “paper war” in the title, a reference to James Madison, and a hint of a fun classroom management strategy. Are you intrigued? The remainder of my post is over at the American Presidents Blog.