5 Tips for Classroom Management in the Workshop or Conferring Classroom
If you could wave your magic wand and make your BIGGEST classroom management challenge disappear… what would it be? I'm so curious. DM on Instagram or hop into the Literacy Teacher Greatness Facebook Community to tell me.
I'm sure you already know this, but…
Classroom management is the foundation to not only keeping your mini lessons short and sweet; but to also ensure that you have enough time for one-on-one conferences, small groups, and partnerships.
As you look at the cake below, classroom management is the yellow plate. It will hold the cake and keep it from toppling over when you pick it up to move it to another place. Without effective classroom management strategies, implementing the four tiers of this cake will be very challenging to do.
Well, I've got some good news for you! My Conferring All-Star Teacher™ Classroom Management Framework is here to save the day!
I tell our Conferring All-Star Teachers™ all the time that classroom management is the firm foundation to launching and running a successful workshop or conferring classroom. Which means we've got to continue to fill our toolbox of strategies as often as possible. Watch this quick video below to get the exact 5 steps manage your workshop or conferring classroom like an All-Star.
Step 1: Start the Year with Students Hopes and Dreams
Give your students to the opportunity to choose their hopes and dreams for the school year such as:
- Make new friends
- Turn in my homework on time
- Take more risks or not be afraid to try new things
- Get better at multiplication and division
Also, have your students choose hopes and dreams as a reader or writer such as:
- Read more chapter books
- Enjoy reading
- Write longer stories
- Don’t give up when I write
Think of a really FUN way to have your students set hopes and dreams so they’ll get really excited about. Then once they’ve decided, use these hopes and dreams to launch reading and writing workshop.
Step 2: Workshop or Conferring Roles
As you go through each part of workshop with your students in more detail, this would be a great time to pull out your Y-chart.
Give your students a model or demonstration of what mini lessons, conferring, independent work, and the share looks like.
Then have your students share what each part looks like, feels like, and sounds like. You write what they say on the Y-chart.
If they leave anything out that you feel is really important, feel free to add it to the Y-chart.
Step 3: Build Independence & Stamina
The quicker you can build up your students’ independence and stamina…the sooner you’ll be able to consistently follow through with your weekly conferring schedules.
What are weekly conferring schedules: It’s your weekly plan of who you are going to meet with, when you’re going to meet with them, what conferring method you’re going to use, and what skills and strategies you are going to teach.
There are 6 things you must have in your weekly conferring schedule to reach and grow EVERY student in conferences and small groups. Go here to get those 6 must haves.
If your students can’t read or write for long chunks of time; it’s going to be challenging to pull conferences and small groups etc. Right? Therefore, building up their independence and stamina as quickly as possible in the beginning of the year is key. And then of course maintaining it ALL YEAR LONG.
Step 4: Lesson Plan & Note-Taking Systems
You will want to have a good system for lesson planning and note-taking for mini lessons, individual conferences, and small groups.
And if you are using reading and writing workshop; having a idea of what you want to teach during the mid-workshop teaching is also a really good idea.
If you're looking for lesson plan and note-taking template ideas, here are the top 4 forms Conferring All-Star Teachers™ use throughout the week.
- Class Trends Form
- Weekly Conferring Schedule
- Student Individual Progress Form
- Conference or Small Group Forms
What are some of your favorite conference or note-taking forms you like to use?
If you feel like you don't have enough forms, I've got plenty inside the Conferring All-Star Teacher™ Academy just waiting for you.
Step 5: Visual Reminders
What are visual reminders? It can be:
- Anchor chart
- Poster
- Strategy card
- Checklist
- Behavior card etc.
Something that will remind your students of the routines, expectations, and strategies you have just taught them. Because we want our students to be independent and productive learners. And visual reminders can really help.
Need a quick review of the 5 tips for classroom management?
CLICK on the quick Instagram Reel below. Then run over there and follow me; so you don't miss any more free strategies and tips on my Instagram page.
Want even more strategies for classroom management?
Join me for the LAUNCH IT: Summer PD Boot Camps.
You have 3 different boot camps to choose from:
- Reading and Writing Workshop + Conferring Video Series (Starts NOW)
- 5-Day Launch Workshop + Conferring Boot Camp (July 11-15)
- 10-Day Get Your Classroom Conferring Ready Boot Camp (July 18-22 and July 25-29)
The next thing you can do is follow me on Facebook and Instagram for more free tips for classroom management.
And of course you can join me inside the Conferring All-Star Teacher™ Programs for classroom management PD training, coaching, and resources.
I can't wait to be your guide and biggest cheerleader as you embark on this journey to launch and run a successful reading workshop.
Let's dream big and grow together!
