No more negotiating!
As the adults in the room, we are the ones who have to teach kids when to stop trying and accept no for an answer.
"Hanging out the passenger side of his best friend's ride, trying to holler at me..." No Scrubs by TLC
No Means No: I think TLC had it right when they wrote No Scrubs- there is nothing more annoying than someone who just can't take a hint! 😤 Unfortunately for parents and educators, we are the ones who have to teach kids when to stop trying and accept no for an answer.
The problem is, that puts us in the position of saying no and enforcing the boundary. When I first started teaching that was very hard for me. It made me feel like I was being mean to kids. I was also completely inconsistent. I'd say yes to one kid and no to another. Crying and whining made me feel bad, so I'd change my mind. My classroom became unruly, and the kids had the upper hand as they quickly learned how to manipulate me. 🤦🏻♀️
I got some golden advice from my teacher coach that changed everything:
⭐︎ say what you mean and mean what you say! following through is everything
⭐︎ no matter how much kids push back, classrooms/homes with consistent rules and procedures are comfortable places to be...the other option is chaos 😱
⭐︎ anticipate problems so you can stay calm in the moment- consider meaningful consequences ahead of time so you can handle issues swiftly
...what are meaningful consequences?
watch my newest video to find out!
Share this video with a friend that could use a little help with their teacher stare- it works wonders on kids!
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Yours in education,
Natalie