Aug 23, 2022
3 Tips for Setting Up Your Classroom Like an Expert Teacher
Elevate Your Teaching to an Expert Level
It’s Back to School season, which means parents buying clothes and backpacks, and teachers stressing out over setting up their classrooms.
But there’s a huge difference between how an average teacher sets up their classroom and an expert teacher. If you want to elevate your teaching to an expert level, here are 3 Expert Tips for Setting Up Your Classroom.
Tip #1 : Class Rules
The very first thing every teacher must do is create a class rules list.
Expert teachers know the research and best practices, which is why expert teachers limit the number of rules on their class rules poster to 5.
Average teachers believe that having 10, 15 or 20 rules for your class is going to work, but they quickly realize their class is falling apart by October. Don’t make this classic average teacher mistake. Set your classroom up like an expert. Edit down your class rules to a maximum of 5.
Class rules need to reinforced consistently and regularly. Expert teachers know they will have to go over the rules every hour during the first week of school. If you have more than 5 rules, this makes this reinforcement a huge chore and students won’t follow them.
Tip #2 : Class Routines
The next thing teachers need to do is plan out their routines for the school year.
Expert teachers know the students in their class will follow any directions they give them. That’s why if an expert teacher wants students to be more independent learners, they need to teach them what they want them to do.
On the other hand, average teachers sit in their teacher’s chair and complain that students “don’t go the extra mile.” If you think your students can anticipate or guess what you want from them — you’re not an expert teacher.
Expert teachers teach their students everything they want them to do. So sit back and think about how you want your classroom to function. Any “extra” stuff you want the kids to do, like turn in homework automatically, get ready for the period on their own, you need to teach them how to do those routines. Your classroom will run like clockwork, if you set it up like clockwork.
Tip #3 : Grading Rubrics
The third thing every teacher must do is create a grading rubric for their classroom.
Expert teachers know the research and best practices surrounding grading rubrics, therefore they know that grading rubrics limit bias and increase equity.
Unfortunately, average teachers wave flags and wear t-shirts that say “equity for all” on them. If you want to promote equity in your classrooms, stop going to rallies and start being an expert teacher in your classroom.
Be careful when you set up your grading rubrics, the lowest point column must be “1” not zero. The reason is that expert teachers know that it’s unethical and unprofessional to give “F”s or zeroes to kids who complete and turn in work to be graded. If a student hands you something to grade, the minimum point score they should receive in each rubric column should be “1.”
Want to become an expert teacher?
Did these tips help you? Did you know all of them before you read them? If not, and you want to elevate your teaching practice to an expert level, there is a FREE Teacher Facebook group you can join.
This group is different from all other groups on facebook because it’s run by an expert educator. No more asking questions to complete strangers and getting bad or average advice.
This group is only for teachers that care about their performance. This group is only for teachers that don’t want to make average teacher mistakes. If you want to join a group that only promotes expert teacher best practices, then follow this link:
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About the Author:
D.Scott Schwartz, M.Ed. also known as “The School Doc” on social media was a journalist on radio, TV and in print before becoming a recognized expert in the field of education. “The School Doc” does consulting work now for schools and businesses that are looking to solve difficult problems. He also developed Leaf Academy, the first online school to learn 21st century skills. If you want to make more money, advance your career or fix K12 education, go to the Leaf Academy website (link in bio.)
