Classroom Management | Cult of Pedagogy

Are You Really Connecting with Your Students?

17Dec2014

by Jennifer Gonzalez

James Sturtevant’s book, You’ve Gotta Connect, is full of practical, actionable advice and tools to strengthen the quality of your connection with students.

5 Reasons You Should Seek Your OWN Student Feedback

23Oct2014

by Jennifer Gonzalez

As teacher evaluation systems become more complex and intense, many of us ignore the richest source of information about our teaching. And it’s right under our noses.

8 Things I Know for Sure About (Most) Middle School Kids

1Oct2014

by Jennifer Gonzalez

I never planned to teach middle school. But once I started, I never looked back. And I became kind of an expert on the idiosyncrasies of sixth, seventh, and eighth graders, and how to make the most of their special qualities.

Is Humiliation Part of Your Teaching Toolbox?

7Aug2014

by Jennifer Gonzalez

When you humiliate someone, their focus moves away from the subject at hand. Instead of thinking about their own behavior, that student is now focused on how much they can’t stand you.

Managing Misbehavior in the College Classroom

29Jul2014

by Jennifer Gonzalez

“I just finished my first year of teaching at the college level. I’m embarrassed to say it, but I had a lot of behavior problems. I never expected to have these issues in college, but I do, and I don’t know what to do about it.”

SignUp.com: Ditch Reply-All Emails and Sign-up Sheets Forever

15May2014

by Jennifer Gonzalez

SignUp.com is a free online tool that lets you manage event sign-ups in one central location. If you still coordinate volunteers with email and paper, your life is about to get a lot easier.

Distract the Distractor: Stop Off-Task Behavior Without Drama

25Apr2014

by Jennifer Gonzalez

Lots of monster-sized discipline problems start with a single off-task behavior. If you put a damper on those little behaviors, you’ll stop a lot of big ones, too.

Once you go Diigo, you’ll never go back.

14Feb2014

by Jennifer Gonzalez

Technology doesn’t always develop independent learning skills. For those, students need practice with tools like Diigo that help them access, analyze, and sort information.

The Trouble with “Amazing”: Giving Praise that Matters

25Jan2014

by Jennifer Gonzalez

If you’re trying to motivate someone—a student, an employee, your child—calling them amazing won’t pump them up the way you hope it will. Not in any lasting way. What’s worse, it could have the opposite effect.