Common Mistakes:

Less effective classroom managers:

• Don't provide adequate reinforcement to students
• Lack adequate procedures in place to guide students' activities
• Neglect to survey the whole class and spend too much time with one student
• Busy themselves with clerical or administrative tasks at their desks early in the year
• Neglect to monitor students' behavior and academic performance

Teachers who fail to prepare for the first week:

• Leave students unattended to get materials or go to the office
• Don't actively monitor the classroom
• Forfeit their leadership roles and, thus, their control of the class

Lack of preparation and poor monitoring mean these teachers:

• Permit students to interact among themselves and set their own behavior standards
• Find that some students "push the limits," causing even greater disruption to the learning environment

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