Why is classroom management important? This is an essential question that must be asked and answered by any teacher that expects to succeed in the classroom. That success will ultimately be measured by the students and the knowledge they gained throughout the year. Through lessons, units, quizzes, tests, and yearly assessments, students learning is measured. That measurement will, no doubt, be a reflection of how well the teacher is instructing. Classroom management isn’t simply important, it is vital to both the students and the teacher, as well thought out and executed plans yield success. Whereas poorly planned and executed plans provide a breeding ground for failure. Through classroom rules, procedures, routines, norms, and behavior interventions, the teacher will create a pro-learning environment that is safe and enjoyable for the students.
Frank Brunette, an adjunct university supervisor, in the preface of his article The Why And How Of Classroom Management (n.d), writes, “Classroom management refers to all of the things that a teacher does to organize students, space, time and materials so that instruction in content and student learning can take place.”
He touches on the research behind classroom management, by communicating that “The amount of time students are actively engaged in learning contributes strongly to their achievement. The amount of time available for learning is determined by instructional and management skills of the teacher…” (Brunette, n.d.).
As he concludes his article, he imparts some sage advice for teachers. He writes, “How one manages the classroom is the primary determinant of how well your students learn. Conversely, when students are successful and actively engaged in their work, they tend to be well behaved. Therefore, keep students involved in their work, have students understand what is expected of them, maximize time on task, prevent confusion or disruption, and run a work simulated but relaxed and pleasant classroom” (Brunette, n.d.). The following is a list of how to manage a classroom effectively:
Look at yourself! Be mindful of your self-confidence, voice, attitude, enthusiasm, personal appearance, manners, values, and most of all, composure and self-control. Losing composure and shouting does not enhance classroom management. The teacher sets the tone and creates the learning environment in the classroom. Consequently, the classroom climate takes on the characteristics of the teacher’s personality and disposition.
On the first day of school introduce written rules and procedures and post them. Above all, be generous with appreciative praise, encouragement, and reward for achievement and positive behavior. Delineate the boundaries for unacceptable behavior.
Have the students practice, learn, and be able to explain classroom procedures (grade appropriate). The procedures need to become routine. Student should be able to perform the procedures automatically.
Establish a cue (words, sound, hand signal, etc.) to which the students are taught to respond to immediately. Be consistent in using the cue. Practice it! Use the cue only when you are absolutely ready to get the students’ attention. Once you give the cue do not engage in any other activity or have your attention diverted. Wait! Wait time is a very effective and important know-how and ability for teachers to possess. Non-verbal communication consistent with the cue is powerful. Silence can be thunderous!
Set and convey high expectations of your students. However, there must be a support system in place and materials available to attend to individual differences to assure achievement.
When planning, schedule time for presentation and study, select the best activities to facilitate learning, and delimit content to be studied. When students work cooperatively, have them use a “work voice”.
Communicate goals and objectives. Be clear about requirements and consequences for unsatisfactory performance. Children tend to be more cooperative and willing to attack a task if they have a clear understanding of what they are to do, why they are being asked to do it, and how they are to proceed.
Regulate the learning activities. First, sequence content so that knowledge builds on itself by linking new information to students’ existing knowledge. Secondly, pace the instruction so that students are ready for subsequent learning. Then, monitor students’ success rates. This will assure that students stay productively engaged regardless of how quickly they learn. Finally, adjust instruction based upon what the monitoring and or assessment indicates.
Learn to use non-verbal behavior to communicate. Provide non-verbal feedback (smiles, frowns, nods, move closer to students, etc.) for acceptable and unacceptable behavior. Eye contact and/or facial expressions communicate pleasure, concern, interest, mood, etc. Be certain that your verbal communication is consistent with your non-verbal behavior.
Gesture to accent points. Research tells us, “that of all the parts of the human body used to communicate information, the hands and face are the most powerful”. Scientists are studying the link between the body gestures and the mind. This issue has given raise to an international Society for Gesture Studies. Gestures provide another dimension to instruction by adding visual cues, which may trigger understanding.
Voice inflections stress points of interest and importance. Studies on the effects of voice inflection have shown that variety in pitch and intensity affects receptivity of the listener. Additionally, where the inflection is placed affects credibility of the sender.
Reinforce appropriate behavior, praise appropriate behavior and name it. (“Thank you for doing…”) Ginott warns that all praise may not be beneficial. He makes the distinction between evaluative praise and appreciative praise. In his view judgmental or evaluative praise most times is harmful to students. The inverse power of praise is being studied in New York schools and their findings support Ginott’s premise. Productive praise describes a child’s efforts and accomplishments and our feelings about them. The fundamental rule in praising is: describe without evaluating, report – don’t judge. Guide the child toward evaluating his or her own behavior.
When students recite have them speak loud enough for all in the classroom to hear. Call upon a student most distant from the speaker to check if he or she was able to hear. This approach will help keep students actively engaged.
Use proximity control. Moving close to the student causes a change in his or her behavior. Room arrangements can maximize the teacher’s ability to effectively move toward all students.
The best reward is the satisfaction of a job well done. Students can be shown the way to buy into this mindset. For example, to extend rewards when a student answers a question and others in the classroom knew the answer they hand signal. The teacher’s nod or facial expression provides acknowledgement and reward. This, too, keeps students engaged.
Work to master the artful management of non-confrontation. Approach trying situations with calmness, finesses, self-assurance and composure. These same behaviors will serve well during times of emergency. Avoid approaching tense situations in the heat of anger.
Do not take unacceptable behavior as an affront. Use the power of wisdom to affect events.
The following are articles about classroom management that I read and reviewed:
Classroom Management as Socializing Students into Clearly Articulated Roles
Based upon relevant research, the purpose becomes evident as the article moves forward. The overarching theme is classroom management, the reasons why it is vital to establish a sound plan, the research that backs it up, and what it looks like in both theory and practice. The article provides an abstract view, as well as a practical one. It introduces the social constructivist approach to teaching, explains its purpose, and extols its benefits. The article provides a table, as a guideline to effectively managing classrooms that employ a social constructivist approach. The table features student’s roles in a format similar to classroom expectations, guidelines, and rules that are posted in the classroom and gone over frequently throughout the school year. What I enjoyed most about the article was the wisdom it offered in terms of theory. For instance, it states that before-the-fact presentation is better than after-the-fact discipline (Classroom Management, 2010). This theory is one that I will keep with me and apply when I have my own classroom.
Brophy, J. (2010). Classroom Management as Socializing Students into Clearly Articulated Roles. Journal of Classroom Interaction, 45 (1), 41-45.
Classroom community culture for learning: (Chapter eight)
I recently reviewed this article, but have since gained more insight into classroom management. Thus, I read this article again with ‘new eyes’ and observed a different piece of the puzzle, a piece of the bigger picture. The authors, writing about traditional models of classroom management, make a simple statement that conveys a big picture idea. They state: If your reason for control is to mask poor teaching and to quell the rebelliousness spurred by boredom and the concomitant anger your students feel toward you, no classroom management system will work effectively or be justifiable in the eyes of students. (Classroom, 2007)
Personally, I believe that there will be students who view the new teacher as either weak or a ‘mark’, ‘ripe for the picking’ and easily manipulated. However, I also believe that there will be more students who will be willing to assist the new teacher and help them along, help them find their way. Those students, without knowing it are making an investment in their academic future. Those students will, most likely, be the ones who crave structure and will help set up clear rules and expectations for the classroom. I took away from this article, the need to be myself and not pretend to be someone I am not, as it is not good for my students or myself and they will see right through it.
Gallagher, S., & Goodman, G. (2007). Classroom community culture for learning: (Chapter eight). New York, NY: Peter Lang Publishing. (ISBN: 9781433101113)
I found the article It’s Not What We Teach, It’s Why They Learn to be informative and relatable. Its concept made sense, in that we, as educators, must shift focus to a style that lends itself to practicality. The author’s example of the old saying (What We Teach, 2008), “If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear, does it make a sound,” was useful. The example lead into the overarching theme of the piece, in that if the students did not learn, did we do a good enough job of teaching. I enjoyed the point, the author made, about intent versus impact, where he wrote, “It’s the message that’s received, not the one that the adults think they’re sending, that counts” (What We Teach, 2008). I will remember this very important intent versus impact point when I teach my own students.
The author made another great point when he wrote about the messages we may be sending, as teachers, with reward systems. He relates a potential pitfall when he wrote, speaking from a student’s point of view, “If they have to reward me for x, then x must be something I wouldn’t want to do” (What We Teach, 2008).
Kohn, A. (2008). It's not what we teach, it's what they learn. Education Digest, 74(4), 4.