Control Technique
Classroom teachers have a duty to
develop their own approach to classroom management and discipline. There are
several control techniques that used by effective classroom managers to manage
the classroom.
Setting Limits
Students need limits / rules, in
order to know what is expected of them and why. Teachers who try to avoid
setting limits and imposing necessary structure will find chaos results,
especially when dealing with younger children. In establishment of rules,
clarity and consistency are vital. You should why certain rules are needed or,
even better, involve students in a discussion about why certain rules are
necessary. Your rules should always reinforce the basic idea that students are
in school to study and learn. Examples of appropriate general classroom rules
include :
- Be polite and respectful.
- Take care of your classroom.
- Don’t hit, shove, hurt others.
- Follow directions.
- Obtain permission before speaking / leaving your seat.
- Be prepared with books, paper, pencil, etc when you come to class.
Your rules should always be discussed with students. Specific behaviors that are included and excluded in each general
rule should be explained and discussed. Besides the rules, you have to consider
what to do when a student breaks a rule. For many classroom infractions, a
logical consequence is to have the students correct the mistakes. Once you have
determined the rules for your classroom and the consequences for breaking the
rules, you have taken the first step toward having a well-managed classroom.
Getting Started
The
first few weeks of the school year are prime importance with regard to
management. During the first few weeks, we can predict how you will manage your
classroom and the extent of student engagement in learning tasks. To be an
effective manager, you should :
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Develop and establish an efficient organizational
system and supporting classroom procedures.
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Establish a positive classroom environment.
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Establish rules and consequences.
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Plan well and make your content meaningful to the
students.
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Communicate your expectations to your students.
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Establish an atmosphere of free exchange.
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Invite students’ cooperation.
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Develop self-discipline by having students analyze
their own behavior.
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Be firm, organized, and consistent in your expectations
of students.
Ripple Effect
Publicly
a student is corrected or punished for misbehaving, the impact is felt not only
by the student but also by other students in the class. This is called the
Ripple Effect. When a student tests your enforcement of the rules, you cannot
ignore it. If you do, the fact that the student got away with something
“ripples out” to other students and encourages them to test you.
Care must be taken in
correcting students. You should use care in correcting student behavior in
front of the class. In addition, address the problem behavior itself rather
than ridiculing the student. Be direct, fair, open, and respectful with
students when correcting their behavior.
Criticism
Avoid
criticism, it just provokes hostility. The effect is the student may blow up
and say something unintentional or may even give up trying. If your criticism
in the form of suggestion, students will react more favorably.
Rewards
All
behavior must have some kind of payoff (reward, reinforcer, etc). For some
students the payoff is intrinsic, the inner satisfaction of doing well or doing
the right thing. However, some students need extrinsic rewards for behaving
properly.
Problems with rewards
It is common to assume that rewards have a positive effect on children.
But is it true? In the short-term, rewards can be effective in getting the
children to do what we want, but they can have serious negative long-term
effects.
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Rewards weaken interest
The more rewards we use the more we may need to use them. If we stop
giving rewards for an activity / for good behavior, the children often lose
interest / stop the good behavior, and when we are not there the children may
be less likely to be motivated to do the activity by themselves or behave well.
Ø
Rewards weaken active learning
When children are given rewards for doing some work, their focus is
narrower. They are less likely to remember peripheral things that are not
directly connected with the reward. Their view may become narrower and their
approach to learning become less active.
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Rewards are divisive
If some children get rewards and others do not, the
“successful” students may become more successful and the students who fail, may
fail even more. The result can be very divisive.
Management Guidelines
Even
though managing a classroom is a difficult thing, you must perform well in
order to teach effectively. Sometimes, experience is the best teacher when it
comes to learning to manage a classroom. The following are teacher-tested suggestions
for managing a classroom and preventing behavior problem.
- Begin class on time
- Set up procedures for beginning your class. You should have a set routine / activity that automatically occupies the first four or five minutes of class.
- Set up procedures for dismissing class. Require that all students be in their seats and quiet before they are dismissed.
- Keep desks and storage areas clean.
- Stop misbehavior immediately.
- Make transitions between activities quick and orderly.
- Direct your talk to the class, not to the whiteboard. Make eye contact with your students when you are talking.
- Be polite to students and reinforce their politeness.
- Be firm and consistent. If a rule is broken, warn students only once, then follow through the consequences.
- Don’t threaten. Don’t make threats, you should make promises.
- Be with-it. Move around the room and know what is going on in all areas.
- Use nonverbal signals. The use of nonverbal signals and body language is one of the best ways to prevent discipline problems.
- Be helpful. Support students’ best behavior and help them in developing their own self-discipline.
- Use corporal punishment only as a last resort.
- Plan well. You should enter your classroom every day with well-planned lessons.
- Use verbal reprimands with care.
- Always set a good example. Remember that you are a model for classroom behavior.
Parents as School Disciplinarians
No
doubt, all parents want their children to be successful in their endeavors. Parents
want their children to learn and be accepted by their peers and teachers. The
key to gaining parental support in your undertakings is to learn to take
criticism seriously without taking it personally. You should consider criticism
taker personally as a warning signal that you might be assuming too much
responsibility. It is important to guide families into understanding your role
as a provider of a professional service, and also to use your professionalism
to establish co-partnerships with parents.
Parents as Co-Partners
When
parents are perceived as friends and co-partners in the education of their
children, discipline efforts can be maximized. When enlisting parents for
support in discipline endeavors always follow a well-planned conference
schedule. Establish a positive, team-like atmosphere between yourself and
parents. Remember, you are as co-partners in this time! Maintain your
professionalism without sacrificing the warmness and compassion that should be
felt toward students. Helping parents assume responsibilities as co-partners
benefits the student because it gives the student a perception of parents who
are modeling the importance of education to the family.
Through
parent involvement of this type you are able to set reasonable standards for
working parents to be involved in the education of their children. This will
help to foster the co-partnerships needed between parents and teachers. It is a
rewarding experience when teachers and parents pool their abilities and
resources to bring about positive student change. Even though it will require
some time to plan appropriate ways to involve parents, the time will be
worthwhile.
