Classroom Management

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 :

1. Be polite and respectful.
2. Take care of your classroom.
3. Don’t hit, shove, hurt others.
4. Follow directions.
5. Obtain permission before speaking / leaving your seat.
6. 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 :

-               Develop and establish an efficient organizational system and supporting classroom procedures.

-               Establish a positive classroom environment.

-               Establish rules and consequences.

-               Plan well and make your content meaningful to the students.

-               Communicate your expectations to your students.

-               Establish an atmosphere of free exchange.

-               Invite students’ cooperation.

-               Develop self-discipline by having students analyze their own behavior.

-               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.

Ø  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.

Ø  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.

1. Begin class on time
2. 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.
3. Set up procedures for dismissing class. Require that all students be in their seats and quiet before they are dismissed.
4. Keep desks and storage areas clean.
5. Stop misbehavior immediately.
6. Make transitions between activities quick and orderly.
7. Direct your talk to the class, not to the whiteboard. Make eye contact with your students when you are talking.
8. Be polite to students and reinforce their politeness.
9. Be firm and consistent. If a rule is broken, warn students only once, then follow through the consequences.
10. Don’t threaten. Don’t make threats, you should make promises.
11. Be with-it. Move around the room and know what is going on in all areas.
12. Use nonverbal signals. The use of nonverbal signals and body language is one of the best ways to prevent discipline problems.
13. Be helpful. Support students’ best behavior and help them in developing their own self-discipline.
14. Use corporal punishment only as a last resort.
15. Plan well. You should enter your classroom every day with well-planned lessons.
16. Use verbal reprimands with care.
17. 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.