Classroom Management

Classroom Management 

–It’s effective discipline

–It’s being prepared for class

–It’s motivating your students

–It’s providing a safe, comfortable learning environment

–It’s building your students’ self esteem

–It’s being creative and imaginative in daily lessons

. . . It’s different for EVERYONE!!

WHY?

–Teaching Styles

–Personality/Attitudes

–Student population

–Not all management strategies are effective for every teacher

•Try different strategies to see if they work for you

Why is Classroom Management Important?

•Satisfaction and enjoyment in teaching are dependent upon leading students to cooperate

•Classroom management issues are of highest concern for beginning teachers

Principles for successful classroom management

•Deal with disruptive behaviors but also manage to minimize off-task, non-disruptive behaviors

•Teach students to manage their own behavior

•Students learnto be on-task and engaged in the learning activities you have planned for them

–It is more natural to be off-task than on

Techniques for Better Classroom Control

•Focus attention on entire class

•Don’t talk over student chatter

•Silence can be effective

•Use softer voice so students really have to listen to what you’re saying

•Direct your instruction so that students know what is going to happen

•Monitor groups of students to check progress

•Move around the room so students have to pay attention more readily

•Give students non-verbal cues

•Engage in low profile intervention of disruptions

•Make sure classroom is comfortable and safe

•Over plan your lessons to ensure you fill the period with learning activities

•Come to class prepared

•Show confidence in your teaching

•Learn student names as quickly as possible

Transition vs. Allocated Time

•Allocated time: the time periods you intendfor your students to be engaged in learning activities

•Transition time: time periods that exist betweentimes allocated for learning activities

–Examples

                •Getting students assembled and attentive

                •Assigning reading and directing to begin

                •Getting students’ attention away from reading and preparing for class discussion

•The Goal: Increase the variety of learning activities but decrease transition time.

•Student engagement and on-task behaviors are dependent on how smoothly and efficiently teachers move from one learning activity to another

Withitness

•Withitness refers to a teacher’s awareness of what is going on in the classroom

A teacher has “withitness” if:

•When discipline problems occur, the teacher consistently takes action to suppress the misbehavior of exactly those students who instigated the problem

•When two discipline problems arise concurrently, the teacher deals with the most serious first

•The teacher decisively handles instances of off-task behavior before the behaviors either get out of hand or are modeled by others

•When handling misbehavior –make sure all students learn what is unacceptable about that behavior

•Getting angry or stressed does not reduce future misbehavior

•Deal with misbehavior without disrupting the learning activity

Jones’ study of off-task behaviors

•99% of off-task behaviors take one of several forms

–Talking out of turn

–Clowning

–Daydreaming

–Moving about without permission

•Antisocial, dangerous behaviors make up a fraction of the time students spend off-task

Proximity and Body Language

•Eye contact, facial expressions, gestures, physical proximity to students, and the way you carry yourself will communicate that you are in calm control of the class and mean to be taken seriously.

•Be free to roam

•Avoid turning back to class

Cooperation through communication

•Verbalize descriptions of behaviors and never value judgments about individuals

•Verbalize feelings but remain in control

•DO NOT USE SARCASM

•Do not place labels (good or bad)

•Do not get students hooked on praise

–Praise the work and behavior –not the students themselves

•Speak only to people when they are ready to listen

Classroom Rules For Conduct

•Formalized statements that provide students with general guidelines for the types of behaviors that are required and the types that are prohibited

•A few rules are easier to remember than many rules

•Each rule in a small set of rules is more important than each rule in a large set of rules

Necessary classroom rules of conduct

•Maximizes on-task behaviors and minimize off-task (esp. disruptive) behaviors

•Secures the safety and comfort of the learning environment

•Prevents the activities of the class from disturbing other classes

•Maintains acceptable standards of decorum among students, school personnel, and visitors to the school campus

Establishing a “Businesslike” Atmosphere

. . . Or, “Don’t Smile until Christmas”

A Businesslike Atmosphere

•Take advantage of the first days of class

•Establish an environment in which achieving specified learning goals takes priority over other concerns

•It is much easier to establish this environment from the beginning rather than later

5 steps

1.Take advantage of the new school year or term to set the stage for cooperation

2.Be particularly prepared and organized

3.Minimize transition time

4.Utilize a communication style that establishing non-threatening, comfortable environment

5.Clearly establish expectations for conduct

Beginning a new year

•Take advantage of initial uncertainty

•Ride your “fences”

•PLAN for a favorable beginning

–Classroom/lab organization

–Ongoing routines

•Use learning activities with easy-to-follow, uncomplicated directions

•Use a disclosure statement

Disclosure Statement

•Used to clearly communicate expectations to students and parents

•Refer back to the guidelines throughout the term

•Not a legally binding document

Components of Disclosure Statement

•Basic Course Outline

•Grading Procedures

–Include procedures for making up missed work, extra credit, homework expected, etc.

•Attendance Policies (should be consistent with school policy)

•Other class rules, policies, procedures

•Safety considerations as necessary

•Accommodation for disabilities statement

•Signature of student and parent/guardian

Room/lab arrangement

•Make sure all students can see and hear clearly (and you can see them clearly)

•Arrangement is determined by learning activity (lecture, class discussion, small group work, etc.)

•Allow room and easy access for proximity control

•Think through class procedures and learning activities and arrange the room in the best possible way