CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT Taken form: http://edglossary.org/classroom-management/
Classroom management refers to the wide variety of skills and techniques that teachers use to keep students organized, orderly, focused, attentive, on task, and academically productive during a class. When classroom-management strategies are executed effectively, teachers minimize the behaviors that impede learning for both individual students and groups of students, while maximizing the behaviors that facilitate or enhance learning. Generally speaking, effective teachers tend to display strong classroom-management skills, while the hallmark of the inexperienced or less effective teacher is a disorderly classroom filled with students who are not working or paying attention.
Rules and strategies that teachers may use to make sure students are sitting in their seats, following directions, listening attentively
Classroom management extends to everything that teachers may do to facilitate or improve student learning, which would include such factors as behavior (a positive attitude, happy facial expressions, encouraging statements, the respectful and fair treatment of students, etc.), environment (for example, a welcoming, well-lit classroom filled with intellectually stimulating learning materials that’s organized to support specific learning activities), expectations (the quality of work that teachers expect students to produce, the ways that teachers expect students to behave toward other students, the agreements that teachers make with students), materials (the types of texts, equipment, and other learning resources that teachers use), or activities (the kinds of learning experiences that teachers design to engage student interests, passions, and intellectual curiosity)
Given that poorly designed lessons, uninteresting learning materials, or unclear expectations, for example, could contribute to greater student disinterest, increased behavioral problems, or unruly and disorganized classes, classroom management cannot be easily separated from all the other decisions that teachers make. In this more encompassing view of classroom management, good teaching and good classroom management become, to some degree, indistinguishable.
Taken from: http://www.apa.org/education/k12/classroom-mgmt.aspx
Thomas R. Kratochwill, Rachel DeRoos, Samantha Blair. University of Wisconsin-Madison: Classroom management is the process by which teachers and schools create and maintain appropriate behavior of students in classroom settings. The purpose of implementing classroom management strategies is to enhance prosocial behavior and increase student academic engagement (Emmer & Sabornie, 2015; Everston & Weinstein, 2006). Effective classroom management principles work across almost all subject areas and grade levels (Brophy, 2006; Lewis, et al., 2006). When using a tiered model in which school-wide support is provided at the universal level, classroom behavior management programs have shown to be effective for 80-85 percent of all students. More intensive programs may be needed for some students.
Why is classroom management important? : Establishes and sustains an orderly environment in the classroom.Increases meaningful academic learning and facilitates social and emotional growth.Decreases negative behaviors and increases time spent academically engaged.
Although effective classroom management produces a variety of positive outcomes for students, according to a 2006 survey of pre-K through grade 12 teachers conducted by APA, teachers report a lack of support in implementing classroom management strategies. Chaotic classroom environments are a large issue for teachers and can contribute to high teacher stress and burnout rates. Therefore, it is important to use effective classroom management strategies at the universal level in a tiered model, as they serve as both prevention and intervention methods that promote positive outcomes for students.
Why classroom management works?: Classroom management systems are effective because they increase student success by creating an orderly learning environment that enhances students' academic skills and competencies, as well as their social and emotional development. Classroom management systems are most effective when they adhere to three basic principles (Brophy, 2006, pp. 39-40):
Emphasize student expectations for behavior and learning. It promote active learning and student involvement. It also Identify important student behaviors for success. More specifically:
What behaviors are required to reach the goals of learning activities? What implications does a particular learning activity have for student roles? How will the teacher prepare students to take on these roles?
School Wide Implementation.
Teachers concerned with classroom management typically need help with two issues:
Preventing discipline problems. Dealing with current discipline problems.
To address these concerns, researchers have established several systems such as positive behavior support (PBS) (Crone & Horner, 2003; Crone, Horner, & Hawken, 2010) and social and emotional learning (SEL), (Weissberg, Kumpfer, & Seligman, 2003).
Recommendations for teachers:
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Do not use vague rules.
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Do not have rules that you are unwilling to enforce.
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Do not ignore student behaviors that violate school or classroom rules (they will not go away).
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Do not engage in ambiguous or inconsistent treatment of misbehavior.
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Do not use overly harsh or embarrassing punishments or punishments delivered without accompanying support.
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Do not use corporal punishment.
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Avoid out-of-school suspension whenever possible (APA Task Force on Zero Tolerance report).
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Do not try to solve problems alone if you have serious concerns about a student. Refer to your school psychologist or special education professional
When implemented in high schools, prevention-based classroom management systems:
Create and promote a positive school climate.Enhance student commitment to school.Teach and reward individual student social skills.Disrupt and monitor antisocial behaviors and interactions.
Positive behavior support (PBS) is typically set up as a multilevel model of intervention and involves a school-wide structure of support for teachers that adopt evidence-based programs (Freiberg & Lapointe, 2006), and small group and individualized programs for students who do not respond to the school-wide structure and need more support (Robinson & Griesemer, 2006). At the school wide level, teachers and staff create a positive school culture by clearly defining positive expectations that are taught to all students and adults (Bradshaw, 2014).
An example of a system of PBS as a tiered model might look like the following:
Tier 1: universal level
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The school establishes expectations for behavior.
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Ensure that students, staff and families understand these expectations; schools operationalize positive behaviors and teach them to students.
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Teachers have pro-social contacts with students and model expected behaviors.
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Teachers receive formal training in behavior management.
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The school establishes a school-wide leadership team to support the PBS activities.
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The school implements a methodical system of recording student behavior to facilitate decision-making regarding potential intervention or other responses.
Tier 2: secondary level of intervention
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An evidence-based program such as First Steps to Success (Walker, Stiller, Bolly, Kavanagh, Steverson, & Feil, 1997) can be implemented with groups of students in need of this level of support.
Tier 3: tertiary level
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Individualized evidence-based programs are implemented for students not responding to the second tier based on results of behavior data and analysis of their behavior. Most classroom teachers have not been trained in functional assessment or analysis of behavior, so it is important that they consult with their colleagues (e.g., school psychologists, special education teachers) who have expertise in this area.
Classroom management is the term educators use to describe methods of preventing misbehavior and dealing with it if it arises. In other words, it is the techniques teachers use to maintain control in the classroom.
For the students, lack of effective classroom management can mean that learning is reduced in the classroom. For the teacher, it can cause unhappiness and stress and eventually lead to individuals leaving the teaching profession.
Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) is the process through which children and adults acquire and effectively apply the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions.
Plan for Blocks of Time During the Day
According to Joyce McLeod, Jan Fisher and Ginny Hoover Key in their book Elements of Classroom Management, good classroom management begins with planning the time available.
Discipline problems generally occur when students are not engaged. To keep students engaged, teachers need to plan for different blocks of time in the classroom:
Allocated time. The total time for teacher
instruction and student learning.
Instructional time. The time teachers are actively teaching;
Engaged time. The time students are involved in a task on their own.
Academic learning time. The time teachers can prove that students learned the content or mastered a particular skill.
Plan Engaging Instruction
According the published report Effective Classroom Management Teacher Preparation and Professional Development (2007) by Regina M. Oliver and Daniel J. Reschly, Ph.D. sponsored by the National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality:
Highly effective instruction reduces but does not fully eliminate classroom behavior problems.
The study notes that instruction that is can both encourage academic engagement and on task behavior is usually identified as having:
Instructional material that students find educationally relevant;
A planned sequential order that is logical related to skill development at students instructional level.
Frequent opportunities for students to respond to academic tasks;
Guided practice;
Immediate feedback and error correction.
The National Education Association also offers posts with suggestions on how to motivate students. These recommendations are based on the premise that students need to know why the lesson, activity or assignment matters:
Give students a voice;
Give students a choice;
Make instruction fun or enjoyable;
Make instruction real or authentic;
Make instruction relevant;
Use the technology tools of today
Prepare for Disruptions and Be Flexible
A typical school day is loaded with disruptions, from the school announcement on the PA system to the student acting out in class. Teachers need to be flexible and develop a series of plans to deal with anticipated classroom disruptions. Once the flow of the lesson is interrupted to deal with disruptions, then students are robbed of precious in-class time.
Prepare the Physical Environment
The geography , or physical environment, of any classroom contributes to instruction and student behavior.
As part of a good classroom management plan to reduce discipline problems, the physical arrangement of furniture, resources (including technology), and supplies must achieve the following: The physical arrangement eases traffic flow, minimizes distractions, and provides teacher(s) with good access to students.
The classroom physical space is set to assist with transitions between various classroom activities and limit distractions.
The classroom physical space supports quality student interactions for particular classroom activities.
The design of the classroom physical space ensures adequate supervision of all areas.
There are clearly designated areas for staff and students in the physical space.
Be Fair and Consistent
Students have a distinct sense of what is and what is not fair. Teachers must treat all students with respect and treat all students equitably. One of the worst things that can happen in the classroom is the student(s)'s perception that the rules are not enforced fairly or consistently.
Make Rules Understandable
Classroom rules must first align with the school rules. Classroom rules need to be regularly revisited, and consequences must be regularly reviewed.
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Goals of classroom management:
Foster student engagement and cooperation for all classroom activities, establish a productive work environment
Increase student achievement.
Taken from: http://www.mpsaz.org/cte/staff/aetebo/cte/files/classroom_management_handbook.pdf