The task of maintaining control of a group of students takes planning, knowledge, and understanding. Some teachers are masterful in their abilities to manage both behavior and instruction simultaneously. Others are less skilled and display extremes of timid reluctance and ferocious intimidation.
Basic Classroom Management Strategies
As is often the case, moderation often works best, and the truly successful managers are exactly what the name implies – people who can ably direct the behaviors of diverse personalities towards a common goal with quiet confident. Although there are different ways to successfully manage a class, there are common features to success. Among them are:
- Post clear, positive rules and discuss them.
- Be positive in attitude and expect success.
- Be consistent in enforcement or rules.
- Be predictable.
- Avoid put downs and sarcasm.
- Avoid power plays.
- Avoid threats.
- Be a good role model.
- Don’t scream at students.
Have a Plan for Handling Problems
The best classroom managers are proactive – they have rehearsed what they will do to deal with different types of problems. This helps avoid the frozen “deer in the headlights reaction” when a major distraction erupts. Effective managers have an understanding of human behavior that helps them assess a situation quickly decide on what is appropriate.
It is important to know, for example, that all student misbehavior does not require the teacher to shout or even speak loudly. In fact, if teachers always react with anger, the anger becomes less effective. It is true and good to remember that “A soft voice turneth away wrath.”
All Good Managers are not the Same
What works well for one teacher may fail miserably for another. To develop an effective management style that goes well with the teacher’s personality and core beliefs is important. Teachers need to feel good about how they manage a class. There is room for flexibility as long as students feel safe, respected and are able to learn well. Students appreciate polite, caring teachers and they enjoy diversity of personalities – it helps ward off boredom.
Teachers should respect individual management styles as long as they are effective and don’t violate school policies. Learning what works for others is important because other teachers can serve as resources for new management techniques.
Details of classroom management will differ among teachers. Some teachers expect every student to have pencil, paper, etc.– no exceptions. Others will lend a pencil, understanding that humans are forgetful and consider it more important for students to have pencils even if they have to loan one. How much one decides to “sweat the small stuff” is a matter of preference.
Students can Help Manage
The above example of the lost pencil might be solved by students who contribute pencils to a pencil jar. Pencils in near pristine condition can be found in abundance throughout most school. Students might be willing to donate found pencils to the class for their classmates. This is but one example of sharing part of the responsibility for classroom management with students. Creative teachers can think of numerous ways to handle small stuff.
Allowing students to help might help develop teamwork and a more positive atmosphere, but sometimes teachers have to take the reins of control firmly in hand. Cooperation is to be encouraged, but the teacher’s authority is not to be questioned by students.
Discipline is not Classroom Management
Discipline is part of classroom management, and it often involves how teachers try to teach individual students better behavior. Pretty much the same personality traits of teachers who are successful classroom are successful at discipline. Their goal is to bring about a positive change of behavior in a student. Doing so is an affirmation of their skills. More important, a student might be re-engaged in learning.
Working with specific discipline problems may require additional knowledge of a student, like how he behaves in other classes. Teachers should not avoid bringing parents into the situation if misbehavior is chromic or seriously disruptive.
Discipline is best conducted calmly. Students are likely to be angry when called down and may require a cool down period. Teachers may need the same thing. Whatever the case, students should be allowed to explain their side. Teacher should have a “reasonable certainly” about what happened so that they do not dispense consequences unfairly. But if convinced, they should act with confidence and maturity. Always, dispensing of consequences should be for professional and never for personal reasons. Teachers do not have the luxury of holding grudges. Every day is a new day with a fresh beginning.
Classroom management is essential if students are to learn effectively. Good managers are good leaders who are confident, positive, and professional. The make good plans and understand the human behavior. Effective managers can involve students in planning and helping with simple management tasks to encourage teamwork. When discipline is necessary for individual students, it is done to help the student and not for revenge.
Harvey Craft - I am a retired educator with diverse experience. I read anything science, education, and history. I write to share what I learn.
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