Classroom Management Styles - Essay Example

It is unlikely that any teacher would go about their teaching duties without finding it difficult to manage their classroom. This is especially so with the growing independence of children and the growth of more awareness as well as the passage of children rights, which teachers must observe to the latter. Notably, with every development that touches on a child there arises a new challenge for the teacher. These developments require that teachers remain keen and creative as this is the only way they can convincingly handle the arising challenges. It is apparent that every teacher has difficulty with classroom management (Weinstein et al 2010). In almost every set up, teachers face the same challenges in their classroom, many with unsuccessful results. Almost every teacher has some issue with student misbehavior. In most cases, it does not matter what grade a teacher is teaching, or where they live, or how wealthy the families are in the community they teach. The challenges are the same. As expected, the severity of the problems that some teachers face is different from others, but the basic issues are the same. The basic concern for every teacher is on how to handle student misbehaviors in their classrooms (Butler & Bisley, 1988). Most teachers are aware of how to handle the extreme misbehaviors, like swearing, fighting, stealing, drug use, and so on. In regard to these issues, most schools have a clear protocol on how to handle them. Of greater concern are smaller issues such as sleeping in class, excessive talking, and students getting out of their desks without permission (Weinstein et al 2004). These minor misbehaviors can be much more disruptive and stressful for a teacher than the extreme issues. This is because a majority of teachers do not have an effective plan in place ahead of time to handle them. As a result, teachers are forced to react on the spot without a prepared response (Unal & Unal, 2012). Such response may aggravate the issue and may pass a teacher as one who has lost control of the class. It should always be stressed that the critical issue in classroom management is that the teacher must always ensure absolute control. This way student feel obliged to follow instructions and behave in a way that is not disruptive to the others. Classroom problems have their genesis early in the lives of children. Problems such as poor or impoverished environments, diverse backgrounds, placement in inclusive classrooms and parental management styles have all contributed to the class room management and discipline problems. These societal problems are not solely responsible for classroom problems in the schools. These schools must also assume some of the behavioral problems (Weinstein et al 2004). School related problems contributing to discipline problem may include poor curricula and instructional planning, poor learning environment, not addressing the needs of children, poor parental involvement, and lack of understanding principles of child development and not having a well defined discipline problem. Therefore, in managing a classroom a teacher must have a well informed look and knowledge of all these factors that affect a child. It is only in such a case that the teacher can formulate a successful rationale of managing classrooms. In a simplistic way, classroom management entails discipline and management of student misbehavior. However, the meaning of classroom management has grown overtime to become more inclusive and holistic in which case it refers to various issues beyond discipline practices and behavior interventions (Butler & Bisley, 1988). It now represents teacher’s actions in devising accommodative learning environments and building community. A proper class management approach must be a means of setting up and ensuring an efficient learning environment. A further definition of classroom management notes it as a blend of three effective teaching strategies which include crucial content, influential teaching approaches and an organizational structure that is supportive to learning (Weinstein et al 2004). The mark of a teacher’s success is their ability to formulate strategies that put forth effective rules and procedures that set up groups, ensures monitoring and pacing classroom events, and which are reactive to stray behavior. It should be noted that despite the fact that classroom management has been denoted as a complex issue that is not all about managing student behavior many individuals are still convinced that it is centrally about ‘discipline’ (Allen, 2010). Classroom management and discipline The most appreciated meaning of discipline is the act of getting children to tow in defined line. There are various ways through which teachers ensure discipline a host of these ways are determined by the teacher’s assumption regarding the children’s growth, learning and development. Various resources that illuminate on the topic of discipline and classroom management encourage application of strategies that are put together in models that represent philosophical approaches that are reflective of these assumptions (Butler & Bisley, 1988). From a behavioral perspective, there is the view that human beings are naturally bad and continually need require to be regulated. On the other hand, the humanistic approach holds that humans are in overall good, but they have to be guided. General assumptions by teachers regarding students often fall under these two views (Weinstein et al 2004). It is thus assumed that teachers are bound to fashion their approach to classroom management or discipline issues based on which continuum they believe or follow. Those who lean towards the humanistic view are more likely to employ democratic models that look at misbehavior as a chance to learn. On the other hand, those who lean towards the behavioral view are more likely to use employ coercive means as they are of the view that misbehavior ought to be punished (Unal & Unal, 2012). The other approach is the democratic approach which entails teacher’s efforts to establish a relationship in which they recognize student’s dignity. In this set up, the teachers also exercise compassion recognition and build trust. There are also teachers who employ the coercive approach which entails use of force to ensure that student’s exhibit expected behavior. In most cases, this approach is unacceptable and is not appreciated in the liberal education set up. Following this, it is thus clear that a teacher’s approach towards managing student’s behavioral problems is determined by their views regarding the children, the model they apply, and the strategies they adapt are in line with these models. Learning classroom management practices for teachers The first place in which teachers learn how to manage classrooms is in the very classes they went through during their early life. Research has shown that new teachers develop perceptions on classroom management based on their own experiences as students. These teachers carry these perceptions with them and are bound to apply them early into their teaching practice (Fajet et al 2005). The second platform in which teachers learn about classroom management practices is in classrooms or institutions in which they carry out field observations and student teaching. It is in order to assume that the effect of this learning is based on the variety and quality of what happens in actual classrooms (Unal & Unal, 2012). If the approaches employed by veteran teachers are one dimensional or are of poor quality, then new teachers have a narrow scope within which to develop management skills. The last place within which teachers can learn about how to manage classrooms is in college classes. Given the nature of teacher education in our country, it would be challenging to cite the number of pre-service teachers that are given the opportunity to acquire high-quality classroom management skills. All the same, teachers continually learn new ways of managing classrooms albeit in less formal set ups. In some cases, teachers may enroll in profession classes or attend workshops that teach various ways of handling behavior issues (Unal & Unal, 2012). In other cases, some teachers may set to learn on their own, in these cases they seek to be resourceful through studying books and materials that provide insight on how to tackle behavioral issues and manage classroom problems. It should also be noted that teachers are part of social set ups where they continually confer and share ideas. Notably, learning is active within contexts and school is a context that provides both students and adults with a chance to learn from each other. This means that the approaches teachers adapt to manage classrooms are subject to social contexts of the school and other teachers. Classroom management style Behaviors exhibited by teachers in classrooms demonstrate their classroom management styles. Teachers are expected to manage classes and thus they may apply various styles to meet this responsibility. There exist variant classroom management styles. The most common of these styles include; authoritarian classroom management, authoritative classroom management, laissez-faire classroom management and indifferent classroom management (Kris, 1997). These approaches are developed based on the two views discussed earlier on in this study behavioral or humanistic. Authoritarian approach is about control over pupils and enforcing restrictions designed by teachers. Under this style, teachers are assumed to hold the view that pupils only learn by listening to teachers and remaining attentive to lessons (Unal & Unal, 2012). Students are expected to attend classes and take up learning activities even if they are unwilling. In authoritative management teachers dominance over the students conduct is determined by some reasonable reasons. Thus teachers may explain their actions. Under this approach, even though there is some level of control students are encouraged to be independent (Kris, 1997). In situations where they misbehave they are not scolded but are politely warned, teachers also remain open to students views. This is in such cases where students are contributing or sharing their thoughts on specific cases such as explaining how to handle misbehavior in class. Laissez-faire classroom management style is where teachers offer very little effort in an attempt to manage student’s behavior. However, they also demand very little from the students. Under the style, teachers assume an observatory role and never get stirred emotionally by a student’s behavior thus they feel no need to restrict the pupil’s behavior (Yilmaz, 2009). In this approach, teachers strike a friendly approach with pupils and treat them in a similar way. This approach has a very high chance of propagating behavioral problems from pupils and in most cases classes are likely to get out of control. Indifferent classroom management style, under this style student makes very few demands; teachers barely take interest in lessons and are often indifferent to pupils. Under the approach, teachers feel no need to put pupils under pressure, they fail to set aside time to prepare for classes (Yilmaz, 2009). Routinely, those who adapt this style fall short of necessary disciplinary skills and fail to cultivate trust between them and the students. On the other hand, students are hardly motivated. In conclusion, a teachers approach to classroom management is subject to a host of factors. Key among these factors is perceptions as well as inclinations to different ideologies mainly humanistic and behavioral. All the same, it is important that irrespective of these underlying factors teachers take adequate time to understand students and also understand their own prejudices (Kris, 1997). This way, teachers are able to come up with management styles that set aside subjective approaches in preference of objective measures that ensure discipline and cultivate cordial and supportive learning environments. References Allen, K. P. (2010). Classroom Management, Bullying, and Teachers Practice. The Professional Educator Volume 34 (1) , 1-32. Butler, J., & Bisley, W. (1988). Teacher classroom management styles with beginning high school students. Research in Science Education Vol 18 (2) , 177-185. Kris, B. (1997). What is your classroom management profile? Teacher Talk-A Publication for Secondary Education Teachers, 1(2). Unal, Z., & Unal, A. (2012). THE IMPACT OF YEARS OF TEACHING EXPERIENCE ON THE CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT APPROACHES OF ELEMNTARY SCHOOL TEACHERS. International Journal of Instruction Vol 5 (2) , 41-61. Weinstein, C. S., Tomlinson-Clarke, S., & Curran, M. (2004). TOWARD A CONCEPTION OF CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT. Journal of Teacher Education, Vol. 55 (1) , 25-40. Yilmaz, K. (2009). Primary school teachers’ views about pupil control ideologies and classroom management styles. Cypriot Journal of Educational Sciences Vol 4 , 157-167. Read More