Effective Classroom Management - Research Paper Example

Effective Classroom Management Importance of classroom management. Classroom management continues to be one of the biggest concerns in education. Not only is it a concern for the consumers of education services (parents, public, and community) but also for those in the system who have to face the classroom every day. Reupert and Woodcock (2010) report that pre-service teachers view it as a major source of concern especially during their practicum experience. It has even been suggested as a deterrent to those wanting to join the profession. However since effective classroom is a significant contributor to the learning and development of the students it is important to examine the issue in order to identify strategies that could make it easier for teachers. There are a multitude of strategies and approaches that have been put forward and tried over the years; but before going into the process of classroom management and strategies it is important to define what exactly the term means. Classroom management has been defined in various ways but it generally involves what the teacher practices to ensure order in the classroom. It addresses both the learning or academic environment in the classroom and also the behavioural aspects of the environment; so that it has a two-fold purpose and perhaps that is part of what makes it such a difficult task for the teacher. According to Beckles and Ellis (2003),classroom management is “ a complex task consisting of planning lessons, providing a safe environment, teaching students and perhaps the most daunting task of all, appropriately responding to student behaviour problems” (p.23). Another definition states that “classroom management consists of a wide array of proactive, well-established and consistent techniques and practices” (Johnson et al, 2006). They posit that in order for teachers “to relate content effectively, the classroom must be well managed” (p.29). Additions to the definition of classroom management include that it “needs to encourage positive social interaction, active engagement in learning and self-motivation” (Burden 2003, cited in Reupert and Woodcock, 2010). Terms classroom management, behaviour management and discipline are used interchangeably in the literature, but the umbrella term classroom management includes the teacher strategies related to student behaviour, interactions and learning. (Reupert and Woodcock 2010). Many first- year teachers feel confident about their subject content and their instructional strategies; it is the classroom management that is of concern, according to Johnson et al (2006). They describe classroom management as involving classroom procedures and behaviour management. They explain that the classroom procedures are the practices that include academic, routine and special situations; for example academic routines include planning lessons and assessing students, routine situations involve organising the class especially the arrival and exit of students at beginning and end of day and for transitions during the day. Fire and disaster drills constitute special routines. The behaviour management should be proactive rather than reactive. They further point out that teachers need to be taught behavior management skills since they do not come naturally. Classroom management strategies. “Teachers’ actions in classrooms have twice the impact on student motivation as do school policies regarding curriculum, assessment, staff collegiality and community involvement” (Marzano and Marzano, 2003 p.6). These authors emphasise the important role teachers play in managing classroom effectively. As stated above, there exists a wide variety of strategies and suggestions for effective classroom management. On examining some of these a common thread is obvious. Marzano and Marzano (2003) outline the important components of classroom management as beginning the school year with a positive emphasis on management, arranging the room in a way that is conducive to effective management and identifying and implementing rules and operating procedures. They believe that the student-teacher relationship is a central key to all other aspects of classroom management. For the teacher to control the classroom environment he must demonstrate the following – appropriate dominance, i.e. he must provide a clear purpose and strong guidance in both the academic and the behavioural development. Secondly the teacher must be able to provide flexible learning goals and take a personal interest in the students. Finally, the teacher must be aware of the high-needs students, e.g. those who are passive, aggressive, have attention problems or are socially inept. Beckles and Ellis (2003) present a comprehensive list of suggested strategies that should be included in any classroom management plan. Many of these deal with the common themes of presenting clear expectations of the students and respecting the students. Setting classroom rules with the input of the students is often suggested. In addition to setting the rules, it is important to spell out the consequences, both positive and negative, of the rules. Teachers’ modelling of these rules is crucial. The authors also mention the importance of keeping the students occupied or filling the period with activity that is interesting and meaningful; not leaving them with idle time. Classroom management has been described as a number of techniques and procedures to help the teacher manage the class better. Little and Atkin-Little (2008) point out that there is no one specific technique that can be called classroom management. They also support the establishment of classroom rules which must be fair but must also be integrated into a wider behaviour management plan. Additionally they support the need for minimizing the amount of unstructured time in the classroom and suggest that at least 70% of the classroom time should be devoted to academic activities. Reinforcement strategies- use of praise and rewards- have also been common in the classroom management programs. However, these authors point out that the naturally occurring reinforcers such as positive attention from the teacher, grades and self- reinforcement may not be enough. It is also important that the reinforcers be age appropriate and also take into account the functioning level of the student. Sending positive notes home and giving tokens can also act as positive reinforcers. In their study of 149 K-6th grade teachers about their use of classroom management principles, they found that the most common strategy used was the setting up of rules with student involvement. This was followed by the use of the reinforcers mentioned above. The teachers also used the common strategies when students were disruptive in the class- moving the student closer to the teacher, verbal reprimands, ignoring the behaviour while acknowledging the positive behaviour of another student, writing the student’s name on the board and ignoring the student altogether. The teachers found though, that although they used these evidence-based strategies, there were still problems of behaviour management in the schools. It is suggested that the classroom management techniques must depend on the ecology of the classroom and the type and severity of the disruptive and problem behaviour. The teachers’ experiences with classroom management and their perspectives are useful in guiding research on the topic and implementing strategies for success in classrooms. Reupert and Woodcock (2010) surveyed 336 pre-service elementary school teachers in Canada. The purpose of the survey was to determine the frequency of use of strategies, the confidence the teachers had in themselves in managing classrooms, and the success they noticed with behaviour management strategies. This study also reported that the most common strategy used was moving the student closer to the teacher. The results showed that the teachers were more inclined to use low-level strategies that focused on initial corrective measures rather than waiting until situations occurred. The second most effective strategies involved setting routines and teaching behaviour early. The teachers also reported using rewards less frequently but having better success with them. However they felt less confident using the rewards, and even less confident using later corrective strategies especially referring the students to administration and time outs. There has been a shift from reactive classroom management strategies to proactive classroom management. Gables et al (2009) point out that there is now an urge to point students in the direction of what behaviour they should start with rather than only pointing out what they should stop doing. They explain that in the past classroom management focused on negative consequences and punishment but it is now shifting to using more preventative classroom interventions. Precorrection is suggested as a preventative strategy; it includes identifying the antecedents of the behaviour issues and using cues, prompts and positive reinforcement. Teaching classroom management needs to be an important part of pre-service training. Reupert and Woodcock (2010) reported that teachers generally do not feel adequately prepared to manage their classrooms and required additional education in the topic. They felt that the teacher education was not practical enough. On the other hand some teacher educators feel that the pre-service teachers prefer a ready- made model which may be too mechanistic and will not address the specific issues. There is then need for effective classroom management programs which take into account the current behavioural issues facing the specific classroom. Training needs to start in teacher education programs and continue in pre-service and in-service settings. It is also important for classroom management plans to be implemented at the very start of the school year. References Beckles, C.E. & Ellis, I.C. (2003). The secret of classroom management. Technique: Connecting Education and Careers. 78 (5), 22-25. Gable, R.A., Hester, P.H., Rock, M.L. & Hughes, K.G. (2009). Back to basics: Rules, praise, ignoring and reprimand revisited. Intervention in School and Clinic. 44 (4), 195-205. Johnson, D.D., Rice, M.J., Edgington, W.D. & Williams, P. (2005). For the initiated: How to succeed in classroom management. Kappa Delta Pi Record 2 (1), 28-32. Little, S.G. & Atkin-Little, A. (2008). Psychology’s contribution to classroom management. Psychology in Schools. 45 (3), 227-234. Marzano, R.J. & Marzano, J.S. (2003). The key to classroom management. Educational Leadership. 61 (1), 6-13. Reupert, A. & Woodcock, S. (2010). Success and near misses: Pre-service teachers’ use, confidence and success in various classroom management strategies. Teaching and Teacher Education. 26 (6), 1261-1268. Read More