Classroom ManagementKyle O’Connor

Outline

▪ Define Classroom Management▪ Staging the Classroom▪ Misbehaviors: Causes, Strategies, Effects▪ Technology Integration▪ Wrap-up & Discussion

Objectives

▪ Understand the importance of classroom management and its inextricable relationship with instruction.

▪ Identify some common misbehaviors, as well as their causes and effects.

What is Classroom Management?

▪ Strategies for ensuring a safe classroom environment▪ Techniques for handling student misbehavior– Self-Discipline

▪ Methods for maintaining a daily schedule of events– Clear learning objectives and goals

▪ Techniques that foster positive student behaviors– Clear rules

Staging the Classroom

▪ Effective management begins before students step foot into the classroom– Arranging the room– Making a seating chart– Preparing materials– Reviewing school procedures– Determining your educational philosophy

Student Misbehaviors

▪ Most common misbehaviors– Goofing off– Walking around the room– Talking and disturbing others

▪ Serious misbehaviors– Violence– Drugs– Weapons– Bullying

Causes of Misbehaviors

▪ Dreikurs’ Democratic Teaching– Identifies four “mistaken goals”▪ Attention getting▪ Power seeking▪ Revenge▪ Feelings of Inadequacy

– Rather than focus on the action, focus on the cause

Addressing Mistaken Goals

▪ Attention-getting– Eye-contact and closer proximity– Use the students name or ask a

question while continuing instruction– Give encouragement to an on-task

student▪ Power-seeking– Avoid direct confrontation– Make them feel as if they control the

situation

▪ Revenge– Separate the student from the behavior– Require the return of articles– Mend student differences

▪ Feelings of Inadequacy– Acknowledge difficulty, remind of past

success– Provide peer tutor or ask student to help

someone else

Effects of Misbehaviors

▪ Students– Loss of valuable learning time– Bullied or harassed

▪ Teachers– Hinders ability to offer creative

instruction– Approximately 20% leave the

profession within first three years

Digital Age Management

▪ Technology Integration– Allows students to be self-motivated– Offers self-paced learning– Builds interest and purpose for learning– More effective and efficient method to

manage large classrooms

The Do’s and Don’ts

DO▪ Be assertive▪ Create a positive learning

environment▪ Lead by example▪ Use encouragement▪ Treat all your students

equally

DON’T▪ Be passive or hostile▪ Violate the students’ best

interests▪ Have different expectations▪ Rely on praise▪ Stereotype

Discussion

▪ What types of misbehaviors have you noticed in your observation?▪ What strategies have you observed in

classrooms that seem to be effective? Not so effective?

Technology in Education – An Effective Aid for Classroom Management by Rajashekar

This article highlights the many benefits to technology in the classroom, including an effective aid for classroom management. It also offers rebuttals to several negative aspects of incorporating technology in the classroom, such as cost, lack of human interaction, and teachers not being tech-savvy. The author also points out the positive contributions that technology can have on students becoming more autonomous learners, hence instilling upon them some self-discipline as well.

5 Keys to Effective Classroom Management by Kimberly Kode

This brief article published by the Association for Middle Level Education covers five simple keys to effective classroom management. The basics are know your personal style, keep it simple, positive reinforcement, take it one step at a time, and lastly do not wait to implement a strategy. The article is beneficial for it covers some basic ground rules, rather than diving in to complex techniques and strategies that may be overwhelming for a teacher struggling with management in their own classroom.

References

Kode, K. (2010). 5 keys to effective classroom management. Retrieved from https://www.amle.org/BrowsebyTopic/ClassroomManagement/ClassDet/TabId/183/ArtMID/787/ArticleID/187/5-Keys-to-Effective-Classroom-Management.aspx.Manning, M. L., & Bucher, K. T. (2013). Classroom management: Models, applications, and cases 3e. Columbus, OH: Merrill/Prentice-Hall.Rajashekar. (2013). Technology in education -- An effective aid for classroom management. Language In India, 13(5), 502-508.