Effective Classroom Management:Bring out the best in yourself and your students!By Roshanda M. Johnson

What is classroom management? I like the American Psychological

Association’s (2016) definition of classroom management. “Classroom management is the process by which teachers and schools create and maintain appropriate behavior of students in classroom settings.”

The ultimate goal of classroom management is creating the most effective environment for learning to take place.

According to Jones and Jones (2015), there are six basic assumptions that organize beliefs about classroom management: 1. Classroom management is centered

around creating a safe environment where all students feel valued.

2. Effective management directly correlates to effective instruction.

3. Effective classroom management should increase students’ ownership, responsibility, and self worth.

4. Effective classroom management involves helping students develop new behaviors that help them work successfully with others.

5. Effective classroom management causes the educator to examine her goals for her students as well as her personal values and beliefs.

6. Effective classroom management includes planning, reflection and growth.

Understanding Student Needs Understanding students’ social, emotional, and

cognitive needs is paramount to creating an equitable learning environment.

Jones, Bailey and Jacob (2014) propose that effective classroom management addresses student needs and gives them the tools to manage themselves.

One theory I closely relate to is that of Abraham Maslow. Maslow suggested that in order for students to effectively learn, their basic needs for physical fulfillment, safety and security, belongingness and affection, self-respect, self-actualization, and understanding had to be met first (Jones and Jones, 2015). When these needs are met, students exhibit productive behaviors and increased learning.

Establishing Positive Relationships

Establishing Positive Teacher-Student Relationships

Why are staff and student relationships important? Libbey (2004) found a direct link between student relationships and feelings of connectedness to high achievement. According to Jones and Jones (2015), here are some ways we can create positive relationships between staff and students:• Create opportunities for open, professionally appropriate

dialogue with students. Show them you value them as individuals.

• Share some physical contact with your students. Physical contact can help make a student feel valued, but teachers should exhibit cautions such as: setting clear boundaries, guarding against student misinterpretation of behavior, having others around, and being aware of one’s school policies and procedures.

• Keep it positive! Of course there will be times when you have to correct your students, but your use of behavior-specific praises should far outnumber judgements and negative feedback.

Creating Positive Peer Relationships Creating a supportive classroom climate is important for building student-student relationships. Here are some strategies for establishing quality peer relationships that can ensure students personal needs are met throughout the learning .

• Know Your Classmates-This activity is an informal survey that encourages students to interact with one another while learning some specific interests and characteristics of their peers.

• Service Projects-Service projects offer students the chance to gain a sense of community as they work together to solve a common problem.

• Photo Album-Create a class album of special events and moments. This activity not only unites the class with a common goal but also allows the students to learn how to use a camera (Jones and Jones, 2015).

Fostering Positive Relationships With FamiliesGalindo and Sheldon (2012) conducted research to examine the influence of the home on learning and development. From their study they found that family involvement and educational expectations correlated to gains in reading and math achievement in kindergarten. It is imperative to foster positive relationships with the families of our students in order to help them succeed. • Schedule home visits-Home visits can better integrate

knowledge of your students’ cultures, community and beliefs into daily classroom practices.

• Informal Mixers-Host bi-monthly events to give parents and other caregivers an opportunity to meet with faculty and staff.

• Involving Parents in the Classroom-There are several ways to involve parents. They can be volunteer tutors, serve as special guest teachers, provide instruction help such as prepping materials, chaperone field trips, or help teachers find materials (Jones and Jones, 2015).

Let’s Get Motivated!Motivation has a significant role in student learning. In fact, in classrooms where students understand what and why they are

learning and are engaged in important tasks, they are more likely to behave responsively and learn effectively (Jones and Jones, 2015).

In order to motivate students and keep them engaged, their academic needs must be met. According to Jones and Jones

(2015), students need to:1. Understand and value learning goals.

2. Understand the learning process.3. Be actively involved in the learning process.

4. Have learning goals that relate to their own interests and choices.5. Receive instruction responsive to their learning styles and

strengths.6. See learning modeled by adults as an exciting and rewarding

process.7. Experience success.

Feedback for ThoughtFeedback should be helpful and encourage students to think

about their learning. Providing useful feedback and evaluation influences student motivation, learning and

behavior (Jones and Jones, 2015).

Here are some practical ideas for using evaluating in the classroom:

1. Help students view feedback as part of the learning process.

2. Inform students of the criteria by which they will be evaluated prior to beginning projects and assignments.3. Provide immediate, honest and specific feedback.

4. De-emphasize comparisons and grades when providing feedback.

5. Record data so that students can track their own progress.

Making Smooth TransitionsMaking smooth transitions is an important part of maximizing

learning time in the classroom. Here are some practical ideas for making smooth

transitions:

1. Arrange the classroom for efficient movement.2. Create and post a daily schedule.

3. Have materials ready for the lessons you will present each day.

4. Maintain your students’ attention until clear instructions have been given.

5. Let students do tasks independently.6. Develop appropriate transitional strategies.

7. Be sensitive to special needs when giving instructions.8. Teacher-directed instruction should be used to transition at

the end of the class period(Jones and Jones, 2015).

How will you respond?One of the most common challenges facing teachers is how

to effectively respond to student behaviors that disrupt classroom instructional time. Therefore, educators must

utilize a variety of strategies to address disruptive behaviors.Here are some practical ideas for responding to

student behaviors:

1. Have some initial interventions set in place that provide limited interference to instructional time such as ignoring

behaviors, nonverbal contact, proximity control or call on the student.

2. State your expectations clearly and calmly.3. Provide students with choices in order to respond to their

needs for competence and power.4. Work with class to set goals that reduce disruptive

behavior and plan ways to celebrate those goals!5. Model! Model! Model! Model appropriate behaviors and

responses (Jones and Jones, 2015).

Problem Solving

When prevention and response are not enough,

utilize problem solving methods to resolve ongoing

behavior problems. Glasser’s

Seven Step Problem Solving Method can be used to solve problems in a short amount of time. Also, it is easy to

learn, actively involves students in the process, and

focuses on specific, observable behaviors (Jones

and Jones, 2015).

Individual Behavior Change Plans

Research has shown that behavior contracts and plans can be used as

effective tools for increasing positive student behaviors (Jones

and Jones, 2015). Behavior contracts and intervention plans

focus on observable and measurable behaviors as targets for

change and require the student’s commitment. After choosing the behaviors to be addressed by the contract or plan, educators must

model or teach students skills that will replace negative behaviors.

Positive Environment Network of Trainers (2010) has created this

simple list of steps:

1.Collect information.2. Analyze the information from

all the different sources and determine how they are

connected.3. Examine possible causes of

the behavior (s).4. Identify a goal for a new

behavior as well as replacement behaviors.

5. Create an intervention procedure to achieve the goal.

6. Evaluate and modify the intervention as necessary.

BIPs Con’d

Summing it up:What’s the deal?

From the first day of school to the very last, we as educators are striking a deal with our students. In exchange for relinquishing some of their control, we

are promising them and equitable learning experience.

The Art of the Deal-Be assertive

-Be serious and confident-Be deliberate

-Create the right mindset-Let your students know that it matters how hard they

try and that you’re going to try to (McDonald and Hudder, 2014)!

ReferencesAmerican Psychological Association (2016). Classroom management. Retrieved from

http://www.apa.org/education/k12/classroom-mgmt.aspx

Galindo, C., & Sheldon, S. B. (2012). School and home connections and children's kindergarten

achievement gains: The mediating role of family involvement. Early Childhood Research

Quarterly, 27(1), 90-103.

Horner, R. H., Sugai, G., & Anderson, C. M. (2010). Examining the evidence base for school-

wide positive behavior support. Focus on Exceptional Children, 42(8).

Libbey, H. P. (2004). Measuring student relationships to school: Attachment, bonding,

connectedness, and engagement. Journal of school health, 74(7), 274-283.

McDonald, J. P., & Hudder, D. (2014). Uncovering the deal in classroom management. Phi

Delta Kappan, 96(2), 44–47.

Jones, S. M., Bailey, R., & Jacob, R. (2014). Social-emotional learning is essential to classroom

management. Phi Delta Kappan, 96(2), 19–24.

Jones, V., & Jones, L. (2015). Comprehensive classroom management: Creating communities of

support and solving problems (11th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

Positive Environment Network of Trainers. (2010). Developing an effective behavior

intervention plan. Retrieved from https://indianaieprc.org/images/ASSETS/binder/S11-

1DevelopingEffectiveBehaviorInterventionPlan.pdf.

Reflection

Creating this professional development presentation has been an inspiring process for me. It has been as if I have created a digital growth chart for myself by which I have marked the ways in which I have grown over this course. The

information and insights I have gained will not only aid in my professional growth, but in that of my colleagues as well. As I collaborate and share ideas in my workplace, my colleagues’ views and ideas about classroom management may change and expand. If the teachers and administration within my school grow as a result of knowledge I am able to share from my studies, students will be favorably affected by it. Based on the needs of my students, I would like to

focus future professional development on understanding the psychology behind various behaviors. When seeking to understand why some children behave

inappropriately, I want to be able to answer questions such as: • What does the child seek to gain from the

behavior? • Does this child have particular disabilities? What

might this mean? • Are the behaviors predictable?

When I gain more knowledge in answering these types of questions, I will be able to create more equitable behavior plans and interventions for my students.

ReflectionOne of the highlights of this course will be sharing my

presentation with my colleagues. As members of a learning community, it is imperative that we share our knowledge and skills with one another. However, my presentation will also serve as a foundation for positive social change in the future. As I collaborate and share ideas in my workplace,

my colleagues will be able to add more tools to their teaching arsenals. As I introduce my colleagues to the information and research based strategies that I have

acquired on classroom management and they begin to maximize on instruction time so that each child gets all that

he or she can each day, together we will increase the chances of our students growing into well rounded

individuals who think critically and are dedicated to hard work. Critical thinkers and hard workers discover cures,

travel the universe, invent life changing developments, and contribute to their communities in ways that alter them for the better. We change our students. They change the

world.