Classroom management is an extremely important aspect of education; if
used effectively, it can allow for smooth operations, but failure to properly
implement an effective plan will be detrimental to both teacher and students.
Substitute teaching for a couple years now absolutely confirms the importance of
classroom management to me. I will admit that starting off, I would be taken
advantage of for my relaxed, go-with-the-flow teaching style, but luckily my
education classes and clinical has taught me some useful and effective management
strategies that make substitute teaching much easier (thankfully).
“In a 2006 survey of Pre-K through 12th grade teachers conducted by the
American Psychological Association (APA), teachers identified help with classroom
management and instructional skills as their top need” (APA, 2015). Such a
staggering amount of professionals in the educational field wanting more resources
and training for management solidifies the necessity for us entering the education
field to come in prepared and with strong ideas and understanding of our own. One
way an entire school community can aid in providing effective classroom
management is positive behavior support, or PBS. At Waddell Elementary in
Manchester where I am conducting my clinical, a PBS system is in place where
teachers and staff may reward students with a ticket, or take away a ticket if
witnessing any misbehavior. Because every student and teacher in the school is
aware of the system and its ramifications, students understand the expectations and
what they must do to earn tickets, and avoid behaviors that should cause them to
lose tickets. If students earn a certain amount of tickets throughout the week, they
may participate in the school-wide Fun Friday, which is a half hour devoted to an
extra recess or free time for students. PBS programs also include “individualized
interventions (called indicated or tertiary intervention) for students who need very
focused and more intense services for problematic and disruptive behavior. Tertiary
interventions are typically used with students who have a more severe range of
disruptive behaviors” (APA, 2015). Greg Carabillo, the first grade teacher that I am
conducting my clinical with, has two students in his classroom that adhere to a
tertiary intervention. At the end of each period, the teacher evaluates these
students to make sure that they are following the school rules, such as “staying on
task” or “keeping body and objects to oneself”.
According to Lesson Plans Inc (2007-2012), one of the top ten rules for
classroom management is using a seating chart. Mr. Carabillo advised me to feel out
which students are chatty or disruptive, and who is shy and quiet, and mix those
students while comprising a seating chart. Those who are lower functioning in
ability or have a significant behavior problem should be seated up in the front of the
room. “Students in the front and center of your room will receive the most eye
contact from you. If you want to keep a close eye on a student, put them in the front
of the room” (Lesson Plans Inc, 2007-2012). Mr. Carabillo also said it is ideal to seat
students in a cluster of four. This allows for cooperative learning, as well as equal
partners and making sure each student has a buddy for “turn and talk” or “pairshare” exercises. “Working together lets students get their questions answered by
someone who is not going to grade them. It lets students talk and get to know each
other during class” (Lesson Plans Inc, 2007- 2012). Not only does collaborative
learning allow for a constructivist style classroom where children are in charge of
their own knowledge, it allows students to form relationships with their peers and
trust one another to help them if needed. In turn, this increases the overall
classroom morale and ensures the classroom climate is a positive one for all
children to feel safe and comfortable with one another. Thomas Friedman states in
his novel, The World is Flat, “The best companies are the best collaborators. In the
flat world, more business will be done through collaborations within and between
companies, for a few simple reasons: The next layers of value creation, whether in
technology, marketing, biomedicine, or manufacturing, are becoming so complex
that no single firm or department is going to be able to master them alone”
(Friedman, 2006, p. 439). In order to be successful in society today, students must
master the art of working with others in order to achieve a larger goal and
cooperative learning hones that skill. “The other key element of cooperative
learning, individual accountability, refers to the need for each member of the team
to receive feedback on how his or her personal efforts contribute to achievement of
the overall goal” (Dean, Hubbell, Pitler, & Ross, 2012, p. 37). Mr. Carabillo stated
that each student of the group has a job he or she is responsible for, such as
messenger or note-taker, and holding students accountable for their responsibility
helps teach them the importance of effort and resilience.
Student accountability is also an important component of establishing
effective classroom management. If students are aware of the expectations in the
classroom and the consequences for not following those expectations, then there is
no surprise for a student’s punishment for not adhering to those rules (Foley,
National Education Association, 2012-2014). At Waddell, students are aware of the
consequences for breaking both the classroom and school-wide rules and are not
surprised if a teacher asks them for a ticket for misbehaving.
Generating student interest and engagement is crucial for classroom
management practices. If students are involved and want to learn more about the
subject matter, they are more likely to stay on task. “Individuals are engaged by
information and activities that are relevant and valuable to their interests and goals.
This does not necessarily mean that the situation has to be equivalent to real life, as
fiction can be just as engaging to learners as non-fiction, but it does have to be
relevant and authentic to learners’ individual goals and the instructional goals”
(National Center on Universal Design for Learning, 2014). Producing examples that
are relevant to the assignment but also relate to a student’s interests helps to
engage and develop a better understanding of the expectations for that specific
assignment. Also, by consistently reminding students of the goal or objective of the
assignment, it will help re-align their focus and encourage them to keep putting in
effort.
Students from a culturally and linguistically diverse background require a
teacher to be a master at classroom management strategies. “Educators need to be
aware of their biases and own them, despite their subtle and almost invisible
natures. Educators who are able to do this can understand that while their
experiences are their realities, the same realities do not exist for all of their
students” (Cramer & Bennett, 2015, p. 19). Research has indicated that the closer a
student feels to their teachers and peers is strongly correlated to their motivation,
emotional wellness, and engagement (Wang & Holcombe, 2010). Educators need to
realize students from a very diverse background from their own may require
different strategies to satisfy their unique needs. “Teachers should take the time to
learn about students’ family and home life, as well as the in which they live” (Cramer
& Bennett, p. 21). Doing this not only helps the student feel cared for and included,
it also is helpful to the teacher in knowing who to reach out and contact should a
problem occur that requires outside assistance. “Teachers who establish and
maintain high-quality, trusting relationships with students can draw on their history
of positive interactions in order to address classroom management challenges as
they arise. In contrast, teachers regularly engaged in conflict with students are less
able to respond effectively to classroom disruptions” (Jones, Bailey, & Jacob, 2014, p.
20).
Effective classroom management is an imperative aspect of a positive
teaching experience and providing a positive educational experience to students. By
becoming aware of different strategies and implementing them in the classroom, it
guarantees a seamless school day for everyone present.
References
Carabillo, G. (2015). Waddell Elementary School.
CAST (2011). Universal Design for Learning Guidelines version 2.0.
Wakefield, MA. Retrieved from:
http://www.udlcenter.org/aboutudl/udlguidelines/principle3#principle3_g7
Cramer, E.D., & Bennett, K.D. (2015). Implementing culturally responsive
positive behavior interventions and supports in middle school classrooms. Middle
School Journal, 46 (3), 18-24.
Dean, C., Hubbell, E., Pitler, H., & Stone, B. (2012). Classroom Instruction that
Works. Denver, CO: McREL.
Foley, D. (2012-14). 6 Classroom management tips every teacher can use.
National Education Association. Retrieved from:
http://www.nea.org/tools/51721.htm
Friedman, T. L. (2005). The world is flat: A brief history of the twenty-first
century. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
Jones, S.M., Bailey, R., & Jacob, R. (2014). Social-emotional learning is
essential to classroom management. Phi Delta Kappan, 96 (2), 19-24.
Kratochwill, T. American Psychological Association (2014). Classroom
Management. Retrieved from: http://www.apa.org/education/k12/classroommgmt.aspx
Lesson Plans Inc (2007-2012). Classroom Management Strategies.
Collaborative Learning. Retrieved from:
http://www.lessonplansinc.com/classroom_management_collaborative_learning.ph
p
Wang, M.T., & Holcombe, R. (2010). Adolescents’ perceptions of school
environment, engagement, and academic achievement in middle school. American
Educational Research Journal, 47 (3). 633-662.