The Three F’s of Classroom
Managment
Foundation, Field and Flow
Classroom Management - What and Why?
 Classroom management is a complex practice that requires
teachers to possess a multi-level skill set.
 Classroom management is the most important factor governing
student learning (Wong 1998)
 Classroom management is a multi-faceted construct that includes
three broad dimensions: person, instruction, discipline (Laut, 1999)
 Classroom management is not and should not be considered as a
construct divorced from the classroom teaching and learning
experience
What are the Three F’s?
 Extensive review of research and literature revealed three overarching themes of successful classroom management
 Foundation- the rules, consequences, attitudes and impressions
established by the teacher from the first day of class and beyond
 Field – the environment or playing field the teacher establishes in
the classroom
 Flow – the fluid movement of the lessons such that it can be
directed and channeled in its course by both teachers and students
toward a learning objective
Foundation
 Rules and expectations for behavior and performance.
 Must begin on 1st day (Douglas 1986).
 Clear expectations related to rules and procedures must be
established along with consequences for not following these rules.
 Teacher uses the rules to foster respect among students and
among student and teacher.
 Does not mean high levels of discipline.
 Ultimate goal is to use management to avoid discipline.
Field – Environment in the Classroom
 Must foster a classroom environment of respect & cooperation.
 High expectations for all students.
 Teacher “withitness” is critical (knowing what’s going on).
 Need to have respect and awareness of equity issues and diversity.
 Appropriate implementation of rules and procedures is critical.
 Students should face logical consequences to breaking the rules.
 Humor is important. Humor emancipates creativity and stimulates
higher level thinking. Individuals who find humor are:
Persistent problem solvers
Flexible to consider alternatives
Relieved of tension
Flow – “Keep it Moving”
Flow consists of:
 Time management used in presenting the lesson
 Learning theories used by the teacher to provide activities
and variety to the lesson
 Questioning strategies used to drive the lesson and assess the
learning of the student
 The lesson design
 Any materials or technology used as part of the lesson design
 Proper flow deters student boredom, frustration, and consequent
behaviors.
 No wasted or undirected use of time at the beginning and end of
the lesson.
 It is critical to have momentum and smoothness in lesson (Kounin
1970).
Consider a 5E Lesson Cycle to Improve
Flow
 Engagement – used to capture student interest in topic and check
for student mastery of prior knowledge
 Exploration - small group tasks to explore and discover lesson
objectives
 Explanation – Students present to the teacher and their classmates
their findings
 Extension or Elaboration – broaden lesson objectives to more
complex levels and make connections
 Evaluation – summative assessment of student learning of the
lesson objectives.
Conclusion
 The Three F’s theory provides a comprehensive theory of
classroom management.
 Promotes use of proper rules and procedures.
 Encourages active learning processes that allow for effective
teaching and learning in the classroom.
 Proactive approach that fends off behavior problems by engaging
students in the learning process through use of smoothly delivered
and properly designed lessons.
 Structured enough to provide a blueprint while being flexible
enough to allow for individual teacher personality and teaching style.
Checkpoint
What are the 3 “F”’s of classroom management? Briefly
describe each “F” and why it’s important.
 Foundation- the rules, consequences, attitudes and
impressions established by the teacher from the first day of
class and beyond. This lays the groundwork for a productive
learning environment.
 Field – the environment or playing field the teacher
establishes in the classroom. Teacher needs to enforce high
expectations for behavior and learning consistently.
 Flow – the fluid movement of the lessons such that it can
be directed and channeled in its course by both teachers
and students toward a learning objective. Creates active
learning situation that is essential to a proactive classroom
management approach.