Running head: JUNIOR HIGH CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT
Junior High Classroom Management
Michelle R Miklinski
Liberty University
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JUNIOR HIGH CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT 2
Junior High Classroom Management
Seventh and eighth graders are a lively bunch, full of energy, full of excitement and full of themselves. Not that they mean to be, but with puberty kicking in and peer relationships being at the center of their attention, the classroom can get quite rowdy. Of course we do not want to stifle the development of their social skills, however, classroom management can get out of hand quickly and it is up to the teacher to ensure stability by being attentive from the first student entering the room, to the last one leaving the class. Students may complain about too much work, or too much instruction, but deep down, they are counting on the teacher to hold the classroom together. Over the last 28 years there has been an increasing interest in time management and level of productivity in the classroom. In 1983, the National Commission on
Excellence in Education, called for expanding the time available for learning through better classroom management. (Sanford, 1984) According to Slavin (2009), it has become one of the most important issues that face teachers today in establishing an effective learning environment that includes strategies that teachers use to create a positive, productive classroom experience.
He also states, that students who are participating in well-structured activities that engage their interests, are motivated to learn and are working on challenging tasks within their capabilities rarely pose any serious management problems. (Slavin, 2009) To this end, I submit a problem prevention plan that will be utilized in my classroom for optimal results.
The first day of the new school term will begin promptly by my welcoming the class and stating that we are going to have a great term, lots of fun and lots of surprises, but in order to do that, we need to establish some rules and procedures to guarantee that we will have enough allocated time to complete the assigned tasks for the day. I will begin with procedure that is

JUNIOR HIGH CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT 3 most important to maintain classroom structure and momentum and will allow students to add any other procedure they feel would be helpful to stay on-task. I will keep the policies that we created together hanging in the classroom, so they can be seen and reviewed at the beginning of the class each day during the first week and to address interruptions going forward.
I plan to establish a productive environment by being ready to begin as soon as students start filing in to the classroom. I will greet them randomly as they come into the room to establish a positive rapport and if there are papers to be handed out, I will volunteer a student to distribute the worksheet by placing enough copies at the beginning of each row, that can be passed back to all students in that row. I will then allow the student volunteer to choose one of two rewards for their cooperation. At this time most of the students will have entered the room, and I will direct everyone to take their seat, take out their pencils and begin looking over the worksheet that was handed out. While the class is settling down I will begin explaining what we will be doing for the day and what the worksheet entails. If a student enters the room late, I will continue to instruct the class and have them transition into assigned workgroups quickly, but quietly. I will walk around the room observing each of the workgroups, stopping to see if anyone has questions and reminding the students that they have an allotted time to complete the project. I will vary lesson content, use a variety of materials, incorporate cooperative learning groups, and project-based learning to reduce boredom-caused behavior problems. (Slavin, p.
343) If correction is needed, I will draw on nonverbal cues during instruction, simple verbal reminders of what the student is supposed to be doing, assertive discipline for noncompliance, and if the student continues to disregard attempts of resolution, a choice will be given to either comply or suffer the consequence. (Axelrod & Mathews, 2003; Colvin, 2004) For more serious offenses, applied behavior analysis will be instituted.

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No one enjoys having to discipline; I would prefer to keep a harmonious classroom by intentional teaching through structure, on-task assignments, momentum, and nonverbal cues. If I expect cooperation and am consistent with classroom management techniques, I could look forward to a positive, effective, and successful school year.

JUNIOR HIGH CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT
References
Axelrod, S., & Mathews, S. (2003). How to manage behavior . Austin: Pro-Ed.
Colvin, G. (2004). Managing the cycle of acting-out behavior in the classroom . Longmont, CO:
Sopris West.
Sanford, J. P. (1984). Classroom Management in Junior High and Middle Schools: Findings from Two Studies. R&D Report No. 6156 . Retrieved from http://www.eric.ed.gov/PDFS/ED271473.pdf
Slavin, R. (2009). Educational Psychology: Theory and Practice 9th edition . Upper Saddle
River, NJ: Pearson. Retrieved from http://www.eric.ed.gov/PDFS/ED271473.pdf
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