1
Important issues and concepts
Levin et at. (2005) main points in a chart
2
A Hierarchical Approach to Successful
Classroom Management
1)
 Understanding classroom management principles
 Brainstorm on definition
o
Behavioral problem:
 whenever the behavior (of the TEACHER or the STUDENTS) interferes
with the teaching act, the rights to others to learn, is psychologically or
physically unsafe, or destroys the property
 Understanding the decision-making hierarchical approach
o Applying a hierarchical approach to classroom management decisions allows
teachers to employ knowledge effectively in order to understand , prevent and
manage student (mis)behaviors (L et al., p14)
2)
 Defining a discipline problem - Levin et al >
o Is there a behavioral problem?
o If there is one, who is exhibiting it?
o Does the behavior require discipline or intervention?
 Practice situations
 Problems of behavior outside the definition
o Is daydreaming a behavioral problem?
 Understanding the extent of discipline problems in today's schools
o Situation about crime & misbehavior (Canadian schools)
o Bullying (“…physical or psychological abuse of power by peers”)
 Understanding how discipline problems affect teaching and learning –
 (skip analysis)
3)
 Understanding societal change and its influence on children's behaviors
o Schools exposing “norm-violating” behaviors of students
o The knowledge explosion – erosion of respect for authority
o Teacher and student frustration (gap in instructional technology) and the relevancy of
schooling
o TV and violence
o The media and role models
 Recognizing student needs
o Maslow’s theory of basic needs

Physiological

Safety and security

Belonging and affection

Esteem and self-respect

Self-actualization
 Failure to meet student’s basic needs
o The environment at home
 Application of Maslow’s theory
3

o

Pro-social and disruptive students—family issues
The environment at the school
 Physiological needs
 E.g., dealing with kinesthetic students, overcrowded lunch rooms,
and more
 Safety and security needs
 Coercion, bribery, bullying
 Belonging and affection needs
 Trust and care
Social recognition and self-esteem
o Social recognition:
 Addler & Dreikurs’ concepts:
 Human need of belonging, recognition and acceptance
 Behavior as goal-directed and purposeful
 Behavior under the control of the person (controversial!)
o Self-esteem:
 Coopersmith’s four components
 Significance
 Competence
 Power
 Virtue
 Understanding developmental changes and accompanying behaviors
 Cognitive development
o
Piaget’s four stage age-related cognitive development theory

Sensory-motor

Preoperational

Concrete operational

Formal operational
 Moral development
o
Kohlberg’s six level of moral reasoning

Punishment/obedience

Exchange of favors

Good-boy/nice girl

Law and order

Social contract

Universal ethical
CHAPTER
3)
 Understanding and employing different power bases of teachers
o Referent
o Expert
o Legitimate
o Reward/Coercive
 Understanding theories of classroom management
o Student-directed
o Collaborative
o Teacher-directed
4)
 Developing effective teaching strategies
o
Lesson design

Lesson intro



Clarity
Coached practice
Closure
4
o
o
o
o
Rosenthal & Jacobson’s
“intellectual bloomers”’
study

Communicating high
expectations to all
students – effect on lowachievers
o
Classroom questioning

Interest

Engaging

Committing

Internalizing

Interpreting

Evaluating
o
Maximizing learning time

Relationship between time on learning and achievement results (and management)
Allocated time –issues with housekeeping chores, PA announcements, and so on
Time-on-task – research guidelines

Solitary practice

review
Student motivation: teacher
variables

Student interest

Student needs

Novelty and variety

Success

Tension

Feeling tone

Feedback

Encouragement
Teacher expectations







Use of substantive interaction – teacher-led vs. student-led
group activities
Teacher monitoring
Appropriateness of activity, readiness of resources, clarity of
directions to follow, and so on
Oral and written directions on task and after-task student
activities
Communication of expectations on student behavior
Variety of seat work activities
 Canadian research responses:
o
Current models of teaching and learning

Teaching of particular content in particular context

‘Conceptual change’ research in science teaching

Constructivism (questioning behaviorism)
 Knowledge actively constructed
 Knowledge around few powerful ideas
 Prior knowledge powerfully influencing new knowledge
 Restructuring of prior knowledge and conceptual change
 Knowledge socially constructed
New understandings on instructional practice
o
Teaching for understanding

Thought-demanding tasks
 Explain in own words
 Make predictions
 Find exemplars in new contexts
 Applying concepts to explain new situations
o
Authentic instruction

Higher-order thinking – manipulate concepts in new ways

Fewer ideas but at deeper level

Real world problems

‘Substantive’ conversation

Encouragement of achievement of all
(note: The process of students tackling the problem defines the higher or lower skills used)
o
Thinking and problem-solving skills - Marzano’s five types of dimensions of learning:

Positive attitudes and perceptions about learning

Acquiring new knowledge & skills based on prior experiences

Extension and refinement of knowledge – comparing and contrasting, classifying,
analyzing, and so on

Meaningful use of knowledge and development of productive habits of mind (sensitivity for
feedback, desire for accuracy, and so on)
o
Creating learning communities (Slavin & others)

Face-to-face interactions

Positive interdependence
5

Individual accountability
o
Teaching for multiple intelligences –Gardner’s theory:
 linguistic
 logical/mathematical
 spatial
 bodily/kinesthetic
 musical
 interpersonal
 intrapersonal
o
Student motivation

Student cognition–Bandura--individual thoughts vs. external reinforcers
 Students’ personal evaluation and self-satisfaction. NO praise. (yes >
goal setting/monitoring/self-evaluation). High self-efficacy = more efforts
to succeed.

Attribution (theory)
 Students’ perceptions of reasons for their success/failure
 Factors for attribution:
o Ability, effort, task difficulty, luck, and other people (teacher).
Only effort under stud control

Expectancy x value (theory)
 Effort on task = expectancy (of success in activity) & value (of outcome of
activity)
Chapter 7
Managing Common
Misbehaviour Problems: Nonverbal Interventions
INTRODUCTION
The goal of helping students to become self-directing individuals has to be kept consistently in any
classroom management techniques used

The use of a pre-planned hierarchy of (remedial) interventions improves the teacher’s ability to manage
misbehaviour

The majority of student misbehaviours are surface behaviours, (verbal interruptions, off-task
behaviours, and disruptive physical movements) “are present in every classroom in every school” (p.
166)
PREREQUISITES TO MANAGEMENT

Teachers to observe their own behaviour (not blaming on the students). Students’ responsibilities
are obvious.

Prerequisites to appropriate classroom management:
The teacher
o
is well prepared to teach
o provides clear directions & explanations of the learning mat
o ensures stud understand the evaluation criteria [my responsibility with rubrics, in our
310 assignment!)
o clearly communicates, rationalizes, and consistently enforces behavioural expectations
o demonstrates enthusiasm and encouragement and models the behaviour expected
from students
o builds positive, caring relationships with the students
SURFACE BEHAVIOURS
Verbal interruptions, off-tasks behaviours, physical movement
intended to disrupt, and disrespect. These are “normal developmental
behaviours of children” (p. 168)
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-“overlapping”
-“with-it-ness”
PROACTIVE INTERVENTION SKILLS
 changing the pace of classroom activities
 removing distracting objects
 interest-boosting of a student
 redirecting behaviour
 non punitive time out
 encouraging the appropriate behaviours of other students
 providing cues for expected behaviour
REMEDIAL INTERVENTION SKILLS
Planned Ignoring
Signal interference
Proximity interference
CHAPTER 8 –BASIC OUTLINE
Managing Common
Misbehaviour Problems: Verbal Interventions and Use of
Logical Consequences
INTRODUCTION
Hierarchy of intervention
(1) Non-verbal intervention skills
(2) Verbal intervention
(3) Logical consequences
CLASSROOM VERBAL INTERVENTION
1. whenever possible, non verbal interventions first
2. verbal interventions as much as possible private
3. brief verbal interventions
4. “speak to the behaviour, not the person” (p. 182)
5. “set limits on behaviour, not on feelings” (ibid)
6. “avoid sarcasm and other behaviours that belittle or demean” the
students (ibid)
7. use appropriate student/behaviour decision-hierarchy that
encourages student-control
8. follow an ineffective verbal intervention with the next technique in
the hierarchy
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9. if more than one ineffective verbal interventions, use logical
consequences
“Some ineffective verbal interventions encourage inappropriate
behaviour” (p. 183)
Using Adjacent (Peer) Reinforcement
 Bandura’s findings
Calling on the Student by Name
 Name dropping technique
 Naming & asking, or asking & naming
Using Humour
 Humour at the teacher or at the situation rather than at the
student – no sarcasm
Questioning Awareness of Effect
 “John, are you aware that your calling out answers…” (p. 187)
Sending an “I Message”
Gordon’s technique
1. simple description of disruptive behaviour
2. description of tangible effects on people
3. description of teacher’s feelings about the effects of the
misbehaviour
Using Direct Appeal
 “John, please stop…”
 Legitimacy implied
Using Positive Phrasing
 “As soon as you do X (behave appropriately), we can do Y (a positive
outcome).”
Using “Are Not For”
 (mainly for elementary school)
Reminding Students of the Rules
 (mainly for junior & elementary schools)
Asking Glasser’s Triplets
1. what are you doing
2. is it against the rules?
3. what should you be doing?
Using Explicit Redirection
 the teacher assumes more responsibility and she or he is open to
undesirable consequences and needs to follow through
Using Canter’s “Broken Record” Strategy
 T=“John, stop calling…”
 Stud=“But I really…”
 T=“That’s not the point. Stop calling…
 Stud=”You let Mabel answer…”
 T=“That’s not the point. Stop calling…
COMPLY OF FACE THE LOGICAL CONSEQUENCES: “YOU HAVE A CHOICE”
 Contrived consequences are NOT part of the decision-making hierarchy
 “John, you have a choice, stop calling…or move your seat…You decide.”
 If misbehaviour continues, “John, you’ve chosen to move to…”
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WHEN “YOU HAVE A CHOICE” DOES NOT WORK
 T=“That’s not the point. Please move to the back of the room”
 Stu=(argues)
 T=“That’s not the point. Please move to the back of the room”
 Stu=(argues)
 T=“That’s not the point. Please move to the back of the room”
 Stu=“I am not moving …”
 T=”John, you have a choice. Move to the back of the room now, or I will
contact…”
Classroom Interventions for Chronic Problems
Levin et al.’s CHAPTER 9-important points
Presenting the problem: pre-planned hierarchy of interventions (non-verbal and verbal) not
effective with some types of behaviours (of chronic nature)
 Finding positive qualities in students who have chronic behavioural problems and
building positive relationships with those students increase the possibility that the
problems can be resolved within the classroom.
 Breaking the cycle of discouragement in which most students with chronic behavioural
problems are trapped increases the likelihood that the problems can be resolved within
the classroom.
-- “attachment and hurt” process (Brendtro, Brokenleg, & Van Bockern, 2002)
-- Strachota’s four-steps to building a positive relationship (wonder why, empathy & intimacy,
positive aspects of personality, and teacher-own interactive behaviour
 The Cycle of Encouragement - Disrupting the Cycle of Discouragement, strategies and
techniques - helping to meet student needs
 Four questions teachers should ask themselves when encouraging courage and
confidence in students with chronic misbehavioural problems ( p. 207)
 Private conferences
When teachers conduct private conferences and use effective communication skills with students
who have chronic behavioural problems, the problems will likely be resolved within the classroom.
* Management techniques for chronic misbehaviour problems:
o
o
Self-monitoring
Anecdotal record keeping
o
Behaviour contracting