Classroom Management

Classroom Management

Classroom Management

Introduction

Barbara Coloroso is an internationally recognized speaker and author in the areas of parenting, teaching, school discipline, non-violent conflict resolution and reconciliatory justice. She is an educational consultant for school districts, the medical and business community, the criminal justice system and other educational associations around the world. Barbara has served as a classroom teacher, a laboratory school instructor, and a university instructor. She is the author of five international bestsellers.

Discussion

When dealing with classroom management it is important to consider the level and type of education being taught. Middle school student behave differently than high school students, and gifted students behave differently than "exceptional" students. For this essay I will focus on classroom management in secondary public school classrooms. There are two parts to an effective classroom management plan; preventive management, and corrective discipline. The first part refers to maintaining a learning environment comfortable for both the teacher and student. The later considers the necessary actions in order to correct any misbehavior.

As Barbara Coloros has stated for many teachers, misbehavior is the most difficult problem to deal with. It disrupts their lesson plans along with other students' learning. In The Synergetic Classroom, Barbara Coloros explains some reasons why students misbehave in the classroom. Some students like to see how far they can push and what they can get away with. Others like to mimic each other, especially when it involves disapproved behavior (Coloroso, 2001). Most students crave attention and if necessary, they will misbehave to get it. Few students are egocentric and believe anything they do is all right, including retaliation when they don't get their way. All these behaviors can be eliminated, modified, or avoided in the classroom.

Avoiding, or preventing these disruptions is the primary goal in classroom management in my philosophy. To set the stage, there are several aspects of classroom management that reduce the chances of misbehavior. In her book, Parenting Through Crisis, Barbara Coloroso explains a model of organization to avoid discipline hassles. By organizing space and scheduling time, students will know where things belong and what to do. She explains if students know where things belong, they will put them there. When they know what to do, they are more likely to do it. By developing a daily routine, the students get to reinforce the appropriate behavior on a daily basis. Classroom meetings can set the stage for cooperative learning ...