Classroom Management

Classroom Management

Introduction

Classroom management involves a variety of actions on the part of classroom teachers that establish structures, processes, procedures, and expectations that facilitate the teaching and learning processes by keeping students safe, emotionally physically, and intellectually. Classroom management includes discipline but takes a broader perspective. Discipline carries a connotation of reaction, whereas classroom management has a more proactive perspective. Discipline (as a subset of classroom management) remains a major concern of the public regarding school each year on the Gallup Poll (Darch & Kame'enui, 2004). Being preventative in work with student behavior is important for the immediate environment of the classroom and for the school as a whole. A positive classroom environment enhances learning and keeps children safe. Litigation due to negligence, lack of due process, or change of placement for special needs children is less likely when classrooms are proactively managed.

Discussion

Classroom management is a broad term that includes a conceptual framework, instructional procedures, behavior management techniques, physical organization of the classroom, integration of reinforcement and instruction, evaluation activities, and a year-long planning model. How teachers manage their classrooms is related to students' performance on academic and behavior measures. Efficient models of effective classroom management are comprehensive in that instruction and behavior management are merged into an integrated system. All aspects of teaching and managing are considered: (a) instructional delivery, (b) curriculum design, (c) grouping students, and (d) use of time for instruction. In addition, an instructional approach to classroom management is proactive in that before a behavior problem occurs, teachers carefully and strategically arrange their classrooms to encourage student participation in all learning activities, as well as to teach students the necessary social skills to behave appropriately (Darch & Kame'enui, 2004). More important, teaching critical social skills systematically sets up numerous opportunities for reinforcing what has been taught and directly communicates to students whether they are meeting expectations. An effective model of classroom management has the following eight features.

Feature 1: Developing a Conceptual Framework. The basic assumption of an instructional model of classroom management is that teachers first teach students how to behave in every circumstance for which teachers expect appropriate behavior. Teachers readily initiate opportunities to teach and reinforce new behaviors. Potential classroom management problems are approached exactly like instructional problems. Teachers must ensure that all students have access to instructional content, evaluate the students' ability to follow classroom rules, and teach all skills necessary for learning. Thus, teachers know what behavioral skills have been taught, reviewed, and mastered, just as they know what specific reading or mathematics skills have been taught. Teachers avoid making the faulty assumption that a student who engages in behavior problems has the ability to perform appropriately in the classroom (Charles & Senter, 1995).

Feature 2: Being Proactive. One important feature of an effective classroom management model is that it is proactive, meaning that teachers institute strategies to prevent learning and behavior problems before a problem occurs instead of reacting to problems. A proactive approach to classroom management typically includes, but is not limited ...