DIVERSITY AND PEDAGOGY

Diversity and Pedagogy



Diversity and Pedagogy

Introduction

Teacher empowerment and managerial skills are key components that link an organization's performance and student achievement. Teachers who employ a variety of student behaviour management techniques in the classroom are more likely to be in control of their classroom. Successful classroom management involves preventing occurrences of problems. The most effective decisions in classroom management of student behaviour are based on clear concepts of the goals and intended outcomes that the classroom teacher wishes to accomplish. In the classroom, the teacher must wear several hats: teacher, disciplinarian, and role model. The classroom teacher must be able to control his/her class from the first day of school. It is very important that the students know who is in control of the classroom. The classroom teacher must have planned strategies at his/her disposal on the very first day of school (Taylor, 2002).

Discussion

What Happen in the Case Study?

The case study portrays a usual but significant problem that there are too many students with negative behaviour being referred to their grade-level principal by classroom teachers. Many classroom teachers are spending entirely too much academic time dealing with disruptive student behaviour. The ability of the classroom teacher to eliminate negative student behaviour problems is an important component that is essential in creating a positive learning classroom environment. Scholars have long been interested in the factors that seem to influence individual or group behaviour in the classroom. Students sometimes develop implicit group norms that influence and, in some cases, restrict any learning in the classroom. In many instances, this may be the major factor that may cause negative student behaviour within that classroom.

School administrators in the role as instructional leaders must take the responsibility as role models and create an organizational culture that is an ever-changing and evolving event. They can employ creative teaching and leadership behaviour to entice student learning and satisfaction. Classroom management skills require a systematic approach, especially in secondary schools. Therefore, improved teacher preparation is critical. In teacher preparation programs, greater emphasis must be placed on general as well as special educators to be competent and efficient in issues and guided practice in implementing preventive and corrective behaviour (Sugai, 2007).

For these reasons, administrators must also be available for teachers counselling on classroom discipline management. In a disorderly school environment, teachers find it difficult to address the individual needs of students. School violence and discipline problems have increased in an overwhelming number of school districts worldwide. During most of its 22-year existence, the Annual Gallup Poll of the Public's Attitudes toward the Public Schools has identified lack of discipline as one of "the most serious problems facing the nation's educational system. As a result of the lack of teacher training, many good teachers leave their profession within five years because of disruptive classroom behaviour. The report concluded that eight often teachers report their teaching would be more effective if they did not have to spend so much time handling disruptive ...