Classroom management might be the most pressing task for teachers; without effective management, properly executed, other teaching tasks become more difficult and less effective. Moreover, it is an enormous task that permeates all other teaching activities.
Teachers, then, are expected to do much more than simply impart knowledge. Harry Wong put it this way: “You were hired to take a group of students and turn them into interested and productive learners in a well-managed classroom.”
The effective classroom management plan helps teachers answer five questions thoroughly.
Do I appropriately and Clearly Manage Student Behavior?
Rules are the foundation of a good plan. Most professionals agree that rules should be few, and extremely clear. Rules are unalterable, so they should apply to only the most fundamental expectations: no fighting, no disrespect, etc. Teachers need to enforce rules uncompromisingly.
Procedures are different. They help guide teachers, students, and classes. They can be flexible, but still must be clear. They can also be numerous, since they inform every aspect of a class.
Management expert Rick Smith, author of Conscious Classroom Management, writes, “Procedures are the railroad tracks, content is the train.”
They should be designed to keep students on task, and they should be clear enough that students always know what they should be doing.
For students who don’t follow rules or procedures, consequences need to be communicated and applied consistently. There is consensus that consequences should be applied in ascending severity, so that students have time to reflect on their behavior before being punishing severely
Do I Manage my Space Well?
How the classroom is arranged has a huge impact on student behavior and learning. Key factors to good classroom layout are students’ physical safety, the ability of the teacher to navigate the room easily, and student proximity and orientation to learning material.
Teachers can ensure safety by leaving room for student to exit quickly in emergencies. Teacher circulation will prevent many misbehaviors. Students will learn more and disrupt less if they can see the board, television, or teacher easily; if they are seated near other students who will maximize learning; and if they have easy access to books and assignments.
A dynamic classroom is often a good classroom. There are many benefits to having students move around the room, but it needs to be efficient. According to Smith, seating arrangements can be changed frequently, “as long as the students are taught and retaught the procedures for moving desks.”
How Do I Manage Class Time?
Good teachers use as much classroom time on instruction as possible. Likewise, students in well-managed classes meet the expectation of staying on task throughout class time.
Many good teachers use cues, such as music and bells, to facilitate transitions. They clearly post and adhere to daily schedules, and have activities ready for students who finish early.
How Do I Manage my Paperwork Load?
Distributing and collecting student work efficiently will reduce demands on teachers. Good managers make sure their students know what paperwork is assigned, and where to get it. They have a place, known to all, where extra copies are stored.
Students should know where their work goes, and when. They also know exactly what they can do if they’d like to make up work or do extra credit.
Are Student Grades and Communication Managed?
When students know how they are performing relative to expectations, they are less likely to misbehave or challenge rules. Good classroom managers keep performance expectations posted, and have procedures for students to find out what their grades are quickly and without wasting instructional time.
Answers to assignments and tests are communicated quickly and consistently, as are evaluation tools, such as rubrics and scoring scales. Students understand how they are evaluated and know how to improve.
Effective teachers also regularly communicate grades to students and parents. Extra time setting up communication systems will yield far more time down the road.
The role of the teacher is that of a manager. To be effective, teachers need to make certain they are appropriately managing the various aspects of their classes.
References
Smith, Rick. Conscious Classroom Management. Conscious Teaching Publications. San Rafael California: 2004.
Wong, Harry K. and Wong, Rosemary T. The First Days of School: How to be an Effective Teacher. Harry K. Wong Publications. Mountain View, CA: 2004.
Richard Stowell - Rich Stowell teaches educational technology at the University of San Francisco and high school math at a charter school in Richmond, ...
