Education For Excellence - Effective Classroom Management

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EFFECTIVE CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT...
CREATING A POSITIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

There is nothing that has a greater impact on a student’s academic success than a positive classroom environment. Especially for the first time, inexperienced, challenged or ineffective teachers, classroom management can present an overwhelming challenge. As part of our Teacher Leadership offering, Cei-Pea is presenting Effective Classroom Management - a powerful growth and development training that focuses on the essential teaching skills that are the foundation for effective classroom management ~ skills such as focused listening, taking responsibility, assertive communication, peaceful conflict resolution, and conscious choice.

Teachers completing the four day training will be more proficient at:

Taking responsibility for their role in their students’ behavior and achievement
Positive Classroom Discipline
Managing their own stress
Setting expectations
Creating a safe and supportive classroom environment
Communicating with students, school staff, administrators and peers
Goal setting and Implementation
Resolving Conflict Peacefully
Sharing their challenges, concerns and advice with their peers
Improving study habits

Besides empowering teachers by taking responsibility for their role in a student’s academic performance, the training also recognizes the importance of students assuming responsibility for their own academic success and in creating a successful learning environment. One of the marks of an expert teacher is that they take the time required to establish ground rules and expectations for interaction in the beginning of the school year. To this end, the participants will receive and learn how to present specific teaching tools (lesson plans, DVD’s, a facilitator’s manual, hand outs) that will reinforce students participation in creating a positive learning environment.

Logistics:

4 full-day training sessions for 18—28 teachers

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Nothing is more important to teaching and learning than the climate established and the discipline maintained in the classroom.

A. STUDENTS WILL RISE TO OUR LEVEL OF EXPECTATION

See your students through the eyes of being capable of achieving at the highest level

Become aware of judgments and prejudices you may have based on:
- Race
- Ethnicity
- Religion
- Socio‐economic factors
- Physical appearance

Set a paradigm for classroom behavior and relations by teaching the students in the beginning of the school year how to:
- Really Listen
- Take Responsibility
- Accept rather than judge
- Resolve Conflict Peacefully
- Communicate Assertively
- Connect Consequences and Choice

Establish, make clear, and enforce acceptable behavior. Consistency in enforcing acceptable behavior and not accepting misbehavior is one of the major determinants in being and effective disciplinarian.

In order to establish control and maximize time spent on teaching; outline and display the following specific rules, expectations and class routines:
- Entering the class, line‐up and dismissal
- Being time and prepared for class
- Distributing and collecting material
- Attendance
- Discipline in the hallways, which sets the stage for classroom behavior
- Procedure for obtaining a hall pass
- Care of books
- Going to the restroom
- Responsibility of monitors and helper
- Homework grading, effort and requirements
- Raising hands
- Conduct in the classroom
- Determination of grades
- Being attentive and contributing to classroom discussion
- Keeping a good notebook

B. WE TEACH WHO WE ARE AS WELL AS WHAT WE KNOW

Learn, embody and exemplify principles such as:
- Really Listening
- Assertive Communication rather than habitual passivity or aggression
- Taking Responsibility rather than blaming others
- Conscious Choice rather than habitual emotional response
- Acceptance rather than judgment
- Resolving Conflict Peacefully

Model the quality work that you expect from your students by:
- Presenting well thought out and effective lessons
- Making sure the classroom is neat and clean
- Being organized
- Presenting a professional appearance
- Making sure all handouts are well formatted and do not contain spelling errors

C. WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT GOES ON IN OUR CLASSROOM

Classroom discipline is basically the teacher’s responsibility which he or she must resolve using all available approaches

Take Responsibility for how you create your relationship with each student as the first step in improving strained relations as well as take responsibility for your part in each student’s academic success or failure of.

Reflect on any attitudes, beliefs or judgments you may have regarding a specific student and the effect that this may have in determining the relationship you have with him or her and their behavior while in your class.

View each student as being capable of achieving at the highest level.

If you are seated and feel the class energy is dropping and students are not engaged, it may be helpful to stand up and speak in a more assertive tone.

When you feel that the class is getting out of control, change the class activity. A group, individual or quiet activity may be appropriate.

Be in the hall during change of periods to meet class, assist flow of traffic and monitor proper behavior. Behavior in the hall sets the stage for appropriate classroom behavior.

Model punctuality by: being prompt, keeping track of latecomers, starting the class and dismissing the class on time.

MODEL COURTESY, CONSIDERATION AND RESPECT.

Keep parents informed of the their children’s behavior and academic progress.

You are responsible for control in the classroom. You should do everything possible in order to have students behave in an appropriate manner before referring a student to an administrator. But, when appropriate and all else fails, you should refer and seek the assistance of an administrator.

ESTABLISH AND COMMUNICATE RULES AND EXPECTATION

You are responsible for being well rested and in good health. Take care of yourself so you can better serve your students.

Acknowledge your weaknesses and have the courage to work on them so you may become a better teacher. For example: You may be very organized, but realize that you are not effective in communicating in front of the class. Working to improve weak areas is part of your professional responsibility.

Worth repeating…Students know what interests them as well as what doesn’t interest them. You are responsible for creating lessons that presents the subject matter in a way that engages the students. You are also responsible for trying new approaches when the old ones don’t work.

Especially in the beginning of the school year, be businesslike but also friendly. Do not worry about being liked or popular. Be a friend to your students, but don’t let it deteriorated into a “chummy” peer relationship. New teachers who often dress like and look younger than their students: dress like a professional and take a more conservative approach regarding appearance.

Teach your students to understand and acknowledge their part in creating, promoting or allowing academic success and any troublesome relationships:
- Teach students early on that they have responsibility (create, promote or allow) for what their relationships and circumstances look like in any particular moment.
- Plan consequences (both positive and negative) in advance. Always relate behavior and performance to consequences.
- Effective negative consequences can be: loss of privileges, detention, calling parents making up wasted time etc.
- Positive reinforcement or rewards for good behavior or performance can work when negative consequences aren’t effective.
- It is often a good idea to combine the two.
- Hold student accountable for lateness, poor academic performance, and/or discipline problems. Deal with the issue immediately. Have an exercise or assignment on the board when the students arrive so that students who are habitually late will know there are consequences for their actions.
- Student monitors can teach students responsibility and ease you of the trivial burdens such as distribution of materials. running errands, handling lineups etc.
- Involve students in creating classroom rules and expectations.

D. A DEEP LEVEL OF CARING FOR OUR STUDENTS IS A NECESSARY FOUNDATION FOR BEING A SUCCESSFUL TEACHER

Children do not come to school in a vacuum. Many of our students are dealing with very challenging issues which are a byproduct of their upbringing and home environment

Every one of our students has a basic need for:
- Fun
- Acceptance
- Expression
- To influence their education through feedback
- To be acknowledged and feel competent
- For belonging
- For power
- For freedom
- For security
- To be presented with material that is relevant to their lives

E. APPRECIATING AND RESPECTING OUR STUDENTS IS A WAY OF SUPPORTING AND NURTURING THEM

View discipline as a way of creating freedom for the student as opposed to punishment.

Praise in public…punishment in private. Positive reinforcement motivates.

Never ever use corporal punishment.

Don’t talk while student is talking. Stop all work until there is silence and speak to the noisy student directly.

Deal with the misbehavior…Separate behavior from the student.

Don’t use homework as a disciplinary action.

Initiate positive communication with parents. Let them know when their child is doing well.

Keep a sense of humor.

Be fair, firm and consistent.
- Minor classroom misbehavior should be handled by a direct verbal warning. More severe cases of misbehavior should be handled in a private conference with the student and/or parent.
- Establish, make clear, and enforce acceptable behavior. Consistency in enforcing acceptable behavior and not accepting misbehavior is one of the major determinates in being and effective disciplinarian.
- In some cases negative consequences for misbehavior and/or positive incentives aren’t enough. In these cases referrals to a guidance counselor, dean or principal can be helpful.

Understand the developmental stage of your students.

Be aware of and respect the age‐group specific interests and concerns of your students.

Focus on what is motivating the student’s misbehavior rather than on the behavior itself as a way of choosing a remedy for the situation rather than a punishment for the offender. For example:
- The class clown is looking for attention. Give him duties such as passing out papers etc. as a way of getting positive rather than negative attention.
- The rebellious student is often looking for choice rather than being told “my way or the highway”. Make them aware of consequences of their specific choices. Also, can give them choice in what books they may want to read in order to learn a specific lesson.
- A defiant student may be asking for help. Referring him or her to a
- A guidance counselor or social worker may be appropriate. The shy, withdrawn child needs to be shown attention and given affection.

F. WE BETTER SERVE OUR STUDENTS BY SPENDING LESS TIME RANKING THEM AND MORE TIME HELPING THEM IDENTIFY AND CULTIVATE THEIR NATURAL GIFTS.

Multiple Intelligence Theory (Education for Transformation page 114). Add:
- Naturalistic which has to do with nurturing and relating information to one’s natural surroundings. Careers which suit those with this intelligence include naturalists, farmers and gardeners.
- Existential which is the ability to contemplate phenomena or questions beyond sensory data, such as the infinite and infinitesimal. Careers or callings which suit those with this intelligence include shamans, priests, mathematicians, physicists, scientists, cosmologists and philosophers.

G. IT IS BETTER TO DEFUSE RATHER THAN ADD TO THE TURMOIL OF A CHARGED SITUATION.

Never argue with a student. Speak softly and speak in private as not embarrass the student or yourself. Arguing in the class encourages the class members to choose sides.

Keep your dignity. Don’t yell and scream. At the same time try not to be pompous and a know it all.

Don’t set up win‐loose situations. You will most likely be the looser.

Always give the student a way out. Don’t create a situation where they loose face. Always provide an opportunity for eventual harmony.

Do not take class time to make personal corrections. See the student after class or when there is a pause in the lesson. In this way you and the student will have time to cool down and you really don’t want the class as an audience.

Avoid penalizing the entire group for the misbehavior of a few.

Avoid punishing in anger.

H. STUDENTS NEED TO EXPERIENCE THE INTERNAL SATISFACTION THAT COMES FROM DOING QUALITY WORK RATHER THAN BEING EXCLUSIVELY MOTIVATED BY PUNISHMENT AND REWARD.

We teach who we are as we exemplify excellence by:

Good lesson planning
- POOR PLANNING FOR INSTRUCTION IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST CONTRIBUTORS TO POOR STUDENT BEHAVIOR IN THE CLASSROOM.
- Little time is wasted on disciplinary matters in a classroom where good preparation, enthusiasm for learning, cooperation, and student involvement are fostered.
- In many instances, the time just before lunch or dismissal is wasted because students or teachers are hungry and tired. This is a good time for silent reading, group activities, games or stories.

Classroom appearance
- Decorate room relating to subject area with: pictures, maps, evidence of student activities
- Keep the room neat and encourage students to do the same.
- Display students’ work and art at the students eye level!!
- Adapt seating arrangements to the specific learning exercise and student’s needs.

I. THE MATERIALS WE PRESENT MUST BE RELEVANT TO THE PRACTICAL NEEDS AND EXPERIENCE OF THE STUDENTS.

1. Know and respect what interests your students as well as what doesn’t interest them. You are responsible for creating lessons that presents the subject matter in a way that engages the students.

J. BECOMING A MASTERFUL TEACHER IS A PROCESS NOT AN EVENT

The above suggestions and strategies will hopefully go a long way to enhancing your classroom environment; but when it comes to managing a class, a deep level of caring and dedication to making a real difference in each of your student’s lives is the necessary foundation for being an effective and competent teacher.

“IF A CHILD CAN’T LEARN THE WAY YOU TEACH, MAYBE WE SHOULD TEACH THE WAY THEY LEARN.”

Ignacio Estrada

Along with caring, a masterful teacher must also be willing to take responsibility for their part in their students’ academic success as well as taking responsibility for the quality of relationship they create with each student. Once you acknowledge responsibility you must then do what ever it takes to improve your relationship with problematic students and develop lesson plans and strategies which forward your students’ academic success.