Chapter 11: Classroom Management

1

• Chapter 11 Classroom Management
• Objectives
• 1. Discuss current view of nature and scope of
  classroom management
• 2. Compare three classroom management approaches
• 3. Analyze strategies promoting an effective
  science learning environment
• 4. Consider disciplinary interventions to bring
  about changes in behavior of student
• 5. Discuss causes of misbehavior in adolescent
  students

2

• Changing paradigm of classroom management
• Classroom management is more than disciplining
  misbehaviors
• Encompasses all that teachers do to promote
  student learning
• Shift from historical paradigm of obedience
• Promote responsibility of students for
  self-guidance (p.218)
• Impetus from expectation of school to address
  societal issues
• Violence, irresponsibility, family instability
  increasing
• Teacher functions as authoritative parent
• Curriculum reform materials depend on this
  management shift
• Small group activities, student interaction
• Teacher rules and control over whole class
  doesnt work well
• Shift to encouraging appropriate behavior rather
  than dealing with problems when they occur
• Theoretically grounded management decisions
• Psychology has been applied to develop management
  systems
• Present ideas about motivates student behaviors
• Identify strategies for maintaining successful
  learning environment
• Assertive Discipline, Teacher Effectiveness
  Training, etc

3

• Three accepted interpretations of child
  development
• Children are intrinsically motivated to develop
  their potential
• Children are molded by external forces of
  environment
• Children develop through interaction of intrinsic
  and external forces
• Wolfgang (1995) places management systems into
  classes based on which of these models they
  follow (p. 219)
• Student-Directed Management (intrinsic
  motivation)
• Teacher actions promote minimal authority
• Promote classroom learning communities
• Students work and express themselves freely
• Misbehavior is due to obstacles preventing
  rational student thinking
• Remove obstacles and students will behave
• Nonverbal cues and nondirective statements guide
  student behavior
• Collaborative Management (intrinsic/external
  interaction)
• Behavioral management is shared student/teacher
  responsibility
• Teacher must work with students to manage
  learning environment
• Underlying cause exists for misbehavior that can
  be eliminated
• Boundaries set with student choices within a
  range

4

• Teacher-Directed Management (external motivation)
• Explicit teacher controlled standards of behavior
• Teachers responsibility to regulate behavior
• Teacher does not consider students motives in
  misbehavior
• Positive, negative reinforcement, or punishment
  used
• Choosing a management approach
• Any of the described approaches can be successful
• System must fit teachers beliefs about classroom
  management
• Teacher-directed model may not fit new management
  paradigm
• Doesnt teach students to manage their own
  behavior
• Students responding only to external stimuli, not
  reflecting about and consciously changing their
  own behavior
• Student-Directed and Collaborative approaches fit
  new paradigm
• Student-directed model difficult in large
  classes too much time
• Both models depend on communication ability of
  student
• The Science Learning Environment
• A. Brophys description of successful learning
  environment (2000)

5

• Classroom arrangement fits activities with
  materials in easy reach
• Routing movement of students requires minimal
  direction by teacher
• Students engaged in activities know what to do
  and what to use
• Class period divided into both teacher and
  student directed units
• Students pay attention, ask and answer question
• Transitions between activities are brief and
  smooth
• Group work is collaborative and self-directed
• Classroom Setting considerations
• Position of laboratory work stations, student
  desks, chalkboard, projector screens
• Students need to be instructed how to arrange
  classroom for transition to lab work
• Frequently used materials readily available,
  specialized equipment stored until needed
• Use of gas and electricity must be planned for
• Chemical materials must be safely located and
  dispensed
• Emergency exit plan should be considered

6

• Classroom Rules
• Communicate teacher expectations on first day
• Should be simple, direct, realistic,
  understandable, and enforced
• Emmer (1994) suggested starting points
• Bring all needed materials to class
• Be in your seat ready to work when bell rings
• Respect and be polite to everyone
• Listen and stay seated when someone else is
  talking
• Respect other peoples property
• Obey all school rules
• Student ownership of rules if they help establish
  them
• It will take a few weeks for students to adjust
• If a rule doesnt work, make it more realistic
  and enforceable
• May want to post rules or send a copy home with
  parents
• Procedures and Routines
• Simple procedures for routine tasks (passing out
  papers) save time and prevent student
  misbehaviors
• Students should be engaged during administrative
  tasks (role)

7

• Teacher should dismiss students, not the bell
• Student should know when and how to ask
  questions, talk to other students, sharpen
  pencils, go to the bathroom, etc
• Grading policies should be known and in place
  early
• Lab dress, disposal, clean-up, notebook
  procedures in place
• Instructional Practices
• Overplan (more than can be done) especially as a
  new teacher
• Misbehavior and disinterest result from poor
  planning
• Teacher can be confident and prepared
• Choose appropriate activities for the content
• Discussion for an STS issue
• Lab for a visible process (precipitation,
  germination, etc)
• Plan beginnings, endings, and transitions
• Break into multiple activities
• Dont allow talking during transitions
• Transitions should be short and smooth
• Curriculum
• Curriculum is central element and should matches
  ability/interest

8

• Interesting and doable content results in good
  behavior
• Standard often control curriculum, but even minor
  changes help
• Student Socialization
• Teachers influence areas outside of science
  content
• Help develop personal and social skills
• Enjoy students and accept them as individuals
• Teacher must be confident, cool in a crisis, and
  set an example
• Skills to help socialization of students
• Develop personal relationship with at least some
  students
• Deal with personal problems outside of class time
• Avoid power struggles during conflicts
• Help students to accept responsibility for their
  own actions
• Develop relationships with parents
• Reducing Teacher Vulnerability to Student
  Misbehavior
• Consider the school calendar
• Beginning of the year checklist p. 228
• Extra classroom management time and effort needed
  at beginning

9

• Get to know the students
• Learn names as quickly as possible
• Shows you are interested in students
• Seating chart is invaluable assigned seats at
  least to start year
• Other things that are helpful to know about
  students
• Past academic performance
• Health problems
• Family particulars parent occupations, brother
  and sisters, divorced?
• Extracurricular activities
• Special needs related to hearing or visual
  impairments
• Vocational or educational plans
• Sources of information
• Student files
• Individual conferences or parent-teacher
  conferences
• Discussion with other teachers, guidance
  counselors, administrators
• Dress professionally
• Avoid being confused with students no blue
  jeans, sweats, tee shirt
• Comfortable, neat, clean, and modest

10

• Become familiar with school routines
• Students misbehave when you dont know what to do
• Examples
• How to take and keep attendance records
• How to handle hall passes or permit students out
  of the room
• How to deal with tardiness
• Checking out texts and library books
• What to do with injured or ill student
• How to arrange for a field trip
• When and how to send students to principal,
  counselor, psychologist
• Emergencies procedures
• Usually in a handbook or some other written
  format
• Find out before you need to do it
• Give encouragement and praise
• Verbally praise students or classes as frequently
  as possible
• Should not be reserved for special occasions
• Reward students as they achieve desirable levels
  of performance go to library, project time,
  field trips, games, cancel homework, etc...

11

• Project personality and enthusiasm
• Energetic, friendly, humorous teachers have
  students that behave
• Enthusiasm for content will result in more
  interested students
• Consistent calmness and businesslike manner most
  important
• Dealing with student misbehavior
• Disciplinary Interventions
• Action taken by teacher to change nonconforming
  student behavior
• Misbehaviors continual disruptions, cheating,
  swearing, disrespect, destroying property,
  endangering safety
• Most dealt with by teacher in classroom
• Some require administrative action
• Shrigleys Coping Skills (1979)
• Ignore behavior often stops on its own
• Signal interference body language, eye contact
• Proximity control stand near the student
• Touch control hand to shoulder, use discretion

Curbs 40 of classroom disruptions
12

• Active listening listen to and acknowledge
  student frustration
• I message I am afraid someone will get burned
• Speak to the situation Throwing things is
  dangerous in lab.
• Direct appeal ask student to consider effects of
  his actions
• Interrogative Will you please stop throwing
  things?
• Glassers questions What are you doing? What
  should you be doing
• Logical consequences if they make a mess, make
  them clean it up
• Contrived consequences if they make a mess, give
  a detention
• Broken record Put down the hamsterput it
  downput it down
• Compliance or Penalty Put down the hamster or
  go to the office
• C. Conference with student, to find out cause and
  how to prevent
• Home background, academic ability, other
  activities, health, personality problems, school
  administration, the teacher
• Involve administration only as a last resort
• D. School Violence
• Psychological problems with lack of control
  treated as disability
• External problem prompts violence from student
  with control
• Fights dont try to stop alone, encourage
  nonviolent means