Overview
The term “classroom management” refers to the method through which educators instil and sustain student conduct that is conducive to learning. Managing a class effectively helps students feel more invested in their studies and exhibit more positive conduct. Basic strategies for managing a classroom effectively apply to students of all ages and disciplines.
Evidence suggests that between eighty and eighty-five percent of students can benefit from classroom behaviour management programmes when they are implemented utilising a tiered paradigm in which school-wide support is offered at the universal level. Some pupils could benefit from more rigorous programming.
Why is classroom management important?
Effective class room management provides the following benefits.
- Sets the tone for a well-behaved classroom and ensures that it remains such.
- Impacts students’ intellectual and personal development positively.
- Reduces disruptive behaviours and boosts study time.
According to a 2006 APA study of pre-K through grade 12 teachers, good classroom management results in a variety of positive outcomes for kids, but instructors perceive a lack of assistance in putting these tactics into practise. Teachers have a lot of trouble with chaotic classroom settings, which can lead to high levels of stress and burnout. As a result, it is crucial to apply efficient classroom management techniques at the universal level in a tiered approach since they act as both preventative and remedial measures that support students’ academic success.
Why classroom management is effective?
Effective classroom management systems improve students’ outcomes by fostering a calm and focused learning environment that fosters the growth of students’ scholastic and personal skills. Most effective classroom management systems adhere to three tenets.
- Stress the importance of students meeting your standards for both behaviour and academic achievement.
- Encourage student participation and active learning.
- The key to student achievement is recognising the habits that matter. What actions are necessary to accomplish the aims of the learning activities? In what ways does this learning activity alter the responsibilities of the students? If students are to assume leadership positions in the classroom, how should educators best prepare them?
Strategies for effective classroom management
Strong organisational abilities are the foundation of effective classroom management, including thorough material preparation, technology practise, and familiarity with the room’s layout. When crafting your approach to classroom management, keep in mind the following strategies:
On the first day of class, you should take steps to create a productive atmosphere
- Planning your first class wisely can set the tone for the remainder of the semester.
- Say hello to everyone. Indicate how you prefer to be called.
- You may try introducing an ice breaker to break the ice and get people talking.
- Give a lesson; start with the class right away.
- Use this opportunity to go over the curriculum and highlight the most critical points. Make sure the syllabus clearly states the course goals, the class schedule, and the standards of conduct expected of students before you even meet with them. Students appreciate a teacher who can offer a short summary of the course in the first few frantic add/drop weeks.
- Some of your students may be tardy. And they’re having navigational issues, too!
- Students will welcome a democratic approach to determining community norms (e.g., regarding phones, laptops, chatting, sleeping, eating, late arrivals, and early departures).
- As soon as possible, make an effort to learn students’ names.
Communicate frequently with the students
Maintaining regular contact will facilitate friendship building and mitigate management concerns in the classroom:
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- Acknowledge pupils as they enter the classroom.
- Spare a minute or two to have a conversation with them —think about starting class with a quick, casual discussion about something fascinating students brought in as homework or a recent incident.
- To get students involved and thinking critically about the material, intersperse lecture with discussion, group activity, or video parts.
- Pose questions, but allow for some silence in between, and address student feedback.
- Try to connect with every student in the room by making eye contact.
Prepare yourself to deal with difficulties
When faced with difficulties in the classroom, it is better to think ahead and prepare for them.
When students repeatedly fail to show up for class prepared, what steps will you take to address the problem?
Students spend about half as much time studying as teachers do. Teachers can motivate their pupils to do well in class by setting high expectations for their study habits and designing lessons accordingly (National Survey of Student Engagement, 2004).
How do you plan to deal with rowdy students?
All too often, we hear about how disgraceful students are in the classroom. Teachers and students are both becoming increasingly frustrated by a loss in common courtesies that is having a negative impact on classroom productivity and morale (Seidman, 2005).
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In the classroom, Feldman (2001) identified four broad categories of disruptive behaviour:
- Annoyances
- Classroom terrorism
- Intimidation of the instructor
- Threats or attacks on a person or person’s psyche.
These four forms of impoliteness range from being late to class (annoying), monopolising class time with personal agendas (Feldman refers to this as “classroom terrorism”), threatening to complain to the department chair or give negative course evaluations (intimidation), and even making physical threats or actual physical attacks. The effects of each of these incivilities on learning differ substantially, yet they can all interfere with the learning process.
1) Take the initiative
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and that saying holds true when it comes to encouraging civility in the classroom. Behavior expectations should be outlined in the syllabus, introduced on the first day of class, and reviewed as needed. Consequences for disobeying your instructions should be clearly stated and consistently implemented alongside the demands themselves. To ensure that all students at UConn understand the university’s policies and what is expected of them as members of the university community, the institution’s standards should be mentioned.
2) Be precise
Some students in higher education, despite your hopes and expectations, still do not know how to act while learning. As a result, it’s important to lay forth precise goals. Give kids some examples of how to be respectful instead of simply asking them to do so. Is it possible for pupils to voice their disagreement with classmate opinions? The ability to ask questions throughout your lecture is highly desired. Is there any way that they could videotape your presentation? Can they question or disagree without violating certain norms? If yes, please specify what kind of answers you anticipate.
3) Possess commanding authority
In order to formulate a solution to an issue, you must first familiarise yourself with the university’s policies. While it’s impossible to predict every possible outcome, you can prepare for a wide variety of situations. Taking swift action to show you have control of the classroom is essential, regardless of whether the disruption was related to a topic covered in the course outline or was completely out of the blue. What measures are done in response to a violation will vary.
4) Engage and engage
Keep your enthusiasm up after the course has begun by following the below mentioned strategies:
- Entice the interest of your students.
- Share your enthusiasm about the topic.
- Keep lessons current and assign difficult but doable homework.
- Assign some responsibility for their education to the students.
- Maintain regular office hours and make yourself available to students outside of those times.