September 3, 2013

Definition of classroom management

Classroom management refers to the steps and procedures necessary to establish and maintain an
environment in which instructions and learning occur. (Doyle, 1979)

Effective classroom management is the ability to establish, maintain and when necessary restore
the classroom as an effective environment for teaching and learning. (Brophy 1986, pg. 182)

Reason why classroom management is not the same for everyone

o Teaching styles are different

o Different personalities and attitudes
o Student population is different
o Not all management strategies are effective for all teachers

September 5, 2013

Effective teacher

Characteristics of an effective teacher

- Always prepared for class

- The effective teacher should be seen, heard and sensed
- A true teacher is a master of content

The teacher as a person

 Assumes ownership of the class

 Understand the feelings of students
 Think about and reflects on practice
 Correct mistakes
 Displays sense of humor
 Dress appropriately
 Maintain trust and respect
 Enjoys teaching and shows it
 Communicate to students with high expectations
 Treat students equally and fairly
 Maintain professional manner at all times and work actively with students
 Classroom management

 Position chairs properly

 Manage supplies

Classroom management

September 24, 2013

Collaborative among teachers and students

 Share knowledge among teachers and students

 Teachers act as mediators
 Share authority among teachers and students
 Heterogeneous grouping of students

Successful learning involves an interaction between and among

1. The learner
2. The material
3. The teacher
4. The context

Context – refers to the psychological and socio-emotional dimension of the classroom setting
and the climate which determines the quality of communication interaction which takes place.

Context – also refers to the overcrowded classroom, inadequate furniture, teaching material and
equipment and other aspects that lend themselves to the development of unruly behavior.

In collaborative learning both the teacher and the students provide the materials. It is a sharing
process.

Roles of the teacher with the collaborative model

1. They act as a facilitator

2. They model (model the behavior you would like to see in the classroom)
3. To coach (students should do things a certain way)

Students’ role with the collaborative model

1. Be an active participator
2. Set goals
 3. Work together to accomplish task
4. Monitor their own progress
5. Assess their performance after learning
6. Plan for their future learning

Classroom management

September 26, 2013

The teacher’s management role

3 dimensions of it

Three basic roles

1. Content/instructional material
2. Context management
3. Conduct management

Content/instruction management

Frayen, 1998 believes that the best way to prevent indiscipline in the classroom is for teachers to
become proficient in their subject area, to be methodological versatile, employing a wide range
of pupil-involvement activities, be intellectually stimulating and have a well-organized lessons.

Five responsibilities of a teacher

1. Show the enthusiasm for the subject/lesson

2. Clearly communicates instructional expectation to students
3. Keep them accountable for their work
4. Through observation and sensitivity be aware of what is happening in the classroom
5. Teach so students can experience success.

Instructional strategies
 Gear group instructions to the correct level of difficulty.
 Teach for success by breaking content into smaller parts
 Build patterning and association into each lesson
 Monitor students work
 Provide adequately time for students to process and practice information
 Make learning fruitful and productive consider cooperative learning strength,
likes and dislikes
  Encourage students to take responsibility for their learning; empower them
 Increase students’ interest through participation and demonstrating, novelty and
variety in classroom instruction
 Provide realistic evaluation and feedback: emphasize, recognize and praise
 Ask useful and challenging questions
 Reduce interruptions – work towards smooth flow and lively pacing.

Physical aspects that are deterrents to classroom management

 Overcrowded classrooms
 Inadequate furniture
 Lack of resources
 Lack of equipment

Conduct management

Froyen (1995) notes that teachers begin to teach the content if students are roaming, shouting out
answers, pestering neighbors during seat work.

Classroom environment

Teachers should create environment that encourages students to operate within boundaries.
Hence one should have strategies in place that would maintain students’ conduct in order to
encourage positive relationship among members of your class and increase the quality of their
work.

October 1, 2013

STRESS

- Hunger
- Depressed
- Tired
- Miserable
- Productive
- Flustered
- Happiness
- Positivity
- Aggressive
- Negativism
 - Anger
- Destruction of property
- Creativity

Stress is the physiological and psychological reaction of the body resulting from demands made
on it. These demands may be emotional which are link to conflict, fear and uncertainty or they
can be environmental which is associated with circumstances or situation in our surroundings.

Teachers show their stress in terms of nervous breakdown, migraine or headache, nervousness,
fatigue, anxiety, apathy and a general sense of purposelessness.

Things that cause stress in the classroom

- Students indiscipline
- Unsupportive parent
- Large class size
- Work overload
- Unreasonable and ambiguous expectation
- Administrative inadequacies such as lack of support both material and psychologically
- Lack of recognition
- Poor school climate and interpersonal relationships

October 10, 2013

Classroom management

Stress

Factors that causes stress

 Family – due to expectation, unable to provide basic necessities, marriage issues,

personal problems.
 All the bills to pay
 Career – after years of being in profession one becomes uncomfortable, unsatisfied and
pressured due to circumstances surrounding the career

Signs and symptoms of stress

 Anxious
 Muscle tension
 Fatigue
 Stomach problem
 Using alcohol and drugs
  Loss of interest in work
 Sleeping problems
 Trouble concentrating
 Social withdrawal
 Loss of sex drive

Managing stress and it’s all about talking charge of your:

 Schedule
 Thoughts
 Emotions
 The way you view/deal with problems

Unhealthy ways of coping with stress

 Smoking and drinking

 Over eating or under eating
 Spending too much time in front of TV or computer
 Using pills or drugs to relax
 Sleeping too much

Classroom management

October 15, 2013

What can be done at the school to relieve stress in the classroom?

 Improve the climate in which teachers work e.g. provide one of openness, trust and
caring
 Provide a supportive system, both physically and psychologically, one that is safe for
both teachers and students
 Provide opportunities for teacher participation in the decision making process
 Establish a discipline policy that is clearly understood by students and to which all
teachers are committed
 Provide realistic opportunity for professional advancement
 Provide opportunities for in service development of teachers
 Provide opportunities for cooperative work by teachers and for the building of positive
interpersonal relationships
 Assign and clarify roles to reduce overload
  Build teachers self-assurance by assigning them to areas of competence thus reducing
uncertainty
 Engage in personal self-examination with respect to your attitude and behavior and their
possible influence on the degree of stress your teacher experience

What can the teacher do for him/her to reduce stress?

o Ask yourself the big question ‘am I in the right professional?’

o Have good classroom management strategies
o Build good relationships with your students
o Make time management a priority
o Prioritize your activities and task according to their importance
o Approach all activities with a plan
o Eat properly and on time
o Make time for and relaxation
o Set aside relationship time
o Do something you enjoy everyday
o Keep your sense of humor
o Think positive
o Adapt a healthy lifestyle

October 22, 2013

Classroom management

Factors that affects the school system

Political factors

How economic factors do affects school system

Socio-cultural factors

The school is not only a formal institution with a specific purpose and structure but it also can be
an open social system. The affects many of the behaviors in society and the conditions in society
tend to influence activities in school. E.g. the economic state of a country influences the funds
available for school programs and activities.
October 31, 2013

Classroom Management

Teaching: the profession

The characteristics of a profession

Elements of a profession

 It carries a body of intellectual knowledge derived from formal learning which is known
and practiced by its members
 There is a close relationship between the client and the practitioner
 Education is continuous in order to keep abreast with current information on subject
matter, teachers license; workshops
 One’s overall behavior and conduct is guided by a code of regulation and ethics.
 Professional freedom
 A level of commitment that override personal gain in favors of service
 Prestige and economic status

Is teaching a profession?

 Is there autonomy in the decision making process?

 Has teaching acquired that economic status?
 Would you say teachers have the skill and the knowledge of a true profession?
 Is the training session shorter than other professions?
 How would you explain teaching as a profession?

Code of regulations

The Education Regulations of 1980’s sets out conditions as they relate to

 The management and operation of public educational institutions

 Students’ admission and transfer
 Teachers’ appointment and duties, responsibilities, discipline, suspension and dismissal
and leave facilities
 The duties and responsibilities of the board of management
Code of ethics

Four main principles (1992)

 The teacher – student relationship

 The teacher – teacher relationship
 The teachers commitment to the association
 The teachers commitment to terms of contractual agreement or terms of employment

Relation to students

 The teacher speaks to and acts towards pupils in a respectful and dignifies manner
 The teacher does not discriminate against students on basis of class, colour, creed, status,
religious or political belief
 The teacher does not engage in illicit/indiscreet actions involving his/her students.
 The teacher does not intentionally expose the student to embarrassment or disparagement
 The teacher does not act such manner as might lead his/her student/students into breaches
of the law nor accepted moral or social codes of behavior.
 The teacher does not disclose confidential information about students unless discloses
serve a compelling professional purpose or is required by law.

Relationship to college

 Teacher should not undermine the position, status or influence of any colleague

Relation to association

 The teacher should honor commitments made on his/her behave by the association

Relation to employers

 The teacher should honor the agreement made in his/her contract or terms of agreement

General

Part A

The teacher does not engage in activities which adversely affect his/her professional status or the
ability to perform adequately his/her duties as a teacher
Part B

The teacher does not engage in action which disrupt the peace, order, discipline or work of the
institution in which he/she is employed except for industrial actions agree upon by the
association.

Classroom management

November 17, 2013

Roles of a Teacher

- Talk a lot
- Gives cues
- Ask simple content question
- Check for comprehension
- Check for recall
- Keep records
- Discipline students
- Bestow grades and generally
- Carry on with clerical tasks far below what their level of ability might be

Two major administrative roles

 To create the conditions under which learning can take place (the social side of teaching).
 To impart, by a variety of means, knowledge to their learners (the task-orientated side of
teaching).

In teaching

o The first is known as the ‘enabling’ or managerial function, the search for the proper
conditions and means for teaching
o The second the instructional function with the teacher as the so-called “instructor”

They complement each other; the latter would be more or less impossible without the former.
Sometimes one act in the classroom can cover both roles

MANAGEMENT SKILLS OF A TEACHER

Planning skills

Organizing skills

Technical skills

Human relations skills

Technical skills

This refers to the techniques or methods applies doing a job

 Preparing lessons plans

 Keeping attendance records
 Organizing and carrying out teaching activities.
 Keeping log books
 Keeping mark books
 Marking papers

PLANNING AND ORGANIZING

1. Teaching strategies

Team teaching, independent study, field trips, class discussions, projects, demonstrations,
work study programmes, procuring resource personnel, etc.

These tasks require initiative, skill and a sense of purpose.

2. Routine activities
 Preparation of schemes of work
 Keeping school records
(Attendance, canteen, sewing, gardening, preparing students’ reports)

Revision questions

a) Define the term classroom management

b) Discuss two roles of the effective classroom manager

c) Assess the impact of the following variables on classroom management of

- The media

- Information

- Communication technology

- School culture
Question 2

a. Describe ONE classroom infraction you observed

b. Give TWO possible reasons for the infraction observed
c. Using ONE of the theoretical approaches you have studied, discuss TWO strategies you
would explore to address the problem.

Classroom management

November 21, 2013

Theories of classroom discipline

There are four main theories:

 Assertive discipline
 Behavior modification
 Dreikurs Logical consequences
 Glasser’s reality therapy

Goal of classroom discipline

The main goal is the help students to learn self-discipline. That is to help them to control their
behavior thus reducing the need for teacher’s intervention

Undesirable behavior in a classroom

 Disrespect
 Hostility
 Abusiveness
 Cruelty
 Poor work attitude
 Dishonesty

Assertive discipline

This is based on the goal that the teacher may teach effectively and students must learn. It is
based on the assumption that teachers have the right to teach best without interruption and
students have the right to learn in a safe, calm environment with full teacher support.
 Teachers’ responsibilities

 Establish a classroom climate of mutual respect

 Meet students’ needs
 Manage behavior humanely
 Ensure learning is achieve

How this is done?

 Teach proper classroom behavior

 Set classroom rules
 Consequences are identified
 Be consistent
 How to follow directions
 Use frequent praise

Implementation

- Communicate your displeasure with student’s behavior

- Always tell the students what he or she should be doing
- Recognize and respond to appropriate behavior
- Use the broken record technique by repeating your command at least three times
- Learn to use the positive repetitions technique
- Use proximity control
- Teach children the desired classroom behavior

Behavior modification

Skinner believes that behaviors are shaped by environmental factors and behavior can be
changed overtime by applying appropriate reinforcers.

The concept

o Behavior is influenced by the consequences following the behavior

o Teachers are urged therefore to reward acceptable student behavior and ignore
unacceptable behavior
o Behavior becomes stronger and more habitual when reinforced through reward or praise
o To recognize inappropriate behavior is to risk reinforcing it

Underlying assumptions

 Human beings have no will. They simply reply to external stimuli.

 Human beings are essentially responders to external stimuli. They are regulated by
external influences that satisfy basic needs.
 For students to behave appropriately, they must receive guidance from their teachers.
  Students cannot learn to be responsible by self-governing
 They must managed by someone who can arrange reinforcers appropriately.
 If the behavior humans are not managed, we can expect an increase of discipline
problems, crime, poverty, war, and other social ills.

Strengths of behavior modification

 It is simple to use
 Results are immediate
 It accommodates most teachers’ desire to maintain control
 Students can feel successful when they obtain rewards.
 Standards of behavior are uniform, consistent, and clear to all students.
 Time does not have to be spent in class discussing rules and students’ conduct.
 It can be readily employed with all students regardless of age
 The procedure has been well researched and found work consistently

Weaknesses

The results might not last long

Students may not perform as desired when rewards are terminated
Students may not learn how to govern their own behavior
The approach may seem much like bribery to some teacher
It ignores any underlying problems caused by influences at home, in society, or at school
To use so much control in a democratic society may be unethical
Students do not get an opportunity to clarify emotions, weigh alternatives, decide on
solutions, or develop their intellect
Rewards undermine intrinsic motivation

Corrective discipline

Skinner didn’t believe in punishment, necessarily. He believed that by rewarding the good
behavior and ignoring the bad, the bad behavior will diminished. Very occasionally will
behaviorists agree that punishment is necessary.

Only when absolutely necessary should bad behavior be stopped (such as during fight – don’t
wait for the fight to be over, it should be stopped and a punishment handed out). Some students
find punishment as a reward, so teachers should use punishment only when absolutely needed.

Some punishments act as reinforcements. Rather, teachers should reward good behavior so that
students learn to only behave in the desired way.
Preventative discipline

Disciplinary problems according to skinner are prevented when behavior modification principles
are implemented. Skinner believes that a proactive approach to behavioral problems is effective
and minimizes problems in class

Examples:

Specify rules clearly

Ignoring disruptive behavior, while bringing attention to good behavior
Praising children for following rules

Give two reasons why it’s important to collaborate between home and school.

- It is important so that teachers can be better able to deal with classroom disciplinary
problems of students

Differentiate between:

Classroom routine and classroom procedures

Routine is what the teacher does on regular basis e.g. marking register

Procedures is based on your lesson plan; what you are going to teach and how

Explain to causes of stress in classroom

Explain the impact of the ministry of education of the code of regulation on a teacher’s choice of
management style

State two reasons why the teacher should consider the psychosocial environment of the
classroom

Psychosocial – mental and social capabilities.

 To create a positive environment that students could freely express themselves,

communicate thoughts and feelings comfortably.
 To develop both interpersonal and intrapersonal relationship among teacher and students.