Classroom Management in the Traditional Classroom
One of the more challenging aspects of teaching is managing a classroom. For this post, I use classroom management to refer to providing a safe, productive learning environment for all students. Managing a classroom covers quite a bit of ground, including the way students move around to complete assignments and other tasks, how they line up and rotate through learning centers, collect assignments and interact with one another, the teacher, and other adults in the school.
I advise teachers to be proactive when preparing their classrooms for instruction. It’s important to think about procedures such as: how and where students will line up, place personal belongings, collect work, sharpen pencils, etc. Thinking about your non-negotiable items and what class rules will make your classroom run smoothly before school begins is essential to starting the year off right. To prepare, take some time to write out the procedures and non-negotiable rules. Once you have your list, find a mentor or teacher friend to discuss your plans and exchange ideas.
With your list of procedures developed and thoughtfully reviewed, it is essential to teach students by practicing (physically moving about the room for practice) how to implement procedures and follow the rules from the start of the school year. Teach students to follow the steps independently, model expected behaviors, and provide opportunities for students to rehearse as the teacher coaches. When students correctly follow procedures or rules, it is vital to voice behaviors done correctly. For example, “I see Monroe has unpacked all of his belongings, put away his bookbag, and written down his homework. Thank you, Monroe.” You may need to remind students or provide a practice sessions to reinforce classroom procedures. Make it a part of your months routine or practice when you find a majority of students have forgotten or slipped in their following the rules.
Consider including a few classroom management tools such as posting class jobs, rules and clearly defined consequences, labeling work areas, and a daily schedule to make your class run smoothly. Class jobs, roles students play in managing the classroom, include positions such as paper collector, line leader, time keeper, door holder or Geek Squad (help students manage technology). The selection of class jobs is vast, and it is up to the teacher to decide what jobs are needed and how many jobs to offer. Labeling work areas and providing instructions for usage (written for older students and pictures with words for younger students) provides a reference when students don’t know what to do. Posting a schedule that includes times, subjects taught, specials (classes such as music, art and physical education), lunch, bathroom breaks, and other daily events can be used to keep the class on track.
Rules and consequences should be displayed and followed. Consequences should fit the challenge and be used to redirect behavior. There is no need to call home for a minor offense or send a child to the office if the situation can be corrected in the classroom. Students should be given frequent reminders of the expectations. Acknowledge their positive behaviors with verbal praise. Reminding students of their objectives and the rules of engagement will help them meet any challenges. After stating expectations, ask a student to repeat them and allow the students to ask clarifying questions. Websites such as https://bouncyballs.org can be used to provide visuals to reinforce requests for limiting sounds.
Even the best classroom managers find it necessary to reset their classrooms from time to time. If you find that the classroom environment has become challenging to manage, it is time for a reset. The reset should be visible and done intentionally. To reset the room:
Call a class meeting (gather students and tell them you will discuss the challenges in the class.)
Discuss the recent challenges and review the rules and consequences. Allow students to contribute to the conversation. Revise rules and consequences if necessary.
Take time to model your expectations and allow practice time. For example, if students have difficulty working quietly, tell them precisely what you mean. ”There should be no talking for the next ten minutes. During that time, you will work independently to solve five math problems. Do the best you can to solve the problems on your own. I will answer questions when the timer sounds.” Start the timer. During quiet time, refrain from talking. If any student talks, quickly remind everyone that we are not talking until the timer sounds. After ten minutes, praise students and repeat.
No two classes are the same, and what works well for one group of students may not have the same effect on a different group. Putting safeguards in place will help your class run smoothly, and being consistent with management strategies will make management more effortless.
