"More than half the classroom management problems that occur in the educational system are teacher made" Do you agree or disagree?
Student behaviour does not occur in isolation from the ecosystem and conditions in your classroom. You can encourage or discourage misbehaviour from your students. Students as well as teachers live within several ecosystems including homes, classrooms, schools and communities. These systems influence life in your classroom.
Harry Wong (1998) suggests that classroom organization and management includes all the things that a teacher must do towards two ends.
1. To foster student involvement and cooperation in all classroom activities.
2. To establish a productive working environment.
Wong also believes that a well managed classroom is task oriented and predictable.
This takes us to a pertinent question. Should there be rules in the classroom? I say an affirmative YES.
Children develop a basic set of rules that they and the teacher can work within. Additional rules, guidelines or practices can be added or removed. All participants in the classroom must be aware that rules are to be followed. A behavioural contract can be done for a class, group or one student. These contracts aim at managing specific undesirable behaviour.
We all at times need to examine our approaches that we use in the classroom to create democracy . Did you look in the mirror today? What did you really see?
From my personal experience as an educator for over thirty years, classroom management techniques develop as you gain experience in the field. There is no hard and fast rule for maintaining discipline in a classroom, for every class has its own unique sub-culture within the school culture. Techniques that will be successful in one class may be of no use in another; and the same will apply to your students.
ReplyDeleteYou, the teacher must 'walk the talk', no double standards; and you must genuinely care for your students. They know the difference. Then, sometimes you will accomplish miracles that no one else expected. Collaboration is the key, not control.
Hi Natasha,
ReplyDeleteIn treating with the topic of classroom management you asked the question if there should be rules. I would like to add the importance of establishing routines as a management tool. Due to the composition of the average primary school classroom ,differentiated learning and teaching practices are vital. A core concept in employing such practices is that in any one class there will be groups of students with various or differing literacy needs and a "one size fits all" approach really just does not work for each student The way forward requires a proactive teacher who will establish various centres in her classroom. The teacher manages the various groups by establishing routines for the uses of, for example, the Writing and Reading Centres. Groups of students know where they must go while the teacher is scaffolding the learning of another group.This is not a theoretical premise but is happening right here in Trinidad and Tobago.
It's like this, Natasha, it's not only about rules but establishing routines that facilitate classroom management.
Lemoy
I agree with Lyn that the approach taken in managing the classroom would be different for each class.In one class you may allow the talk and laughter but it another you need to contain the talk because you may know from experience that it will become disruptive. So as you get to know your students/classes your know what techniques to use with each class. In any given day I may teach four different classes in my Secondary School and different approaches/techniques maybe used. At the end of the day I want to ensure that the students are taught effectively.
ReplyDeleteWhen I meet a class for the first time I do establish basic groundrules;how we speak to each other, ask questions, no eating (unless student is ill), no cellphones and adherence to school rules. So for me it is mixed, rules and also knowing you class.