Classroom Management

Beth OvermanDr. Barbi Honeycutt

Workshop Outcomes After this workshop, participants will be able to…

Explain the importance of managing a learning environment

Compare today’s learning environment with your own past experiences

Discuss how to establish guidelines, expectations, and rules

Discuss non-confrontational ways of dealing with classroom issues

Share and practice managing classroom situations

Today We Will….

Discussion Questions

Case Studies: What/What not to do!

Draw your Classroom

Guidelines for how to start the semester off right

Discussion Question

With a neighbor, ask…

How do you think today’s classroom and/or learning environment is changing?

How the classroom is changing…

Discussion Question

In your experience teaching, what is your most challenging situation to manage in the classroom?

Most Challenging Management Issues

1. 2.

Case Studies: Undermining Authority

This student would need to be privately told that their attitude was confrontational and asked how this might be resolved mutually.

"Be careful not to read most questions about content, interpretation, or assignments as a challenge of authority. Acting as it they are not, even when you suspect they are, can convey a sense of confidence and control. Sometimes merely assuring the student, while smiling, that you have indeed reflected on this issue at length and that they too will understand soon why the information or the assignment is valuable diffuses the situation. You may even want to encourage them to ask the question again at a later date if necessary."

Case Studies: Frequent Leaving Students should/should not be

allowed out of the classroom without permission?

Case Studies: Spacing Out Non-verbal behavior, perceived as

disinterest. Do you need a more comfortable seat? Please move forward so you can better

see the projector screen. Some students are extremely shy and it

might take half of the semester before they open up enough to make sustained eye contact or face the instructor completely.

Case Studies: Technology/Food Let the class decide consequences for

breaking policy loss of participation points , present on a topic of

interest to the class

Allow pagers and cells to be on the vibrate setting Students attend to problems during breaks rather

than in class

Practice what you preach!

Case Studies: Monopolizers Give them a few class periods to

settle in.

“I’m so excited that you are excited about the class, but everyone needs a chance to participate.”

“Plant” discussion questions

Case Studies: Sleeping in Class

Case Studies: Sleeping in Class One Approach: wake the student up!

Ask them to step outside with you. Tell the student that it’s best for the rest of the class if they return when they are awake enough to be an active participant.

Extra credit research assignment covering the subject matter they missed

Another Approach: don’t wake the student up! The information the student misses will be on the next test or assignment, and

he/she will have to work hard to make up that time

Alternative Approach: is to assume extenuating circumstance The student does not feel well, was up most of the night with a sick child, etc. Approach it with true concern for the student's health and well being. Most of

the time, student's are so embarrassed and so appreciative of your genuine concern that they don't let it happen again.

Encourage students to actively participate, take notes , and break up the session with activities or paired conversations about a topic

Case Studies: Repeated Tardiness

There should be clear parameters set around this issue up front – either in your syllabus or in the class decided norms.

Stick to your guns on the policy. Some fair policies might include 3

tardies equals one absence. It might be best to discuss this with

students individually; some are habitually late because they are dependant on bus routes or other drivers for transportation to school.

Draw Your Classroom

Take 2 minutes and draw your classroom.

Circle the “Hot Spots” of discipline problems

Sources

http://www.4faculty.org/includes/108r2.jsp