CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT

DR KEVIN LAWSFACULTY OF EDUCATION AND SOCIAL

WORKTHE UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY

WHAT IS CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT?

• Dealing with student behavior problems?

• Discipline?

CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT

Theories• Choice theory (Glasser)• Reinforcement theory (Skinner)• Social discipline model (Dreifers)

Strategies• Proactive• Reactive

CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT AND ORGANISATION

• Teachers form instructional groups that fit students’ academic and affective needs

• Teachers make efficient use of learning time

• Teachers establish smooth, effective classroom routines

• Teachers set clear standards for classroom behavior and apply them fairly and consistently

WHAT ASSUMPTIONS DO YOU MAKE ABOUT BEING HUMAN?

• Humans are social beings and one of their basic motivations is to belong

• All behavior has a purpose

• Humans are decision-making organisms

• Humans only perceive reality and this perception may be mistaken or biased

TEACHERS ARE HUMAN BEINGS

STUDENTS ARE HUMAN BEINGS

GENERAL PRINCIPLES CONCERNING CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT

• Participation in decision making

• Delegation of authority

• Open communication

• Concern for people

A COMPOSITE PERSPECTIVE ON TEACHING

The three s’s

• Students

• Subject

• Setting

The students:

• To what student generation do these students belong?

• To what student culture do these students belong?

• How do they view their education?• What kinds and degrees of intelligence do they

display?• What motivates them?• How does their economic, social class, ethnicity

and gender impact upon their learning?

The subject:

• What knowledge is most worth knowing?• How do I define and describe my subject?• What do I hope to teach through my subject?• What decisions do I need to make about the

learning outcomes that are most desired?• What decisions do I need to make about scope,

depth and breadth, centrality and balance, flexibility and choice?

The setting:

• What are the physical arrangements of classroom space and how may they be altered to accommodate the teaching I want to do?

• How will people be arranges in the classroom and how will this influence communication?

• What are the social roles to be played out by the teacher and the students?

• How do the characteristics of the setting enhance or limit what I hope to achieve through my teaching?

THE CONCEPT OF THE TEACHER AS THE CLASSROOM MANAGER

Teacher Roles

• Planning

• Organising

• Communicating

• Motivating

• Controlling

PLANNING PRINCIPLES

• Staff involvement

• Flexibility

• Stability

• Continuity

• Simplicity

• Review

ORGANISING PRINCIPLES

• Enhancing teamwork

• Recognising differences

• Effective use of time

• Understanding the school and classroom mission

COMMUNICATION PRINCIPLES

• Openness and trust

• Feelings and emotions

• Involvement and participation

• Using multiple modes and channels of communication

MOTIVATING PRINCIPLES

• Warmth and enthusiasm

• Provision of a consistent model

• Awareness of human needs

• Maintenance of equity

CONTROLLING PRINCIPLES

• Controls should be clear and acceptable

• Controls should encourage participation

• Overcontrol should be avoided

• Controls should be economical

• Controls should be flexible

• Controls should be operational

GOOD TEACHING + GOOD MANAGEMENT

• Overlap

• Are interdependent

Good classroom management is concerned with creating a situation in which students’ learning (through subjects) can effectively occur