Three of the best books that I have read regarding classroom management are Classroom Management That Works by Robert J. Marzano, Discipline with Dignity by Richard L. Curwin, and First Day of School by Harry Wong. I am going to take excerpts from these books that have helped me.
The following are excerpts from Classroom Management That Works by Robert J. Marzano:
1. Probably the most obvious aspect of effective classroom management involves the design and implementation of classroom rules and procedures. Case Study One
2. Research and theory support the intuitive notion that well-articulated rules and procedures that are negotiated with students are a critical aspect of classroom management, affecting not only the behavior of students but also their academic achievement. Case Study Two
3. The guiding principle for disciplinary interventions is that they should include a healthy balance between negative consequences for inappropriate behavior and positive consequences for appropriate behavior. Specific techniques that involve both positive and negative consequences include teacher reaction, tangible recognition, direct cost, group contingency and home contingency. Case Study Three
4. Teacher-student relationships are critical to the success of two of the other aspects of effective classroom management – rules and procedures, and disciplinary interventions. To build good relationships with students, it is important to communicate appropriate levels of dominance and to let students know that you are in control of the class and are willing and able to lead. It’s also important to communicate appropriate levels of cooperation and to convey the message that you are interested in the concerns of students as individual and the class as a whole. Case Study Four
5. Withitness is the ability to identify and quickly act on potential behavioral problems. Emotional objectivity is the ability to interact with students in a businesslike, matter-of-fact manner even though you might be experiencing strong emotions. This is particularly important to do when carrying out negative consequences for inappropriate behavior. Case Study Five
6. Although teachers are the guiding force in classroom management, students also have responsibility in this area. Working with students to develop this sense of responsibility requires an extraordinary effort and commitment on the teacher’s part. Case Study Six
7. The beginning of the school year is the critical time to set the tone for classroom management. Such things as room arrangement and decoration provide a subtle but important communication to students regarding how you will manage the classroom. The first day of class provides an important opportunity to make a good first impression and to introduce rules and procedures that will form the basis for your classroom management routine. Reinforcing students’ understanding of the rules and procedures through various activities during the first few days of the school year will help ensure that your classroom management procedures are well established. Case Study Seven
8. Behavior management is a matter that requires consideration at the school level as well as the individual classroom level. After all, classroom management exists within the larger context of the school, and schoolwide management policies and practices set the tone for the individual classroom management. Management as the school level should address the need to counteract the possible negative consequences of scheduling practices or environmental factors that might promote student misbehavior, the identification of schoolwide rules and procedures, and schoolwide consequences for violations of those rules and procedures and the design of a system that would allow for the violence or extreme behavior. Adoption of a schoolwide classroom management program sends a powerful message about the importance the school attaches to this aspect of students’ experience in the school. Case Study Eight
The following are excerpts from The First Days of School by Harry K. Wong:
Classroom management refers to all of the things that a teacher does to organize students, space, time, and materials so that instruction in content and student learning can take place.
A teacher’s discipline problems are directly proportional to the distance from the students.
Readiness is the primary determinant of teacher effectiveness.
You greatly increase the probability that school will start successfully for both you and your students when these four points are true:
1. You have your room ready.
2. You are at the door.
3. You have assigned seats.
4. You have the first assignment ready.
Reasons for a seating chart
1. Facilitates roll taking.
2. Aids name memorization
3. Separates potential problem students.
Your very first priority when the class starts is to get the students to work.
The effective teacher starts the class immediately with an assignment, not roll taking.
Students That Have Been Effectively Taught Know ….
1. How to enter the room quickly and courteously.
2. How to go to their seats and take out their materials.
3. Where to look for their assignment.
4. To begin their work immediately.
Prime time in school is the first few moments in a class. If you blow these moments, you blow the impression, the sale, and the success of a class.
Student on-task work is the major activity during academic prime time. The students must immediately get to work when they enter the room.
The three most important student behaviors that must be taught the first days of school are these:
1. Discipline
2. Procedures
3. Routines
Effective teachers present their rules clearly and provide reasonable explanations of the need for them.
Basic Structure for a Discipline Plan
· Rules: What the expected behaviors are.
· Consequences: What the student chooses to accept if a rule is broken.
· Reward: What the student receives for appropriate behavior.
The function of a rule is to prevent or encourage behavior by clearly stating student expectations. The two kinds of rules are general and specific.
It is important to introduce the discipline plan on the first day of school.
Rules are most effective when there are consequences to enforce them and reward them.
The Two Kinds of Consequences:
· Positive consequences with REWARDS
· Negative consequences with PENALTIES
School must be a safe and protected environment, where a student can come to learn without fear.
A smooth-running class is based on the teacher’s ability to teach procedures.
The number one problem in the classroom is not discipline; it is the lack of procedures and routines.
Excerpts from Discipline with Dignity by Richard L. Curwin
Effective discipline does not come from the quick mastery of techniques or the implementation of a packaged method. Effective discipline comes from the heart and soul of the teacher. It comes from the belief that teaching students to take responsibility for their behavior is as much the “job” of the teacher as teaching history or math and more important than simply enforcing rules. It comes from the belief that most students do the best they can, many in what they feel is an adverse environment. It comes from the belief that all students need hope. It comes from the positive energy of the teacher. Only within the framework of the teacher’s internal strength and the development of a hopeful and caring classroom environment can a discipline plan be effective.
Three-Dimensional Discipline is an integration of many discipline approaches developed by educators and psychologists who value maintaining student dignity and teaching responsible behavior. The three dimensions are:
The Prevention Dimension. What the teacher can do to actively prevent discipline problems and how to deal with the stress associated with classroom disruptions
The Action Dimension. What actions the teacher can take when, in spite of all the steps taken to prevent discipline problems, they still occur. Included are ways to keep simple records and how to avoid escalating minor problems into major ones.
The Resolution Dimension. What the teacher can do to resolve problems with the chronic rule breaker and the more extreme, "out of control" student.
What can be done to prevent discipline problems - Be aware of self (teacher). Be aware of students. Express genuine feelings. Become knowledgeable of alternative theories. Motivate students to learn. Establish social contracts. Implement social contracts. Reduce stress.
What to do when discipline problems occur: Choose best alternative consequence. Implement consequence. Collect data. Avoid power struggles.
Resetting contracts negotiation with individual student. Find what is needed to prevent another problem. Develop mutually agreeable plan. Implement plan. Monitor plan/revise if necessary. Use creative approaches when necessary.
Developing effective consequences is an important part of the social contract and the prevention dimension. Whatever consequences you select, you must be willing to implement them consistently when rules are broken. Effective consequences are clear and specific; they include a wide range of alternative choices; they relate to the rule as directly as possible; and they teach rather than punish.
Most misbehavior is not directed at the teacher. When teachers personalize rule violations, they may fight unnecessary battles and escalate a simple rule violation into a major confrontation. It is not necessary to make the rule violator an example for the rest of the class. Teachers certainly have a right to teach, and all students have the right to learn, but children also have a right to make mistakes and to behave in ways that are developmentally appropriate for them.
Nine Principles for Consequence Implementation: Always Implement a Consequence: Be Consistent, Simply State the Rule and Consequence, Be as Physically Close to the Student as Possible When You Implement a Consequence: Use the Power of Proximity, Make Direct Eye Contact when You Deliver a Consequence, Use a Soft Voice, Catch a Student Being Good!!!, Don't Embarrass the Student in Front of His Peers, Be Firm and Anger Free When Giving Your Consequence, Do Not Accept Excuses, Bargaining, or Whining....