Unit 2: Strategies and Methods
Project Home Creating and Maintaining Classroom Management
Moving Forward
Now that we have established exactly what classroom management is and why it is so important, let us move on to the strategies and methods that are proven to be the most effective. Before we begin, take this time to jot down (or type) what you feel are the "dos and don'ts" of classroom management strategies. Use the same paper or word document you used in unit one.
→ Since I asked you to make that list, I might as well join you. Here is my quick list of dos and dont's of classroom management. Let's see if we have any similarities between our lists!
| Dos | Dont's |
|---|---|
| Establish routines and rules within the first week for every task/event that will or can take place in your classroom | Allow students to constantly do as they please |
| Allow students to be a part of the creation of a classroom management signal | Use yelling as the only way to control class |
| Be creative and open to different ideas | Go into the class unprepared |
| Be understanding of mistakes that may be made within the beginning of the year | Assume students already know your routines and rules without going over them |
| Create a home-like environment for students to feel safe and comfortable | Turn your classroom into a place students want to avoid and hate |
Starting to see any similarities? Or perhaps seeing something you did not think of at first? Or maybe I did not think of your ideas? This is why I like to share my views, because sometimes they propose a fresh new perspective (which always help me).
The Don'ts...
What better way to show what methods are the best than to show the methods that are...well...not the best? Watch the following short video to get a glimpse of what we want to avoid in the classroom.
Let's discuss what we have just seen in this video.
| Too Light | Too Heavy |
|---|---|
| Allowing students to speak as loud as they want and being too soft spoken to control noise level | Throwing a student's desk to get students' attention to keep quiet |
| Allowing students to talk while teacher is speaking without consequence or action taken to stop it | Grabbing a student's face and saying "shut up" |
| Seeing a student in class sleeping, not waking them up, and looking around at students like they should be helping | Pushing sleeping student on the floor |
| Addressing a student who is texting and allowing student to talk back and continue as he pleases | Taking student's phone and throwing it on the floor |
| Allowing student to walk in late and asking if they can be in class on time | Pushing late student out of the room |
| Allowing students to lounge in chairs and talk back to teacher, teacher starts crying | Starting a yelling match with disrespectful student |
The issues addressed in this video (in order) were: noise level, speaking while teacher is speaking, sleeping in class, texting, lateness, and respect. All of these situations should be addressed in a classroom management plan. If the teacher explained the rules and routines in the beginning of the year, these situations would not have occurred, and even if they sometimes did, s/he would have an effective way to approach them. Though both methods of action in this video can sometimes seem unrealistic, such instances have occurred in classrooms by both student and teacher.
Hard to believe? Watch the following video! Feel free to search on YouTube for others like it.
Also, if you are a movie fan, think of the classroom scenes from:
- Sister Act II where after Whoopi Goldberg is introduced to her music class, the students explain to her that they called it a "bird course because they fly right through it." Sister Act II Trailer
- Freedom Writers (A personal favorite of mine that I highly suggest all teachers watch) pretty much ONLY the beginning of the movie where Hilary Swank is first introduced to her class. Freedom Writers Trailer
- Mr. Ron Clark Story (similar to Freedom Writers) when Matthew Perry (Chandler from "Friends") is introduced to his class at the beginning of the movie. If I recall one scene he ended up shaking a student's desk. Mr. Ron Clark Story Trailer
The Dos...
Now that you have seen a little of what we want to avoid in the classroom, let us see what we want our classroom management to be like and how to create it. Of all the articles I have read in regards to classroom management, the following is my favorite. I believe it sums up how to successfully manage a classroom in the most engaging and effective way.
~ Managing Your Classroom For Success
♥ Referring back to the movie examples I used above, if you continue watching them, great classroom management is achieved. I believe that is a reminder that classroom management can be re-established after initial ideas did not work out. We will get more into re-establishing classroom management in our next unit.
Task
Click the link below to answer this unit's question.
Classroom Management Dos & Don'ts
Reflection
Before moving on to Unit Three, reflect on the question: Are the classroom management strategies I use in my own classroom effective? Why or why not? Once again, there is no need to write or type an answer - I just want you to think about it.
Unit Three Unit 3: Re-establishing Classroom Management
Project Home Creating and Maintaining Classroom Management