Quality instruction is made more effective by good classroom management. By creating a classroom environment where teachers and students work together toward their pursuit of learning, educators can focus their energies on improving achievement, rather than on keeping order or responding to chaos. Planning for each facet of classroom management, establishing strong routines and expectations, and building relationships with students will ensure a cooperative atmosphere that is conducive to learning.
Elements of Effective Classroom Management
Classroom management is a broad term that encompasses several elements of classroom life that are essential to successful instruction and learning. First, teachers must organize for their own instruction, keeping both short-term and long-term learning goals in mind. In addition, classroom management includes establishing rules and consequences for student behavior, routines for everyday tasks, and plans for building a cooperative atmosphere in the classroom.
Instructional Organization and Classroom Routines
Children are cooperative and happy when they know the expectations and can anticipate the behaviors and skills they need to be successful in their environment. By establishing clear classroom routines for everyday tasks such as handing in homework, using the restroom, getting into study groups, or putting materials away, teachers can minimize uncertainty and the potential for misbehavior or wasted time.
Begin by establishing a routine for lesson planning that includes gathering all materials for the week as you finalize plans. Post classroom rules and routinely discuss how certain behaviors contribute to or detract from the desired atmosphere. Enforce consequences and celebrate successes, spending more time on teaching rules and routines early in the year, so that less time may be spent on them later.
Transitions are especially important. Teachers should have their own materials organized and ready for each lesson, each day, so that they are ready to begin instruction immediately. Provide positive reinforcement for students who transition quickly from one subject to the next or who arrive in the classroom on time and ready to begin. By anticipating where problems may occur, and teaching expected routines early on, teachers can ensure student cooperation and maximum time for learning.
Building Positive Relationships with Students
The most effective classroom management is based on positive relationships between teachers and students. Students know that their teachers care about them and their learning, and respond by contributing to the positive classroom environment that their teachers have established. They take pride in achieving to their potential because they know that their teachers believe in them.
Building positive relationships with students requires a paradigm shift away from power struggles and the idea that students must somehow be coerced into behaving. Rather, spend extra time in and out of the classroom getting to know students as individuals. Maintaining professionalism is key, but so is listening and learning. Realize that every student has a set of circumstances that are unique to them, and while empathizing, continually communicate high expectations for their achievement.
For new and experienced teachers alike, good classroom management is essential to providing quality instruction. Even the best lesson plans will be ineffective if students are unruly, the teacher is disorganized, or there is a competitive or negative affect to the classroom. By recognizing and addressing the elements of classroom management, organizing for smooth transitions and routines, and building positive relationships with students, teachers ensure that their students are receiving the best opportunity to learn.
Further Reading
- Powell, Angela. The Cornerstone: Classroom Management That Makes Teaching More Effective, Efficient, and Enjoyable. Ft. Lauderdale, FL: Due Season Press, 2009.
- Springer, Steve and Alexander, Brandy. The Organized Teacher: A Hands-On Guide to Setting Up and Running a Terrific Classroom. Columbus, OH: McGraw Hill, 2005.
Barbara Abromitis - Barbara Abromitis, Ed.D. is a freelance writer and educational consultant, with degrees in reading education and educational psychology, ...
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