Classroom management for the 21st Century

Scholarship and certificate programme

Workshop 1

About this course:

• An overview of the research and theory• A chance to reflect on your practice• Development of classroom policies• Training on the use of non-verbal

communication skills• Understanding professional relationships

within schools

Topics:

• Classroom environment and seating arrangements• Classroom rules and procedures• Non-verbal communication • Creativity in the classroom• An introduction to Mental Set• Behaviour management• Tackling lateness and attendance• Time management for teachers• Professional teacher-student relationships• Engaging parents in school

Agenda for today:

• Class intentions• The classroom: a theoretical framework• The classroom as a working environment• Classroom seating arrangements • Designing your ideal classroom• Break• Classroom rules: discussion of existing rules• Writing classroom rules• Summary and explanation of homework

What does your ideal classroom look like?

A ten-point scale for classroom atmosphere:

Level 10: You feel completely relaxed and comfortable; able to undertake any form of lesson activity without concern.

Level 9: You feel completely in control of the class and can undertake any sort of classroom activity, but you need to exercise some control/authority at times to maintain a calm and purposeful working atmosphere

Level 8: You can establish and maintain a relaxed and co-operative working atmosphere and undertake any form of classroom activity, but this requires a considerable amount of thought and effort on your part at times.

Level 7: You can undertake any form of lesson activity, but the class may well be rather 'bubbly' and rowdy

A ten-point scale for classroom atmosphere cont.

Level 6: You don't really look forward to teaching the class, it is often a major effort to establish and maintain a relaxed and calm atmosphere.

Level 5: There are times in the lesson when you would feel awkward or embarrassed if the principal/a zone supervisor came into the room, because your control of the class is limited.

Level 4: You have to accept that your control is limited.

Level 3: You dread the thought of the lesson. There will be major disruption; many pupils will pay little or no heed to your presence in the room.

Level 2: The pupils largely determine what will go on in the lesson.

Level 1: Your entry into the classroom is greeted by jeers and abuse.

The classroom as a social and learning environment

(from a caring perspective):

• Views the development of children in a positive light• Views students as embedded in a social context• Views the community as relational• Views the curriculum as integrated and student-centred• Makes use of minimal and non-coercive discipline

strategies• Has a common set of classroom activities to build and

sustain the community

The classroom from an ecological perspective:

The classroom is an environment, rather like a habitat, where 20 to 30 students gather with 1 or 2 adults to engage in educational activities and learning.

Features of the environment:• Multidimensional: many different events and task take place here• Simultaneity: a lot of things can happen at once• Immediacy: events in a classroom happen at a rapid pace• Unpredictability: events often take unexpected turns• Public-ness: everyone sees what’s going on• History: members of the class accumulate a common set of

experiences, routines and norms

The physical factors in the classroom environment:

• Size of the room• Number and height of

windows• Quality of the furniture• Size of the furniture• Arrangement of the

furniture

• Lighting • Temperature• Noise (from AC etc.)• Smell! • Colour of the walls• Displays • Availability of resources

What are your preferred working conditions?

Classroom Rules & Procedures• Rules: identify general expectations or

standards

• Procedures: communicate expectations for specific behaviours

(Evertson et al., 2003; Emmer et al., 2003)

Research and theory:• Meta-analysis by Marzano et al (2003): when rules and procedures

were effectively implemented the average number of disruptions was 28 percentile points lower than in classes where they were not.

• Fan & Chen (2001): establishing rules and procedures at home was associated with a 10-percentile-point increase in achievement at school.

• Brophy & Evertson (1976): classroom rules and procedures are less effective when they have simply been imposed on students.

• Curwin & Mendler (1988) suggest that classroom rules and procedures should be viewed as a contract between teacher and students.

Research and theory conclusions:• Designing and implementing rules and procedures has a

profound positive impact of student behaviour and achievement

• Effective rules and procedures must first be discussed and negotiated with students

Homework!

• Write a lesson plan to implement a set of classroom rules with a class, then evaluate the lesson

• Start a journal to reflect upon and chart the progress of your management with a class of your choice