How to Be an Effective Classroom Manager

What is the most important factor of student success? According to Marzano, the most important factor affecting student learning is the teacher (Marzano, 2003). This statement not only illustrates the importance of teacher effectiveness but the importance of effective classroom management. Effective teachers obtain the critical skills of maintaining manageable classrooms. As a future elementary school teacher, it is important for me to gather a clear understanding of my own classroom management philosophy in order to prepare for the various issues that will be presented by my future students. I hope to specifically teach grades two or three. The necessities concerning effective elementary classroom management and discipline include a balance of teacher cooperation and domination and harmony between reward and punishment.

Instructional strategies are important at every level of education, but these strategies differ on the basis of age and skill level. In the elementary school setting, lecturing does not work very well due to the short attention span elementary students obtain. Individual work is highly valued at the elementary level due to progress tracking purposes and because the basic skills that will be carried with them throughout their lives such as addition, subtraction, writing, etc must be developed. However, group work is also held at a high standard within elementary education due to the soft skills being developed during these early stages of development. Teamwork, leadership, communication, and skills of similar nature and value are important to learn at a young age. By learning these interpersonal skills early in life, these students are more likely to grow into socially sound individuals.

It is important that both children and teachers have control of the curriculum in order to produce effective results. This is the idea of shared creation and implementation of rules and procedures. The material or concepts being learned should be controlled by the teacher, however, students should also have a voice when it comes to what they already know and what they would like to learn about these concepts. This not only prevents students from becoming annoyed with learning the same ideas over and over again, but also helps students learn about the ideas they have questions about. For example, students can complete a “KWL” chart. This chart has three sections which consist of what they already know about a given topic, what they want to know about a topic, and what they learned about the topic after the lesson is completed. This involves efforts from both the teacher and the students. This helps teachers adjust the lesson if needed and prevents students from hearing the same information again. When or if students become disengaged, it is important to recognize their disengagement. Some children, especially younger children, learn better with hands on activities. Getting the students more involved in the lesson can improve student engagement with the lesson.

Other than the “KWL” chart, I am able to assess what students learn through their grades on assignments and test scores. Formative assessments more accurately assesses the progress of students in my classroom and will be used more often than summative assessments. Grades play an important role in any class as they are the main communicator of how well a child is doing in a particular subject or what they have taken away from a particular lesson. However, what makes up these grades will differ from class to class. For example, participation grades will play a larger part in physical education classes than math classes because the majority of the time physical education does not grade based on written test scores. Physical education is more geared towards physical testing which requires participation. However, participation is still a very important factor of other courses such as science classes due to lab work, and when answering questions. Homework also plays an important role in participation as it shows the attentiveness of students in class and impacts their grade. Elementary school students in my classroom will receive homework almost daily to demonstrate their understanding of certain lessons such as spelling, writing, simple addition, etc. These assignments will not be extensive, but they will demonstrate whether or not my students are learning the material taught in class. The completion of homework assignments may be a participation grade depending on the assignment.

Other routines that will be established besides homework assignments and individual or group work time include time set aside to get to know the students. A routine that may help this cause may include a way to express their feelings at the beginning of each day such as a feelings chart displayed in the classroom with a place to put their name tag popsicle stick to express themselves. A classroom technique that improves student behavior includes discussing the rules and procedures at the beginning of each class. This helps students remember the expectations they are held to at school. These routines demonstrate the balance between domination and cooperation. By knowing the students, I am able to cooperate better with them and by having set rules I am able to show dominance.

Effective classroom management goes beyond just instructional strategies. Behavior and discipline strategies are also very important to managing the classroom. The optimal learning environment includes an open structured arrangement. The children should not be facing each other, but should be facing the front of the room in order to draw the attention to the teacher and not each other. The desks or tables should also be in small groups/rows for group work. If need be, the desks can be rearranged for group work opportunities that require it. This arrangement helps the teacher have the necessary control over the classroom. This provides a clear vision of the children. Structure, guidance, and control are highly necessary in this setting due to the immatureness of the children. Without high control the classroom would be chaos and a low amount of guidance would cause children to become confused with what they are learning since they are beginners. Student-teacher interactions will be a frequent occurrence due to the high amount of guidance needed at these ages. For example, students are expected to raise their hand if they have a question and I would ask them if they have a question or need help with the assignment. I would ask them to explain what they are stuck on if they are having issues doing a certain task. If multiple children have asked the same question, I may address the whole class about the issue.

Common behavioral or discipline issues such as off-task talking will first result in a polite reminder. If the talking continues, I will separate the students. If the talking does not stop after that, I may have them go to the office or write them up. A similar situation would be cell phone use if the student acquires a cell phone. Unscheduled tips outside the classroom will be handled with a discussion at first to see where they are going, however, this will most likely not be an issue in second or third grade as there are usually scheduled class trips to the restroom. If the student continues to ask, however, I will have a conversation with them to see if they are having potential issues going to the bathroom. If the issue continues and there is no good reason why they are out of the classroom so often, I may have them go to the office or call their parents. Students who show disrespect towards me or other students will be spoken to outside of class and sent to the office with call home depending on the severity. Incomplete assignments will be addressed with the student at first, but then will result in a call home to discuss implementations for the student to get their work completed. Sleeping in class, poor hygiene, and frequent absence or tardiness are potential signs of a rough or nonexistent home life. I would try and talk to other teachers to gain insight about the student’s situation first. If I am unable to find any information about the student, I will contact a guidance counselor. If the guidance counselor does not have any idea, I will contact home and go from there.

In conclusion, effective classroom management and discipline involve a balance of teacher cooperation and domination and harmony between reward and punishment. Cooperation will be implemented through getting to know my students and being understanding of certain issues that may present themselves. However, I will also show domination through the application of rules and procedures. In addition, students will be rewarded for their good efforts and class virtue as well as punished for their wrong doings. Lastly, effective classroom management is all about balance. By balancing cooperation and domination as well as reward and punishment, I will be able to effectively manage the classroom.

References

Marzano, R. J., Marzano, J. S., & Pickering, D. (2003). Classroom Management That Works : Research-Based Strategies for Every Teacher. Alexandria, Va: ASCD. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=cookie,ip,cpid&custid=s6222276&db=nlebk&AN=99261&site=ehost-live&scope=site