Classroom Management Essay

Classroom management

Excellent link giving practical advice about solving behavioural problems.

Classroom management - a better term than ‘discipline’

Definition of classroom management

The ways in which student behaviour, movement and interaction during a lesson are organised and controlled by the teacher to enable teaching to take place most effectively (Richards 1990).

Definition of discipline

To maintain order and to keep the group on task and moving ahead, not to spot and punish those students who are misbehaving(Greenwood and Parkay, 1989)

Prevention is better than cure. Important to keep the primary activity flowing smoothly,
Best teachers anticipate when misbehaviours are likely to occur and intervene early to prevent them. Most effective interventions are subtle, brief, almost private. Therefore they do not interfere with classroom activities.

Causes of deviant behaviour (Cole and Chan, 1987)
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Models of discipline

The Canter model (Canter 1989)

The teacher will not tolerate deviant behaviour. No excuses, teachers are consistent in the treatment of discipline.

Pay attention to students that behave well.

Start by sending a letter to parents out-lining the behaviour expected from the student, what punishments there would be for transgressing these standards, and what the student and parents can expect the teacher to do to help the student in return.

In class, if the student misbehaves the name would go on the board with a warning. If the behaviour continues, a detention would be given. If the behaviour continues, then two detentions would be given. If the student fails to attend detentions or if behaviour continues then the student would be referred to the deputy head.

Criticism

The letter is a negative way to start off the year.

This approach is rather mechanistic, and amounts to the teacher over-controlling the students.

Some parents like this approach, as they feel something is being...