Thanks guys and gals!!
Ellie
Friday, July 4, 2008
Classroom Management
I am sure I am not alone in my fears of keeping ahead of classroom control and management as a high school teacher. It was my experience in high school that the teachers who maintained the most order and control in the class were those who constantly raised their voices and imposed harsh penalties on the disruptive students. These teachers held the highest academic standards for the students, but controlled the class through fear. Alternately, the popular teachers had fun and dynamic teaching methods, a good sense of humor and related well to the students. Class was always fun, but academic standards seemed to suffer. I am very interested in your ideas on maintaining class control while having fun and motivating youth to reach their academic potential.
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6 comments:
I think that learning can happen in all types of environments, and I also think that what is learnt is reflective of the environment. As our educational methodology becomes part of the learning process, students will come to recognize "how" they are being taught as well as "what" they are being taught as a part of their education. Should classroom management then be thought of when considering educational goals?
I have to backtrack: Ellie is talking about the perosonalities that two different teachers adopted to manage a class. I see those personalities as part of the learning environment, but of course there are other aspects of the environment (ie school location, wealth, and demographic).
My idea of a teacher is that I would not "control" but guide. I see management through reason, understanding, and effort.
There are so many factors influencing “management” strategies in a classroom: the age of the students, class size, motivational/expectation levels, and probably most importantly the subject being taught. If I am teaching Math to younger grades, then a more disciplined structured approach would be my preferred tactic, whereas with older grades, I am a facilitator and would not expect behaviour issues. Teaching history on the other hand, would require a less strict classroom, with more room for exploration by the students via collaboration and debates. (Though hopefully this program will expose me to other approaches).
A teacher’s reputation is also crucial. If a teacher is known as a pushover then it is very difficult to change one’s reputation. It is easier (I think someone may have mentioned this already somewhere else on the blog) to mellow out, and surprise students that you’re not that strict after all.
Also, if one is a teacher in a school for a number of years, then its crucial that one is not seen as a pushover. So the relationship with the grades 8/9 when they start is very important – it sets the tone – and of course you’ll get to know the students, and they you, as they progress through the school. By grade 12, they are adults.
At home, one piece of advice for new teachers is: “Don’t smile before Christmas”!
(Sorry for the length)
This topic is interesting to me as well. I believe it's a great mistake to try and be that 'Fun Teacher' - especially when you’re new to the field. High school students are savvy enough to take advantage of this type of teacher on their first few days – after this, it might be an up-hill battle to try and gain control in the classroom.
It is first important to establish your rules and regulations. I believe that, after there is a mutual respect in the classroom, the teacher can become more 'relaxed'.
Excellent points and really sophisticated perspective of creating and maintaining positive classroom learning environments! At the end of my 4 month practicum I gave my students a feedback survey to find out what they thought I could improve on going forward. Much to my surprise many of the students who gave me the hardest times (!!) wrote that I could have been more strict.
Did I laugh hard after reading that! But the truth is that they wanted a safe and meaningful learning environment and they needed guidelines and boundaries to know how to achieve that for themselves and for others.
Can't wait to talk more about managements techniques and power issues involved!
I agree with Courtney's comments on the topic of classroom management. I think all of us would like to be accepted and liked by our students. Therefore, there is a temptation to become the "fun" teacher; someone the students look forward to having as opposed to a stuffy, strict academic type. However, I think taking on such a role could have consequences that hinder a teacher's ability to effectively manage their classroom. As Courtney pointed out, high school students might take advantage of such a teacher causing disruption and making it difficult for other students to learn. I think it is important to initially adopt a serious, professional attitude in order to establish your role as the teacher. Once you are confident that mutual respect and understanding exists between yourself and your students, you can perhaps become more laid-back with your class.
I also think it is possible to have lessons which are engaging and enjoyable for students while maintaining effective classroom management. Being passionate about your subject area can instill interest and excitement upon your students, encouraging them to delve deeper and learn more. I think you can still make lessons fun even if you establish rules and guidelines for your class to follow.
In regards to teachers who keep order in the classroom by way of raising their voices and imposing harsh penalties, I find what Arlyne Le Shack mentions here to be extremely helpful. Even though the “counting” procedure that she describes might not be appropriate or needed for all age groups, it draws attention, I think, to 2 important management principles: first of all, if teachers model polite, respectful behavior (without yelling) when they discipline, they are much more likely to receive a positive response; second, by giving a warning before disciplining a student, teachers show that they want to offer the student an opportunity to make the right choice.
Here is another page that relates to classroom management. The small details that Charlene Davis mentions sometimes go unnoticed, but they are well worth considering and could make a class run really smoothly. I found the suggestion about having welcoming and departing rituals an interesting idea – one that would get the students focused for sure, especially if you sang!
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