Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Classroom Management 3
It has been said that classroom management can be the key to a successful classroom. Why do you think that could be true? Classroom management is used at all levels of instruction. What classroom management techniques have you observed in your university classes? How are these techniques similar or different from what you experienced in elementary, middle or high school? Explain.
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I think that classroom management being the key to a successful classroom is very true for a numeber of reasons. One of these is the simple fact that if your students are rowdy and off-task you will spend more time trying to straighten them out than you will teaching. I feel that a classroom that has management issues is also one that makes it impossible for the students to learn anything.
ReplyDeleteIn my classes through UNI we have studied about many different management strategies. These strategies were incorporated by our instructor into three categories: moderate, middle, and severe management. Some of the individual techniques I thought were most useful were proximity control, and teacher cue/signal. In proximity control you simply move to the area of the misbehaving child and in some instances place a hand on their shoulder. This gets them to stop whatever undesirable action they are doing. An example of a teacher cue/signal (which is something I see teacher use alot) could be when a child is speaking out of turn. The signal would be to give that child a stern look that lets them know what their doing is not ok.
The techniques I've learned about in college are the ones I remember seeing throughout my educational career. During elementary school for instance I remember receiving numerous teacher signals to stop what I was doing. In middle school and high school althought less frequent I remember teachers using proximity control. I also find that what I've been learning about in my UNI classes is what I have been observing in elementary classrooms.
I think that classroom management is a key factor in teaching. Without management you will never get through anything that you want if you don't have control of the classroom. There are so many different ways of managing a classroom, so there is no right way. You just have to figure out a way that the students and you can have fun with what you are trying to get through and yet have structure.
ReplyDeleteThis is my first semester at UNI, so I haven't noticed a ton of management so far this year. I haven't really been looking for it though either. At NIACC (this is where I started off my college career), when students were having their own conversations when the teacher was trying to teach, the teacher would make their way over to the students that were talking and usually that would stop them. I've also seen where the teacher will stop talking, which would cause the students that were not paying attention to look up to see why she stopped.
Most of the things that I've seen in my college classes, I've experienced in my elementary, middle, and high school classes. In elementary, I can remember teachers saying specific names to get kids attention. In high school, I can remember teachers getting upset at us, because they thought we should know how to act in a classroom by this age.
I think classroom management is one key to having a successful classroom because this can create a safe, positive environment for the students. Also, having good management skills will help the class to be well organized and run smoothly.
ReplyDeleteIn my university classes, I have seen a variety of management techniques. Some of my teachers will wait to speak until everyone is quiet, while others will be abrupt and tell everyone class has started and to quiet down. Some of my teachers lay out the rules the first day on how strict they are, while others are very lenient. I have noticed that the teachers who lay out the ground rules have better management skills and things tend to run smoother. The teachers who do not have strict policies tend to not care so much about these skills, and I notice that students slack off and misbehave more.
In elementary, middle and high school, the teachers always laid out their rules the first day and stood by them strictly. I think this strategy leads to good classroom management because the students know what is expected of them. Also, in those grade levels, a lot of my teachers would use check in processes to see if we were paying attention and such.
I think in college, the management skills are lacked by teachers because they expect more from their “adult” students, but I think they should continue to use good management skills similar to those used in elementary, middle and high school. The teachers will gain more respect this way and will have a better class overall in my opinion.
I agree with Amber, by having classroom management it does create a safer, more positive working environment. I also agree with what she said about teachers laying out the rules having more success. If teachers don't tell the students what they expect right from the beginning, then the students are going to feel that they can do whatever they want and that they don't have to listen. You have to start off being more firm, by telling them how its going to be and by sticking to it. As the year goes on you can loosen up, but if you start off trying to be their best friend, then they are going to feel that they have the power to walk all over you. Especially, if you try to be firm later.
ReplyDeleteI think that classroom management is perhaps one of the most important aspects of a classroom. It is also the part about teaching that I'm most nervous for. In order for your class to be a successful one, you have to have a certain amount of control. I've learned in my three years at UNI that it's much much easier to start strict and become more lenient over time, than start off too lenient and then try and become strict. Once students get into the pattern of slacking off and misbehaving, it gets harder and harder to correct the problems as the year progresses. Students will be testing you from the getgo to see what your limits are. If you are inconsistent or don't have any limits, then the students will keep pushing because they know they can get away with it. It's very important to establish this control and management from the beginning so this doesn't happen.
ReplyDeleteSo far, I've learned quite a bit about techniques for classroom management. I have learned the most about it so far in my Learning and Instruction class. I have also done my fair share of observing classes and I have found that age makes a difference, and so do the students in that particular class. The best example I have of a lack of classroom management would be in my Level I class. My level I teacher had excellent classroom management and the kids knew that when she raised her hand, she wanted quiet. One day, when I went with the kids to Art class, as soon as we stepped into the room, it was like the students were a completely different class. They talked while the teacher was talking, they blurted, and they were off task. If the art teacher would have set up rules right away in the year, I don't think she would have management problems, or at least not as severe. I have seen good management techniques such as proximity, counting down, taking away free time/recess minutes and others. All of these are pretty much the same from when I was in elementary school. I remember rules being set on the very first day, and there weren't many teachers in my school that we could really push.
I think classroom management is one of the most important aspects of teaching. If a teacher is not able to manage his/her students, what could be instructional time will be taken up by disciplining students. School should be a place of learning and not a place of reprimanding children who are off-task and not engaged. A professor once mentioned in a lecture that if something isn't working, fix it. If students are misbehaving, instead of taking up class time, teachers may need to reflect on what they are doing and how they can change and implement management strategies to make instructional time go more smoothly.
ReplyDeleteI graduated from the University of Iowa and also attended a university in Australia as well as UNI. I have seen a lot of different management techniques used in my classes. By the time students are in college, I think teachers expect they should know about the basic rules such as not talking when others are and showing respect. Sometimes college professors will remind classes of the rules and guidelines but usually they tell the students to read the syllabus and not much else is said about expectations for behaviors in the class. Also, in my university classes, students usually quiet down as soon as an instructor enters the room. This is something that we have been taught to do throughout our schooling and it has become more of a habit; if the teacher is at the front of the room, the students are quiet and paying attention.
There are some similarities and also some differences in the techniques I experienced at university versus elementary, middle and high school. The same basic rules have been used throughout my school experience, but how these rules are taught and enforced are different. For example, in college the basic rule of respecting others if often unspoken, but in elementary school the basic rules are outlined and often posted on the walls of the classroom. Also, in elementary and middle school I remember having the teacher remind the class often about the rules and expectations of the class. In high school, I experienced chaos in rooms that the teacher had rules but never enforced them. Students always knew what they could get away with and would push the envelope.
I think having clear expectations and if possible, having the students involved in the rule-making process can give them ownership and feel more responsible to follow the rules that the class has made. It is also important that along with the rules, there are clear consequences that are followed consistently when rules are broken.
I agree that classroom management is a very important aspect of teaching. Without management instruction time is going to be lost and things aren't going to run as smoothly as they could. You want to spend more time letting the students learn rather than trying to control them and get them to behave or follow directions.
ReplyDeleteHere at UNI I have seen a variety of methods. I have had professors lay out what they expect right away and that's just how it is. I've seen professors wait for a class to quiet down before they begin. They will stand at the front and maybe begin to say something and then stop and wait a little and try again and keep repeating this until they have the class' attention. I have also had professors who will walk in and say "Good morning!" or "Good afternoon!" to get our attention and let us know that class is going to begin.
These techniques are similar yet different than what I have seen in elementary, junior high and high school. I feel like the professors I have here expect a little more from us because we have many years of experience being in classrooms. Something else that is different is in elementary and sometimes high school, if someone is acting out the teacher may say the name of the student and then use a hand gesture or motion or instruct them to do something differently. I haven't really seen that since I have been in college.
This statement is true to some extent. I feel like classroom management is a key element that a teacher must have in order to have a successful classroom. That said, a teacher can also manage her classroom too much, where everything runs in order because the students are afraid of that teacher or because the classroom is completely controlled and the students make no decisions on how the classroom should be run. Being in college, my professors haven't had to use too many classroom management techniques. We are old enough to know when it is time to start class. Most classes present a syllabus at the beginning of the semester to outline their expectations of us while we are in their class. Rules such as no cell phones, no talking, and required attendence, are just a couple examples of these expectations. Some of my major classes use attention getters or management techniques to show us examples of how to use it in our future classroom. One of my teacher's, Mrs. Bakker, flicks the lights or claps her hands three times to show us that we are ready to start class.
ReplyDeleteIn high school, I feel like we were always being yelled at to quiet down or focus our attention. Sometimes teachers would just wait until our class would stop talking. In my elementary school when the lights were off, it meant to be silent. Our teachers would say "What does it mean when the lights are off?" The older I got the less the teachers needed to say "be quiet." I think I will use more creative ways to get my future classroom's attention. It doesn't always have to have such a negative tone to it. When students are encouraged to collaborate and share ideas, it isn't a bad thing for them to be talking outloud. In Mrs. Lockhart's class she counts down from five, so by the time she reaches one, everyone has their attention on her. This is an example of a positive way to bring the class to attention, instead of shouting "Be quiet!"
I do think that classroom management is key to a successful classroom. If you do not have good management skills when dealing with 15-20 students at once it can often end in chaos. You are not only trying to control the class but you are trying to teach every student something they do not know. In order to be successful at doing this you need to have a plan of attack and you need to be able to be organized and efficient.
ReplyDeleteIn college a lot of the classes are set up in groups for student interaction. The class is also usually set up with a white board or screen in the front of the room. From my experience a lot of the professors at UNI teach through asking questions. They ask open-ended questions and allow a lot of student interaction. The way most teachers keep students on task is by walking around the room and listening to the conversations. Some other professors will just wait until the conversations stop and then they can start talking. In college you don’t have to worry about students getting out of control as much as you do in high school or elementary. Everyone is in college because they choose to be and they are in class because they choose to be, that is not always the case in high school or elementary.
I have seen in high school where teachers will wait until students stop talking or they will walk over to those students who are talking out of turn. However students in high school and elementary are always sitting around their friends and it is a lot easier to talk so you usually have to do more. I have seen a lot of teachers turn of the lights in elementary or sing a song to get the student’s attention. I know in high school most teachers will just threaten with detentions or extra homework.
I agree with Beth, I am probably most nervous about being able to control my class someday. I also agree that you need to be strict to start off and then if you need to lighten up as you go on. I remember having teachers who would want to quit because they would let the students walk all over them on the first day and never get control after that. I have also been in a class where one teacher can control the class and another has no control what so ever. Most kids know when they should be quiet and know when they should behave. It is up to you as a teacher to make sure you set rules right away and stick to them until a routine is made at least.
ReplyDeleteI think it is very true that classroom management is key to having a successful classroom. It is extremely important to be able to control your classroom and your students, especially in elementary school when the children are so young and get off task easily. If you can't get the students under control, you are never going to be able to teach them. I think it's also very important that they know what the rules are so they can follow them.
ReplyDeleteThroughout my classes at UNI so far, I have learned a lot about classroom management and different techniques that we will be able to use in our future classrooms. Most of my professors usually either tell the whole class that it needs to be quiet because class is starting or they stop talking and wait for everyone to start paying attention. I have also seen a few times where professors will single out students and tell them to be quiet or even ask them what they were talking about that was so important. These types of behavior modification are positive punishments.
In elementary school I remember my teachers using the quiet symbol, where they would put their pointer finger to their mouth. In middle school they expected more of us and would just tell us to be quiet. When I got to high school they got even more strict. Many times they would tell certain students to stop talking and if they didn't they would be sent to the principal's office.
I agree with Amanda about there being no right way to manage a classroom. Every classroom is different because every student is different. You have to get to know your students and what motivates them so you know what you can do to manage your classroom. Some things that work well in one classroom may not work at all in another classroom. Once you know your students well enough you will be able to control your classroom so you can teach your students and they will understand the material.
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