Monday, February 21, 2011
Classrrom Management
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 it is true that classroom management can be the key to a successful classroom. Classroom management should keep the classroom running smoothly which then allows the teacher to focus on teaching and the students to focus on learning instead of focusing on other distractions.
ReplyDeleteOne classroom management technique I have observed in my university classes is, to start class my professors will normally stand in front of the classroom and start talking whether the class is quiet or not. This is very different from my elementary school classes. In elementary school, my teachers would normally use clapping patterns to get our attention. Some of my elementary school teachers would turn off the lights to get our attention. In my level one field experience first grade classroom, my teacher would say statements like, "If you can hear my voice, clap twice." I think why in college the professors are able to just start talking is because we have been in school for many years and know that when the teacher starts talking, it is our job as a student to stop talking and start focusing on listening. In elementary school, kids are still new to the whole school process and need more reminders on how things work.
I think it is important to use good classroom management strategies in schools because it helps students get the most out of their time at school. It gets rid of distractions and makes the point of the lesson more clear. It also helps students learn how they are suppose to act in school.
ReplyDeleteIn college classes I feel like we do a lot more collaborative learning and group work then when we were younger. It is made clear at the beginning of the semester what our class objectives are and what is expected of us. In Elementary and Middle school, we did not have such long-term goals. I feel like in those years, we always had to have rewards and consequences for the teacher to get us to behave the way they wanted. Maybe that was to teach us how to act and how not to act in a classroom setting. Now I feel that that has been instilled in us for so long that we no longer need the consequence or reward because we want to succeed and that is the reward now.
I think classroom management is definitely the key to success in the classroom because without control and structure in the classroom, it is very difficult for learning to occur. When the majority of disciplinary issues that may come up are discussed ahead of time and everyone knows the rules and consequences, many of these can be avoided or at least handled more smoothly and more time can be spent on learning.
ReplyDeleteAs was mentioned before, a lot of professors just stand in front of the class and a begin talking before the class is quiet and then we know class has begun and it's time to listen. We have been trained to know this and be respectful when someone else is talking. Also, I think professors do this because most of the responsibility of our success falls mostly onto the shoulders of the students. If you decided you don't want to listen and learn the material, that's your decision.
However, in an elementary classroom, most of the students' success is directly reflected upon the teacher and their management and instructional effectiveness. It is the teacher's job to give students purpose and relevancy for every lesson so they understand why it's so important that they learn it and then the teachers have to make sure the students are actually learning and understanding the material. Without good management, students might view their school work as busy work without a purpose and assessment of who has learned what becomes very difficult.
Classroom management is a very important thing to be aware of. I feel like management techniques from elementary school to high school and college vary greatly. It seems as though the more I progress through college, classroom management becomes less of an obvious issue. For the most part, professors will start talking at the beginning of class and everyone automatically falls quiet and gets to work. In a few classes the professor has had to stop and tell other people to stop talking, but that has only happened a few times.
ReplyDeleteThese techniques differ greatly from what I remember being used in elementary school. If the class was getting too loud, we were generally given two warnings to quiet down and after that the lights went off and we put our heads on our desks for a given amount of time. I remember this particular technique working well because after the lights were turned back on, everyone was cooperating and listening. This could be considered more of a discipline strategy, but it also helped teachers manage the classroom.
Classroom management is important to a successful classroom because it helps keep everyone, students and teachers alike, on task and ready to learn.
The way a teacher manages his or her classroom sets the stage for the students who are a part of it. If we want our students to succeed, we need to set up environments in which this is the expectation. In order to achieve success, students must feel valued and safe enough to share their questions, concerns and comments. As teachers, we need to be certain that this is the class we are creating.
ReplyDeleteIn my former college days, I spent a lot of time looking at social and emotional learning, and its effects on academic achievement. The parrallels are undenyable. If we spend all of our time managing behaviors, our students only learn how to be managed - not how to control themselves.
The only management techniques I saw in my elementary school days were yelling and belitting. Needless to say, these techniques were only effective in the short term, and certainly not good for the well being of the students. Unfortunately, I have witnessed some of this in other field experiences as well.
Creating a positive learning environment is essential to learning - no question, but some techniques are certainly more effective than others.
Without a doubt, I would say classroom management is key to a successful classroom for many reasons. It allows students to be a supportive, safe environment so they can reach their potential in learning. Classroom management gives students the chance to engage in lessons and activities, as well as retain the information better. Moreover, good classroom management enables both teachers and students to trust one another, respect one another, and learn from each other.
ReplyDeleteOne classroom management technique I have observed in my university classrooms are professors being well-prepared so that there is little disruption or confusion. The majority of my teachers set high expectations as one day we will be in a position similar to theirs. Another unique classroom management technique that I believe benefits the class as a whole is the respect teachers give us. They listen well to our opinions as well as give their own. This allows for smooth discussion and students understanding that everyone's voice and opinion should be accepted.
My elementary, middle school and high school classroom management held some of those elements; however also focussed on much different techniques. In the grades up to high school the teachers classroom management dealt with behavior, structure, and setting in the classroom. Some techniques I can now pick out is how the desks were alligned, each student having their own task or job every week, outside of the class rules as well as in the class rules that were stated daily and hung up on the wall. Furthermore, simple things like how we are expected to treat each other and the teacher, and what the teacher expects from us at the particular grade level.
I agree that classroom management is the KEY to a successful classroom. Having the class under control and listening to you only helps create a positive learning environment. However there is such thing as being too strict with your classroom. Many teachers in my high school were very strict and made it difficult for me to want to participate.
ReplyDeleteOne technique many of my teachers use in the classroom is Direct Instruction. Many of my teachers go over an outline of what will be discussed in the day and different activities we will be doing. Many of my teachers also use monitoring when working with groups. They walk around the classroom and observe the groups, because even though we are now in college and more independent we still can get off topic!
Many of these techniques are similar to what I have experienced in my elementary, middle and high school years. However in elementary education the teachers did not go over the whole day or class period they would go over each step at a time and take more time to explain what exactly they are looking for, where in college many of my teachers are asking more open ended questions. When working with groups in high school the teachers usually stayed at the front of the classroom grading papers or answering other students’ questions and did not go around the room. However I feel classroom management and techniques they use depend on the teacher and the students in the classroom.
Like all who have posted, I also strongly agree that classroom management is key in creating a successful learning environment. Classroom management ensures that the learning environment is safe, on task, and centered on the student's learning.
ReplyDeleteThe classroom management practices I have observed while doing field experiences in elementary schools significantly differs from what I observe in my college education classes. I actually struggle with the fact that the classroom management practices we are taught in our college education classes are not displayed in the professor’s everyday teaching practices. We are taught to make our expectations and standards clear to the students and to practice consistency in enforcing these standards but in most of my college classes I am rarely sure of what the classroom expectations are.
While observing elementary classrooms, I have been able to see that many teachers handle disciplinary issues by questioning the child or class rather than by telling them what the problem is. For example, if a student isn’t listening to the lesson the teacher may ask, “John, can you tell me what we do next?” When he can’t answer, the teacher will use her class to assist in making the unspoken point of “pay attention” by saying something like, “Can anyone tell John what we said the second step was?” This method of classroom management allows for the teacher to redirect and refocus her students without creating an intimidating environment. This method is not something you would typically see in a college class if the same kind of situation happened. Overall, each age level seems to require different strategies and methods of handling classroom management issues but regardless of the grade level, classroom management is vital in having a successfully functioning classroom.
Other posters have made comments about the difference in group work in college and elementary school and I thought that they made excellent points. I feel like in my college classes we are constantly working in groups either during class or outside of class projects. In elementary school, I do not feel like we did many group projects. In my level one field experience, the first graders did a partner project once when I was in there, but most of the time it was independant work.
ReplyDeleteAnother difference that posters brought up that I had not thought of was in college we get syllabi the first day of class laying out all of the classroom expectations, exactly what we would be learning, and a calendar of assignments. In elementary school, I never received a syllabi. We were told right before we started an activity what exactly we would be doing, but did not get more warning than that. Teachers explained expectations the first day, but then constantly reviewed them in elementary school. In college, the professors teach you the expectations the first day and then it is your responsiblity to know and do them without reviewing them as a class.
Classroom management is in fact the key to success. Without classroom management the room would be impossible to teach and/or make any progress intellectually. In a classroom where there is no management a teacher could teach until they are blue in the face, but if there is no control students who wish to learn are unable to have the proper setting to learn and those who do not wish to learn will carry on with inappropriate behaviors.
ReplyDeleteClassroom management like all parts of education consistently changes with the development of the pupil. In the college setting I have noticed that classroom management could either be overly lenient or could be very structured. However, even the classes that may be deemed as "overly lenient" still function. This is baffling to me as an Elementary Education major because in the age group or setting in which I will be teaching, if you gave your students an inch they would take a mile. In the college setting however, I feel as if students are in charge of their learning and their personal behaviors. If a teacher is fun and easy going it is in your best interest to enjoy this setting, build comfort, but also stay within a respectable range.
In the Elementary portions of my life or from what I have observed, the teacher is in complete control of the classroom. It is imperative that the teacher makes the setting comfortable for the students but also that they make the rules known to their pupils from the beginning. If you set a few set of rules at the beginning of the year and slowly add more as problems arise, your classroom will understand what is expected behavior. You must be careful not to overwhelm your students or ever lose their trust. Overall, the teacher is in charge and an authority figure. At this point in their lives it is our job to facilitate their learning and teach them proper behaviors in order for the students to develop their own personal traits in the future years.
In the middle and high school years college-styled management and Elementary management techniques were combined. There were certain teachers who would be more lenient and allow you to set your own personal habits and rules, and many other teachers who still pressed rules and boundaries in order to make sure you developed the proper work ethics.
The greatest difference between classroom management in the lower and upper settings is the amount of personal responsibility that is placed on the pupil. Just like other areas in life, the older you get, the more responsibility you will have because you are more knowledgeable on acceptable behaviors.
For my second post, I wanted to comment my on the classroom management I have noticed already being used by my teacher at Price Lab. The most prevelant classroom management technique I have seen used by Mrs. Lockhart was her transitions from subject to subject or switching classes. I've observed multiple ways she has created successful transitions to allow for good management. One activity I noticed was a yes/no question game, "Where in the U.S. am I?" The students had to use their knowledge of maps and history to ask yes or no questions to find out what place Mrs. Lockhart was thinking of. This was a good way to regain students focus and attention to the teacher and to fill extra time with an activity instead of students running around causing chaos. I really enjoyed watching this game and could tell the students get into it as well. Another game she played while waiting for some students from a different class to come in for literature groups was guess the word. The students had to come up with words hat rhymed with "sap" because the word the teacher was thinking of was "wrap." The students, however, could not just yell out words but had to describe them. I thought this was a great activity also to regain attention and focus while waiting for other students to come in so they can transition to the next subject. Other simple transitions included things like a telling the students what they need to get out before the lesson started. Also, when she picked partner names she made it clear that the first partner name she called out would get the paper while the other partner would get the books. I thought that was a wonderful way to avoid what could have been a chaotic situation.
ReplyDeleteAnother use of classroom management I have noticed was encouragement. When the students were doing a great job listening and following instruction, Mrs. Lockhart made sure to tell the students to give themselves a pat on the back for doing such a wonderful job. She praised them multiple times. This is an easy way to keep good management in the classroom because the students see that you notice positive behavior and appreciate being recognized for that hopefully reinforcing that behavior.
Lastly, Mrs. Lockhart is wonderful at showing acceptance for everyone's opinions and answers. She does not let other students bring down an answer, just simply learning to agree or disagree. This provides not only a positive learning enviornment for the students but teaches them how to best interact with each other and accept everyone's voices. Through simple techniques that I have observed, I've noticed great classroom management in Mrs. Lockhart's fifth grade classroom and plan to use some of her strategies in the future.
Having good classroom management helps keep the class focused and on task. Therefore, more learning can take place, because the students feel comfortable. The classroom should be a learning environment and not a prison. If the rules are too strict then the students won't feel as comfortable suggesting new things.
ReplyDeleteIn high school I remember a lot of my teachers being too strict causing me to feel stupid when asking questions. I don't want my students to feel this way. In my university classes I feel they are more open to discussion and student lead, but the teachers still have a well managed classroom. They set up guidelines at the beginning of the semester so we all know what's expected but they don't stand over us like wardens. Instead they are a resource encouraging learning.
I would like to comment on what Sydney said above. I have only been in field experience for 2 days and have already seen so many great classroom management techniques. If these strategies weren't used the way they were, the students would have lost direction many times and the room would have not gone as smoothly. I really like that Ms. Lockhart reads to her students when they get back from lunch. I think this is really important because it gives the students time to unwind after being in a less structured environment while also getting their brains back into thinking mode.
ReplyDeleteAs Sydney said above, the games I watched the teacher and students play in between activities were really helpful. It gave the students a break from just normal school work and allowed them to have a little fun while still thinking and learning.
Another good strategy I have seen used is making sure the students know the consequences for undesired behavior and follow through with it. The other day when the fifth graders didn't follow directions, she let them know that they didn't have much time and if they didn't get picked up efficiently, they would have to come back after school and do it. This is what happened and she followed through with what she said. The rules were very clear.
You can be the smartest teacher in the world, but without control of your classroom, you won't be very effective.
I think you need to have classroom management in a classroom in order to make it run smoothly. You will have more behavioral problems and discipline issues if your students do not know what to expect from your classroom and how to act while they are in class.
ReplyDeleteThe classroom management techniques I've noticed in my university classes have differed from teacher to teacher. Some have been the same as when I was in elementary, middle and high school, where they wait for the class to be quiet before they start the discussion. Most of the teachers don't wait. They will just start the class whether you are listening or not. I think they feel like if we really want to know what is going on then we will stop talking and listen to them. They don't seem to care as much if we don't catch the assignment or the notes that they are giving because that is our problem not theirs.
As other people have mentioned above, I feel like the university professors feel like since we are paying for these classes we should know when to be quiet and start listening compared to when you are in the lower grades, teachers are more lenient when it comes to that and they won't begin to do anything until you are completely quiet.
Resoponding to the post above. I do actually have professors who will stop and and give you the look to be quiet. I also have professors who will stop in the middle of a sentance to have a student put away their phone. To me I find this very disrtracting and it does not help me stay on topic.
ReplyDeleteMany Professors would rather not have us waste our time or waste their time. Most of my professors want me to get the most out of the class which is why they have office hours to stop in and see them if you need help.
I also agree that it is important to have classroom management.To keep things running smoothly. However, too much management will discourage students creative thinking and how they answer questions.
@Kailey: I think that those are all really great techniques for teachers to use. Reading to students at times like after lunch helps get them calmed down and back into the mindset that it's time to work.
ReplyDeleteI also think that, in a small way, it's helpful to allow the students time to talk in between transitioning from subject to subject. Not to the point where it is chaotic and disruptive, but it allows for a short break and then they will be less likely to talk during lesson time and more likely to listen. You have to be careful with this though, making sure that you can easily bring their attention back to what needs to be done.
@Allison: I completely agree with your comment about professors telling you to teach one way, and then doing the opposite themselves.I have been noticing it more and more this semester. I have classes that I do not know what is expected of my work and of myself, and the professors do not always make themselves available for questions. I know part of the reason it is like this is because more is expected of us at this level. However, actions speak louder than words and I would like to actually see someone who is a practicing teacher actually do what their telling us to do.
ReplyDeleteI do think that classroom management is an important factor in any successful classroom, but I also think it is more important for teachers to be extensively specialized, requiring both intricate skills and complex knowledge about their subject matters. Good classroom management is not necessarily always enough to ensure good instruction.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I do feel that classroom management is a very important factor that teachers need to highly trained in and be ready to take appropriate action in any situation. Teachers need to be flexible during their lessons, adjusting to how the students are responding. If one technique of management isn't working, teachers should immediately try a different approach or switch gears and move on to the next task.
Some techniques I have seen in my university classes that I really liked is when a professor asks a discussion question, allows a student enough time to share their thoughts, then the professor elaborates on the student's point for the rest of the class, always relating it back to classroom content and making meaningful and relevant connections. I intent to use this strategy with my future students because I think it shows the students that you are listening to them and interested in their thoughts. I feel that this will help with class participation and won't scare students away from sharing their opinions aloud with the class.
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ReplyDeleteTo expand on my earlier post, I would like to share some more thoughts on classroom management in general. Without successful management, the learning environment becomes stressful, discouraging, and frustrating for both the teacher and students. Some bad techniques that I have recently observed (-not by Mrs. Lockhart or any other PLS teacher-) included talking down to students, not treating them with respect, arguing with the student over expectations, and engaging in power struggles with the students. Some things I thought could have been done to make the situation better included stopping the lesson to talk about expectations the teacher help for students. Explain to the students that when they are talking during instruction, it is hard for the teacher and other students to concentrate. When giving directions, I felt it could have been beneficial for the teacher to provide a visual aid to get the students more interested in what she was saying. It was even hard for me to understand the instructions as she read them aloud and afterward I was unclear about what was expected of the students. Another idea I thought could have been useful was to take a short 5 minute break to let the students and teacher refocus and give the teacher time to reflect on how things were going and how they could be going differently.
ReplyDeleteOverall, the students should always be treated with respect. Teachers can show that they respect their students by making eye contact and not interrupt a student while they are speaking, giving students a chance to share their thoughts and not cut them off, explaining expectations clearly and when an expectation isn’t being met talking about it a professional way with the students, and never talking down to students.