why is classroom management important

 

why is classroom management important

Classroom management is one of the two major responsibilities of a teacher. The other responsibility is instruction. Classroom management and management of student conduct are skills that teachers should acquire. To be sure, effective teaching requires considerable skill in managing the myriad of tasks and situations that occur in the classroom each day. Skills such as effective classroom management are central to teaching and require common sense, consistency, a sense of fairness, and courage. These skills also require that teachers in more than one way the psychological management is only acquired with practice, feedback, and a willingness to learn from mistakes. An effective teacher is not only a master of his subject but also a master of classroom situations. The teacher as management expert of the class adopts strategies to manage it

Component of classroom management

There are three components of classroom management which are described as follows

• The teacher

• The student

• Discipline

The teacher:

For the good management of the classroom, a teacher has at least three qualities

• First, he should know his subject. A teacher who is weak in his subject, cannot impress the students, cannot win the confidence of the students, and as such cannot control them.

• Secondly, he must have communication skills. He should be able to convey what he knows. If communication is defective, the student will not be able to catch what he is teaching.

• Thirdly, his behavior with the students should be good. He should not act as a dictator but as a facilitator.

The students:

Students in the class require the attention of the teacher. Gage and Berliner have referred to two groups of students. These are

• Students exhibit too little behavior of desirable kinds.
• 
  

Students exhibit too much behavior of desirable kinds. 

• • • • • • 
            
    • The former group exhibits characteristics such as failing to pay attention, failing to show interest in work, inappropriate interaction, truancy, lethargy, and too much dependency. The latter group exhibits characteristics such as physical aggression, inappropriate movement around the classroom, making inappropriate noise, the challenge to authority, and making destructive criticism and complaints. There are many causes of this undesirable behavior for better classroom management, the teacher should focus on three problems;

• Lack of discipline in students

• Lack of interest in learning

• Lack of mental agility in some students.

Discipline:

The environment of the class is also an important factor in classroom management. Classroom management may be of two kinds;

• Physical environment

• Cultural environment

• Physical environment

The physical atmosphere of the classroom should be comfortable for effective teaching. The rooms should be airy and well lighted. The seating arrangements should be comfortable and easily changeable. The writing on the blackboard should be large and bold to avoid strain on the sight of the student's

Cultural environment:

The teacher should also try to develop classes culture in the class. The students should have good relations with each other. They should treat them as members of one family in the classroom. They should be ready to help each other.




Philosophy of classroom management:

The primary goal of any philosophy of classroom management is to assist the teacher in creating an environment for all students that will allow them to be successful and ultimately reach their full potential. Completing a philosophy of classroom management is not an easy task, Classroom management philosophy centers around questions teachers ask of themselves and their students. Your answers to these questions dictate how you will present yourself as an educator and a leader, how you will deal with bad behavior and praise good behavior, and what kind of environment you’ll try to foster.

Classroom management book

There are many books on classroom management which are described as follows:

• Conscious Discipline by Becky A. Bailey

• Tools for Teaching by Fred Jones

• The First Fays for School by Harry K. and Rosemary Wong

• Dream class by Michael Linsin

• The Whole Brain of Teaching by Chris Biffle

levels of classroom management

There are three levels of classroom management

• Kindergarten classroom management

• Elementary classroom management

• High school classroom management

Kindergarten classroom management:

Children need the discipline to protect them from danger, to learn how to get along with others, to learn acceptable and appropriate behavior, and to learn that society has certain common rules that everyone is expected to live by. Discipline also helps children learn to think in an orderly fashion and to understand the logical consequences of their actions. Positive discipline helps a child learn self-control, which builds healthy self-esteem. The discipline a child learns at home is the foundation for behavior at school. Be familiar with your school's discipline policy. If your child's teacher reports a discipline problem, talk with your child and the teacher to work on a solution together.

Discipline Tips for Parents and teachers:

•  Emphasize "do's" rather than "don'ts."

• Put limits on your child's behavior, but be careful not to make too many rules.

• Be consistent. A predictable environment helps children to feel safe since they know what to expect.

• Keep a sense of humor. It helps you keep a proper perspective about what is important.

• Praise your child's accomplishments.

• Listen to your child and help him or her work through a problem.

• Let children make their own decisions and contributions to family decisions whenever appropriate.

Elementary classroom management:

Teaching is a tough job, no doubt about it. And working with young children can be a little overwhelming at times, especially when class sizes are large. But many seasoned educators have a sixth sense when it comes to classroom management. What works and what doesn’t and thankfully, many of their strategies are available to help other teachers achieve the same success. So check out our list of tips to help you manage your classroom more efficiently and effectively.

• Establish classroom rules immediately and enforce them consistently.

• Set logical rules and consequences.

• Use positive instead of negative language.

• Make your students feel responsible for their learning environment.

• Praise efforts and achievements for their own sake, not for the sake of teacher approval.

High school classroom management:

There are several golden rules to managing high school classrooms, the first being to recognize those well-functioning classrooms founded on relationships. When teachers get to know their students’ names quickly and use them. It shows that they care about them. When students feel valued, they are more likely to contribute to a class community.

It is best process to involve students in the development of a class social. Phrase rules in a positive tone that focuses on the behaviors and attitudes  of the students.

It is also important, when considering classroom management strategies, to take the students’ developmental phase into account. High school students may resist or be ambivalent toward strategies that worked with elementary or middle school-aged students.

Particularly with minor class disturbances, teachers should draw as little attention as possible to undesired behaviors and avoid entering into ‘power struggles’ with students whose nervous systems may be highly activated. Students in self-preservation mode may do or say things that intensify the problem if they feel challenged, judged, or victimized by an unfair response from the teacher.