Classroom Management

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TEACHING RESPONSIBLE BEHAVIOR WITH ROUTINES

Developing a thoughtful behavioral curriculum in order to teach, practice and then reinforce throughout the year is a powerful tool for teachers.  We cannot assume that kids, no matter what age, inherently know what your expectations are within your learning environment.  Most disruptive behavior is either social in nature or a miscommunication between the students need to find a solution to their immediate issue and the teacher’s need to have order.

Classroom Management first starts with highly engaging and motivating instruction.  Effective teachers recognize that the key to effective management is to keep the students actively engaged in the learning.  These teachers use research-validated engagement strategies in their teaching. (see Instruction & Lesson Design) With lessons that are designed well, teachers can employ techniques that are effective in helping students stay on task.

Behavior Management Cycle

Working the Crowd (Setting up desks)

The most basic technique for managing the behavior of a group is called “working the crowd.”  Teachers use proximity as an instrument of management.  They know that either you work the crowd, or the crowd works you. The first logical step is to make working the crowd easier by arranging the furniture so you are simply closer to all of your students.  Teacher’s Desk – Move it out of the way for the students are closest to the areas where you will teach.  Most teachers shove it in a corner, back or against a wall.  Student’s Desks – These examples are not the “correct” way to lay out the desks but one example of how to think about laying them out.  They should be placed so mobility is made easy.  Think about where the furniture is not going in order to figure out your walkways for easy proximity to all students.

The fewer steps to get from student to student the better.  No matter how you arrange your room, the goal is ease of mobility and proximity to all students.

How you arrange your furniture within your classroom also tells others what you value.  If you have the students in groups and facing each other, it prompts interaction and shows that you value collaboration.  If your room sets aside space for stations around the room then it indicates that you like hands-on learning.

room config 1room cofig 2

 

Effectively Communicate Explicit Directions

Teachers who struggle with classroom management issues often give unclear or vague directions to their students.  Explicit directions communicate to students exactly how they are to behave to successfully engage in the classroom activity. A major mistake teachers make with non-compliant students is to assume they know how they are expected to behave, as most other students do.  Teachers who assume this often give vague directions, “Go to your seat and write in your journal,” that aren’t enough for these students to not distract others.  When you make your directions more explicit, “Walk quietly to your seat without talking or touching others and get out your journal and write about the question on the board,” you will probably find that many of your students benefit from your added specificity.

  • Vague: “I want everyone to take your chair to your study group and wait for my directions.”
    Explicit: “I want everyone to quietly pick up your chair and, without talking, walk directly to your study group, sit down, and wait for directions on how to do your assignment.”
  • Vague: “I need everyone to pay attention.”
    Explicit: “I need everyone’s attention. That means your eyes on me, there is nothing in your hands but your pencil, and no one is talking.”
  • Vague: “I want you to begin working with your partner on the questions on page 14.”
    Explicit: “When I say GO, I want you to take out your workbooks and immediately begin working with your partner on the questions on page 14. Use your indoor voices.”

Verbal Behavior –  Up to 80% of disruptive behavior can be categorized as one form or another of inappropriate verbal behavior.  Thus, whenever you give directions to your students, you need to explicitly know and communicate what verbal behavior is expected. “No talking.” “user your ’12-inch indoor voice.'” “Raise your hand and wait to be called on before you speak.”

Physical Movement – Approximately 15% of disruptive behavior involves movement. Thus, the second area to communicate what is expected relates to student movement. “Stay in your seat,” “Walk-do not run.” “Go directly to your seat.”

Participation in Activity –  In most activities you ask students to engage in, you need to know how you want them to participate in order to be successful.  Thus, the third area to express expectation is how you want students to participate in the activity. “Get right to work.” “Do your own work.” “Take turns with your partner.”

STEPS:

  1. Have the attention of all of your students. (eye contact)
  2. Verbal cues to get student attention. (eye contact – sad face – shaking head no or call out names of students)
  3. Physical clues to get student attention. (proximity, stand near them)
  4. Model appropriate behavior. (ask a student to model and narrate what they are doing)
  5. Check for understanding (repeat back chorally, thumbs up)
  6. Cue to start activity

Behavioral Narration

Most teachers have been led to believe that the way to demonstrate that they are on top of students behavior is to consistently monitor the classroom for students who are not following directions and then to quickly and firmly respond to their off-task behavior.  “You get what you notice” A key to motivating students to follow your directions is to give them effective positive feedback.  When you give directions to the students, you immediately monitor the class and look for students who are complying. Then, in a voice loud enough for the class to hear, you simply narrate, or describe, what you see them doing. You should start immediately after you give the directions (within 2 seconds).  Describe the behaviors you are looking for multiple times with a variety of individuals around the room.

Directions – “When I say GO, I want everyone to go directly back to their seats, take out their books, and immediately get to work-and I want you to do this without talking. I’ll be looking for students who are following my directions.  Ready, GO!”

Behavioral Narration – “Mary is going directly back to her seat without talking. Meredith has taken out her book and is already getting to work. Alberto has gone back to his seat, taken out his book, and is working without talking.  (praise) Nice job and I want to thank all of team three for getting started and working.”

Why does this work? This strategy allows you to repeat your directions to students by describing the behavior of those students who are following your directions.  You should only give praise when needed to recognize larger groups who are following directions. Excessive praise sounds unauthentic and too much becomes background noise after awhile.
Praise is judgmental – Behavioral Narration is descriptive.  Behavioral Narration demonstrates to your students that you are on top of their behavior in a positive manner.

Taking Corrective Action

Consequences need to be provided to students as a choice. When you provide consequences as a choice, you send a powerful message to all your students.

  1. You are accountable for your actions
  2. You are responsible for what does and does not happen to you.
  3. You are in control of your success in this classroom.

Being firm and providing corrective feedback is often a major struggle for many teachers. Students need structure and limits.  This isn’t going to make you “hard-nosed” or “the mean teacher”.  Be prepared for students to test you.

Students who pretend to comply –  Move in! The most effective way is to calmly walk up to the students and let them know you are aware of their behavior and expect them to comply with your directions.  Give them a choice to actually do what is asked or give them a choice they do not want.  Use affirmations as a way to tell them a way you like them in order to have them know you care enough to not let them just pretend to learn.

Students who become upset – Calmly stand your ground.  Stay calm and do not argue.  You will never win an argument with your students.  Reassure them that they can do the work and keep repeating the directions.  Move out of the room for older students to remove the audience of their peers.

Work on your relationship with those students who constantly test you. The more students honestly believe you have their best interest at heart, the less likely they will be to challenge your authority.  When they test you, they are signaling that you need to immediately put some work into building a more positive relationship with them.

Typically there are three main areas to think about when trying to develop your routines for responsible behavior.  All of the areas listed below are impacted by your Capturing Kids Hearts classroom contract and how each member of your classroom agrees to treat others.  Keep those in mind while thinking about how to develop your routines.

USE THE SECTIONS BELOW TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT EACH OF THE LISTED TOPICS 

  1. ACTIVITIES 
  2. PROCEDURES 
  3. POLICIES SUGGESTED

1. Instructional Activities

Instructional activities help to engage students during the learning process.  To increase the academic achievement of students, you need to be able to quickly get the students on task and keep them engaged throughout the instructional activity.

2. Procedures

Classroom procedures are basic routines that involve movement into, out of, or within the classroom.  Transitions are often the hardest issue and if not managed correctly can cause a teacher to lose an hour a day in instructional time.

3. Policies

Policies are behavioral expectations that are in effect at all times during the day or period.  Policies can vary widely from classroom to classroom.  No single list of expectations is appropriate for all classrooms, but many of the situations that require policies are common to most.

Management and Centers

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