MANAGE YOUR CLASSROOM

What is a learning environment?

A learning environment is a combination of social and physicalqualities that create the classroom experience. It includes classroommanagement procedures, as well as the way the space is organized,furnished and maintained

Psychologists who’ve closely studied and researched ‘classroommanagement’ have found that certain management practices havea clear impact on student achievement.

Rules for classroom upkeep, including desks and other equipment

Procedures for entering and leaving the classroom

Methods for capturing student attention, such as ringing a bell,clapping hands, etc. to indicate ‘look up here’ or ‘stop now’

Instructions for class participation, such as raising hands in full class sessions and small groups, waiting until a speaker finishes or waiting for a signal from you

Rules for interaction with others, these vary according to the age group but generally includes guidelines for respecting others and their property, listening while people are speaking, and obeying the rules of school

Creating a learning environment where all students can thrive academically requires an understanding of the complexities of classroom management.

The notions of “discipline”, “conformity” and “obedience” that havelittered discussions of classroom management in the past are nolonger sufficient to describe the diverse of urban classroom

So, we will discover classroom management in an honest, relevantway, rich in context and relationship

Through a scenario showing one teachers’ decision-making processeight components of classroom management are considered

I. Student-teacher relationship

II. High expectations for students

III. Non-verbal cues and redirection

IV. Teacher consistency

V. Teacher perseverance and assertiveness

VI. Capitalizing on human resources,

VII.Restorative justice

VIII.School wide consistency for student behavior

Classroom issues and students in trouble

Gender and race in the classroom:Highly verbal male students may still dominate class discussions and womenand minority students are occasionally more reluctant to speak in classroom.

To better ensure that your teaching provides equal opportunitiesfor all students to participate in the discussion

Get to know your students as individuals.

When you know their personalities, interests, and backgrounds, you are less likelyto stereotype them unconsciously. All the same time, students are more likely to participate in a class in which the teacher has shown genuine interest in them. When student know something about you and your interests, too, you becomeless of a stereotype to them and they are more likely to be open to you.

Become a careful observer of your class:

During or after each section, note who participates and the length, depth and frequencyof contributions. Notice the responses students receive, especially when they areinterrupted. Observe any differences in tone or approach that occur in your responses tostudents and their responses to each other

Hold all students responsible for the conduct and content of discussions:Encourage each student to elicit information from other students, to collaborate withothers, to ask good questions, and to make comments or urge a point. Letstudents know that being rude or overly competitive, or interrupting and ignoringother students in discussion will not be rewarded.

Listen to all students with equal seriousness

Ask all students the same kinds of questions; don’t reserve the abstract questionfor one kind of student and the factual or experiential questions for another

Keep students from interrupting each other and intervene when comments occur too rapidly to permit a student to initiate or complete their contribution.

Ask shy or non-participatory students outside of class how they can be helped to participate ; you may suggest that they contribute inthe next class on a topic in which they have insight or interest