Classroom management and management of student conduct are skills that teachers acquire and hone over time. I believe 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 my understanding of the psychological and developmental levels of students.  I believe effective classroom management is acquired with practice, feedback, and a willingness to learn from mistakes. Personal experience and research have aided my development of effectively managing a classroom. The following information represents what I believe and work on everyday.

MY EFFECTIVE CLASSROOM IN A NUTSHELL:

1.  I know what I want and do not want.
2. I show and tell the students what I want.
3. When I get what I want, I acknowledge (not praise) it.
4. When I get something else, I act quickly and appropriately.
 

ASSERTIVE DISCIPLINE: DISCIPLINE STARTS WITH THEORY
    How I view my role in helping to prepare students to be productive citizens is in part a reflection of my values about behavior. Without absolutely putting the reader to sleep with all the theoretical arguments and opinions about how behavior is best managed in a classroom, this page will focus on one of the most widely used systems - assertive discipline.
 
    The name most associated with assertive discipline is Lee Canter. He maintains that the key to this technique is catching students being "good," recognizing and supporting them when they behave appropriately and letting them know you like what they are doing on a consistent basis. For Canter, students obey the rules because they get something out of doing so, or conversely, understand the consequences of breaking the rules. Teachers who use assertive discipline say they like it because it is easy to use and are generally effective.

ROOM ARRANGEMENT: STOP BEHAVIOR BEFORE IT STARTS
    While good room arrangement is not a guarantee of good behavior, poor planning in this area can create conditions that lead to problems.  I design my room so that I am able to observe all students at all times.  This arrangement allows me to monitor work and behavior.  Students are then able to see my presentation area and me without undue turning or movement. I like to see the door from my desk.  I also allow easy accessibility to frequently used areas of the room and traffic lanes.  This accessibility allows for commonly used classroom materials, e.g., books, attendance pads, absence permits, and student reference materials to be readily available.  Student constructed decoration adds to the attractiveness of the room.

SETTING EXPECTATIONS: THE HEART OF THE DISCIPLINE
    At the beginning of the year, I like to identify expectations for student behavior and communicate those expectations to students periodically.  The rules and procedures are the most common explicit expectations and emphasize appropriate behavior. These rules are posted in the classroom as well as common school regulations and safety procedures. Because desirable student behavior may vary depending on the activity, explicit expectations for the following procedures are also presented to the class as a way of creating a smoothly functioning classroom:
- Beginning and ending the period, including attendance procedures.
- Use of materials/equipment such as the pencil sharpener, supplies, and special equipment.
- Teacher-Led Instruction
- Seatwork
- How students are to answer questions - for example, no student answer will be recognized unless he raises his hand and is called upon to answer by the teacher.
- Independent group work such as laboratory activities or smaller group projects.

MANAGING INAPPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR: FAIR AND OBJECTIVE
    Minimizing misbehavior before it starts is key to managing inappropriate behavior.  Monitoring students carefully and frequently to detect misbehavior early and acting to stop inappropriate behavior so as not to interrupt the instructional activity are skills that I practice.  Most inappropriate behavior that does arise in the classroom that is not seriously disruptive, I manage with relatively simple nonverbal procedures that prevent escalation.  The first warning involves moving close to the student or students, making eye contact and giving a nonverbal signal to stop the behavior.  The second warning involves the placing of a yellow ticket on the student’s table.  This ticket usually stops the misbehavior.  If the misbehavior does continue a final warning of a red ticket is issued.  Both the yellow and the red ticket require the student to stay after class for a discussion of the problem and further correction is then taken.  When the student stays after class, I get a chance to talk to the student one-on-one.  The student receives a chance to present his/her side of the situation.  This presentation allows me to understand the two sides of the situation.  I act only when the situation is completely understood.  This action usually results in directing the student to applicable rule that was appropriate behavior or  broken. If the disruptive behavior is more serious, such as continuous interruption of lessons, the student is sent to the principle to take direct action.