Classroom management

Classroom management is a term used by teachers to

describe the process of ensuring that classroom lessons
run smoothly despite disruptive behavior by students. The
term also implies the prevention of disruptive behavior.
It is possibly the most dicult aspect of teaching for
many teachers; indeed experiencing problems in this area
causes some to leave teaching altogether. In 1981 the US
National Educational Association reported that 36% of
teachers said they would probably not go into teaching if
they had to decide again. A major reason was negative
student attitudes and discipline.[1]

municate behavioral and academic expectations. <Educational Leadership The First Days of School May,
1985 Vol. 42 N8 pp. 76-78>

Classroom management is closely linked to issues of

motivation, discipline and respect. Methodologies remain a matter of passionate debate amongst teachers; approaches vary depending on the beliefs a teacher holds
regarding educational psychology. A large part of traditional classroom management involves behavior modication, although many teachers see using behavioral approaches alone as overly simplistic. Many teachers estabAccording to Moskowitz & Hayman (1976), once a lish rules and procedures at the beginning of the school
teacher loses control of their classroom, it becomes in- year. According to Gootman (2008), rules give students
creasingly more dicult for them to regain that control.[2] concrete direction to ensure that our expectation becomes
Also, research from Berliner (1988) and Brophy & Good a reality.[5]
(1986) shows that the time a teacher has to take to cor- They also try to be consistent in enforcing these rules
rect misbehavior caused by poor classroom management and procedures. Many would also argue for positive conskills results in a lower rate of academic engagement in sequences when rules are followed, and negative consethe classroom.[3] From the students perspective, eective quences when rules are broken. There are newer perclassroom management involves clear communication of spectives on classroom management that attempt to be
behavioral and academic expectations as well as a coop- holistic. One example is armation teaching, which aterative learning environment.[4] Douglas Brooks (1985)
tempts to guide students toward success by helping them
reports seminal research on the rst day of school activity see how their eort pays o in the classroom. It relies
selection and sequence of novice middle school teachers
upon creating an environment where students are successcompared with experienced, successful classroom man- ful as a result of their own eorts.[6] By creating this type
agers. Brooks reports that eective classroom managers
of environment, students are much more likely to want to
organized their activities on the rst day of school con- do well. Ideally, this transforms a classroom into a comsistent with the emerging needs of the students. These
munity of well-behaved and self-directed learners.
middle school student needs were the following: 1. Am
I welcome? 2. What are we going to do today? 3. Am
I in the right room? 4. Is the teacher interested in me?
5. What are the rules for this classroom? 6. What are 1 Techniques
the goals, instructional methods and assessment systems
for the class? 7. Is the teacher interested in how I learn Corporal punishment
best? 8. What interests does the teacher have that I can Until recently, corporal punishment was widely used as
relate to? 9. What are we expected to do for tomorrow? a means of controlling disruptive behavior but it is now
and nally 10. Will the teacher answer a question I have illegal in most schools. It is still advocated in some conafter class? In response to these emerging and sequen- texts by ultra-religious people such as James Dobson, but
tial student needs eective middle school teachers orga- his views diverge sharply from those recommended by
nize the rst day activities in the following sequence: 1. contemporary mainstream experts and are not based on
Personally greet students 2. Advance organizer for the any sort of empirical testing, but rather are nothing more
session at the bell, 3. Roll and Seating 4. Student In- than expressions of his religious doctrines of biblical litformation cards 5. Introduce 5 core rules ( entry, listen- eralism and 'authority-mindedness.'[7]
ing, raising hands, leaving others stu alone and nally
exiting the class) 6. Describe class goals, instructional Rote discipline
methods and grading system, 7. Assess preferred learn- Also known as lines, rote discipline is a negative
ing styles, 8. self-disclosure 9. Preview of next session sanction used for behavior management. It involves asand nally 10 Access after class. Middle school teachers signing a disorderly student sentences or the classroom
that meet these 10 student needs with specic activities rules to write repeatedly. Among the many types of classtend to communicate competence and eectively com- room management approaches, it is very commonly used.
1

2 SYSTEMATIC APPROACHES

Preventative techniques
Preventative approaches to classroom management involve creating a positive classroom community with mutual respect between teacher and student. Teachers using
the preventative approach oer warmth, acceptance, and
support unconditionally - not based on a students behavior. Fair rules and consequences are established and students are given frequent and consistent feedback regarding their behavior.[8] One way to establish this kind of
classroom environment is through the development and
use of a classroom contract. The contract should be created by both students and the teacher. In the contract,
students and teachers decide and agree on how to treat
one another in the classroom. The group also decides on
and agrees to what the group will do should there be a
violation of the contract. Rather than a consequence, the
group should decide on a way to x the problem through
either class discussion, peer mediation, counseling, or by
one on one conversations leading to a solution to the situation.

nally used in 1969 by Barrish, Saunders, and Wolf. The

Game entails the class earning access to a reward or losing a reward, given that all members of the class engage
in some type of behavior (or did not exceed a certain
amount of undesired behavior). The GBG can be used
to increase desired behaviors (e.g., question asking) or to
decrease undesired behaviors (e.g., out of seat behavior).
The GBG has been used with preschoolers as well as adolescents, however most applications have been used with
typically developing students (i.e., those without developmental disabilities). In addition, the Game is usually
popular with and acceptable to students and teachers.[12]

2.2 Discipline with Dignity

According to its founders, Discipline with Dignity is
one of the most widely practiced behavior management
philosophies in the world. Founded by Dr. Richard Curwin and Dr. Allen Mendler, the program is utilized in
more than 12 dierent countries. Discipline with Dignity provides an in-depth exible approach for eective
school and classroom management. With a strong focus on developing responsibility, it is a comprehensive,
practical program that leads to improved student behavior through responsible thinking, cooperation, mutual respect, and shared decision-making.

Preventative techniques also involve the strategic use of

praise and rewards to inform students about their behavior rather than as a means of controlling student behavior.
In order to use rewards to inform students about their behavior, teachers must emphasize the value of the behavior
that is rewarded and also explain to students the specic
skills they demonstrated to earn the reward. Teachers
should also encourage student collaboration in selecting
rewards and dening appropriate behaviors that will earn 2.3 Tools for Teaching
rewards.[9]
Tools for Teaching is a classroom management method
Good Teacher-Student Relationships
created and taught by Fred Jones on speaking tours and
Some characteristics of having good teacher-student rela- in the eponymous book series
tionships in the classroom involves the appropriate levels
of dominance, cooperation, and awareness of high-needs
students. Dominance is dened as the teachers ability 2.4 Positive Classrooms
to give clear purpose and guidance concerning student
behavior and their academics. By creating and giving Positive Classrooms developed by Dr. Robert DiGiulio
clear expectations and consequences for student behav- sees positive classroom management as the result of four
ior, this builds eective relationships. Such expectations factors: how teachers regard their students (spiritual dimay cover classroom etiquette and behavior, group work, mension), how they set up the classroom environment
seating arrangements, the use of equipment and materi- (physical dimension), how skillfully they teach content
als, and also classroom disruptions. Assertive teacher be- (instructional dimension), and how well they address stuhavior also reassures that thoughts and messages are be- dent behavior (managerial dimension).
ing passed on to the student in an eective way. Assertive
behavior can be achieved by using erect posture, appropriate tone of voice depending on the current situation, 2.5 Assertive Discipline
and taking care not to ignore inappropriate behavior by
Assertive discipline is another systematic approach of
taking action.[10]
classroom management. Lee and Marlene Canter discuss
the ideas behind this approach in several published books.

2
2.1

Systematic Approaches
The Good Behavior Game

2.6 Discipline without Stress, Punishments or Rewards

The Good Behavior Game (GBG) is a classroom-level Discipline without Stress (or DWS) is a K-12 discipline
approach to behavior management [11] that was origi- and learning approach developed by Dr. Marvin Mar-

3
shall described in his 2001 book, Discipline without Stress,
Punishments or Rewards.[13] The approach is designed to
educate young people about the value of internal motivation. The intention is to prompt and develop within youth
a desire to become responsible and self-disciplined and to
put forth eort to learn. The most signicant characteristics of DWS are that it is totally noncoercive (but not
permissive) and takes the opposite approach to Skinnerian behaviorism that relies on external sources for reinforcement.

Classroom management as a process

Allocated time
Allocated time is the total time allotted for teaching,
learning, and routine classroom procedures like attendance and announcements. Allocated time is also what
appears on a students schedule, for example Introductory Algebra: 9:50-10:30 a.m. or Fine Arts 1:15-2:00
p.m.
Instructional time
Instructional time is what remains after routine classroom
procedures are completed. That is to say, instructional
time is the time wherein teaching and learning actually
takes place. Teachers may spend two or three minutes
taking attendance, for example, before their instruction
begins.
Engaged time

In the Handbook of Classroom Management: Research

Practice and Contemporary Issues (2006),[14] Evertson
and Weinstein characterize classroom management as the
actions taken to create an environment that supports and
facilitates academic and socialemotional learning. Toward this goal, teachers must (1) develop caring, supportive relationships with and among students; (2) organize
and implement instruction in ways that optimize students
access to learning; (3) use group management methods
that encourage students engagement in academic tasks;
(4) promote the development of students social skills and
selfregulation; and (5) use appropriate interventions to
assist students with behavior problems.
Dr. Tracey Garrett also describes classroom management
as a process consisting of key tasks that teachers must attend to in order to develop an environment conducive to
learning. These tasks include: (1) organizing the physical
environment, (2) establishing rules and routines, (3) developing caring relationships, (4) implementing engaging
instruction and (5) preventing and responding to discipline problems. Classroom Management Essentials, created by Dr. Tracey Garrett, is the rst classroom management app for the iPad, iPhone and iPod touch that guides
teachers through the tasks involved in the process of classroom management.

Classroom management as time

management

In their introductory text on teaching, Kauchak and

Eggen (2008)Kauchak, D., and Eggen, P. (2008). Introduction to teaching: Becoming a professional (3rd ed.).
Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc. explain classroom management in terms of time management. The goal of classroom management, to Kauchak
and Eggen, is to not only maintain order but to optimize
student learning. They divide class time into four overlapping categories, namely allocated time, instructional
time, engaged time, and academic learning time.

Engaged time is also called time on task. During engaged time, students are participating actively in learning
activitiesasking and responding to questions, completing worksheets and exercises, preparing skits and presentations, etc.
Academic learning time
Academic learning time occurs when students 1) participate actively and 2) are successful in learning activities.
Eective classroom management maximizes academic
learning time.

5 Common mistakes in classroom

behavior management
In an eort to maintain order in the classroom, sometimes
teachers can actually make the problems worse. Therefore, it is important to consider some of the basic mistakes
commonly made when implementing classroom behavior
management strategies. For example, a common mistake
made by teachers is to dene the problem behavior by
how it looks without considering its function.[15]
Interventions are more likely to be eective when they
are individualized to address the specic function of the
problem behavior. Two students with similar looking
misbehavior may require entirely dierent intervention
strategies if the behaviors are serving dierent functions.
Teachers need to understand that they need to be able
to change the ways they do things from year to year, as
the children change. Not every approach works for every child. Teachers need to learn to be exible. Another common mistake is for the teacher to become increasingly frustrated and negative when an approach is
not working.[15]
The teacher may raise his or her voice or increase adverse
consequences in an eort to make the approach work.
This type of interaction may impair the teacher-student
relationship. Instead of allowing this to happen, it is of-

ten better to simply try a new approach.

EXTERNAL LINKS

[8] Bear, G.G. (2008). Best practices in classroom discipline. In Thomas, A. & Grimes, J. (Eds.), Best Practices
in School Psychology V (1403-1420). Bethesda, MD: National Association of School Psychologists

Inconsistency in expectations and consequences is an

additional mistake that can lead to dysfunction in the
classroom.[15] Teachers must be consistent in their expectations and consequences to help ensure that students un- [9] Bear, G.G., Cavalier, A., & Manning, M. (2005). Developing self-discipline and preventing and correcting misderstand that rules will be enforced. To avoid this, teachbehavior. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
ers should communicate expectations to students clearly
and be suciently committed to the classroom manage- [10] Marzano, Robert J. (September 2003). The Key to
ment procedures to enforce them consistently.
Classroom Management. Educational Leadership 61 (1):
613.

See also
Behavior management
Behavioral engineering
Child Development
Educational psychology
Contemporary Educational Psychology/Chapter 7:
Classroom Management and the Learning Environment

References

[1] Wolfgang, Charles H; Glickman, Carl D (1986). Solving Discipline Problems. Allyn and Bacon. ISBN
0205086306.
[2] Moskowitz, G.; Hayman Jr., J.L. (1976). Success strategies of inner-city teachers: A year-long study. Journal of
Educational Research 69 (8): 283289.
[3] Berliner, D. C. (1988). Eective classroom management
and instruction: A knowledge base for consultation. In
J. L. Graden, J. E. Zins, & M. J. Curtis (Eds.), Alternative educational delivery systems: Enhancing instructional
options for all students (pp. 309325). Washington, DC:
National Association of School Psychologists.Brophy, J.
E., & Good, T. L. (1986). Teacher behavior and student
achievement. In M. C. Wittrock (Ed.), Handbook of research on teaching (3rd ed., pp. 328375). New York:
Macmillan.
[4] Allen, J.D. (1986). Classroom management: students
perspectives, goals, and strategies. American Educational
Research Journal, 23, 437-459.
[5] Gootman, Marilyn E. (2008). The caring teachers guide
to discipline: helping students learn self-control, responsibility, and respect, K-6. p. 36. ISBN 1412962846.
[6] Pintrich, P.R., & De Groot E. V. (1990). Motivational
and self-regulated learning components of classroom academic performance. Journal of Educational Psychology,
82, 33-40.
[7] Bartkowski, John P.; Ellison, Christopher G. (1995). Divergent Models of Childrearing in Popular Manuals: Conservative Protestants vs. the Mainstream Experts. Sociology of Religion 56 1: 2134. doi:10.2307/3712036.

[11] Responding to rule violations or rule following: A comparison of two versions of the Good Behavior Game with
kindergarten students. Journal of School Psychology, 48,
337-355.
[12] Tingstrom, D.H., Sterling-Turner, H.E., Wilczynski, S.M.
(2006). The Good Behavior Game: 1969-2002. Behavior
Modication, 30, 2, 225-253.
[13] Marshall, Dr. Marvin (2001). Discipline without Stress,
Punishments or Rewards. Los Alamitos: Piper Press.
ISBN 0-9700606-1-0.
[14] Weinstein, edited by Carolyn M. Evertson ; Carol S.
(2006). Handbook of classroom management : research, practice, and contemporary issues. Mahwah, N.J:
Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. ISBN 0-8058-4753-7.
[15] Barbetta, Patricia M.; Norona, Kathleen Leong; Bicard,
David F. (2005). Classroom Behavior Management: A
Dozen Common Mistakes and What to Do Instead. Preventing School Failure: Alternative Education for Children
and Youth 49 (3): 1119. doi:10.3200/PSFL.49.3.11-19.
Retrieved 24 February 2013.

8 External links
New York Times prole of Delaney Cards and their
creator
Classroom Management and Discipline
Classroom Management Essentials

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