Classroom Management Scenarios

Directions: Read each of the following scenarios and discuss your plans for how to effectively manage
each situation.

1. Imagine that the bell has just rung. Students are still standing around the classroom and you are having
difficulties getting the students seated for roll call and to begin the lesson.

2. The assignment you gave today took less time for students to complete than expected and you have 15
minutes remaining. You do not have the next day’s assignment ready to go

3. Mrs. Thompson spends the first five minutes of class taking roll. She often has to yell at the students to be
quiet because she cannot hear students reply to their names being called. Some days it takes longer due to
interruptions from the students asking permission to go to the restroom or because she is trying to control
unruly students.

4. Mr. Woods has a student in his fifth period class named Joe who consistently challenges Mr. Woods’
instruction and classroom management and bullies the other students. Joe is a know-it-all and calls attention
to Mr. Woods’ mistakes. Mr. Woods spends the majority of fifth period addressing Joe’s antics

5. A student receives a failing grade on a test. In front of the rest of the class he protests his grade and is
adamant about your changing his grade or allowing him to re-take the exam. You stand firm on your
position and tell him that there are no make-ups or extra credit. His tone becomes increasingly aggressive.
What do you do?

6. There are times during the day when students seem to be in a chaotic state (arrival, before lunch, and at
the end of the school day). Students are wandering around the classroom and minor behavior problems are
taking place. What procedures could be put in place to alleviate these issues?

7. You notice that your cell phone is missing from your desk. You confront the last student who approached
your desk. An angry confrontation arises between you and the student. Some of the students record the
confrontation on their cell phones and send the video to their friends

8. Mrs. Dominquez is an avid believer in the use of technology in the classroom. She allows her students to
have their cell phones out on their desks. She encourages them to use their cell phones as a resource for
research but often finds the students are using their cell phones in non-educational ways

9 Ms. Burns has a history of not planning for her lessons. She is a busy woman who is going to school to
finish her master’s degree and working part-time at the mall. She often does not know what she is going to
do in her classroom until the class begins. She assigns the students busywork to fill the time and takes weeks
to grade the assignments
10. You are trying to lead a class discussion, but everyone is just sitting there in silence. No one is
participating. You tried calling on a student, but he said he hadn’t done the reading.

11. It is the beginning of class, and you have just handed back the first exam. One student raises his hand
and argues that the test questions were not like what they did in class. Now the rest of the students are
joining in and complaining that the test wasn’t fair, and that you didn’t prepare them well enough

12. It is the seventh week, and a student comes to talk to you about his grade. He says that he has been trying
really, really hard, and studying a lot for the class. However, he has done poorly on the exams. He asks if he
can retake one of the exams or do an extra credit assignment

13. While proctoring an exam, you think you see someone cheating

14. Several students are routinely loud and disrespectful. While you are talking and/or while students are
supposed to be working on an activity, these students are playing on Facebook, texting, talking to each
other, leaving early, and generally not taking you seriously. Sometimes their behavior is disruptive to other
students

15. The ss are working in groups of three. Two groups have finished the task you set them and are now
sitting looking bored. The other groups still seem to have a long way to go before they finish

16. You come into the classroom at the start of the lesson. There are 25 teenage ss in the room. About half
of them seem involved in a loud discussion in their own language about a current political situation. (a) You
shout out 'OK 'Ok let's start the lesson; you can continue that later.' The room quietens down a bit; some
people continue whispering animatedly to each other. 'Now, today we are going to look at the ways of
talking about the future', you continue. One student asks, ' But this subject is very interesting, Could we
continue the conversation if we use English?

17. Mustafa is a Year 9 student who is physically well-developed and sociable with his peers. Academically
he shows a low ability and he spends much time at the back of the class drawing in the back of his books
and listening to his iPod. When asked to get to work he picks up a pen but does not complete any work. Left
alone he is not a problem for the rest of the class although some students are now asking why he is allowed
to do nothing

18. Abdul in Year 10 thinks he knows the answers to everything. Every lesson is disrupted by Abdul wanting to
debate something with you. You can sense the other students don’t like it and the situation makes you angry. Pleading
with him to give other students a go doesn’t work and you can see that he is gradually alienating himself from his
classmates
1. How do you handle a student who asks too many good questions to the point where you aren't able to get
through your lecture material?
• Ignore him/her
• Be respectful and kind

2. What should you do if you make a mistake on the board while you are lecturing?
• It is ok to admit you made a mistake; this can make you more relatable/ humanized
• Don’t dwell on your mistake
• Students may want to catch the mistake; if so, thank them and correct it
• Go back and work through it properly; explain what you did wrong. This is a good learning opportunity for
the students

3. You are giving a quiz during the last ten minutes of class and the time is up. A student refuses to turn in
the quiz, and keeps saying "one more second." What do you do?
• Set expectations clearly (no quizzes accepted late)
• Treat everyone in the class fairly; same rules for all students

4. You have warned a student that if he continues disrupting your class by talking to his friends, you will
kick him out of class. He continues to disrupt, so you ask him to leave. He refuses to leave. What do you do?
• If student refuses to leave the class, state that it is too distracting and that you will leave. The students will
still need to be responsible for the material.
• If necessary, begin to pack up and follow through on your threat to leave.
• Can talk to course coordinator afterward; contact Dean of Students