Category: Classroom Management

Introduction

It is well known that the school environment, especially in the early stages of education, when children are still weak in concentration and may lose attention, is fraught with problems related to disruption of organizational order and calmness. Thus, extremely often in the hands of an inexperienced professional, it happens that young students interfere with the lesson and, as a result, the effectiveness of teaching tends to zero. To inhibit such situations, the professional can form a set of specific rules and guidelines that govern all concerned behavior. Another positive effect of such a solution is the increased potential for learning since judiciously restricting freedom for school purposes can be a useful educational practice. This syllabus describes various aspects of the formation of organizational rules.

Classroom Culture and Relationships

The foundation of any constructive relationship between people is a moral principle centered on trust, respect, and compassion. There is no doubt that an ecosystem built on hatred or the desire to belittle and offend a partner is not structuring but instead extinguishes any professional and creative growth. To create a better atmosphere within the classroom, some essential rules should be modeled to guide the learning process.

It is worth recognizing that there are many variations of learning cultures, among which there are examples of authoritarian, democratic, and liberal types. Most researchers unequivocally agree that building a positive culture based on mutual respect is a critical milestone in all learning (nee Dabas & Moudgil, 2019; Dumesnil, 2019). Typically, in third grade, the child is an active listener and an inquisitive researcher, which means the child’s attention is easily dispersed between the topics being taught (Morin, 2020). The teacher can use this phenomenon to create the necessary classroom culture.

The center of the ecosystem should be respected by the teacher and partners regardless of ethnic, cultural, or religious differences. This desire for mutual respect should be consolidated by exploring and discovering new horizons of knowledge. In this culture, the teacher has high expectations of the children, their behavior, and their purposefulness while the students seek to develop. Any form of mutual assistance, curiosity, and desire for exploration should be encouraged.

The degree to which the relationship with students’ parents is developed determines the fullness of their involvement: the more active the adult is in the classroom, the more varied the learning can be. Researchers have shown that parental involvement ultimately benefits all parties, including teacher, parent, and student (Auliya & Fauziah, 2020). Therefore, it is appropriate to offer options for family and community engagement strategies through the teacher’s efforts. Thus, the teacher could organize meetings in which invited parents to talk about their professions or views. On the other hand, the teacher could ask parents to assist in preparing class activities.

In addition, it is advisable to ask available parents to act as school patrols in order to monitor and interrupt problematic behavior promptly. Finally, shared family extracurricular activities around holidays or sports hobbies can be a smart strategy for bringing the class together.

It should be understood that third graders are still capable of making noise and disturbing the lesson, which means that close communication with delinquents’ parents cannot be ruled out. First of all, children should be well aware of the fact that in the case of continuing acts of inappropriate academic behavior — whether fighting, bullying, name-calling, or missing homework — the teacher has the right to call the student’s parents for consultation. In this case, the teacher may keep in contact with the adults by phone, in person, or via text chats, depending on the parent’s busyness.

During the conversation, the teacher describes the problem in detail without any emotional overtones so that the adult does not suspect the professional of bias or intentional accusations. Upon the fact of the retelling, the teacher suggests options for further action or listens to what the parent has to offer. It is essential to understand that while the relationship between the two adults is equivalent, in a school setting, the teacher as the provider has more influence, so their words should be heard if no disrespectful words are seen in the student’s direction.

Classroom Rules/Expectations and Procedures

To inform students about the new rules pictured above, it is appropriate to put together a workshop where the teacher will explain the innovations. For the most effective transfer, especially in a classroom setting with children with disabilities, the teacher should take care to differentiate the content: tell the rules by ear, provide pictures on the board, and hand out printed materials. Once the list of six rules has been voiced, the teacher invites students to discuss the importance and value of creating the regulations: this should be a constructive discussion. During the discussion, it is likely that students will want to supplement the rules with new guidelines, so the teacher should build an open dialogue.

The rules imposed are made binding, and if they are repeatedly violated, the teacher calls the parents for a consultation. As a result of this conversation, it becomes clear whether the student can continue in that class. While as extensive as possible for different areas of classroom practice, the suggested six rules are a short squeeze that is sufficient for a third grader to understand. This includes the use of digital technology: because it is a valuable resource that a student can ruin, the rules prescribe careful and careful use for academic purposes only (“Digital technology,” 2020). The guidelines and order can be monitored in three different ways: the teacher, a student on duty, or an invited parent.

Student Behavior

Encouraging acts of good behavior, preventing, and managing lousy behavior should be based only on a respectful and strict approach that excludes various emotional and conflict situations. By virtue of their age and experience, the professional should not go into an argument with students but must be able to manage it. So, in case of non-observance of the rules, the teacher gives a warning to the pupil — publicly or personally — and points out the possibility of calling the parents next time. If the pupil continues to show deviant behavior, in this case, a meeting with the pupil’s parents or guardians is necessary to decide on the pupil’s future school fate.

In contrast, if students diligently follow the six precepts, it means that they should be encouraged. First of all, there should be a framework for the reporting period: for example, if a student has behaved well for a month and has not broken a rule, in which case he deserves a reward. As a reward, the teacher could offer the student the opportunity to skip one homework assignment. On the other hand, for students who perform best, an opportunity can be created to go with the teacher to an extracurricular activity, whether it be a trip to the movies, theater, or a picnic.

References

Auliya, A. F. S., & Fauziah, P. (2020). Advices for involving parents in children’s learning activities from school to home. Jurnal Obsesi: Jurnal Pendidikan Anak Usia Dini, 5(2), 1073-1082.

Digital technology safe use guide for schools. (2020). Ministry of Education. Web.

Dumesnil, K. (2019). Creating a culture of learning. eLearning Industry. Web.

Morin, A. (2020). Skills kids need going into third grade. Understood. Web.

nee Dabas, M. W., & Moudgil, D. (2019). Challenging stereotypical notions of discipline in elementary schools: Building a positive classroom environment. Indian Journal of School Health & Wellbeing, 5(3), 1-10.

Apart from imparting knowledge to students, teaching is an art that when perfected can produce some of the best results and satisfaction to the teacher and the society at large.

This is because when you are in the classroom you are taxed with the responsibility of creating an environment that allows information to be shared, understood, and demonstrated within the classroom and in the day to day activities of the students (Larrivee, 1985).

The environment should be characterized by mutual respect amongst the students and the teacher and this will facilitate the classroom to listen, ask questions, make constructive comments and generally when this is done freely the teacher will get a valuable insight to the strengths and weaknesses in each and every student in the classroom and thus in my view one of the best strategy in classroom control is teacher student relationship (Lewis and Sugai, 1999).

Each student has a different way of approaching things molded by his immediate environment at home, school and the societies he has interacted with and needless to say they have different academic, social, and physical skills.

Thus, it is the responsibility of the teacher to evaluate and understand the students he/she is dealing with and come up with a strategy to impart knowledge smoothly while catering for the needs of the curriculum. The students must understand and acknowledge the supremacy of the teacher and thus should unquestionably take direction from him or her.

For this to happen an environment of mutual respect must be there, cultivated by the confidence of the teacher and the way he deals with his student; which should be based on trust, respect, and friendship (Tauber, 2007). To a large extent, mastery of the subject is important as well as the way of delivering to the students.

Believing in the abilities of the students, their inner good and their potential to excel in academics, social as well extracurricular activities is a great boost to the students and they way they perform.

When this belief is genuinely felt by the students and when they are made aware by genuine acknowledgement of their progress and improvements then the teacher will have undoubtedly created a desire for success in the classroom and he will stimulate the desire for learning and this will be manifested by a struggle to excel in the students.

When handled well even the most uninterested person in the classroom will follow suit and real learning will take place (Tauber, 2007).

Being completely in charge of the classroom is never easy because eventually there will be incidences where the laid down rules and regulation will be broken by way of disruptions by some elements in the class or by freak accidents. This may be through noise, physical confrontations or unorthodox language.

Each institution has explicit instructions for dealing with each scenario and it’s in the sole discretion of the teacher to decide the best way to bring the students back to order. By being a friend and having a good rapport with the students the teacher should first determine the root cause of the problem before dealing with the cases (Runte, 1995).

This will help the teacher to understand well what the student is going through and find other ways of helping the said students as opposed to hurriedly meting out punishment. Many students just need a small degree of concern and a feeling that they are appreciated and listened to.

The teacher should try to counsel the kids first before referring them to professional help provided by the institutions in the case he/she realizes that there are other prevailing problems disturbing the children.

To gain control, the laid down punishment should be administered without fail followed by an apology deemed appropriate by the teacher. This will prevent discord arising from impartiality (Runte, 1995).

A teacher should develop a well articulated voice that reaches to all corners of the class, clear and well regulated to maintain authority and stimulate the class to listen. Varying the speed and tone according to the key areas will help the class pay attention to the areas necessary for the lesson to be successful.

Having an acceptable mode of asking questions, comments or seeking for clarifications is invaluable and this chance should be provided as necessary. Making sure every pupil is doing what the rest of the class is doing is very important and the teacher should continuously check each pupil’s book during the course of the lesson.

By doing this, each student appreciates the seriousness of the lesson and in general will make the teacher successful in the classroom as everyone is kept occupied (Mastropieri and Scruggs, 2004).

The academic ability of most classes is not in the same level and you may have array of levels in understanding subject matter amongst the students. This may further be evidenced in different subjects with some students doing better in certain subjects and lagging behind in others.

Thus, the teacher should specifically help each student when a problem is detected and this should be done when the class is working out exercises during the lesson. With this individual touch to each pupil, progress will be made and will avoid students getting frustrated when the gist of the subject gets complicated.

By being understanding and patient, most students will come to you for assistance when they are faced with a task they cannot accomplish and by continued guidance good results will be seen.

To me teaching to make students excel in academics is important but it is even more beneficial when we create people who are better and who can be able to make the right choices for themselves. Many a time is when we find exceptionally bright students getting lost in drugs, peer groups and other negative behaviors that eventually erode their academic potential.

Without proper and effective guidance, this happens to a large number of students all over the world. Possibly this happens due to overemphasis on performance by the society and everybody forgets to impart other virtues necessary to make one independent.

As a teacher, treating each student as an individual and avoiding generalization will help each pupil recognize his or her importance and also appreciate that each and every person is different from one another. This will bring about self acceptance.

With progressive motivation, counseling, and support it is possible to help a student choose his or her destiny depending on his talents. We as teachers should help and guide our students to build their careers on the fields they love so that they can develop a passion for advancement in the fields they choose.

Reference List

Larrivee, B. (1985). Effective Teaching for Successful Mainstreaming. New York: Longman

Lewis, T. J., & Sugai, G. (1999). Effective Behavior Support: A Systems Approach To Proactive School-Wide Management. Focus on Exceptional Children, 31(6), 1-24

Mastropieri , M.,& Sruggs,T. (ed). (2004). The Inclusive Classroom: Strategies for Effective Instruction (2nd ed) Ohio: Merill Prentice Hall.

Runte, R. (1995). “Education and Schooling Revisited.”In taylor,G,D and Runte, Roberts,(ed)(1995) Thinking about teaching Toronto: Harcourt Brace.

Tauber, R.T (2007). Classroom Management: Sound Theory and Effective Practice. (14th ed.) West,CT: Praeger Publishers

The underlying fact is that the achievement of effective communication between the teacher and the student forms the main reason behind preference for a particular form of classroom seating arrangement. In the analysis of the first case, the main reason behind the preference for this type of arrangement revolves around the need to create space, enhance movement of the teacher, and enable high levels of teacher- student interaction. The spacing between groups is adequate to allow free movement of the teacher. The pathways are well planned to avoid distraction and congestion and desks are placed in appropriate places to enable faster access to learning materials. The desks are arranged in a manner that enables each student to have his or her workspace, and the desks are of appropriate sizes. The displays have an educational value, and the instructional board is located with visual range of all students in the classroom.

A number of equipments such as desks and chairs can be seen arranged in modular manner for effective student to student and student to teacher interaction. As observed in the first video, this involves developing an orderly structure, which unifies all elements in the classroom such as space and resources towards the achievement of broad educational objectives. In this case, the examination of the first video reveals a number of learning equipment such as desks and chairs arranged in a modular manner and a blackboard strategically placed at the front center of the classroom. Learning materials such as books are also placed within the reach of the teacher and the

In the first classroom, the type of activity taking place is an interactive form of activity among the students and the teacher. This teacher draws back students to recall information learned from previous sessions. The second activity taking place is student questioning. The teacher is asking students questions that call for the applications of principles and concepts introduced in the lesson. However, it is seen that most of the questions asked are directed at the lowest levels of students’ cognitive capacities and only require factual responses.

The teacher’s possible purpose for the observed classroom arrangement in the first video revolves around the need to achieve high levels of interaction with the students. This is a student-centered approach that enables maximum student-teacher interaction without any form of hindrance. Furthermore, this observed classroom arrangement enables the teacher to maintain control of the classroom and emphasizes on how well the students learn the materials presented.

The high level of student’s engagement during the lesson is demonstrated by active students’ involvement in the learning process. This is important for two critical areas in learning. First, it reinforces important skills in learning, such as critical thinking and problem solving. Second, it enhances the likelihood of achieving high levels of students’ attention. It can also be observed from the arrangement that its purpose is to stimulate student’s growth through engagement. This is demonstrated by the teacher-directed instruction, small group work and seating arrangement. It enhances the capacity of the students to explore and discover new facts on the topic with teacher’s assistance.

The purpose of classroom arrangement is related to the instructional design because it adheres to the task instrumentality concept of classroom arrangement. Furthermore, the time schedule, classroom arrangement, instructional activities and the class routines observed fit into the classroom design. From the observed classroom in the first video, students are seen to work in small groups of two or three as a strategy in achieving high levels of teacher-student engagement, especially in history lessons. The arrangement of the classroom is related to the instructional design, because it takes cognizance of the activities to be conducted, the number of students, and the age of the students. Furthermore, it is geared towards creating a cooperative interaction and enhances the capacity of the teacher to interact and monitor the students’ activity.

Classroom Management Style

Judging by my observations, the teacher uses a democratic leadership style. Communication and activity are based on creative cooperation: students are asked questions, and they try to reason independently, rather than receive ready-made information. Joint activity is motivated by the teacher, who listens to the opinion of the students. The teacher also supports the student’s right to his position, encourages activity, initiative, discusses the idea, methods and course of activity. Organizing influences prevail: by using the child-out zone, the teacher controls the educational process. This style is characterized by a positive-emotional atmosphere of interaction, goodwill, trust, exactingness and respect, taking into account the individuality of the individual. The main form of the teacher’s appeal in this case is advice, recommendation, and request. This style disposes pupils to the teacher, promotes their development and self-development, and causes a desire for joint activity. This classroom management style encourages students to independence, stimulates self-management, high adequate self-esteem and, most importantly, contributes to the formation of trusting, humanistic relationships.

Classroom Management Plan

The teacher being monitored used a comprehensive classroom management plan. Among the rules of behavior that the teacher adheres to is keeping calm and doing his job. Even when it seems that the behavior of the students is out of control, the teacher still manages his reaction. He gained much more authority among the students by remaining calm in any situation and acting in strict accordance with the rules of conduct established in advance. It is also in the principles of classroom management for this teacher to always evaluate which offenses deserve what punishments. It is very important for him that there is an appropriate punishment for each offense, and he strictly adheres to this plan. Moreover, the teacher does not waste energy in vain, punishing for every offense, and focusing on minor offenses. He has defined his extreme line, which cannot be crossed, and if such a line is passed, he methodically and consistently declares his requirements. (Berger & Girardet, 2020) A conflict with a student that occurs in front of classmates is often unproductive and irrational. Therefore, the teacher does not report a student who violates discipline in front of the whole class, but sends them to the child-out zone for a few minutes.

Classroom Routines

The standard lesson of this teacher is divided into several basic elements. It begins with the organizational moment when the children hand over their homework. The main task is to attract the attention of children, repeat the topic of the previous lesson, and familiarize with the goals and objectives of the lesson. There is a repetition of the material passed, and a check of homework. A preliminary check of the task for the digestibility of the previous material is carried out. An analogy is drawn with the planned material to begin explaining a new topic (Sanetti et al., 2018). After that, a new material is studied, in which the teacher speaks in detail and clearly, based on examples, with visual materials for children to memorize as soon as possible. Students in the classroom also work a lot on their own with textbooks.

Positive & Negative Reinforcers 137

Positive reinforcement is something desirable for students and refers to a system of methods of encouragement. Positive reinforcements for this teacher are favorable events or results that a person receives after the desired behavior. Reinforcement in the class is expressed in the form of praise, and the opportunity to take a reward from the treasure box. The behavior that is already manifested, even if not regularly, is fixed by the teacher with the help of positive reinforcement. The teacher promotes the formation of desirable behavior with words and actions and positively reinforces the right behavior at the right moment. The teacher also uses the jackpot technique – this is a significant reinforcement, which is a complete surprise for the subject, since the student does not know which treasure they will take (Praetorius & Charalambous, 2018). In this case, positive reinforcement follows good behavior. In order for the learned behavior to be firmly fixed, the teacher does not need to reinforce it every time, he only uses it on a weekly basis. In general, the reinforcement from the treasure box is small, but sufficient to interest the student.

Negative reinforcement is a method of changing undesirable behavior. It consists in an instant and unpleasant reaction for the learner to his undesirable behavior, which stops as soon as the behavior has improved even a little. Firstly, the teacher uses it only as an addition to the positive, against the background of positive reinforcement. The negative signal coincides with undesirable behavior and stops immediately as soon as the child stops doing that violates classroom discipline. Negative reinforcement is an unpleasant withdrawal from the general discussion in the case of negative behavior, coinciding in time with the violation of discipline that the teacher wants to influence. Negative reinforcement works well only if the learner is in a resource state, positive and ready to accept, including negative reinforcement. Therefore, at first the teacher returns him to a positive or calm state, and only then sends him to the child-out zone.

References

Berger, J. L., & Girardet, C. (2020). Vocational teachers’ classroom management style: The role of motivation to teach and sense of responsibility. European Journal of Teacher Education, 19(6), 1-17.

Praetorius, A. K., & Charalambous, C. Y. (2018). Classroom observation frameworks for studying instructional quality: Looking back and looking forward. ZDM, 50(34), 535-553.

Sanetti, L. M., Williamson, K. M., Long, A. C., & Kratochwill, T. R. (2018). Increasing in-service teacher implementation of classroom management practices through consultation, implementation planning, and participant modeling. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 20(1), 43-59.

The classroom management theories provide general guidelines for the best teaching practices for the educator. It allows the teachers to adapt to the student’s needs more effectively, ensuring a boost in academic performance. In other words, the knowledge of classroom management theories can help educators to become better at their primary task of teaching. Not every student can comprehend and learn the information and skills one way. Thus, these theories provide the necessary advice on diversifying and adapting the approach to the students who may fall behind. Moreover, the teacher in question may not be fully aware of the various possibilities for improving their teaching techniques. However, the relationship between theory and practice can go in the other direction, as educators can construct their theories based on their practice. Therefore, it appears to be important to evaluate classroom management theories in terms of practice (Murniati, 2018). The following evaluation will assess the Skinner Model of Operant Conditioning, the Glasser Model or The Choice Theory, the Canter Model, and Jones’ Model.

Chosen classroom management theories are actively used in practice with positive and negative results. One example of positive outcomes for learning is the Skinner Model of Operant Conditioning’s benefit of making students associate good behavior with the reward. It can boost discipline in the classroom, which can lead to increased focus and improved learning. However, the implementation of this theory can also result in the students losing sight of their educational goals, as they chase after instant rewards. In this case, Glasser Model or The Choice Theory can remedy the situation, as it is based on the satisfaction of the five basic human needs. This theory allows the students to see the consequences of their actions, developing their long-term planning abilities. This theory is not without downsides either, as this approach may be too personal and require professional mental health work. This effect further shows the need to evaluate the theories in practice.

Similarly, the next two theories have benefits and disadvantages. Canter Model increases the levels of discipline in the classroom, while it focuses excessively on this aspect of learning, undermining others. Jones’ Model seems to be all-encompassing in building the procedures in the classroom and personal relationships between educators and students while eliminating the autonomy and self-study side of learning. Therefore, educators must balance the approaches and adapt to the conditions of their classrooms in practice.

Reference

Murniati, M. (2018). Bridging the gap between theories and practice: Alumni’s perceptions on English teaching subjects in English department.Proceedings Of The 65th Teflin International Conference, 65(01).

I chose the K-12 grade self-contained classroom for various reasons. First, the environment contains about twenty and thirty students, allowing every learner to interact with their peers. According to Barnes et al. (2021), observing children in a self-contained classroom is much easier based on the increased interactions between teachers and students. Secondly, the type of environment focuses on small groups, making the assessment of close-knit space more viable. Thirdly, self-contained classrooms in K 12 grade foster creativity and safety learning for students; thus, I selected the environment to increase security and one-on-one attention among the smaller groups created within such classrooms.

The information in the Clinical Field Experience A provided me with a lot of information that will impact my future career. I gained knowledge about effective classroom management theories and will incorporate behaviorist, humanistic, cognitive, and psychoanalytic theories in attaining safe environments among teachers. I will use the findings to improve my professional practice, especially the working experiences among paraprofessionals, teachers, and other faculty members. First, I will be able to understand the expectations of learners based on the course outline before delegating duties and responsibilities to the trained aides in education. Secondly, I will learn the required activities for every lesson and share them with fellow teachers to increase learning and collaboration completion rates. Thirdly, the information from the clinical field experience will enhance my interactions with other faculty members in scheduling learning activities. For instance, I will use intelligence to identify the best approaches of arranging classrooms; angled rows with desks will be the most utilized organization.

In conclusion, I will use the results from my clinical field experience to understand the procedures for creating a safe, productive, positive learning environment. The information will allow me to work with teachers to realize safe and accessible spaces where learners are willing to share their thoughts and ideas about phenomena. I will be able to discuss the approaches of judgment in a class setting with other faculty members to increase inclusive learning in such environments. The application of open feedback will also be implemented based on the findings of the observation.

Reference

Barnes, T. N., Cipriano, C., & Xia, Y. (2021). Cultivating effective teacher–paraprofessional collaboration in the self-contained classroom. Beyond Behavior, 30(2), 107–115. Web.

Introduction

Classroom management is one of the most important tasks in the professional life of a teacher. According to Lewis, Roache, and Romi (2011), the ability of a learner to grasp the concept that is passed by the teacher heavily relies on the ability of that particular teacher to manage the behaviour of the learners. This explains why some teachers are able to achieve better results than others are.

It all depends on how the teacher will tune the learners. Ayers and Gray (2013) note that the attitude of the learner towards a given subject heavily relies on the teacher who is responsible for the course. The perception that a leaner has towards a teacher will define their attitude towards a given subject.

If the teacher actively engages the learners as is able to evoke their critical thinking towards a given concept, they will always view such a subject as being manageable even if it involves complex concepts. They will develop the urge to conduct further investigation so that they can be part of the engagement in the next lesson.

In such contexts, learning becomes a good experience that is enjoyed not only by the learners, but also by the teacher. However, a teacher who is unable to manage classroom behaviour will experience several challenges that will affect quality of the learning process. In this essay, the researcher will analyze the relevance of classroom management models that are popularly used in the current society.

Counselling Approach

Counselling approach of managing classroom behaviour is one of the most common models that teachers use to define the behavioural pattern of the learners. This model emphasizes on the need for effective communication between the learner and the teacher. According to Ayers and Gray (2013), the first step towards creating a manageable classroom environment is to establish communication systems between the learner and the teacher.

It is necessary to break that psychological barrier that is always created in the minds of a learner. Breaking this barrier makes it easy for a learner to open to the teacher, and this makes it easy to identify underlying factors that could be affecting the learner negatively.

The approach also encourages the need for the teachers to encourage student’s self-understanding. A learner should be in a position to identify personal weaknesses in order to overcome them. For a teacher, it is very necessary to take an empathetic approach when dealing with these weaknesses, maintaining genuineness towards the learners. This way, a learner will be certain of any comment the teacher makes about improvements to successful academic achievements.

Democratic Approach

Democratic teaching model of learning is one of the most ignored models that are very important in defining the future of a learner. For a child, it is very possible to have mistaken objectives or goals in one’s life. A child would have the desire to become a superstar in music, a police officer, a soldier, a doctor, a teacher, or any other profession held by someone it admires.

This is perfectly right because such ambitious always creates the drive to work hard at this early stage of life. However, it is important to redefine these goals as one gets to higher levels of learning. According to Ayers and Gray (2013), this may only happen when there is a democratic learning environment within the classroom.

As opposed to autocratic learning approach, democratic models encourages creates a sense of belonging among the learners in the presence of the teacher. It makes the learners feel the sense of worth. The fact that the teacher is willing to listen to them makes them feel that they are of value.

In such environments, it will be easy to make the learner to understand his or her life aspirations, and to correct any mistakes that could have been made in the past while defining goals and objectives in one’s life. Democratic learning encourages self-discipline among the learners. The teacher will make the learners realize that they have a responsibility to themselves and to others to behave as per the expectations of all the stakeholders. The role of supervising the behavioural pattern of such learners will be transferred from the teacher or any other existing authority, to the learner.

Research-Based Empirical Approach

According to Tuckman and Monetti (2011), Kounin undertook an empirical study to determine the relationship learner’s behaviour and the teaching methods. He was particularly interested in determining the relationship between the comments and reprimands made by the teachers, and the response of the learners. From his study, it is revealed that the reprimands made by the teacher towards a learner have serious negative impact to young learners.

The study also reveals the existence of a ripple effect on other learners who are exposed to such reprimands even if it is not directed to them. Such learners will develop unexplained fear towards the teacher, and this will create a psychological wall (Ayers & Gray, 2013). The learner will develop a feeling that there is a huge rift between him or her and the teacher.

This makes learner engagement very difficult because the learner has always created a psychological barrier. When handling mature learner, such desists may create more of a rebellion than a change of attitude. A mature learner thrives in an environment where he or she is treated with respect.

If there were an issue that warrants reprimand, it would be necessary to call the learner and inform him or her of the mistakes in a context that will make them feel respected. This will weigh heavily in their mind, and it will create a natural bond and respect between the learner and the teacher. The learner will feel respected, and this will make them to make personal effort to avoid such mistakes in future.

Behavioural Approach

According to Ayers and Gray (2013), behavioural approach of learning is based on the classical conditioning experiment that was conducted by Pavlov. In this experiment, it was determined that conditional stimulus would produce automatic and involuntary response widely known as reflex reaction. Although this experiment was conducted on an animal (dog), further experiments proved that it also applies to human beings.

This behavioural approach fits well in the learning context. Anxiety-provoking objects would involuntarily provoke fear among the learners. A good example would be an exam. When an exam is packaged as an object that is meant to challenge the capacity of a learner, it will evoke anxiety and fear. This will bring panic in the exam room even when the questions are manageable. This is also witnessed when defining the relationship between a teacher and the learners.

When a teacher is very harsh, probably using physical or verbal forces, towards the learners, he or she will be associated with the pain he or she causes. This means that the presence of such a teacher will evoke involuntary response from the students. In most of the cases, the learners will be withdrawn, trying to rebel but very afraid of the consequences of their action.

In their attempt to avoid making misstates, they will always avoid any active engagement with the teacher or even with fellow learners in the presence of the teacher. As Springer and Persiani (2011) note, this comes naturally. The feeling of fear towards the teacher can sometimes be so strong that it becomes almost impossible to control a classroom. In order to avoid such negative reinforcement, it may be necessary to remove aversive stimulus that makes the learners to be withdrawn.

Cognitive and Social Learning Approach

Cognitive theories have widely been used to explain the learning process. This theory looks at how the learner and the teacher are affected by cognitive processes. In the current society, learners are encouraged to focus on their cognitive processes and modify them to suite different contexts in what Ayers and Gray (2013) call Metacognitive approach. This is a self-management approach where the learner tries to control perception and attitude towards various external stimuli.

This model is very appropriate for mature learners who are able to make rational decisions. Lewis, Roache, and Romi (2011) talk about the need for the learner to make self-reinforcements to address some of the weaknesses identified in the learning process. Self-motivation is one of the ways of achieving the best results within a learning environment.

When using this model, a learner is encouraged to make self-evaluation programs, and sometimes develop self-instruction when trying to overcome personal challenges. This may help in developing problem-solving skills or stress management techniques. Sometimes a teacher may need to help a leaner in cognitive restructuring.

This will involve systematic change of perception towards a given lesson or a given issue that is affecting the performance negatively. Developing a positive attitude towards issues that cannot be avoided in a learning context is very important both to the learner and to the teacher in an attempt to create a positive and interactive learning environment.

Assertive Discipline Approach

This model of classroom management is based on the premise that teachers and learners have rights and responsibilities. Each of the two parties must understand the responsibilities and ensure that the responsibility is addressed as per the expectations of all the stakeholders. It is at this stage that developing of rules and regulations become necessary. Some of these rules or regulations may be obvious.

For instance, a teacher should not be reminded that it is his or her responsibility to ensure that the syllabus is satisfactorily covered by the end of an academic year (Ayers & Gray, 2013). However, it may not cause any harm emphasizing this fact to them in order to make them feel that other stakeholders are looking upon them to meet their obligations.

The same case applies to students when it comes to taking notes or addressing assignments within the set period. Having a plan that constantly reminds the learners and teachers of their responsibilities helps in creating safe classroom environment where teacher-learner engagement is high. The two parties will know what is expected of them, and this enhances understanding among the learners themselves.

Ecological and Ecosystemic Approach

This approach of managing classroom behaviour views a learning setting as a system made up of various subsystems. The manner in which these subsystems interact will define the environment within the system. If the interaction is positive, then there will be a peaceful coexistence within the ecosystem.

If the interaction is negative, then the environment will be chaotic as each of the elements or subsystems will be struggling to assert its position or authority within the ecosystem. In this ecosystem, numerous other factors play vital roles other than the learner and the teacher. Class size is one of the factors. Having a small manageable class size is one of the major steps towards having a manageable environment.

Issues such as sitting arrangement and possible external sounds (noise) also have an effect on the quality of co-existence within this environment. Harmonizing all these internal and external environmental factors plays a pivotal role in ensuring that classrooms remain manageable. As Ayers and Gray (2013) note, failure of any of the elements to play its role effectively within this delicate ecosystem may have serious repercussions on other elements.

Conclusion

Classroom behaviour management is one of the most challenging tasks that teachers face in various learning institutions. In order to achieve success, it is important to maintain a close relationship between teachers and their learners. However, this positive relationship is reliant on various factors within the learning ecosystem.

Teachers and their learners can control some of these factors, while others may need attention of the school’s administration. For this reason, achieving a positive leaning environment should not be considered solely the responsibility of teachers. Other stakeholders also have a role to play.

References

Ayers, H., & Gray, F. (2013). Theoretical approaches and their practical applications to classroom and group management in Classroom Management : A Practical Approach for Primary and Secondary Teachers. Hoboken: Taylor and Francis.

Lewis, R., Roache, J., & Romi, S. (2011). Coping styles as mediators of teachers’ classroom management techniques. Research in Education, 4(85), 53-57. Web.

Springer, S., & Persiani-Becker, K. (2011). The organized teacher’s guide to classroom management. New York: Cengage.

Tuckman, B., & Monetti, D. (2011). Educational psychology. Belmont: Cengage Learning.