Classroom Management

Classroom management refers to the actions a teacher needs to take in order to maintain order in the classroom which enables learning to take place.  As a new teacher, it is important to remember the 90-10% rule of classroom management. A teacher should spend 90% on describing rules more completely and installing procedures more systematically and 10% on actual teaching. The rationale is that students will learn better and remember the material when they know what is expected of them in terms of how they should behave in the classroom.

Classroom management refers to issues related to supervising a classroom and academic discipline. The behavior of students in a classroom can vary from person to person. Some cases may not requiring any intervention, while others may require strict action on disciplinary grounds. Instances of rudeness towards the faculty by the students are on rise, and in such a situation the onus is on the teachers to make sure that the class is well behaved. Though a difficult task, effective classroom management strategies can make the work relatively easier for the teachers.

Strategies for Classroom Management

First of all the teacher has to understand that the students in the class come from different walks of life. They have different problems of their own, some deal with them while some can't. Stress and conflicts are prominent in the life of students as well. Though they come to school to learn, they have a list of activities in their mind which, according to them, are much more exciting than sitting for a forty-five minute period in the class. It's important that the teacher makes this forty-five minute class exciting, so that the students can learn, and at the same time have fun.

Managing Discipline

Questions to Consider When Planning a Lesson

1.   What standard am I teaching?

2.   What are my daily measurable objectives for this standard?

3.   What strategies will help me pace my lesson appropriately?

4.   What strategies will require ALL (100%) of my students to engage in content through reading, writing, talking, listening, and investigating?

5.   What actions will I take to assess throughout the lesson?

Make the Class Interesting

A forty-five minute period, wherein a teacher just speaks and students only hear, is not at all exciting. It's important that the students themselves participate in the process, thus making the period an interactive session instead of a dull lecture. Your classroom management strategies should also include effective teaching strategies, which would keep the students glued to the topic. As a teacher you can plan a few activities in the classroom, which will make children get up from their seat and interact with teachers as well as fellow students. Don't forget that the students have a lot of pent up energy, which has to be released. Avoid taking the class for full forty-five minutes, you can ensure that the last 10 minutes of the class time are spent in discussions.

Questions to Consider Before Teaching a Lesson

 ·        What is the difference between learn and memorize?

 ·        What should the students learn today as a result of this lesson?

 ·        How will this new learning connect/be applicable to the students’ lives?

 ·        How long will it take to truly meet this outcome?

 ·        How does this lesson connect to state content standards?

 ·        What type of assessment will best determine if the daily outcome has truly been met?

 ·        What will motivate the students to want to participate and learn this outcome?

 ·        How will the instruction need to be differentiated to meet the needs of ALL learners in the class?

 ·        What vocabulary will need to be learned? How will the students learn this pertinent vocabulary?

 ·        Will background knowledge need to be built or used?

 ·        What text can be incorporated with this content?

 ·        How can technology be integrated with this lesson?

 ·        Will this lesson provide ample opportunities and contexts for the students to engage in dialogue with each other?

 ·        Will this lesson provide ample opportunities for text reading and writing responses?

19 Tips, Tricks and Apps for Classroom Management

If anyone tells you that an iPad is just for playing Angry Birds, this list of teacher tools is sure to change their mind.  Check out these tips, tricks and apps for classroom management!

• • Read Alouds and Short Text Recorder(manage test prep)Siri Speaks to Me (manage conference notes)

  • WordPress (manage a class blog)

  • Test Prep Aids for the Teacher – Pacing(manage test prep)

  • Make Your Own Buttons (manage student iPad screens)

  • Gmail to Organize Student Work(manage student work)

  • I Can’t Live Without… Dropbox (manage resources)

  • Management Tools on the iPad (manage time and volume )

  • Pick a Student (manage participation)

  • Dragon Dictation (manage conference notes)

  • Hourglass iPad Timer (manage time)

  • Organize Your iPad Cart (manage resources)

  • Picture Perfect Behavior (manage behavior)

  • iPad Name Tags: What’s my number? (manage devices)

  • Dropbox: Fill it up! (manage resources)

  • Use Too Noisy for Volume Control (manage volume)

  • iPad Reference Charts (manage devices)

  • Random Name Selector (manage participation)

  • Siri in the Classroom: Homework (manage homework)