CLASSROOM

MANAGEMENT
• Classroom management can be a nightmare for teachers during
their initial work days.
• Teachers need skills to manage instructional content and
student’s conduct so as to keep students productively involved in
classroom activities.
• Incidences of classroom misconduct disrupt the teaching and
learning processes.
• Teachers must cooperate with students to create an enabling
environment for effective learning to take place in the classroom.
Objectives of the presentation:

• define management

• discuss behavioural problems in the classroom

• explain theories of classroom management

What is classroom management?
• Two definitions;
• is the act of handling/managing the classroom and
students to ensure that stressful and non-educational
situations are avoided and students learn topics and
subjects effectively.
or

• is the process of ensuring that classroom lessons

run smoothly despite disruptive behaviour by
students.
Remember;
• The principles of positive and negative
reinforcement (reward and punishment) play an
important part in regulating behavior in the
classroom.
Misbehaviour / behavioral problems in the classroom

• Misbehavior in this context refers to actions, attitudes

and values that have the potential of disrupting
effective teaching and learning processes.

• Behavioural problems that arise in classroom are a

consequence of many factors.
• Recognition of this helps in taking preventative
measures.
Causes of classroom indiscipline are;

1. Restrictive situations:
Sometimes, students react to very restrictive
situations in most of our schools and classrooms.
Such restrictions contribute to the building of
tension among students and teachers.
Some forms of misconducts are ways of reacting to
the restrictive environment.
2. Factors related to adolescence:

young people react to new feelings, resist

to old fashioned ideas and situations and
seek independence.
Such actions are often constructed by
some teachers as misbehavior.
3. Boring presentations:
Students react to boring presentation by not paying
attention and engaging in other unrelated activities.

4. Home factors:
some learners misbehave due to emotional
problems being experienced at home.
Some actions of violence are subtle ways of venting
frustrations concerning experiences encountered at
home.
5. Some students misbehave under the
influence of drugs and alcohol.

6. Some students misbehave under pressure

from peers.
Activities involved in effective classroom
management.
• Setting up a mutually agreed upon “ rules and
regulation framework” to ensure all appreciate the
“dos” and “don’ts” expected of classroom members.
• Adequate preparation for effective content on part
of the teacher so as to earn confidence and trust.
• Valuing and respecting students’ contribution in
classroom activities and discussion.
• Motivating students to engage in classroom activities.
Importance of classroom management
• Ensures that students pay attention in class and
benefit more from the learning experience
• Boosts students’ confidence in their abilities
and competencies
• Regulates students’ behaviour so that there is
no or little interference towards the
achievement of lesson objectives.
Strategies for arresting behavioural problems in
the classroom

Below are some of the useful strategies and

insights that teachers may wish to consider
related to classroom management:
1. Setting expectations :
On the first day, with your students ;

• clarify communication channels

• Discuss your and their expectations and rights

concerning classroom conduct.
2. Establish a warm and nurturing classroom
climate.
In this regard, ensure that;

• students feel safe and accepted,

• Ridicule and sarcasm are not allowed.
• There is mutual respect between you and
students and among students themselves.
3. Set classroom rules by consensus :
Ensure that all students are involved in
establishing discipline plans including rules
with clear and effective consequences

• Rules should be agreed upon and understood

by everyone in the class.
• Rules must be applied fairly and consistently.
4. Recognise the power of humour:
• Make learning more attractive and enjoyed for the
students by spicing lessons with relevant jokes and
funny stories.
• Draw upon examples that fall within the
experiences of students.
5. Deal with Misbehaviour promptly:
• Deal with misbehaviour, quickly, consistently,
and respectfully.
Theories of classroom discipline management
and their applicability in the classroom

• The Kounin Model:

• The Neo-Skinnerian Model:

• The Glasser Model:

A. THE KOUNIN MODEL (By Jaccob S.
Kounin)

• Kounin found that;

‘the difference between teachers is not how they deal
with misconduct, but how they prevent it in the first
place.’

• He also found that ‘good organization and planning’

are also keys to effective classroom management.
1. Ripple effect;
One of his key ideas is that when teachers
correct misbehavior in one student, other
students avoid the “condemned” behavior
automatically. He called this situation a ripple
effect.
• For example, if you are teaching and you
condemn a certain student who is writing notes
for a different subject, all other students who
are doing such a behavior will stop.
2. Withitness:
•Teachers should be aware of what is going on
in all parts of the classroom at all times.
•He or she should be alert to any disturbing
sounds and sights in the classroom.
•All students should be within the eyesight of
the teacher.
•The teacher should let students know that
they have the full view of the classroom
• As soon as misbehavior is spotted, the teacher
should visually indicate to the student for the
behavior that has been noticed.
• This is enough to stop the behavior without the
rest of the class being aware.
• The teacher should know each student on a
personal basis (i.e. name, interests, strength,
weaknesses, etc.) and you will easily apply
withitness
3. Overlapping
• The teacher can have two situations occurring at the
same time and manage the classroom perfectly.
• For example, if a student is done with an assignment
early, have something for them to do such as moving
on to another assignment, reading a book, or a quiet
enrichment exercise.
• While the early finishers are staying busy, the teacher
is allowed to move around the room to answer
question or assist struggling students.
4. Transition management:
• This is the ability to provide smooth transitions
between activities in a lesson.
• For example, the teacher can have students make
hand gestures that will tell the teacher whether the
student has a comment or question concerning the
lesson.
• Clearly take students from one activity to another so
that you motivate students and enhance their
concentration.
5. Group alertness / group focus:
• Teachers should strive to maintain group alertness and
ensure that all group members are participating in the
assigned activities.
• -One way of achieving group alertness is by encouraging
student’s accountability: Make students aware that they
will be graded for their participation and contributions to
the group.
• The teacher should ask students open questions for
everyone to answer. This will make everybody to be
thinking about the questions and be eager to respond to
get a good grade
• -The other way is to select students randomly
to answer questions. To avoid embarrassment,
students will focus to the teacher.

• -Besides that, a teacher can let students

facilitate a discussion.
6. Avoiding satiation.
THE NEO-SKINNERIAN MODEL
• This model empowers teachers with
behavioral change techniques by using
principles of reinforcement and punishment.

• We covered these principles as argued by BF

Skinner.
• Good behaviour exhibited by students must be rewarded.
• They include social reinforces, such as
 verbal comments,
 facial expressions and gestures;
 graphic reinforces, such as marks and stars;
 activity reinforces, such as free time, free reading, and
collaborating with a friend; and
 tangible reinforces, such as food, prizes, and printed
awards.
• This is powerful tool available to teachers for strengthening
desired classroom learning and behavior.
• Correspondingly bad behaviour must be discouraged
through punishment or withdrawal of privileges.

• The teacher observes the student perform an

undesired act; the teacher either ignores the act or
punishes the student, then praises a student who is
behaving correctly; the misbehaving student becomes
less likely than before to repeat the act.
THE GLASSER MODEL (By William Glasser)
• This model is premised on the assumption that
people who make good choices are most likely to
exhibit good behaviour.
• Glasser formulated a choice theory which states
that almost all behaviors that we display are
chosen.
• He believe that we perceive the world looking for
people or things that will satisfy what we want.
• And we can only control our own behavior.
• In life, people attempt to satisfy 5 basic needs
including;
survival,
freedom,
fun,
power and
love/belonging.
We satisfy these needs through our behavioral
choices.
•Use of coercive forces to control ones
behavior may only result into conflicts,
frustrations and disconnected relationship
Applications
• Students are rational beings as such they can
control their own behavior by making conscious
choices
• Teachers must support students to make good
choices in life
• Classroom meetings are effective means of
achieving consensus on class rules, behavior, and
discipline.
• Unit assessment
• Discuss the importance of classroom
management?
• Discuss the assertion that “without classroom
management there can be no learning in the
classroom”
• Explain any two theories of classroom
management and justify why you would readily
use them at your school.
Thank you !!