3

Effective Classroom Management

Li Wai-shing

A good classroom manager carefully plans everything that occurs in the

classroom from the seating arrangements to instructions for children who finish
planned activities early.
American Federation of Teachers (1995–96)

Synopsis
Classroom management is a multi-faceted concept. This chapter describes and
discusses four major components of effective classroom management: management
of the physical environment, curriculum management, managing discipline and
managing classroom procedures. The related concepts and strategies which are
discussed include: the use and decoration of classroom space; principles for effective
lesson planning and design; classroom rules and routines; and the use of punishment
and rewards. Classroom management must go beyond just managing classroom
Copyright © 2008. Hong Kong University Press. All rights reserved.

behaviour — it is also about the management of learning. Classroom management as

a whole is a complex task of designing an environment that facilitates better teaching
and learning.

Objectives

After reading this chapter, you should be able to:

• understand the nature of effective classroom management;
• understand the concepts of classroom management and management of learning;
• identify the major factors conducive to learning in managing the physical
environment;
• establish classroom routines and rules with pupils;

Hue, Ming-tak, and Wai-shing Li. Classroom Management : Creating a Positive Learning Environment, Hong Kong University
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 46 Classroom Management

• apply principles for using rewards and punishment in the classroom;

• understand the teacher’s authority in learning and teaching.

Pre-Reading Reflection and Discussion

• What is the ultimate purpose of effective classroom management?

• What kind of classroom environment do pupils prefer?
• How would you decorate your classroom to help your pupils learn better?
• On the basis of your experience as a student or teacher, are there any principles
for developing useful classroom procedures that you wish to suggest to colleagues
or peers?
• In your opinion, what differentiates good and bad classroom rules?
• Do you think teachers offer limited praise to their students because they often
take it for granted that students ought to behave well in class?
• Where does a teacher’s authority come from?

Introduction

Good classroom management is challenging. Traditionally, it was viewed as a matter

of exerting control over the learners, but more recently classroom management has
been perceived as the art of establishing a good climate and managing instruction
effectively. It involves more than just implementing procedures for organizing the
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students or setting rules for a disciplined classroom — it is about how a teacher

establishes his/her authority by offering interesting lessons. Teachers need to gain
students’ respect and confidence by showing concern for their needs, and this is reflected
and realized in their preparation of lessons that actively engage the students. An effective
manager of a classroom knows how to use praise to encourage good behaviour and
apply appropriate measures to prevent misbehaviour. We start by examining the
classroom management of Mr. Lam, a local teacher in a primary school. Are there any
respects in which you consider he is a poor manager? If so, make a list of
recommendations for improving his classroom management.

Classroom scenario

Mr. Lam entered the classroom and greeted the pupils. It was a dull room with
only a few worn-out posters on the walls. He turned on the computer in order to
run a DVD for his social studies lesson. It took him more than five minutes to

Hue, Ming-tak, and Wai-shing Li. Classroom Management : Creating a Positive Learning Environment, Hong Kong University
Press, 2008. ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/univ-people-ebooks/detail.action?docID=677299.
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 Effective Classroom Management 47

get the computer to produce the right images, and during that time Mr. Lam
said nothing as he was focusing on what had happened to his computer. As a
few pupils started talking and the noise began to get louder, Mr. Lam shouted,
“Please keep quiet!”, but none of the pupils paid any attention to him. All of a
sudden, Mr. Lam banged his table and shouted to the pupils in an intimidating
tone, “If you keep on making a noise, all of you will be punished.” At that
point, Qing-mei whispered to her neighbour Ni-hui, “I have not made any noise
at all, so why does Mr. Lam have to punish me?”

The Reality of Classroom Management

Some non-teachers may view the teaching process as a simple “teach, listen and learn”
activity: the teacher just stands in front of a number of pupils in a classroom, talks to
them and orders them to complete pre-arranged tasks. However, this conception
overlooks completely the multidimensional nature of the classroom environment in
which things happen very quickly and publicly, and are sometimes unpredictable and
spontaneous. In addition, teachers vary in their educational aims and objectives and
the students differ in a wide variety of ways (Waterhouse, 1990: 1–2); and to make
matters even more complicated, teachers’ management styles generate different types
of classroom climate which affect student learning and behaviour (and parents’ reactions
to the teacher’s behaviour). So, overall, classroom management involves teachers
steering and coordinating a complex environment for the purpose of effective learning
and teaching.
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Classroom management can be very taxing, especially for novice teachers. It is

much easier to learn if you know how to break it down into smaller components. The
four major components of classroom management are noted below and discussed in
the rest of this chapter.
1. Management of the physical environment: Teachers need to create the best possible
physical environment to ensure that their students have a comfortable and pleasant
atmosphere in which to learn.
2. Management of learning: Teachers must prepare learning objectives, select content,
prepare teaching and learning materials and design activities with the goal of
devising a curriculum that meets their students’ diverse needs.
3. Classroom procedures and rules: Teachers have to set guidelines for the smooth
and efficient running of classrooms as these are important for conveying their
expectations, for establishing classroom norms and for “house-keeping” purposes.
4. Managing discipline: Apart from such guidelines, teachers need to set up a
discipline system to deal with difficult and bad behaviour.

Hue, Ming-tak, and Wai-shing Li. Classroom Management : Creating a Positive Learning Environment, Hong Kong University
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 48 Classroom Management

Managing the Physical Environment of the Classroom

❒ Activity 3.1
Designing your own classroom seating arrangements
Prepare a floor plan of a classroom which you have observed or taught in. Try out
various designs with different patterns of seat and furniture arrangements. As you
experiment, examine and discuss the advantages and drawbacks of your designs with
regard to direct teaching, group work, project work and various other kinds of activities.
Keep a record of your designs for future reference.

As pupils spend most of their school learning time in the classroom, its design clearly
has an impact on them. However, the management of the physical environment is
often overlooked by both teachers and school administrators; and, unfortunately, most
classrooms are designed or furnished in ways that make it difficult for pupils to stay
motivated and work happily (Gordon, 1974: 156). This should be one of the top priorities
of classroom management and needs to be handled at the start of the school year. Here
are some preliminary questions:
• Do you feel comfortable with the planning of your classroom?
• Do you think your students find your classroom stimulating and pleasant?
• Have you considered not putting the teacher’s desk at the front of the class and
reorganizing the students’ seats in various ways other than in rows?
• What message does your floor plan send to your students? Do you think it is
Copyright © 2008. Hong Kong University Press. All rights reserved.

consistent with your educational values?

Good use of space

Teachers have very little control over the size of their classrooms, but they are able to
decide how to utilize the limited space within them. As a creative use of physical
space has a significant effect on children’s learning (Evans and Lovell, 1979), it is
worth spending some time on making as good use of it as possible. According to
Charles and Senter (2002), there are six facets of the physical environment of a
classroom which teachers have to consider in providing a pleasant place for learning,
viz. floor space, wall space, countertop space, shelf space, cupboard and closet space,
and the general ambience.
Floor space: The most common seating arrangements include horizontal rows,
vertical rows, circles and long tables, all of which serve different purposes. A good
seating arrangement is one which facilitates specific learning tasks and activities and

Hue, Ming-tak, and Wai-shing Li. Classroom Management : Creating a Positive Learning Environment, Hong Kong University
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 Effective Classroom Management 49

communicates a teacher’s beliefs about learning and teaching. Leaving sufficient space
for an “interior loop” or a passage to give teachers easy and efficient access for working
with different groups of pupils is paramount (Jones, 2000). In addition, the routes for
daily routine movement should be safe and free from congestion to avoid generating
disruptive behaviour. Pupils need some “housekeeping” training on seating
arrangements at the beginning of the school year.
Some more creative uses of classroom space may be of value. For example, some
teachers like to set aside a special place for pupils to retreat from the general hubbub
(Bredekamp, 1987); and similar spaces or corners can be set up for privacy and
reflection, and as a reward for good student behaviour. Allowing a certain degree of
mobility in the class can help to relieve student boredom and discomfort. Also, although
the teacher’s desk should be located in a good position for overseeing the whole class,
it need not be placed in front of the pupils. Finally, teachers should monitor how well
their arrangements work, including asking for pupils’ views.
Wall space: Wall space is another area which needs special attention. Very often
it is utilized merely for decorative purposes, and more effort could be given to its use
for teaching, for example by posting large art prints or maps. Also, bulletin boards are
useful for displaying students’ work, newspaper clippings and issues for class debate
and discussion.
Countertop space: As the countertop space is normally close to windows and
has natural light, it is one of the best places for, for instance, plants and aquariums
which can provide a beautiful and interesting spot for students.
Shelf, cupboard and closet space: A teacher needs to take care of a wide range
of items, such as worksheets, teaching aids and supplies of paper or reference materials
for the class. Shelves and cupboards, which are the best places for keeping such items,
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need to be kept clean and tidy.

General ambience: Charles and Senter (2002: 44) refer to the classroom ambience
as “the totality of intangible impressions that pervade the physical classroom”, and
teachers should try to create as safe, pleasant and stimulating an atmosphere as possible
so that learning is enjoyable and effective.
To summarize, in managing the physical environment of the classroom, teachers
should aim to provide a secure, welcoming context for learning which facilitates social
contact among teachers and pupils to increase pupils’ knowledge, confidence and skills
in human relationships. Also, the way in which the physical aspects of the classroom
are arranged should reflect the goals and values the school wishes to promote.

A checklist for a better physical environment

√ The arrangement of the desks should facilitate the teaching strategies employed.
√ The desk arrangement should allow interaction between the teacher and pupils,
and among the pupils themselves.

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 50 Classroom Management

√ Appropriate decoration, heating and ventilation are conducive to effective

teaching and learning.
√ Bulletin boards and display areas provide opportunities for the active participation
of students.
√ Any aspects of the room arrangements which are potentially harmful to pupils
when they move around should be avoided.

Management of Learning

Curriculum planning and the organization of teaching are major aspects of pedagogy
which are often referred to as the “management of learning” (Tsui, 2002). The
management of learning is not examined in detail here but, as it is inextricably linked
with classroom management, some mention of the concept is necessary. The
management of learning, which is concerned with the strategies teachers employ to
manage their classes for improved learning, is a wider term than “classroom
management”; and, for the purposes of this chapter, it is construed as effective planning,
motivating students to become more engaged in learning, and making the classroom
enjoyable and challenging, while being responsive to children’s needs and the goals of
education.

Principles of effective instruction

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Some classrooms are more exciting and appealing to pupils than others. While the
seating arrangements and decoration can make a significant difference, more important
is what goes on in the classroom — how stimulating the subject matter, activities and
teaching strategies are. Some key elements in effective teaching are noted below:
(a) Effective planning: Good preparation is vital for quality classroom instruction. In
their research on planning, Rosenshine and Stevens (1986: 49) highlighted a number
of basic principles for effective instruction and curriculum enactment: (i) well-organized
lessons; (ii) systematic delivery; (iii) activities that can be applied in authentic situations;
(iv) clear criteria for assessing student performance; and (v) constructive feedback.
These guidelines show how teachers can improve the design of their lessons and provide
appropriate activities for their students.
(b) Meeting the needs of the students: When students find lessons attractive, they are
less likely to feel bored and misbehave. To be stimulating, lessons should be enjoyable
and be seen by students to be useful for fulfilling their “competence needs” (Charles,
2002: 27). Glasser (1998) suggested that teachers can engage their students more

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 Effective Classroom Management 51

actively and increase their concentration span by discussing the subject matter being
taught with them and encouraging them to ask questions. Also, including topics which
students show a strong desire to learn will clearly increase the likelihood of their being
attentive and involved.
(c) Motivation: Motivation is often referred to as an inner drive which leads individuals
to persist in completing tasks or accomplishing their goals. When pupils are motivated
to learn, they will pay more attention and be more actively involved in learning — and
therefore be likely to behave well in class. Brophy’s (1987) study on motivating pupils
to learn contained many insightful suggestions and strategies for teachers:
• Interest: There are numerous ways of making a lesson interesting, for example
by using multimedia teaching materials, games and simulations, and making
the learning meaningful by relating the content to real-life situations.
• Needs: Lessons should offer a variety of opportunities for meeting pupils’
intellectual and psychological needs. For instance, peer learning can enhance
pupils’ sense of belonging and acceptance in class, and challenging tasks
can fulfil their drive for exploration and increase their sense of satisfaction.
• Novelty and diversity: New and creative tasks are likely to engage pupils.
Varying the design of activities can enhance interest and helps to cater for
pupils’ varying needs.
• Success: Teachers have to provide opportunities for students to experience
success in their learning by preparing tasks which are appropriate and relevant
to their level of competence. These tasks must be challenging but manageable,
with clear guidelines and support to ensure they can be completed by most
students.
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• Tension: A moderate amount of tension can be beneficial for maintaining

students’ concentration and effort in learning. Creating a learning atmosphere
that is stimulating but not over-tense requires special attention from the
teacher.
• Teacher expectations: The message of the Pygmalion study by Rosenthal
and Jacobson (1968) is well-known to teachers: teacher expectations have a
strong impact on student learning and behaviour. However, teachers often
overlook the fact that such expectations are usually communicated to the
pupils unintentionally, and the effect is cumulative. It is advisable for teachers
to communicate high expectations to all learners and, if possible, express
this in person in public.

Increasing pupils’ motivation is one of the surest ways of helping them to develop
their full potential. This is unlikely to be achieved if the instruction and learning activities
are boring and unchallenging.

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 52 Classroom Management

A checklist for effective instruction

√ Are there ample opportunities for your students to engage in meaningful and
differentiated activities?
√ Are the activities set manageable and challenging for the students?
√ Are there clear guidelines for completing the activities?
√ Are there ways to let pupils work in groups or collaboratively in the activities?
√ Are there ways to support your pupils in completing the tasks and give them
useful feedback?
√ Are there opportunities for students to apply what they have learned in the
lesson(s)?

Establishing Classroom Procedures and Rules

According to Eggen and Kauchak (1997), two major goals of classroom management
are: (a) to create a learning environment which is conducive to learning; and (b) to
develop in students a sense of responsibility and self-regulation in maintaining it. The
critical issue in classroom management, therefore, is whether students can be self-
disciplined. To accomplish these goals, the teacher needs to establish routines and
procedures for daily work and, if necessary, some measures for handling any
misbehaviour that disrupts the classroom environment. We now turn to the issue of
setting classroom routines and procedures.
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The need for classroom guidelines

Classrooms are crowded places with some thirty pupils in a small room packed with
tables, chairs, cupboard and shelves. Classroom guidelines are needed for running this
small, but complex and sometimes unpredictable, community in which teaching and
learning takes place. Clear classroom guidelines can minimize confusion and ensure
orderly interaction among pupils, and so minimize the loss of valuable teaching time
(Weinstein, 1996: 49). Properly designed classroom guidelines should support teaching
and learning by providing pupils with clear expectations and well-defined norms for
functioning in a collaborative and cooperative manner to create an orderly environment
for learning. The provision of explicitly stated rules and guidelines, and practical
experience with them, not only helps pupils to understand the school’s expectations
but also contributes to their sense of security and academic success (McEwan, 2000:
32).

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 Effective Classroom Management 53

Classroom procedures

It is useful to distinguish two types of guidelines for effective classroom management:

procedures and rules (Levin and Nolan, 2004: 137). Procedures refer to classroom
routines which call for specific behaviour at particular times and on particular tasks.
They are necessary not only for the smooth running of instructional activities but also
for reducing the frequency with which teachers need to give instructions for daily
classroom events. Common examples of such “housekeeping” procedures include
entering and leaving the classroom, access to materials, talking and listening in the
classroom and passing out exercise books. They are often taught at the beginning of a
school year through teacher explanation and peer demonstration. Monitoring of the
extent to which these procedures are followed is important to keep the classroom
operating smoothly.

A checklist for developing procedures for different situations

The following situations require teachers to specify special procedures for pupils to
follow:
√ Student arrival at and departure from the classroom
√ Early completion of class work
√ Proper arrangements for a fire drill
√ Handing in homework and class work
√ Lunch-time arrangements
√ Going for and returning from recess.
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Classroom procedures need to make good sense to students; otherwise they are not
likely to follow them. For example, it does not make much sense to expect students in
reading time to wait silently in the reading corner for others to finish their class work
(Gareau and Kennedy, 1991). For students who do not comply with the classroom
procedures, the consequences should be logical and natural (Brophy, 1988b) — for
example, asking a student who has thrown some scrap paper on the floor to pick it up
and put it in the rubbish bin. As with rules and regulations, classroom procedures
should be modified and revised if they are found to be inappropriate.

The four pillars of classroom rules

Have you ever considered that there are certain rights which must be protected when
teachers try to determine classroom rules for effective teaching and learning? Here
are four such basic rights:

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 54 Classroom Management

1. The teacher’s right to teach

2. The students’ right to learn
3. The students’ psychological and physical safety
4. The protection of the property of schools and individuals.
(Levin and Nolan, 2004: 139)

Classroom rules

If procedures are for “housekeeping” tasks, classroom rules are guidelines for required
student behaviour (Levin and Nolan, 2004). Therefore, classroom rules should be
designed with the aim of enhancing pupils’ positive and on-task behaviour rather than
reprimanding disruptive behaviour. Moreover, they should never be employed as a
means for controlling pupils in school (Brophy, 1988a). These rules are more wide-
ranging and more complex than classroom procedures.

What rules do teachers need?

Rules are necessary to main good discipline in the classroom. Some teachers like to
list all the “dos and don’ts” for particular occasions, while others compile a rule book
for all occasions. A more practical and civilized way of developing classroom rules is
to start thinking about the smallest number of rules which could minimize discipline
problems. This set of rules may vary from class to class but the following basic principles
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for setting them are common to all classrooms. Good rules:

• are fair to everybody, both teachers and pupils;
• make good sense and are not arbitrary;
• can be explained, as necessary;
• have natural and logical consequences when broken;
• are easy to apply when required;
• are positive.

❒ Activity 3.2
Designing your own classroom procedures
Working in groups of four, imagine you are the Discipline Masters of a school. You
are aware that the new students are not yet accustomed to school life after the first
month, and you want to draw their attention to the daily routines. You decide to issue
a pamphlet telling them about the school routines. What would the pamphlet look

Hue, Ming-tak, and Wai-shing Li. Classroom Management : Creating a Positive Learning Environment, Hong Kong University
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 Effective Classroom Management 55

like? What specific school procedures would you include to facilitate the smooth
running of the (a) classrooms, and (b) playground?

Communicating classroom rules

It is always a good practice for teachers to develop necessary classroom rules together
with the pupils, to exchange views on their rationale, expectations and consequences
in an open and democratic atmosphere. An additional advantage of involving pupils in
discussing rules is that they are likely to spot any inconsistencies or irrational
consequences. In general, this kind of dialogue will increase the chances of pupils
accepting the norms and standards conveyed by the rules (Good and Brophy, 1997;
Jones and Jones, 2001).
If student involvement in developing classroom rules is impossible, the teacher
must communicate the rules clearly to the students so that they fully understand their
purposes and rationale; otherwise, they are more likely to be seen as unfair, unreasonable
and arbitrary. Also, it is better to express the rules in positive, rather than negative,
terms, for example by emphasizing that keeping the classroom clean and tidy provides
a better environment for teaching and learning. Finally, all classroom rules should be
displayed openly and be subject to constant review.

A checklist for effective classroom rules

√ Keep the number of rules to a minimum.
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√ Develop rules with your students.

√ Explain clearly the rationale behind the rules and the consequences of not
following them.
√ Phrase the rules positively whenever possible.
√ Ensure that the rules are seen to be fair, realistic and consistent.
√ Apply the rules to all.
√ Display the rules in an appropriate place.
√ Be consistent in getting students to follow the rules.

Managing Discipline Problems

It is often said “prevention is better than cure”: it is more desirable to prevent discipline
problems from happening than to deal with them in the classroom. As most teachers
realize, discipline problems can be contagious. If not monitored frequently and

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 56 Classroom Management

consistently, unacceptable behaviour can gradually become acceptable. The American

Federation of Teachers (1995/1996: 24) once warned teachers that “over time, almost
imperceptibly, expectations of what constitutes acceptable behaviour get re-defined.
We gradually tolerate more and more, until what once was unthinkable becomes the
new norm”. However, not all discipline problems require direct intervention: in some
cases they may be ignored and some student behaviour can be altered by offering
appropriate praise. Various ways of managing pupils’ behaviour are outlined in the
following sections.

Tolerating and understanding behaviour

In broad terms, students, particularly newcomers, may misbehave for reasons such as
the following. They may find themselves in a new school environment without support
and are unaccustomed to the atmosphere; learning in the classroom and communicating
with others in schools could be stressful for them; and they may have trouble in coping
with the classroom life, rules and regulations. Although good planning can prevent
most of these problems, misbehaviour is likely if they are not handled well. In addition,
teachers need to be discerning about difficult behaviour before taking action as it can
sometimes be tolerated (e.g. coughing in class because of illness).

When to intervene

When students misbehave despite clear classroom routines and procedures, teacher
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intervention is needed. Based on the “four pillars of classroom rules”, intervention is

appropriate for the following behaviours (Grossman, 1995: 274):
• Harmful behaviour (e.g. bullying)
• Distracting behaviour (e.g. playing with toys in the classroom)
• Testing behaviour (e.g. challenging a teacher’s authority)
• Antisocial behaviour (e.g. disengagement)
• Contagious behaviour (e.g. talking with a neighbour).

The use of punishment

Punishment in school usually takes two forms: the removal of privileges and the
inflicting of physical or other “painful” punishment. Sometimes the removal of
privileges can become a logical consequence when appropriately planned and related

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 Effective Classroom Management 57

to the misbehaviour (Levin and Nolan, 2004: 142) — for example, reducing pupils’
recess time if they do not form a straight line when going downstairs to the playground.
However, in contrast, a teacher’s inappropriate planning and aggressive attitude may
lead to student hostility, with the logical consequence being perceived as a punishment.
The inflicting of physical and painful punishment also takes several forms. It
may involve corporal punishment such as: hitting or shaking; psychological punishment,
such as sarcasm or threats; or extra homework or the writing of the school regulations
many times. While corporal punishment is forbidden by law, minor psychological
punishment or demanding extra work is not uncommon. The use of such punishments
is not recommended not only because they are highly controversial but also because
they are not based on sound moral and ethical grounds (Jones and Jones, 2001; Kohn,
1999). Research on painful punishments (Clarizio, 1980; Curwin and Mendler, 1988)
has shown that they are not effective in the long term and frequent punishment often
has the side-effect of teaching the student to find more subtle ways to avoid punishment
for misbehaviour in the classroom.

❒ Activity 3.3
Ideas about punishment
What is your opinion on the following statements? Share your ideas with your group
members.
(a) Punishment is a long-established and effective method that helps students to
understand their misbehaviour and develop a sense of personal responsibility.
(b) Without feeling pain, students will not discipline themselves. Punishment
involves the inflicting of pain to remind students about their misbehaviour.
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(c) “Spare the rod and spoil the child.”

Alternatives to punishment

Students often get a teacher’s attention either by working well or by misbehaving in

class. Docking (2002) suggested that teachers should offer more praise for classroom
behaviour, instead of assuming that pupils ought to behave well and that only very
good behaviour deserves praise or rewards. While punishment may arouse hostility,
praise and rewards create the positive atmosphere needed to maintain good behaviour
and promote learning, as well as boosting pupils’ self-esteem. Teachers should be
generous in giving praise or rewards to both individuals and groups, either publicly or
in private.

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 58 Classroom Management

A checklist for effective use of praise

√ Use praise generously.
√ Give praise early in lessons.
√ “Catch the child being good.”
√ Avoid actions which could spoil the effects of praise.
√ Ensure that the praise is informative.
√ Be sensitive to the effects of public versus private praise.
√ Praise for a variety of efforts and achievements.
√ Relay favourable remarks.
√ Be genuine.
(Docking, 2002: 45)

Teacher Authority in Good Management

There are various ways of interpreting what counts as a teacher’s authority in the
classroom. At one extreme, some teachers may adopt an authoritarian approach and
favour controlling the classroom with firm and strict punishments. At the other extreme,
some teachers may resort to giving students complete freedom in return for less
confrontation with them. In neither case are these teachers exerting their authority
appropriately and managing the classroom well.
William Glasser (1998) identified two types of teacher: “boss teachers” and “lead
teachers”. The former, whom he considers old-fashioned, act in an autocratic way and
are unlikely to involve the students in planning their instructional activities, designing
Copyright © 2008. Hong Kong University Press. All rights reserved.

the curriculum and developing classroom rules. The latter adopt an open and democratic
approach to classroom decision making, inviting student participation in the above
activities and respecting their rights as learners.
The way in which teachers exert their authority lies at the heart of successful
classroom management. If Glasser’s view is correct, a good manager is able to steer
the class in an open and democratic manner that gets students to participate in every
aspect of school life. Students can share power with the teacher in the processes of
planning instructional activities, decision making in classroom affairs, and creating a
pleasant atmosphere conducive to effective instruction and learning. In return, teacher
authority is reinforced through a more student-centred teaching approach which
produces a stimulating classroom environment with better behaviour and learning.
Intimidation and autocratic management can never gain students’ respect: students
respect teachers who understand their needs, share power with them and know how to
teach well.
In conclusion, for students, a good classroom manager is a teacher who delivers
interesting and creative lessons, generates an engaging atmosphere for learning, and

Hue, Ming-tak, and Wai-shing Li. Classroom Management : Creating a Positive Learning Environment, Hong Kong University
Press, 2008. ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/univ-people-ebooks/detail.action?docID=677299.
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 Effective Classroom Management 59

exercises his/her authority in ways which encourage them to be involved in developing

classroom routines and rules and, most important, participate fully in all aspects of
learning.

Summary

This chapter presents classroom management as a complex task involving the creation
of interesting and stimulating lessons, and the development of procedures and rules
for establishing a pleasant atmosphere for learning and teaching. In practical terms,
classroom management has four major components: management of the physical
environment; curriculum management, managing classroom procedures and rules, and
discipline management.
Management of the physical environment is concerned with the optimum
arrangement of furniture and use of space, for example on the walls, for various purposes
— the main one being to produce an environment which will engage pupils in learning.
The management of learning is about planning effective pedagogical strategies
which meet pupils’ needs and make lessons interesting. Teaching skills are essential
for effective instruction.
As classrooms are public and unpredictable places, procedures for good
“housekeeping” must be established; and rules are also required to direct student
behaviour when necessary. Students should be involved in developing these procedures
and rules to make them more relevant and acceptable to them, and teachers need to
communicate them to students in a clear and appropriate way.
There are some behaviours which teachers can tolerate, but intervention and
Copyright © 2008. Hong Kong University Press. All rights reserved.

punishment are needed when other measures fail. When used effectively, praise can
be an alternative to punishment for managing classroom behaviour.
Finally, the proper exercise of teacher authority in managing classrooms is not
about autocratic and dominating control. The concept of a “boss teacher” has been
replaced by that of a “lead teacher”— a good teacher who gains pupils’ respect and
stimulates them to participate actively in the learning and teaching process.

Questions for Discussion

1. Define “classroom management”. What are the basic elements in managing a

pleasant classroom which promotes student learning?
2. Teachers use various kinds of seating arrangements. Discuss among yourselves
the instructional strategies which are appropriate when seats are arranged in: (a)
rows; (b) horizontal rows; (c) small clusters; and (d) circles. What strategies are
inappropriate?

Hue, Ming-tak, and Wai-shing Li. Classroom Management : Creating a Positive Learning Environment, Hong Kong University
Press, 2008. ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/univ-people-ebooks/detail.action?docID=677299.
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 60 Classroom Management

3. Based on your own teaching experience, discuss in pairs what constitutes good
teaching and in what ways students can be stimulated to participate fully in
classroom learning.
4. Give examples of difficult behaviours which (a) can be permitted; (b) can be
tolerated; (c) need teacher intervention; and (d) require punishment.
5. Which kinds of praise are more and less effective for creating a pleasant atmosphere
for learning and teaching? Why?
6. In what ways has the concept of a “boss teacher” lost favour and been replaced
by a “lead teacher”? How important is being a “lead teacher” for stimulating
student participation in classroom activities?
7. How far do you agree with the saying that “a stern teacher produces esteemed
students”?

Useful Resources

Websites
1. CAST: Explicit Instruction: http://www.cast.org/publications/ncac/ncac_explicit.html
2. Creating an Effective Physical Classroom Environment: http://www.teachervision.fen.com/
page/6506.html
3. Elementary Approach: Classroom Environment: http://content.scholastic.com/browse/
article.jsp?id=4134
4. Lesson Presentation: http://www.humboldt.edu/~tha1/hunter-eei.html
5. Routines and Procedures: http://www.educationoasis.com/instruction/CM/routines.htm
6. UKAT– Teacher Authority: http://www.ukat.org.uk/thesaurus/term.php?i=5760
Copyright © 2008. Hong Kong University Press. All rights reserved.

Further Reading
Baker, K. (1985). Research evidence of a school discipline problem. Phi Delta Kappan, 66(7):
482–8.
Brophy, J. (1988). Research on teacher effects: Uses and abuses. The Elementary School Journal,
89(1): 3–21.
Gordon, T. (1989). Discipline that works: Promoting self-discipline in children. New York:
Random House.
Kindsvatter, R. (1978). A new view of the dynamics of discipline. Phi Delta Kappan, 59 (5):
322–65.
Lepper, M. and Green, D. (1978). The hidden cost of reward: New perspectives on human
motivation. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
Levin, J. and Shanken-Kaye, J. (2002). From disrupter to achiever: Creating successful learning
environments for the self-control classroom. Dubuque, IA: Kendall/Hunt.
Stipek, D. J. (2001). Motivation to learn: Integrating theory and practice (4th edn). Boston:
Allyn and Bacon.

Hue, Ming-tak, and Wai-shing Li. Classroom Management : Creating a Positive Learning Environment, Hong Kong University
Press, 2008. ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/univ-people-ebooks/detail.action?docID=677299.
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 Effective Classroom Management 61

References

American Federation of Teachers (1995–96). Elements of an effective discipline strategy.

American Educator, 19(4): 24–27.
Bredekamp, S. (ed.). (1987). Developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood programs
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Brophy, J. (1987). Synthesis of research strategies on motivating students to learn. Educational
Leadership, 45(2): 40–48.
. (1988a). Educating teachers about managing classrooms and students. Teaching and
Teacher Education, 4(1): 1–18.
. (1988b). Research on teaching effects: Uses and abuses. The Elementary School Journal,
89(1): 3–21.
Charles, C. M. (2002). Essential elements of effective discipline. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
Charles, C. M. and Senter, G. W. (2002). Elementary classroom management (3rd edn). Boston:
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Clarizio, H. F. (1980). Toward positive classroom discipline (3rd edn). New York: Wiley.
Curwin, R. L. and Mendler, A. N. (1999). Discipline with dignity. Upper Saddle River, NJ:
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Glasser, W. (1998). The quality school teacher. New York: HarperCollins.
Copyright © 2008. Hong Kong University Press. All rights reserved.

Good, T. and Brophy, J. (1997). Looking in classrooms (4th edn). New York: Longman.
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Press.

Hue, Ming-tak, and Wai-shing Li. Classroom Management : Creating a Positive Learning Environment, Hong Kong University
Press, 2008. ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/univ-people-ebooks/detail.action?docID=677299.
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 62 Classroom Management

Waterhouse, P. (1990). Classroom management. Stafford: Network Educational Press.

Weinstein, C. S. (1996). Secondary classroom management: Lessons from research and practice.
New York: McGraw-Hill.
Copyright © 2008. Hong Kong University Press. All rights reserved.

Hue, Ming-tak, and Wai-shing Li. Classroom Management : Creating a Positive Learning Environment, Hong Kong University
Press, 2008. ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/univ-people-ebooks/detail.action?docID=677299.
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