Literature Review
| Introduction |
In
The First Days of School, Wong and Wong list two objectives of
classroom management:
1.
Enhance student involvement and cooperation
2.
Establish a positive working environment Students must be able to play an active role in their education as well as in the way the classroom is managed. To make classroom management effective, teachers must allow students to assist in creating the classroom rules. By allowing students to play a part in the rule-making process, students know what is expected of them by both the teacher and their peers. This also gives the students a feeling of ownership, fulfilling Glasser's theory of human needs. With the establishment of classroom rules, students have set their own boundaries, therefore they are less likely to cross those boundaries. Observations and research shows that teachers will have less disruptions and more active learning taking place. Dr. Mark Warner, Middle Grades Education professor at Augusta State University, states that if teachers keep students actively involved in all aspects of the classroom, they are more likely to stay focused and engaged in their learning. "In well taught lessons, with pace, variety and challenge, behavior problems were uncommon; in others order was maintained by spending a disproportionate amount of time quelling trivial but continual disruption and talking about behavior, often to the detriment of pupils' learning" (OFSTED Access and Achievement in Urban Education 1993, found at The Teaching and Learning Network).
Research indicates that if teachers build a
sense of community within the classroom.
Students become a "community" by working together and
cooperating as a whole to create the classroom rules, yet keep their
individuality. Cooperating as a group allows students to share their ideas
and opinions which help to shape the decisions that are being made.
Cooperation begins during the rule-making process and grows as
active learning begins to occur. Teachers facilitate active learning to fulfill students'
needs for freedom and fun by using hands-on learning and cooperative group
work. Teachers use the
community atmosphere to aid in the learning process by allowing students
to learn in groups. Students
are "free" to work together to gain knowledge from each other.
Wong and Wong's second objective states that teachers need to
create a positive working environment within their classroom.
A positive environment is created by teachers building a rapport
with their students. Teachers
begin building this rapport with students by allowing them to work in a
climate of mutual respect. Teachers need to respect the students in order
to gain respect from the students. Students can
assist in creating this type of environment by keeping their focus on the
task at hand rather than acting out for attention.
Teachers should reinforce the positive experiences and handle the
negative ones in such a way that it is hardly noticeable.
Managing a classroom that is full of activity is not always easy, but the amount of knowledge gained by the students outweighs the challenge. The first step in managing an active learning environment is to be open to what students might stumble upon. Allow them to explore and discover ideas and concepts on their own opens many doors of opportunity. The next step is to decide what strategies work best for you and your classroom. The list provided will give you some tips that you may decide to use in your classroom. This is a compilation of ideas from our field research and the following websites: We have also developed a list of common mistakes made by teachers. This list was compiled from field observations and "Ideas for Avoiding Classroom Management Mistakes and How to Deal with Parents" by Dr. Bob Kizlik. |