Essay on Effective Classroom Management: Approaches to Discipline

In order to be proficient in the art of teaching a teacher is required to do much more than walk into a classroom, walk up to the board, and begin to teach. Presenting a lesson is only one step when it comes to having a productive classroom. The state in which the children are in has a direct effect on the productivity of the classroom. The productivity has a direct relation to the classroom management set in place by the teacher. Throughout history there have been many theories regarding how to exhibit successful classroom management. One theorist in particular is Harry Wong. This paper is going to cover the thoughts and theories of Harry Wong on classroom management.

Disciplining children is important to create a safe and fun learning environment. Discipline requires knowledge, skill, sensitivity, and self-confidence; like any art, it is something that one will acquire through training and experience; it becomes easier with practice. Many people confuse discipline with classroom management; discipline is one dimension of classroom management and classroom management is a general term. Discipline can also have a positive influence on both the individual and classroom environment. Utilizing disciplinary actions can be an opportunity to reflect and learn about consequences, instill collective values, and encourage behavior that is acceptable for the classroom. Recognition of the diversity of values within communities can increase understanding and tolerance of different disciplinary techniques. Promoting positive correction of questionable behavior within the classroom dynamic, as opposed to out-of-class punishments like detention, suspension, or expulsion, can encourage learning and discourage future miss behavior. Learning to own one’s bad behavior can also contribute to positive growth in social-emotional learning. Throughout the history of education, the most common means of maintaining discipline in schools was corporal punishment. While a child was in school, a teacher was expected to act as parents with many forms of parental discipline or rewards open to them. This often meant that students were commonly chastised with the strap

Conscious discipline is a comprehensive classroom management program with a social-emotional curriculum developed by Dr. Becky Bailey, an internationally renowned expert in child development psychology from Oviedo, Florida. Dr. Bailey’s intent on creating conscious discipline has proven effective. It is a longtime leader in integrating classroom management and social emotional learning. It utilizes everyday events rather than an external curriculum. This program is based on current brain research, child development information and developmentally appropriate practices with a purpose to make changes in the lives of adults first and in turn, the adults will change the lives of children.

During teacher training sessions and from reading and researching the subject it is clear that it is not easy to manage a classroom full of students. In fact, many factors need to be taken into account when planning strategies to be used. By being pro-active, looking, and analyzing our own practice, it should give us a better

This also takes the form of creating motivation in my students by allowing them to see how their learning relates to their lives outside my classroom. Reading and writing assignments allow for students to individualize their assignments so the learning can be applied outside the

The last area is the student interaction with the curriculum, it is very important to know if students understand their academic material by providing feedback to solve any misconception and to prevent them from being distracted and putting their energy and attention elsewhere. Since academic failure and misbehaviour are strongly related, therefore, when the teacher monitors whether the assignment and instructions are understood, she will prevent classroom

Students in classes where effective management techniques are employed have achievement higher than students in classes where effective management techniques are not working. It is not possible for a teacher to conduct instruction or for students to work productively if they have no guidelines for how to behave or when to move about the room, or if they frequently interrupt teacher and one another. Students in the class where rules and procedures were implemented might have been less disruptive than students in the class that did not implement rules and

When I think of classroom management I often picture a classroom in which students learning is being carried out with minimum interruption. Teacher is there as a facilitator of the learning process through authentic learning activities which allow students to share and exchange information through respective and cooperative manner. A description of a good classroom management for some teachers or administrators or even parents may be focused or aimed at the physical order of how the classrooms should look like in terms of students sitting at their seats or teacher pointing at a student to answer her question one by one. I depict the picture

By reflecting on my prior discussion questions and assignments, I have solidified the importance of establishing an all encompass classroom management plan in order to execute an effective learning environment. By refining my classroom management plan by incorporating strategies which enhance student engagement while decreasing disruptions within the classroom. For example by clearly stating expectations both to students and their parents, all parties are aware of the standards by which the classroom will function and the means by which failure to meet such standards will be dealt with and communicated. Or by responding to misbehavior by instilling habitude and kaizen characteristic in order to engage students to stay on task and develop skills to cooperate in group’s activities so they might achieve their goals for the 21st century learning

Discipline in schools is not a fun topic for conversation between teachers, administration, students and parents. Schools should take a positive, personal approach to discipline and establish a behavior support system. The school’s role is to help mold a child into a productive member of society. In this day and time, it falls on the school and its professionals to teach children how they are expected to behave. Schools and professionals need to have a plan in place and implement a universal approach to teaching students such behaviors. PBIS or Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports is a way to implement teaching students how they are expected to behave.

After meeting my teacher and seeing the overall design of the classroom I have found some positives and negatives of the design. In order to have an effective classroom management plan, you need to consider the five processes of classroom management, organizing the physical design, establishing rules and routines, developing relationships, implementing engaging instruction and addressing discipline. The first step, organizing the physical design is one of the most essential step towards and effective classroom. When considering the design of the classroom you should consider the children’s security and shelter, social contact, and task instrumentality. I strongly believe a child must feel comfortable in order to want to learn. If you student

The role that the teacher plays in molding student behavior is the rule keeper, the love giver, and the judge. Every teacher needs 3-4 standard rules that will be followed. For me, the rules students will be expected to follow are:

It is a fact that classroom management and discipline has always been a challenge to pre-service teachers as they do not know and have not acquired the necessary skills to deal with unruly learners effectively. Often so, teachers in service use strategies that are incorrect or rather unacceptable; whether this is done intentionally or under certain desperation to gain control and respect of the learners. It is prevalent across the globe. Although the South African system has used corporal punishment for many years to maintain discipline and management in the classroom; there have always been other alternative ways which are effective and better as opposed to the harsh way of discipline. The Constitution of South Africa specifically banned the use of this harsh treatment because of the awareness that children are vulnerable and defenceless; therefore they are the ones who are at risk of being victims of crime, beatings and psychological trauma that are an ultimate result of being bullied by adults. My claim is that strategies used to maintain classrooms in public schools are not acceptable if they cause a negative effect to the development of our children. And I will argue that there are other alternatives that could be used to make sure that the classes run smooth and without causing any intimidation to either the learners or teachers in this industry, as the South African Journal of Education mentions that

Classroom management is one of the critical success factors in running an effective classroom. Before the students begin their studies for the year, the room should be prepared, well organized, and aesthetically pleasing to the students. The seating chart and room layout and organization should be prepared well ahead of time. This way when the students arrive one the first day of school all the preparations have already been made. Once they arrive there should be some period in which the class takes some time to greet each other and the teacher so that the class can quickly become acquainted.

Classroom management and classroom discipline share a correlation with one another yet; they are uniquely different issues and should remain a separate focus of the teacher. (Cantor, 2006) Behavior and misbehavior also share a connection but represent different degrees of infraction. (Charles, 2008) This essay focuses on the differences and similarities of these topics and their relation to the classroom.