Chapter Three Educational Extension

Approaches to Classroom Management

As a teacher, you must be aware of the principles and consequences of any classroom management decisions and strategies you may wish to implement. Lets take a look at three such management approaches: the self-discipline approach, the instructional approach, and the desist approach. These three approaches to classroom management form a continuum, from the selfdiscipline approach at one e treme, to the instructional approach, to the desist approach at the opposite e treme. The Self-Discipline Approach The self-discipline approach is built on the premise that students can be trusted to e!aluate and change their actions so their beha!iors are beneficial and appropriate to e!eryone. This democratic approach !iews classroom management as a function of the teachers ability to establish working teacher-student relationships, recogni"e studentsdignity, and e hibit realness, trust, acceptance, and empathy. #ith these attitudinal qualities in mind, lets look at four of the more democratic classroom management models. Reality Therapy $e!eloped by #illiam %lasser &'()*, '(++, '(,)-, reality therapy is a strategy that helps students take responsibility for e amining and sol!ing their own problems. %lasser belie!es that students are rational beings who can control their beha!ior if they wish. .or e ample, witness the usual good student beha!iors found on the first day of school. /ften, teachers need to help students learn to make good beha!ioral choices so they can become responsible indi!iduals able to satisfy their needs in the real world0 they must be guided toward reality. 1tudents are forced to acknowledge their beha!ior, and they should make !alue 2udgments regarding that beha!ior. .or e ample, when a disruption occurs, instead of asking why students are beha!ing that way, teachers ask, 3#hat are you doing45 The emphasis is put on the you so that there is no misinterpretation as to who is responsible. This question is followed up with queries such as 36s this beha!ior against the rules45 or 36s this beha!ior helping you or this class45 6f the misbeha!ior persists, the teacher meets pri!ately with the student to design a commitment for change. 6f the original plan pro!es inadequate, the teacher and student ree amine, renew, or re!ise the plan. 6f the disruptions continue or the commitment is not followed, the consequences should become progressi!ely more se!ere: principal conference, parent conference, in-school suspension, out-of-school suspension, and finally permanent e clusion from school. 7ote that reality therapy places the responsibility on the student, not the teacher. 8egardless of their personal backgrounds and home situations, students are e pected to comply with the rules. The teachers function is to assist students to become responsible, producti!e classroom members. 6nstead of punishing students, teachers continually stress student responsibility for their own beha!ioral choices. 9lassroom meetings are an essential element in addressing problems in the %lasser model. 1tudents sit in a close circle and discuss classroom situations and problems. The teachers role is to pro!ide background information as needed and to withhold opinions. All students participate in the formation of classroom rules, consequences, and procedures. All students are e pected to obser!e the agreed-upon rules and consequences. The rules are fle ible, howe!er, and could be changed with another meeting as the situation changes.

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Teacher Effectiveness Training (TET) Teacher effecti!eness training &T:T-, concei!ed by $r. Thomas %ordon &'(+;-, stresses the establishment of positi!e working relationships between teachers and students in an atmosphere of openness and trust. Teachers reduce disrupti!e student beha!ior by using clear !erbal and non!erbal communication strategies. The key to this approach is identifying who owns the problem < the teacher or the student. .or e ample, if students continuously talk as the teacher tries to teach, the teacher owns the problem because he or she is kept from reaching the goal of teaching. /n the other hand, if the teacher feels annoyed by a students beha!ior or if the teacher wishes a student would change his or her beha!ior, the problem likely belongs to the student. The student who says he or she hates the teacher or hates the sub2ect owns that problem. #hen teachers own the problem, they send an 6-message which tells students how they feel about the situation and in!ites students to change or correct the situation < for e ample, 36 am angry with this continuous talking in class,5 36 am disappointed in your beha!ior at the assembly,5 or 36 cant hear myself think with the noise in this classroom.5 6f the process works, the student &or class- should see the harm being done and change his or her &or their- beha!ior. 6f an 6-message does not correct the problem, howe!er, the teacher and student &class- are in a conflict situation. #hen this happens, %ordon recommends using a 3no-lose5 problem resolution strategy. After the teacher and student identify the problem, they cooperati!ely generate possible solutions. Then they e!aluate these ideas, re2ecting those that are unacceptable to either party. =unishment is not a !iable option because the students would be placed in a losing situation. 7e t they rank the remaining ideas, select the best solution, and decide how to implement the solution so that both parties are satisfied. They assess the results and try alternate solutions if needed. #hen a student owns a problem, the teacher listens acti!ely and empathetically to counsel, support, and encourage the student to e press his or her !iews. 6nstead of offering a solution, the teacher focuses upon the students perspecti!e and helps the student find his or her own solution. Inner Discipline 6nner discipline, de!eloped by >arbara 9oloroso &?@@?-, a former nun and now a teacherauthor, re2ects 3quick-fi 5 solutions to discipline problems. 6nstead, she suggests teachers focus on helping students de!elop inner discipline that will enable them to acknowledge their mistakes, take responsibility for their actions, think through solutions, and correct their misdeeds. 1chool becomes a place where teachers and students work together to learn, relate, grow, and create community. 9oloroso suggests that teachers treat students with respect by gi!ing them a sense of power in their own li!es with opportunities to make their own decisions and to grow from the results of those decisions, whate!er they may be. Teachers must, howe!er, make sure that students decisions dont lead to situations that are life threatening, morally threatening, or unhealthy. 7atural, reasonable consequences should be in!oked consistently when rules are !iolated. 1tudents will then de!elop the inner discipline and self-confidence that will help them grow into responsible, resourceful, and resilient adults. 9oloroso suggests that teachers management styles fall into three categories. 3>rickwall teachers5 are rigid, use power and coercion to control others, and teach what instead of how to think. They demand that students follow the rules without question. 3Aellyfish teachers5 pro!ide

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little structure, consistency, or guidance and rely on putdowns, threats, and bribery to control students. =unishment and rewards are often arbitrary and inconsistent. These teachers are la in discipline, set few limits, and more or less let students do what they want. 3>ackbone teachers5 pro!ide the support and structure necessary for students to beha!e creati!ely, cooperati!ely, and responsibly, which leads to inner discipline. They use clear, simple rules partnered with reasonable, purposeful consequences. 1tudents ha!e freedom to pursue opportunities and sol!e problems within established limits. Beyond Discipline 6n his book, Beyond Discipline: From Compliance to Community, Alfie Bohn &'(()questions the assumption that classroom problems are always the fault of students who dont do as they are told. Cost teachers work to control childrens beha!ior either by punishment or reward, which is often ineffecti!e. 6nstead of acknowledging the possible problems of a dull curriculum or poor teaching, teachers place complete blame on students for their negati!e beha!ior. Bohn suggests that our present reward-punishment approaches are only short-term solutions to classroom problems. De contends that punishment only teaches students that they will suffer dire consequences when they are caught misbeha!ing, and rewards teach them how to respond positi!ely only in order to win a pri"e or praise. Therefore, both punishments and rewards do not culti!ate long-lasting moral !alues in students. Bohn belie!es rules are of no practical !alue in the classroom0 rules blind teachers to what students can achie!e. 6nstead of using classroom 3discipline,5 teachers should work to de!elop a democratic classroom community that recogni"es the needs and interests of both teachers and students. A classroom community is a place where students are cared about and care about others, are !alued and respected, and think in terms of we instead of I. 1tudents are in!ol!ed in the decision-making process and are continually brought into making 2udgments, e pressing their opinions, and working cooperati!ely toward solutions that benefit the class, which will ha!e a positi!e impact on students and eliminate beha!ioral problems.. #hen problems arise, the teacher should ask the student, 3#hat do you think we can do to sol!e this problem45 9lass meetings are forums for addressing questions that affect the class, including problems of beha!ior. The Instructional Approach The premise that forms the basis for the instructional approach to classroom management is that well-planned and well-implemented instruction will pre!ent most classroom problems. The assumption is that students will not engage in disrupti!e beha!ior when well-planned and well-implemented lessons engage students in the learning process with acti!ities that meet their interests, needs, and abilities. Lets now look at two models of classroom management that focus on the principles of the instructional approach. The Kounin Model 6n a comprehensi!e comparison of effecti!e and ineffecti!e classroom managers, Aacob Bounin &'(+@- found that the teachers differed !ery little in the way they handled classroom problems once they arose. The primary difference was in the things the successful managers did that tended to pre!ent classroom problems. They were totally aware of e!erything in the

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classroom en!ironment0 they kept students acti!ely engated0 and they conducted well-planned lessons with smooth transitions. Bounin concluded that some teachers are better classroom managers because of skill in four areas: 3withitness,5 o!erlapping acti!ities, group focusing, and mo!ement management &9harles, ?@@?-. #ithitness is the skill to know what is going on in all parts of the classroom at all times0 nothing is missed. 3#ithit5 teachers respond immediately to student misbeha!ior and know who started what. A ma2or component of withitness is scanning the class frequently, establishing eye contact with indi!idual students, and ha!ing eyes in the back your head. 3#ithit5 teachers dont make timing errors &waiting too long before inter!ening- or target errors &blaming the wrong person and letting the real perpetrators escape responsibility for misbeha!ior-. 3#ithit5 teachers pre!ent minor disruptions from becoming ma2or and know who the instigator is in a problem situation. :ffecti!e classroom managers are also skilled at o!erlapping. /!erlapping means handling two or more acti!ities or groups at the same time. :ssentially, it is the ability to monitor the whole class at all times. 6t in!ol!es keeping a small group on task, for e ample, while also helping other students with their seatwork. .inally, Bounin notes that successful classroom management also depends on mo!ement management and group focusEthat is, the ability to make smooth lesson transitions, keep an appropriate pace, and in!ol!e all students in a lesson. Coreo!er, effecti!e managers do not lea!e a lesson hanging while tending to something else or change back and forth from one sub2ect or acti!ity to another. They keep students alert by holding their attention, by holding them accountable, and by in!ol!ing all students in the lesson. The Jones Model >ased upon o!er '@ years of researching classroom difficulties, .rederick Aones &'(+(-, found that teachers lose *@F or more of their instructional time through students time-wasting &e.g., talking and walking around the room-. Aones contends that this wasted instructional time can be reclaimed when teachers correctly implement four strategies: limit setting, good body language, incenti!e systems, and gi!ing help efficiently. Limit setting is the establishment of classroom boundaries for appropriate beha!ior. According to Aones, these limits should include the formation of rules of beha!ior, as well as descriptions of appropriate work beha!ior, procedures for getting supplies and materials, instruction on what to do when stuck on seatwork, and what to do when finished with assigned seatwork. 7inety percent of discipline and keeping students on task, Aones contends, in!ol!ed the skillful use of body language. >ody language is a set of physical mannerisms that tend to get students back to work, the most effecti!e of which are physical pro imity to students, direct eye contact, body position &body orientation toward student-, facial e pressions, and tone of !oice. Aones contends that incenti!e systems also can be used effecti!ely to keep students on task and to get them to complete their work. 6ndeed, he suggests that preferred acti!ities, such as time on the computer, free time, use of educational games, and free reading, can ser!e as moti!ational rewards for desired beha!iors. .urthermore, Aones adds, the use of peer pressure represents a quite effecti!e moti!ator. .or e ample, time can be deducted from the classpreferred acti!ity time when an indi!idual student misbeha!es. The deduction of time can be recorded, as Aones suggests, with a large stopwatch placed at the front of the room, so the whole

Chapter Three Educational Extension

class can see. 6f a large stopwatch is not a!ailable, a standard amount of time &e.g., one minutecan be deducted for each instance of misbeha!ior. .inally, Aones found that giving help efficiently is related to time on task. Dis research re!ealed that teachers on the a!erage spend ; minutes helping indi!idual students who are ha!ing difficulty with seatwork. Aones recommends that this time be cut to no more than ?@ seconds per student. $oing so allows more students to be helped and reduces the tendency for students to work only when the teacher is standing near them. 1etting limits, using body language, implementing an incenti!e system, and gi!ing help efficiently will not eliminate all beha!ior problems. #hen such problems do de!elop, Aones suggests, a back-up system, such as in-class isolation or remo!al from the room, is needed. The Desist Approach The desist approach to classroom management gi!es the teacher full responsibility for regulating the classroom. The teacher enforces a set of specific rules to control student beha!ior in the classroom. >ecause the desist approach models of classroom management gi!e teachers power to deal forcefully and quickly with misbeha!ior, they can be !iewed as power systems. The desist approach probably is the most widely used strategy in todays schools. Two common desist models of classroom management are assertive discipline and behavior modification. Assertive Discipline Lee and Carlene 9anter &'(+)- contend that teachers ha!e a basic right to teach and students ha!e the right to learn in a well-disciplined classroom. To this end, the 9anters ad!ocate asserti!e discipline, which calls for asserti!e teachers who clearly and firmly communicate needs and requirements to students, follow up their words with appropriate actions, and respond to students in ways that ma imi"e compliance but in no way !iolate the best interest of the students &9anter G 9anter, '(+), p. (-. Asserti!e teachers take charge in the classroom in a calm yet forceful way. Asserti!e teachers do not tolerate improper beha!ior that interrupts learning. 9ommonly used e cusesEpeer pressure, home en!ironment, and heredity, for e ampleEare not accepted for misbeha!ior. The asserti!e teacher establishes rules and limits for beha!ior, along with consequences for proper beha!ior and improper beha!ior. 1tudents who follow the established rules recei!e positi!e consequences, such as a material reward, free time, or special pri!ileges, whereas students who break the rules recei!e negati!e consequences, such as detention, gi!ing up part of their lunch period, staying after school, or going to the principals office. The rules, limits, and consequences are communicated to students and parents in clear terms at the beginning of the year. Asserti!e teachers insist on decent, responsible beha!ior from their students. After establishing e pectations early in the year, asserti!e teachers consistently reinforce the established procedures and guidelines. They do not threaten to enforce the rules and guidelines and apply the consequences to misbeha!ior0 they promise to do so. 6t is assumed that all students, if they want, are capable of beha!ing0 it is a matter of choice.

Chapter Three Educational Extension

Behavior Modification >eha!ior modification, based on the ideas and work of >. .. 1kinner &'(),, '(+'-, is an approach that e!ol!es from the assumptions that students will change their beha!ior to recei!e definite rewards. The basic premise of beha!ior modification is that student beha!ior can be changed by altering the consequences that follow their actions and beha!iors. Technically, reinforcement principles are used systematically for changing some aspect of educational practice or student beha!ior. 1tudents who follow established procedures, who follow the rules, or who perform well on required work are gi!en reinforcers, or rewards. The reinforcers may be teacher praise, good grades, or e!en such tangible items as stickers or appropriate free mo!ies. 1tudents who do not follow the procedures, who misbeha!e, or who perform poorly are denied desired rewards or are punished in some way. >asically, there are four general categories of consequences that can follow students actions: positi!e reinforcement, negati!e reinforcement, =unishment 6, and =unishment 66. As noted earlier, positi!e and negati!e reinforcement are used for maintaining or increasing the occurrence of a desired student beha!ior. 6n the case of positi!e reinforcement, a reward &e.g., praise, grades, or free time- is presented for desired beha!ior, whereas negati!e reinforcement in!ol!es the remo!al of an undesired stimulus &e.g., weekend homework, no !isiting, or a change in the seating arrangement-. 6nappropriate student actions can be discouraged through the use of punishment. Like reinforcement, punishment comes in two categories, simply labeled 6 and 66. =unishment 6, the most commonly used form, in!ol!es the application of some undesirable stimulus. .or e ample, undesirable student action can be followed by a pri!ate reprimand, isolation, or a trip to the principals office. 6n contrast, =unishment 66 in!ol!es the remo!al of a desired stimulus or the withholding of an anticipated positi!e stimulus. .or e ample, inappropriate student beha!ior could be followed by a loss of free time, e clusion from a school film, or loss of computer time for a week. 6f used appropriately, both =unishments 6 and 66 should result in the elimination of, or at least a decrease in, undesired student beha!iors. 8einforcement can also be a comple system. .or e ample, one such program is the token reinforcement system, in which students earn tokens for both positi!e classroom beha!iors and academic work. The tokens earned are then periodically e changed for some desired acti!ity or reward. P I!TS T "eferences 9anter, L., G 9anter, C. &'(+)-. ssertive discipline: educator. Los Angeles: 9anter and Associates. ta!e"charge approach for today#s P !DE" #hich approach to classroom management did your fa!orite B-, teacher use4 %i!e specific e amples. 6dentify T#/ common student misbeha!iors. $escribe how teachers would deal with these beha!iors using the three approaches to classroom management. #hich approach to classroom management do you belie!e you might use one day4 #hy4

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9harles, 9. C. &?@@?-. Building classroom discipline &)th ed.-. 7ew Hork: Longman. %lasser, #. &'()*-. $eality therapy: new approach to psychiatry. 7ew Hork: Darper G 8ow. %lasser, #. &'(++-. '@ steps to good discipline. %oday#s &ducation, '', )'<)I. %lasser, #. &'(,)-. Control therapy in the classroom. 7ew Hork: Darper G 8ow. 9oloroso, >. &?@@?-. (ids are worth it) *iving your child the gift of inner discipline. 7ew Hork: Darper9ollins. %ordon, T. &'(+;-. %eacher effectiveness training. 7ew Hork: $a!id CcBay. Aones, .. &'(+(, Aune-. The gentle art of classroom discipline. +ational &lementary ,rincipal, -., ?)<I?. Bohn, A. &'(()-. Beyond discipline: From compliance to community. Ale andria, JA: Association for 1uper!ision and 9urriculum $e!elopment. Bounin, A. 1. &'(+@-. Discipline and group management in classrooms. 7ew Hork: Dolt, 8inehart G #inston. 1kinner, >. .. &'(),-. %he technology of teaching. 7ew Hork: Appleton-9entury-9rofts. 1kinner, >. .. &'(+'-. Beyond freedom and dignity. 7ew Hork: Bnopf.