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MARZANO ASSIGNMENT

Based on Marzano's articles and his research on classroom management, explain three

key points that you felt were especially important in his work.  How might this impact your

classroom management in your placement?

Rules and Procedures

Marzano (2003) specifies that where “a rule identifies general expectations or standards,

a procedure communicates expectations for specific behaviors.” In our classrooms at Reeths-

Puffer schools, we don’t really have any published procedures hanging on the walls; rather we

outline them at the beginning of the school year and rehearse them daily, so that the students

have a clear understanding of what is expected. In addition, we don’t have any rules, per se; we

enforce general school rules in the classroom but delineate between rules and procedures. My

seventh-grade social studies teacher told us (back in 1996) that rules were meant to be broken;

therefore, he had procedures in his class that could be followed instead of rules that might be

broken. This is a similar philosophy to that held in our classrooms.

Teacher and Student Relationships

In the field of music education, especially in band class, positive and healthy relationships

are paramount to the longevity of the program, let alone their importance in the realm of

classroom management. Marzano (2003) states that if “a teacher has a good relationship with

students, then students accept her rules, procedures, and disciplinary actions. Without the

foundation of a good relationship, students commonly contest them.” A music classroom is a

special space because the act of making music creates emotional and experiential bonds

between the participants, students and teachers alike. This is why you commonly see fewer

behavioral issues in secondary band classrooms, where teachers have had years to develop and
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nurture positive relationships, as opposed to beginning band classes, where students are just

meeting their teachers for the first time and are in the beginning stages of developing trust.

Asking Questions

I’ve written about the topic of conversations in the music classroom in the past, and my

stance hasn’t changed: if there is talking, there is no rehearsing. Students need to learn at an

early age that excessive talking in the rehearsal room is poor rehearsal practice (and goes against

established procedures), and therefore discussion will be limited.

However, there are appropriate moments for asking questions to your band students.

Marzano (2011) writes that in order to

provide an atmosphere that challenges students, the teacher must behave in a way that

indicates that he or she expects all students to accomplish great things intellectually.

Teachers can do this by asking all students challenging questions and using student

answers as fodder for delving into and honoring each student’s thinking.

Common and simple examples of asking questions in a beginning band class (for example) might

include asking what a certain note is, what a technical term means, or what it means to be a good

audience member.

REFERENCES

Marzano, R. J. (2003). What Works in Schools. Association for Supervision & Curriculum

Development.

Marzano, R. J. (2011, October 1). Art and Science of Teaching / Classroom Management: Whose Job

Is It? ASCD. https://www.ascd.org/el/articles/classroom-management-whose-job-is-it