APPROACHES TO CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES; ' eee | 1. Define or discuss the seven There are many approaches to classroom } Copproaches to classroom management. For this reason, a teacher should ‘Management; adopt not only the kind of approach which he/she 2 Diferentte he seven is comfortable with, but also the approach that ‘ppoaches andthe conforms with his/her personality or personal alternative or contingency hatrichabiatyce ‘approaches; ond 2 3._Apply any of the approaches In this module, seven of these approaches 'o dossroom activites suited = which are based on a mixture of psychology, 40 one’s personality, classroom experience, and common sense will be discussed. These approaches blend elements of Prevention with techniques for intervention. @.. Approach The assertive approach expects a teacher to specify the rules of behavior and the Consequences for disobeying them. Hence, | @ teacher must communicate these rules and Consequences clearly. The assertive approach holds that teachers — must establish a firm classroom management by:1. Clarifying appropriate expectations of responsible behavior; 2. Identifying existing and potential discipline problems; i be ia i it 3. Deciding on negative and Positive consequences of behavior that fit the learners and the situation; and 4. Leaming how to follow through and implement these consequences, These tasks can be achieved through mental rehearsal (having a good idea of what to do before Something occurs or what is also called contingency planning) and Practice (learning from mistakes). misbehavior is not stopped or checked, Uncontrollable, and more students will b €ssential that: The following are some of the assumptions on the assertive approach: 1. A firm classroom management liberates learners because it allows them to develop their best traits, skills, and abilities while Providing them with Psychological security in the classroom and an effective learning environment, 2. Learners expect to develop the responsible behavior that their parents want, and without it, the educational Process comes to a halt. 3. Good teachers can handl directly related to their in; discipline. Success correlates with good discipline. 5. The assertive approach is most effective at the secondary level and inner city schools such as the University of Santo Tomas and Angelicum College. lle discipline, and teaching failure is ability to maintain adequate classroom Furthermore, one of the Principles of this approach is that if , it will eventually become ecome disruptive, Hence, it is 1. Leamers are not allowed to forget who is in charge of the class; 2. Leamers are accountable for their behavior; 3. Leamers who disobey are given warnings and are subject to 4 Series of sanctions; and Teachers respond immediately to a learner’s misbehavior. facile tin OY “Aaa ae lias clicites oADBtnOChes, to Coesrdam. Man,Therefore, in using the assertive approach, : teachers shoulg set ground rules and interact with learners in a calm forceful way. They should combine clear expectations, active response misbehavior, and consistent follow-through with warmth and support for all learners. Teachers who use assertive discipline techniques have confidence in their own abilities as teachers, and get along better with their students. In contrast, non-assertive teachers are basically powerless in, controlling their students. They either passively accept what their students do or react with sarcasm, hostility, and/or idle threats. The assertive approach was criticized in the 1960s as authoritarian, repressive, militaristic, and prejudicial toward minority students, However, in the 1970s, this approach was restored as more and more parents demanded for a finer/stricter discipline and higher academic standards. SUGGESTIONS TO TEACHERS ON APPLYING THE ASSERTIVE APPROACH 1. Geearly define the expectations of learners. 2. Toke positions on what you like and dislike. 3. Make the tone of your voice firm. é 4. Use eye contact, gestures, and touches to supplement verbal messages. 5. Say “No” without feeling guilty. : 6. Give and receive compliments genuinely, 7. Place demands on learners and enforce them. 8. Set limits with learners, 9. Indicate consequences of behavior and explain why specific actions ore necessary 10. Be calm and consistent, and avoid emotional threats, 11. Follow through regulary. 12. Enforce minimum rules and do not give up, 13. Establish positive expectations for learners’ behavior and eliminate negative ones. 14. Gain confidence and skin wrking wih conc behavioral problems in the dassroon.ess-academic Approach . eta The business-academic approach emphasizes the Se Te and management of learners as they engage in academic work. : pease i t orientation is focused on the business-like and orderly accomplishmen of academic work. The following are cate, ‘Bories of organizing and managing student work: . 1. Clear communication of work assignments (¢.g., standards for forms, neatness, and due dates, including type of paper, and writing materials to be used, and procedures for absent students); 2. Monitoring students’ work by going around the classroom to observe students’ performance and giving feedback when necessary; monitoring completion of work; and maintaining tecords of students’ work; and 3. Giving feedback to leamers on their progress in work, homework, and/or completed assignments. Feedback can be in the form of an acknowledgment of good work by displaying it in class, an oral Tecognition, or a written comment. The business-acade: mic approach requires leamers to have a high degree of time on acad lemic tasks especially on the following: Physical arrangement Problem-solving Contingency plans Organization of classroom activities >. Accountability wn Behavioral Modification Approach aimee SIeerie = On the contrary, those who break the rules are ignored, reminded of appropriate behavior, and punished immediately. Here are the basic principles of the behavioral modification approach, 1, Behavior is shaped by its consequences, not by root Problems in the history of the individual. 2. Behavior is strengthened by immediate reinforcers. Reinforcers may be positive or negative. Examples of a positive reinforcer are rewards and praises, while negative reinforcers are reprimands given by a teacher to students to do a particular assignment, enabling the latter to behave according to classroom mules, 3. Behavior is strengthened by a systematic reinforcement. Leamers respond better to positive reinforcers than they do to punishments. 5. Adaptive behavior will be utilized to obtain reinforcement, 6. Constant reinforcement is needed. 7. Intermittent reinforcement may also be done. Teachers serve as reinforcing agents in their students’ lives. As such, they are expected to be the learners’ model. Modeling can be done through demonstration, practice, corrective feedback, and application. Reinforcers have four types, namely: 1. Social — Examples are remarks like “Correct!,” “Right!,” and “That’s good!” as well as facial expressions and gestures. 2. Graphic — Examples are writing gold stars, checks, or words of encouragement such as “Keep up the good work!” on test papers. 3. Tangible — Examples are rewarding learners with cookies or certificates, and writing notes to parents. 4. Activity — Examples are asking learners to monitor the class or to sit near the teacher’s desk. yp Managerial Approach 5 js f The group managerial approach emphasizes the Lahm responding immediately to inappropriate or undesirable groupye behavior to prevent problems, instead of dealing with them long after they emerged. Ifa problem exists, it must be stopped right away so it will not develop into a bigger problem. If an existing problem is ignored or allowed to continue, it spreads throughout the group and becomes serious and chronic. 7 In this approach, the following categories and behavior are observed in the classroom. 1. Work involvement — This refers to the amount or length of time that learners use for their academic task. If a learner has more work, less discipline is needed. 2. Deviancy — This pertains to any act of misbehavior by a learner, e.g., upsetting a classmate. Deviancy varies from mild misbehavior—whispering, making faces, teasing, reading comics strips, and passing notes in the middle of a class—to serious misbehavior which covers all aggressive and harmful acts. 3. Group focus — This means keeping learners focused on the group activity or task. A teacher could achieve this by alerting learners (creating suspense or by creating new materials); requiring them to check their own performance; and by going around the room to check the outputs of non-reciters. The categories of teacher management behavior are: 1. Desist technique — It is the teacher’s action to stop misbehavior, such as “with-it-ness” which is his/her ability to react on target in a timely fashion. “With-it-ness” involves communicating to learners that a teacher knows what is happening, and that he/she has eyes at the back of his/her head. 2. Overlapping behavior — This refers to a teacher’s ability to handle more than one matter at a time, e.g., attending to two learners simultaneously or reciting despite interruption by another student. 3. Movement management — It is the organization of behavior in transition from one task to another within and between lessons. One type of movement management is jerking which is exemplified by a teacher who shouts in class; by leamers who ask him/her what to do; or by unengaged learners who create disruptions. Likewise, movement management involves momentum, that is, cites. ee aBe ee ee ear deere a teacher keeps the progression of activities at an ay te pace. A momentum is slowed down if the teacher engages jn over-dwelling or fragmentation. Over-dwelling happens when 4 teacher gives explanations beyond what is necessary or beyong what most learners can understand. Examples are na, overemphasizing, and too many direction. Fragmentation, meanwhile, is the giving of numerous details, and the Tepeating or duplication of activities. This happens when a teacher calls his; her students one by one to read beside him/her. Instead of such tedious activity, he/she can simply ask or call a student to Tead in front of the class so everybody could listen. In group managerial approach, the followin; ig are behavioral sub. categories which a teacher must avoid: 1. Stimulus-bound — This occurs when. with a small group of students that he/: disruptive behavior of others. a teacher is so immersed ‘she misses the potentially 2. Thrust — It shows when a teacher launches a number of activities without assessing his/her students’ readiness and aptitude, or when he/she gives orders that confuse his/her students. 3. Dangle — This happens when a teacher ends the activity/topic before it is completed and moves to another topic. 4. Truncation —This happens when ate: topic abruptly or drops it altogether. Flip-Flop — This describes a teacher who terminates one activity, goes to another, and returns to the previously terminated activity. The teacher lacks direction and sequence of activities. acher concludes the activity! In using this approach, a teacher must Provide a feeling of progress; give more challenges; and add variety to his/her lessons to avoid boredom among students. In addition, there are instructional techniques that could help & teacher in Creating a smooth transition from one activity to another and 10 | facilitate change in momentum. A teacher may: 1. Use structured curricula rather than discovery learning; 2. Use small briskly paced instructional components; 3. Provide numerous examples;C~3156 9 4, ae frequently and give opportunities to practice the 5. Give immediate feedback and corrections; 6. Limit the duration of seatwork; and 7. Arrange overleaming through frequent drill and practice. grup Guidance Approach The group guidance approach isthe manipulation on a group basis of the learner’s surface behavior. This can be done through individual case history, determination of group conditions, and analysis of the mixture of individual and group cases. In the individual case history, the problem is related to the psychological disturbance of the learner. Disruptive behavior in class is often a part of a learner’s larger emotional problem. Hence, surface problems are repetitive, since they arise from the individual case history. When determining group conditions, a teacher sees the problem as it usually reflects unfavorable conditions in the group. This is easier to resolve than individual case history. In the analysis ofa mixture of individual and group cases, the problem usually revolves around a certain individual. However, it is caused or triggered by something in the group. As a solution, the teacher should consider both elements—the learner’s showing overt behavior and its cause. Below are group elements that a teacher should consider in using the group guidance approach: 1. Dissatisfaction with classroom work, €.8-, mums Nn are Jained. Such assignments become too poorly planned or poorly exp! difficult for learners who are not prepared. The badly scheduled/ sequenced or confusing work become more difficult for them. 2, Poor interpersonal relations which can be caused by tensions among individuals, ¢.8-, teacher-student friction, isturbances i up climate tinged with partiality, such as when - es Re be wrong while others are almost always accused of anything.wank ee eee 4. Too competitive activities which can make children h an make chi stile 4, cach other and may develop a defeatist attitude in some, 5. Too exclusive group which rejects individuals who do Not fit, 6. Poor group organization characterized by autocratic Pressure ce little supervision and security. * 7. Standards for group behavior are either too low oF too high, 8. - The group may be highly organized and structured with too Many Tules. 9. Sudden changes and group emotions. According to Redl (1996), boredom is one of the major causes of disciplinary problems that may lead to the learner’s with: drawal from an organization along with irritability and frustration with the group, Some common symptoms of a hostile or aggressive group are: 1. Continuous talking and lack of attention when ins\ are presented; Constant disruptions that interfere with teaching; Overall non-conformity to classroom rules or school Practices; Refusal to obey; and Group solidarity in resisting teacher’s efforts. Bronce Approach The acceptance approach is rooted in humanistic psychology. It maintains that every person has a prime need for acceptance. There are primarily four mistaken goals that often result in an anti social behavior, namely: tructional tasks ween 1. Attention getting — It is shown by a person who, being wi | considered as the class clown, refuses to work unless the tea gives particular attention to him/her first. a ; 2. Power seeking — This is seen in acts of arguing, Care ‘te | and teasing, as well as in temper tantrums and low ie behavior. If a teacher begins to argue or fight with his the pow? the student succeeds in getting hinvher involved in { struggle.3. Revenge seeking — This can be seen when a learner becomes tuel, hostile, or violent and causes more trouble. 4. Withdrawal behavior or anti-social behavior — This makes the learner feel inferior and become a loner. In managing a withdra wal behavior, a teacher may opt for the following: 1. Encouragement — Use words and actions that convey belief in and respect to learners; To encourage is to: Utter no negative Statements; : Improve and not to be perfect; Let learners try; Emphasize strengths and not weaknesses; Teach learners to learn from their mistakes; Stimulate motivation and not to exert undue pressure; Promote student independence; Exhibit faith in learners’ abilities; . Offer help in Overcoming learners’ obstacles; Uphold team efforts among learners; rPRmoeaog sp Send positive notes or notes of improvement to Parents; Display a learner’s work or show and m. Be supportive of learners. re Pride in a learner’s work; 2. Enforce consequences — pointers: Give clear directions; This can be done by following these Establish relations with learners based on mutual respect; Make sure that consequences are logical; Avoid making issues of trivial incidents; Permit learners to be responsible Treat them as social equals; f. Combine friendliness with firmness, that is, be the students’ friend with limitations. Distinguish between the deed and the doer—react only to the behavior and not to the person; . 4 a PT ii il aa i S & 6 ie for their own behavior.g. Set limits at the beginning but work learners a sense of responsibility; h. Keep demands or rules simple; . i. Mean what you say and carry out all your rules; ang J. Close an incident quickly, and immediately revive spirits once mistakes are corrected. Create an ambiance everything is forgotten. toward Creating , tess Approach In the success approach, the behavior is rooted in humanist Psychology and a democratic model of teaching which combine cari for and disciplining learners. gested: Stress the learner’s responsibility for his/her behavior, Establish rules. Accept no excuses. Utilize value judgment. Suggest suitable alternatives. Enforce reasonable consequences. Be persistent. | 1 For teachers who will use this approach, the following are su; PAIAKR WN Continually review during classroom meeting. native Approaches or Contingency Approaches Contingency approaches are preventive discipline. aug discipline refers to establishing control systems in the Sa avoiding their breakdown. It involves a series of strategies re roi? surface behavior of learners so that they would be engaged in sf vag classroom tasks. It also involves preventing learners ae . fore Del of control by reacting to small and manageable ae incl become big and unmanageable. It permits the teacher oe os inv i while helping his/her students cope with their feelings fein e making judgments as to when to tolerate a certain | ees a aeallow learning to take place, The preventive measures which can be ive (Redl used by teachers are commonly classified as general prevent nage & Wineman, 1957), moderate preventive (Doyle, 1986), and humanistic preventive (Johnson, 1996). Genera Preventive Measures General preventive measures come in various forms. They can be in the form of planned ignoring and self-limiting as seen in the old saying, “Kapag nagsawa na, titigil rin siya.” Planned ignoring and self-limiting can be done through signal interference like eye contact, hand gestures, snapping of fingers, and such other body gestures and facial expressions that convey or show disapproval. If this measure is done immediately at the onset of an inappropriate behavior, it can be very effective. Another form of a general preventive. measure is by means of proximity control whereby the teacher has to be near the misbehaving learners. Some learners need proximity to control their conduct. However, the teacher must be careful when using this measure because proximity can spark an uncontrollable emotion on his/her part. Interest boosting can also be a useful approach. It is applicable to cases in which learners show signs of restlessness or boredom. A teacher can use this approach by showing genuine interest in his/her students’ work or by incorporating their personal interests into the discussion. Humor is another form of preventive measure because of its potential to defuse a tense situation. It is an excellent way for a teacher to show that he/she is secure during a stressful incident. However, he/she must not mistake humor for sarcasm. Sometimes, learners’ frustration with assignments causes them to misbehave. In this case, a teacher may hurdle lessons where he/she provides academic assistance before a learner stops paying attention or starts misbehaving in class. Other measures that can be applied before inappropriate behavior occurs are: restructuring the program if learners do not understand parts of the lesson which must be re-taught; establishing a routine which makes leamers more comfortable and secure in class; making a direct appealers must internal als to values ne a ioimiadicthen whereby the teacher APP ys o learners): 727 sive bel Object, trick is to know what work appe which may set impulsive behavig, . like water gun, ball, ve bouncing of the temporary remova) disrupt the class; BM ass, which can be accomplished by either agi, the learner from the class, sending him/her to the guidance off ‘ rrands of Latest ge ag ail rly aims to help the learner get over hj Antiseptic feelings of anger, disappointment, oF agitation, and it must not actualy feelings 5 serve as a punishment. : pr the many forms of general preventive measure, Physicg Among rt, It is an approach in which the teache, restraint must be the last reso substitutes a control system. A teacher should always remember tha punishment is not a solution. He/She must only hold his/her students firmly—not roughly—and if they become unmanageable, he/she coulg 3 send out one student to ask for help. f; ‘ f (Mader Preventive Measures ‘ Moderate preventive measures correspond to management functions. i They can be done through the establishment of classroom activities 4 (carly class sessions), rules and procedures (such as consequences for being late, for talking during lessons, for chewing gum, and for coming ul to class unprepared for activities), routines (informing students of the {| normal sequence of events and what are expected of them), and enacting i processes (where rules are explicitly articulated). Moderate preventive measures emphasize authority, responsibility, orderliness, and task orientation as part of the hidden curriculum. Monitoring and maintaining group lessons and supervising seatwork are normally done by the teacher. The teacher also sees to it that his/her students do no t lose momentum as the: ib : i y move from one task to anot They are given time to copy their assignments (engaged time). Likewiss ee is held in Place even during disruptions that are cal eta events. This is accomplished by means of cues and mess#é® al/non-verbal) where the teacher announces what is happening: Maintaining academic work j is done by selecting tasks that are for leamers. The more demanding the acadetnic cae is, the greater s™ ee eM Sa- “Your spelling is wrong’ demanding, the teachers must break down the work into small sequenced tasks. There must be cooperative learning teams by grouping. This enhances group morale and group rapport which could give a positive supporveffect on classroom management and organization. The subject matter as a procedure can be done with emphasis on practice and drill. A feedback of evaluation is deemed Necessary. Teacher’s expectations must be high to provide Opportunities for learners with learning difficulties. nistic Preventive Measure Humanistic Preventive measure is the building of self-awareness through focus feedback on behavior ice, a teacher may Opt to tell his/her learner, .” or “We cannot hear you,” instead of “You are a lousy speller!” or “You are a lousy speaker!” Focus feedback also deals with the Present and not with the Past, e.g., a teacher reacts on what his/her Student does now and not for what the er did the other day. A teacher avoids, giving advice to learners in order to shed light to his/her own needs and Perceptions, In this case, feedback is Presented as an offer and ‘not as something forced to the learner. Learners must not be overloaded with feedback, Classroom management can also be effective by develo; Maintaining trust; supporting learners through a continuir telationship; and making learners feel that t! hey are trusted. Likewise, classroom management requires a teacher to communicate effectively to learners by: Using the third person; Making passages complete and specific; Making verbal and non-verbal Messages congruent; Being flexible through the use of verbal and non-verbal cues to reinforce his/her message; ping and ing pleasant ena le es5. Asking feedback from student-listeners; : 6. Considering the leamers’ frame of reference which ' their maturity, age, and cultural and educational level; m 7. Making messages concrete with feelings such as “tt Will be e to concentrate on your seatwork so you can pass it earlier.” tai 8. Describing the learner's behavior without evaluating, like Saying “You are interrupting Michael,” rather than “You are Self-centeres and won’t listen to anyone else’s idea.” Preventive discipline may be used whenever the need arises, Coping strategy requires understanding the demands of the situation and adjustin to them, knowing what resources are available to help deal with Problems and possessing self-awareness that allows intelligent reactions such as: 1. Actively exploring real issues and searching for information; 2. Freely expressing positive and negative feelings and tolerating frustration; Actively invoking help from others; 4. Breaking down knowledge into manageable bits and working with them one by one; Being aware of fatigue and defeatist tendencies aS causes of disorganization; Actively mastering feelings, flexibility, and willingness to change; and eee wee eR A w Having basic trust in oneself and others and essential optimism about outcomes, A To develop preventive Strategies or effective classroom management, a teacher must: ‘ 1. Know himself/herself; 2. Be capable of learning from his/her own mistakes; and | 3. Know where to go for assistance, i } Likewise, to improve a teacher’s skill in classroom management : she must read and analyze sample cases about teachers’ roles and mus! open and willing to undergo in-service training. seems 2a