Teachers’ Casebook —Bulli Would You Do? ‘Overview and Objectives ‘The What and Why of Classroom Management ‘The Basic Task: Gain Their Cooperation ‘The Goals of Classroom Management Creating a Positive Learning Environment Some Research Results Routines and Rules Required Planning Spaces for Learning Getting Started: The First Weeks of Class Maintaining a Good Environment for Learning Encouraging Engagement Prevention Is the Best Medicine Caring Relationships: Connections with School Dealing with Discipline Problems Stopping Problems Quickly You Impose Penalties Teacher-Imposed Penalties versus Student Responsibility What About Zero Tolerance? Bullying and Cyberbulying Special Problems with High School Student ‘The Need for Communication Message Sent—Meszage Received Empathetic Listening When Listening Is Not Enough: Messages, Assertive Discipline, and Problem Solving Reaching Every Student: Peer Mediation and Restorative Justice Research on Management Approaches, Dis sity: Culturally Responsi Management Summary and Key Terms Teachers’ Casebook —Bullies and Victims: What Would They De? THE WHAT AND WHY OF CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT STOP & THINK What do you believe about classroom man- agement? On a S-point scale from strongly disagree (I) to strongly agree (5), how would you respond to these items? 1. Pupils can be trusted to work together without supervision. 2. Being friendly with pupils often leads them to become 100 familiar. 3. Teachers should consider revision of their teaching meth- ‘ods if these methods are criticized by their pupils. 4, Pupils often misbehave in order to make the teacher look 5. Its often necessary to remind pupils that their status in school differs from that of teachers. © Mems 2, 4, and 5 in the Stop 6 Think challenge are cus- todial items. If you tended to agree with these items, you probably are more teacher-centered in your philosophy of ‘management and interested in maintaining order, rules, and structure in your classes. If you tended to agree more with items 1 and 3, you may tend to be more humanistic in your philosophy and are more optimistic about students’ abilities to become responsible and self-regulated learners. You just took 5 items from the PCI (Pupil Control Ideology). It was developed by my husband, Wayne Hoy, and his colleagues (Willower, Eidell, & Hoy, 1967) over 50 years ago and is still used widely today. If you want to take the full survey, go to ‘waynekhoy.com/pupil_control html Another survey that assesses your philosophy of dis- cipline is the Beliefs About Discipline Inventory (Wolfgang, 2009), shown in Figure 13.1. When you answer these ques- tions, you will see if your values about classroom management tend to focus on Relationship Listening, Confronting-Contracting, Rules and Consequences, or some combination. There are successful teachers using all these strategies appropriately as, the situation merits. What is your position? In study after study, classroom management stands out as the variable with the largest impact on student achievement (Marzano & Marzano, 2003). Knowledge of and skill in class- room management are marks of expertise in teaching; and stress and exhaustion from managerial difficulties are precur- sors to teacher burnout (Emmer & Stough, 2001; Hong, 2012), ‘What is it about classrooms that makes management so critical? Classrooms are particular kinds of environments, They have distinctive features that influence their inhabitants no matter what the teacher believes about education (Doyle, 2006). Classrooms are multidimensional, They are crowded with people, tasks, and time pressures. Many individuals—all with differing goals, preferences, and abilities—must share resources, use and reuse materials without losing them, move in and out of the room, and so on. And events occur simultaneously—everything happens at once, and the pace is fast. Teachers have literally hundreds of exchanges with students during a single day. In this rapid-fire existence, events are unpredictable. Even when plans are carefully made, a lesson can still be interrupted by a technology glitch or a loud, angry discussion right outside the classroom. Because classrooms are public, the way theMANAGING LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS 537, Gen okee) BELIEFS ABOUT DISCIPLINE INVENTORY This 12-question inventory wll give you ine'ghts about yourself and where your personality and the discipline techniques you ure would fal under the tree philosophies of eiscipline. In each question, you ae atked to choose between two competing value atements. For some questions, you ll defintely agre with one statement and disagree withthe second, making it sary for you to choote; for thers, however, you wil agree or disagree with both, and you must selec tre one you more closely dantiy wth There is no “right” or “rong” answer—but merely indicators of your own personal vows. Forced Choices. Insructions: Cele 2 0 8 to indicate the statement with which you identify the most, You must choose between the two statements foreach tem 1. a. Because students’ thinking is limited, rules need to be established for them by mature adus. ». Each students emotional needs must be taken into consideration, rather than having rome proestablizhed rule imposed) on all 2 During the first class session of the new school yer, he teacher needs to ass'an each student his or her own desk or tbe ‘space, and the student should be taught routinely to take that space after transitions. », Groups of students can decide trough a class meeting what rules they need to govern themselves 2 Students should be given a choice a to which topics ‘er projects they wish to select. Once they choose, they must keep to that decision for most of that grading perio. b, The materal students must learn and the tasks to be performed must be determined by the teacher, and a specie sequence of inruction to accompl sh these goals must oe followed ‘The books and similar classroom equipment are being misused, soiled, and at times destroyed. wll most Hkely: 14, Hold a class meeting, snow the damaged books tothe clas, and ack them how we may solve this problem, including what action should ae taken toward a student found ta be misusing books. ', Physially remove orlimi: he number of 200ks ava lable and observe closely o see who is misusing the books, 1 would then tell that student how such action was affecting other students and how felt about the los of such books. “wo students of equal power and abilities are n rather loud verbal conflict overs classroom material | would a Atvempt to se that this does not gat aut ef convel by approaching the students, tling therm of the classroom rule, and ‘demanding that they desist in their actions, promising a sanction if they fal to comply. b. Avoid interfering in something thatthe students need to resolve themselves |. A student svongly requests no: to work with the group today. I would permis this, feling that this student has some temational concerns related to the group experience. . One student's being refused entry into group activities. I would raise this as an issue ina class meeting and ask for 2 siscussion ofthe easons and possible slutions from the student and the group. “The noise level in tne classroom is at sucha high level that tis bothering me. | woul: Flick the classroom lights to get everyone’ attention, ask the students to become quiet, and ater prise those who are talking quiet b, Select the wo or three students really making most of the nose, take them aside to ask them to relees(hink) about their behavior and how t might affect others, and get an agreement from them to work auiethy During the firs ew days of clas, woul |. Permit the ssudens to test their ability to get along as a nev group and make no predetermined rules untlthe students feel that rules are necded » Immeaiately establish the class rules and the fair sanction | will apply if these rules are broken. My response to sweating by 9 student is |. The students fustrated by classmate and has responded by swearing, +0 Ido nat reprimand the student but encour: age him total out what is bothering him b. Ilbring the two students together ina "knee“o-knee” confronting relationship and attemet to get them to work ut his conthet while | ase questions ane keep the focus onthe negotiation, Hf student divrupt clase while lam ‘ying to lecture, | would Ignore the sisuption f porsicle and/or move the student to the back ofthe roam az a consequence of his misbehawor Express my feeling of aiscorfors to the student about being disrupted from my task. Each student must realize that there are some school rules that need to be obeyed, ana any student wh breaks ther will be punshed in the same fair manner Roles ate never writen in stone and can be renegotiated by the class, and sanctions will vary with each student, A student refuses to put avay her work or material after using them. | would most likely 8. Express tothe staiont how not puting her things avay wl affect future activities inthis space, and how frustrating this will be for everyone. | would then leave the materials where they ae fr the remainder of the day. ', Confront the stident to reflect on her bohavir, think about how her noncompliance affects thers, and tell her that she ‘cannot follow the rule, she wil lose the use ofthe materials in the future (continues)538 CHAPTER THIRTEEN FIGURE 13.1 (Continued) Scoring Key and interpretation Take your responses and circle them on the tables provided: Table 1 Table 2 Table 3 401 2b Aa aata 6256 32 bb Bb Se 988 To 9b 7a 8b 12a 10 tb 126 Ma 09 Total number of responses in Table Total number of responses in Table 2. Total number of responses in Table 3. ‘The table for which the total numberof responses war the highestnsicates the school of thought where your vals tend to be clustered Table 1 is Relatonship-istening, Table 2 is Contronting-Contracting, and Table 3s Rules and Consequences. The table withthe next highest score would be your second eheice, andthe table wth the least number may be the philosophy that you associate wth the least Hf your responses are equally distributed across all thre tables, you may be an eclectic teacher whe pics and chooses from all philosophies or yaur philosophy may nat have consolidated at ths time n your traning Source: From Wolgang, ©. 90% Solng Duce ard Chizrom Management Peblems (heap. 47) Haber NU: Wey & Sars. Repinted with pemision. teacher handles these unexpected intrusions is seen and judged by everyone. Students are always noticing if the teacher is being "fair." Is there favoritism? What happens when a rule is broken? Finally, classrooms have histories. ‘The meaning of a particular teacher's or student’s actions depends in part on what has happened before. The fifteenth time a student arrives late requires a different teacher response compared to the first late arrival. In addition, the history of the first few weeks of school affects life in the class for the rest of the year. ‘The Basic Task: Gain Their Cooperation ‘The basic management task for teachers is to achieve order and harmony by gaining and maintaining student cooperation in class activities (Doyle, 2006). Given the multi: dimensional, simultaneous, fast-paced, unpredictable, public, and historical nature of classrooms, this is quite a challenge. Gaining student cooperation means planning activ: ities, having materials ready, making appropriate behavioral and academic demands on students, giving clear signals, accomplishing transitions smoothly, foreseeing problems and stopping them before they stast, selecting and sequencing activities so that flow and interest are sustained, maintaining positive relationships with students based on mutual respect—and much more, Also, different activities require different managerial skills. For example, a new or complicated activity may be a greater threat to classroom manage ment than a familiar or simple activity. ‘Obviously, gaining the cooperation of kindergartners is not the same task as gain- ing the cooperation of high school seniors. During kindergarten and the first few years of elementary school, direct teaching of classroom rules and procedures is important. For childsen in the middle elementary years, many classroom routines have become relatively automatic, but new procedures for a particular activity may have to be taught directly, and the entice system still needs monitoring and maintenance. Toward the end of elementary school, some students begin to test and defy authority. The managementMANAGING LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS 539, challenges at this stage are to deal productively with these disruptions and to motivate students who are becoming less concerned about teachers’ opinions and more interested in their social lives. By the end of high school, the challenges are to manage the curric- uulum, fit academic material to students’ interests and abilities, and help students become more self-managing (Emmer & Evertson, 2017; Evertson & Emmer, 2017). The Goals of Classroom Management STOP & THINK You are interviewing for a job in a great district—it is known for innovation ‘The assistant principal looks at you for a moment and then asks, "What is classroom manage- ment?” How would you answer? © ‘The aim of classroom management is to maintain a positive, productive learning envicon- “MyLab Education ment. Bu order for its own sake is an empty goal It is unethical to use classroom manage-_Viges txample 3 ment techniques just to keep students docile and quiet. What, then, is the point of working. Inths vdeo, satgrade so hard to manage classrooms? There ate at least four reasons, and here they ate secre Raber ibe ACCESS TO LEARNING. Each classroom activity has its own rules for participation. [beanrind evr sche) Sometimes these rules are clearly stated by the teacher, but often they are implicit and {2Ysanesu'batee toy unstated. For example, in a reading group, students may have to raise their hands to snive,and they haves make a comment, but in a show-andtell citcle in the same class, they may simply have planed etviy to work on to catch the teacher's eye. Teacher and students may not even be aware that they are the moment they enter the following different rules for different activities. These rules defining who can talk, what ‘**"°™ they can talk about, when and to whom they can talk, and how long they ean talk are often called participation structures, Some students, however, seem to come to schoo! less able to participate than others because the participation structures they learn at home do not match those of school activities (Cazden, 2001) ‘What can we conclude? To reach the first goal of good classroom management— ving all students access to learning—you must make sure everyone knows bow 1 Participate in class activities. The key is awareness. What are your rules and expecta- tions? Are they understandable, given your students’ cultural backgrounds and home experiences? What unspoken rules or values may be operating? Are you clearly signaling appropriate ways to participate? Some students, particularly those with behavioral and. emotional challenges, may require direct teaching and practicing of important behaviors “ty.ab Education GEmmer & Stough, 2001) Podesta Wh her colleague and MORE TIME FOR LEARNING. I once used.a stopwatch to time the commercials during end, Cel enti, A°TV quiz show. I was amazed to find that half of the program was devoted to commer. textbook author Anta cials. Seems like football games are even worse! If you used a similar approach in class- Weelelwrates chapter rooms, timing all the different activities throughout the day, you might be surprised by _'0estechers and aches how lite actual teaching takes place. Almost every study examining time and learning coor wanecemest Here has found a significant relationship between time spent on content and student learning. she ake abou how teachers Yet many minutes each day are lost through interruptions, disruptions, late stats, and andstidertsmayhave rough transitions Weinstein & Novodvorsky, 2015). beliefs that get in the way of ‘A school year seems like a long time, right? Let's say a typical high school class is $004 <'##sfo0m relationships mandated by the state to meet 126 hours per school year (180 days times 42 minutes 4 day). When we consider student absences and school interruptions such as programs, those 126 hours are more like 119 hours available for learning for the typi- Techniques used to Cal student. But in every class, elementary or second tasks, collecting and distributing materials, taking roll, and dealing with behavior prob- environment, relatively free Jems, so the time available for teaching is typically decreased by about 20%. Now we are _ of behavior problems. left with 96 hours of actual instructional Hime. Good classroom management can take parjcipation structures back some of those hours for teaching, so that more instructional time is available. The forel ond informl But simply making more time for instruction will not automatically Iead to achieve- rues for how to take part ment, To be valuable, time must be used effectively. Basically, students will learn what they ina gven activity. ssembly Classroom management there are interruptions, clerical iatain 2 healthy learning540 CHAPTER THIRTEEN Engaged time Time spent actively engaged in the learning task at hand. Also referred to as time on task. Time on task Time spent actively engaged in the learning task at hand, Also referred to as engaged time ‘Academic learning time Time when students are actually succeeding at the learning task Genome WHO KNOWS WHERE THE TIME GOES? ‘The >126 hours per year of instruction in a class mandated by most states can represent only 60 to 70 hours of quality academic learning time. 180 Total ended —Actual.-=—=«sEngaged Academie Time ‘Time Acagemic —Time.——Leamning (ows {fotaltne Time’ actual Time mandated minus days (Attended academe Engaged bythe state) absent) imemnus— menus “imo on recess lunen, ima sludents meanngtl, ‘ranstions, aro of tas) appropriate te) tasks} Source: from Mil rl Secon Clseoom Managerert Shea by CS. Werte nll Novo NewYork: Meron cpt 0 Soy The Meri Compares PE Adoptes nth purser The Mes il Compares, he think about deeply, practice, and retrieve. Time spent actively involved in specific learning, tasks often is called engaged time, or sometimes time on task—we can estimate this to be about 80% of the instructional time. Again, however, engaged time doesn't guarantee learn- ing, Students may be struggling with material that is too difficult, or they may be using the ‘wrong learning strategies. When students are working with a high rate of success—really learning and understanding—we call the time spent academic learning time; again, we can estimate this to be about 80% of the time they are engaged. Now we are down to 62 hours, Figure 13,2 shows how the 126+ hours of time mandated for a high school year in _most states can become only about 62 hours of quality academic learning time for a typ- ical student, So the third goal of class management is to increase academic learning time by keeping all students actively engaged in worthwhile, appropriate learning activities. Getting students academically engaged in learning carly in their school carcers can make a big difference. Several studies have shown that teachers’ rating of students’ on-task, persistent engagement in first grade predicts achievement test score gains and grades through fourth grade, as well as the decision to drop out of high school (Fredricks, Blumenfeld, & Paris, 2004) MANAGEMENT MEANS RELATIONSHIPS. All students should feel emotionally and physically safe in the classroom. Beyond that, they also should experience respect and caring. When students feel cating and support from their teachers and their pets, they are more likely to cooperate with classtoom activities. Cooperation leads to learning, learning to a sense of self-efficacy, and self-efficacy to more cooperation. The opposite is true as well. When students sense that their teachers and peers don't care about them, they feel no particular desire to cooperate—why trust people who don't like of respectMANAGING LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS 541 you? The research on teacher-student relationships is clear. When teachers focus on developing high-quality, trusting relationships, students are less defiant, more willing to seek appropriate help, less likely to be absent or to be held back in school, and more likely to achieve (Emmer & Everton, 2017; Jones & Jones, 2016; Sikba et al., 2016). MANAGEMENT FOR SELF-MANAGEMENT. The final goal of any management system is to help students become better able to manage themselves. If teachers focus on student compliance, they will spend much of the teaching/learning time monitoring and correct ing. Students come to perceive the purpose of schoo! as just following rules, not construct- ing deep understanding of academic knowledge. And complex learning structures such as cooperative or problem-based learning require student self management. Compliance ‘ith rules is not enough to make these learning structures work (McCaslin & Good, 1998). “The movement from demanding obedience to teaching self-regulation and self-control is a fundamental shift in discussions of classroom management today (Evertson & Wein- stein, 2006). Tom Savage said simply, “the most fundamental purpose of discipline is the development of self-control. Academic knowledge and technological skill will be of little consequence if those who possess them lack self-control” (1999, p. 11). Students learn self-control by making choices and dealing with the consequences, setting goals and pri- orities, managing time, collaborating to learn, mediating disputes and making peace, and developing trusting relations with trustworthy teachers and classmates (Bear, 2005). Encouraging self-management requires extra time, but teaching students how to take esponsibility isan investment well worth the effort. Nancy Perry and Rebecca Collie (2011) compared a preservice preparation program that instructed student teachers about how to coach their students to be self regulated learners with other programs that did not empha size self regulation. The student teachers who developed self regulation knowledge and skills were more confident, less stressed, and more engaged during their student teaching compased to other prospective teachers who did not learn how to help their students to become self-regulated. This makes sense—if you teach your students to manage their own behavior and learning, you should have fewer management problems, less stress, and moze time to teach, which would support your growing sense of teacher efficacy. When elemen. tary and secondary teachers have very effective class management systems but neglect to set student selfmanagement as a goal, their students often find that they have trouble ‘working independently after they graduate from these “well-managed” classes. MyLab Education self-check 13.1 CREATING A POSITIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT ‘Much of what you have already learned in this book should prove helpful as you think about creating a positive learning environment. You know, for example, that problems are prevented when individual variations such as those discussed in Chapters 2 through 6 are taken into account in instructional planning. Sometimes students become disruptive because the work assigned is too difficult. And students who are bored by lessons well below theit ability levels may find more exciting activities to fill their time. In one sense, teachers prevent discipline problems whenever they make an effort to motivate students. A student engaged in learning is usually not involved in a clash with the teacher or other students at the same time. All plans for motivating students are steps toward preventing problems. And what do we know about learning? We know stu- dents need clear goals and examples, practice and review, active participation, and the chance to form connections. Learning to live productively in classrooms is no exception, Some Research Results ‘What else can teachers do? For several years, educational psychologists at the University of Texas at Austin studied classroom management quite thoroughly (Emmer & Evertson, 2017; Emmer & Gerwels, 2006; Evertson & Emmer, 2017). Their general approach was to Self-management Management of your own behavior and acceptance of responsibilty for your ‘own actions. Also the use cof behavioral learning principles to change your ‘own behavior542 CHAPTER THIRTEEN ‘Connect and Extend #9 PRAXIS I? Procedures and Routines (cay Efficient procedures and routines reduce confusion tnd opportunities for misbehavior, and they save {ime that can be devoted to learning tasks. Identify frequent activites or claesroom events that would benefit from well-structured procedures or routines, Explain prineiples for establishing procedures and routines 40 that students are lkaly te observe them MyLab Education Video Example 13.2 Al the start ofthe school yet Ms, Zelerertablishe the roles for her Kindergarten classroom, Ver routines ang er classroom reinforce students! sivareness ofthe rules throughout the year Procedures/routines Prescribed steps for an activity Rules Statements specifying expected and forbidden behaviors; dos and don'ts. study a large number of classrooms, making frequent observations during the first weeks of school and less frequent visits later in the year. After several months, the researchers noted dramatic differences. Some classes had very few management problems, whereas others had many. The most and least effective teachers were identified on the basis of the quality of classroom management and student achievement later in the year. Next, the researchers looked at their observation records of the first weeks of class to see how the effective teachers got started, and they made other comparisons between the teachers who ultimately had harmonious, high-achieving classes and those whose classes were fraught with problems. On the basis of these comparisons, the researchers developed management principles. They then taught these principles to a new group of teachers, and the results were quite positive. Teachers who applied the principles had fewer problems; their students spent more time learning and less time disrupting; and achievement was higher. The findings of these studies formed the basis for two books on classroom management (Emmer & Evertson, 2017; Evertson & Emmer, 2017). Many of the ideas in the following pages are from these books. Routines and Rules Required STOP & THINK What are the three or four most important rules you will have for your classroom? © At the elementary school level, teachers must lead 20 to 30 students of varying abilities through many different activities each day. Without efficient rules and procedures, a great deal of time is wasted dealing with the same questions and issues over and over. “My pencil broke. How can I do my math?” “I'm finished with my experiment. What should I do now?” “Carlos tripped me!” “I left my homework in my locker: At the secondary school level, teachers must meet daily with more than 100 stu: dents who use dozens of materials and often change rooms, Secondary school students are also more likely to challenge teachers’ authority. The effective managers studied by Emmer, Evertson, and their colleagues had planned procedures and rules for coping with these situations, These procedures and rules were clear and conerete, stated in pos- itive terms whenever possible (what to do instead of what not to do), observable and not vague, taught and practiced, and reviewed when needed (Sikba et al., 2016). ROUTINES AND PROCEDURES. How will materials and assignments be distributed and collected? Under what conditions can students leave the room? How will grades be determined? What are the special routines for handling equipment and supplies in science, art, or vocational classes? Procedures and routines describe how activities are accomplished in classrooms, but they are seldom written down; they are simply the ways of getting things done in class. Carol Weinstein and her colleagues (Weinstein & Novodvorsky, 2015; Weinstein & Romano, 2015) suggest that teachers establish routines to cover the following areas: Administrative routines, such as taking attendance Student movement, such as entering and leaving or going to the bathroom Housekeeping, such as watering plants or storing personal items Lesson-running routines, such as how to collect assignments or return homework Interactions between teacher and student, such as how to get the teacher's attention when help is needed Talk among students, such as giving help or socializing ‘You might use these six areas as a framework for planning your class routines. The Guidelines: Establishing Class Routines should help you as you plan, RULES. Unlike routines, rules, which specify expected and forbidden actions in the class, are often written down and posted. They are the dos and don'ts of classroom life. In establishing rules, you should consider what kind of atmosphere you want to create,MANAGI 543 LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS — GEE Establishing Class Routines Determine procedures for student upkeep of desks, ‘classroom equipment, and other facilities. Examples 1. Set aside a cleanup time each day or once a week in sel contained classes, 2. Demonstrate and have students practice how to push chairs under the desk, take and retuen materials stored on shelves, sharpen pencils, use the sink or water fountain, assemble lab equipment, and so on. 3. Puta rotating monitor in charge of equipment or materials, Decide how students will be expected to enter and I the room, Examples 1, Have a procedure for students to follow as soon as they ter the room. Some teachers have a standard assignment Have your homework out and be checking it over”) 2. Inform students under what conditions they can leave the room, and make sure they understand when they need to ask for permission to do so. 3. Tell students how they should gain admission to the room if they are late. 4. Set up a policy about class dismissal. Many teachers require students to be in their seats and quiet before they can leave at the end of class. The teacher, not the bell cismisses class. Establish signals for getting students’ attention, and teach them to your students, Examples 1. In the classroom, flick the lights on and off, sound a chord coh a piano or recorder, sound a bell like the "ring bell for service” at a sales counter, move to the podium and stare silently atthe class, use a phrase like “Eyes, please," take ‘out your grade book, or move to the front of the class. 2. Inthe halls, ise a hand, clap once, or use some other signal to indicate "Stop." 3. On the playground, raise a hand or whistle to indicate "Line up.” Set routines for student participation in class. amples 1. Decide whether you will have students raise their hands {for permission to speak or simply require that they wait ‘until the speaker has finished 2, Determine a signal to indicate that you want everyone to respond at ance. Some teachers raise a cupped hand to their ear. Others preface the question with "Everyone." 3, Make sure you ate clear about differences in procedures for diferent activities: reading group, learning center, discussion, teacher presentation, seatwork, video watching, peer learning group, library, and so forth 4. Establish how many students ata time can be at the pencil sharpener, teacher's desk, learning center, sink, bookshelves, reading corner, or bathroom. Determine how you will communicate, collect, and return assignments. Examples 1, Establish a place for isting assignments, Some teachers reserve a particular comer of the board for assignments. (Others write assignments in colored chalk. For younger students, it may be better to prepare assignment sheets or folders, color-coding them for the math workbook, reading packet, and science kit. 2, Be clear about how and where assignments should be collected, Some teachers collect assignments in a box. ‘or bin; others have a student collect work while they inteoduce the next activity Fer ideas about involving students in developing rules and process, ee educationword.com/ and search for “rales and procedures” ‘What student behaviors will help you teach effectively? What limits do the students need. to guide their behavior? The rules you set should be consistent with school rules and also in keeping with principles of learning, For example, we know from the research on. ‘small-group learning that students benefit when they explain work to peers. They learn as they teach, A rule that forbids students to help each other may be inconsistent with good learning principles. Or a rule that says, “No erasures when writing” may make stu- dents focus more on preventing mistakes than on communicating clearly in their writing. (Emmer & Stough, 2001; Weinstein & Romano, 2015). Rules should be positive and observable (raise your hand to be recognized). Having a few general rules that cover many specifics is better than listing all the dos and don'ts But, if specific actions are forbidden, such as leaving the campus, then a rule should make this clear (Emmer & Gerwels, 2006). Connect and Extend to PRAXIS Rules (C4) Fair, consistently enforced rules ean have a postive tffect on motivation to lean by promoting a sale and ‘warm classroom environment, Deseribe how to establish and maintain effective rues, Keep in mind age-related544 CHAPTER THIRTEEN RULES FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. Evertson and Emmer (2017) give four examples of general rules for elementary school classes: 1. Respect and be polite to all people. Give clear explanations of what you mean by “polite,” including not hitting, fighting, or teasing. Examples of polite behavior include waiting your turn, saying “please” and “thank you,” and not calling names. This applics to behavior toward adults (including substitute teachers) and peers. 2. Be prompt and prepared, This rule highlights the importance of the academic work in the class. Being prompt includes the beginning of the day as well as transitions between activities. Being prepared means the having the right materials and the right mental attitude for success, 3. Listen quietly while others are speaking. This applics to the teacher and other stu dents, in both large-class lessons and small-group discussions. 4. Obey all school rules. This reminds students that all school rules apply in your class room. Then students cannot claim, for example, that they thought it was okay to chew gum or listen to music on their smart phone in your class, even though these are against school rules, “because you never made a rule against it for us.” Whatever the rule, students need to be taught the behaviors that the rule includes and exclides, Examples, practice, and discussion will be needed before learning is complete. As you've seen, different activities often require different rules. This can be confus- ing for elementary students until they have thoroughly learned all the rules. To prevent confusion, you might consider making signs that list the key rules for each activity. Then, before the activity, you can post the appropriate sign as a reminder. This provides clear and consistent cues about participation structures, so all students, not just the “well behaved,” know what is expected, Of course, you'll need to explain and discuss these rules before the signs can have their full effect. RULES FOR SECONDARY SCHOOL _Emmer and Evertson (2017) suggest five examples of rules for secondary students: 1. Be prompt and prepared. Prompt means being in class on time, but also moving quickly into and out of group work or other tasks. Being prepared means have the right materials (the type of pen, pencil, paper, notebook, texts, and so on) and the right attitude for learning. 2. Respect and be polite to all people. This covers fighting, verbal abuse, and general troublemaking, but emphasize as well positive examples of respect and kindness. All people includes the teacher and substitute teachers. 3. Listen and stay seated wile someone else is speaking. This applies when the teacher or other students are talking, 4. Respect otber people's property. This means property belonging to the school, the teacher, or other students. Take care of others’ property, ask permission to borrow, and return borrowed items in good shape 5. Obey all school rules. As with the elementary class rules, this covers many behaviors and situations, so you do not have to repeat every school rule for your class. This reminds students that the school rules apply in your room too and gives you the chance to talk about which school rules are particularly important in your class (no cell phones, no texting . ..). It also reminds the students that you will be monitor- ing them inside and outside your class. Make sure you know all the school rules. Some secondary students are very adept at convincing teachers that their mishehav- ior “really isn't against the rules. ‘These rules are more than ways to maintain order. In their study of 34 middle school classrooms, Lindsay Matsumura and her colleagues (2008) found that having explicit rules about respecting others in the classroom predicted the number of stu dents who participated in class discussion, so it seems clear that respect is a gateway to student engagement with the academic material and class dialogue that supports learningMANAGI CONSEQUENCES. As soon as you decide on your rules and procedures, you must consider what you will do when a student breaks a rule or does not follow a procedure It is too late to make this decision after the rule has been broken. For many infractions, the logical consequence is going back to “do it sight.” Students who run in the hall may have to return to where they started and walk properly. Incomplete papers can be redone. Materials left out should be put back. You can use natural or logical consequences to support social/emotional development by doing the following (M. J. Elias & Schwab, 2006): + Separate the deed from the doer in your response. The problem is the behavior, not the student + Emphasize to students that they have the power to choose their actions and so avoid losing control + Encourage student reflection, self-evaluation, and problem solving. Avoid teacher Iecturing, + Help students identify and give a rationale for what they could do differently next time in a similar situation, ‘The main point here is that decisions about penalties (and rewards) must be made early on, so students know before they break a rule or use the wrong procedure what this will mean for them. I encourage my student teachers to get a copy of the school rules and their cooperating teacher's rules, and then plan their own, Sometimes, conse- quences are more complicated. In their case studies of four expert elementary school teachers, C. S. Weinstein and Romano (2015) found that the teachers’ negative conse- quences fell into seven categories, as shown in Table 13.1 WHO SETS THE RULES AND CONSEQUENCES? In the first chapter, I described Ken, an expert teacher who worked with his students to establish a students’ “Bill of Rights' TABLE 13.1 + Seven Categories of Consequences for Students Expressions of disappointment. f students like and respect ther teacher, then a serious, sor rowful expression of disappointment may eause students to stop and think about their behavior. Loss of privileges, Students can lose feo time. If they have not completed homework, for ‘example, they can be required to do it during a free period or recess Time-Out: Exclusion from the group. Students who distract their peers or fil to cooperate can be separated from the group until they are ready to cooperate. Some teachers give a stu- dent a pass for 10 to 15 minutes. The student must go to another class or study hall, where: ‘the other students and teachers ignore the offending student for that time. Written reflections on the problem, Students can write in journals, write essays about what ‘hey aid and how it affected others, or write letters of apology-—if this i appropriate. Another possibilty i to ask students to describe objectively what they did; then the teacher and the [tudent can sign and date this statement, These records are avallabe if parente or administr= tors need evidence of the students’ behavior Visits to the principal's office. Expert teachers tend to use this penalty rarely, but they do use it whon the situation warrants. Some schools roquire students to bo sent to the office for cor- ‘ain offenses, such as fighting. Ifyou tell a student to go tothe office and the student refuses, you might eal the office saying the student has been sent. Then the student has the choice of tither going to the office or facing the principal's penalty for “disappearing” on the way. Detentions. Detentions ean be vary brief mestings after school, during a free period, or at lunch. The main purpose isto talk about what has happened. (In high schoel, detentions are foften used as punishments; suspensions and expulsions are available as more extreme measures) Contacting parents. If problems become a repeated pattern, most teachers contact the sti dent's family. This is done to seek support for helping the student, not to blame the parents for purish the student Source From Elemartaty Classroam Management ith ed) pp. 278-301, by C.S. Weinstein ane M.E Romano, New Yor MeGrawsitil Copyright © 20" by The MeGrasill Companies Adapted with permiss on of The MeGraw-il Companiss ne LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS 545, Natural/ogical consequences Instead of punishing, have students redo, repat, or in some way face the consequences that naturally flow from their546 CHAPTER THIRTEEN Classroom Space (C4) ‘The physical organization of class has an effect on student behavior and learning. Deseribe how the Physical layout of classrooms fan affect the learning ‘environment. Apply principles of classroom organization to enhance learning and minimize disruption TABLE 13.2 + Laws to Protect Our Rights Follow directions the first time. ‘Speak nicely, be courteous, and respect other people, thei feelings, and their things. Fellow the Bill of Rights Laugh atthe right time forthe right time. Respect others’ right to learn, Do not distract others. Don't be nosy. Don't yell. Remember to get quiet at countdown, Tall atthe right times with the right tone of voice and volume. ‘Make sure transitions and movements are calm, quiet, careful, and elegant. Follow all classroom and school procedures, lke: bathroom; pencil lunch and recess; morning; dismissal; and Source: From Elementary Clssroom Management ih ed), 9.103, by. 5. Weinstein anaM Romane, New Yore MeGrawell Copyright © 2015 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Adapted with permssion of The MeGraw-il Companies, ne instead of defining rules. These ‘rights’ cover most situations that might require a “rule” and help the students move toward the goal of becoming self-managing. In a recent class, the Bill of Rights included the rights to whisper when the teacher is not talking, be treated politely, have a 2-minute break between working periods, make choices about the day's schedule, have privacy and not have people take your things, and chew gum with- out blowing bubbles, among several others. If you are going to involve students in setting rules or creating a constitution, you may need to wait until you have established a sense of community in your classroom, Before students can contribute meaningfully to the class. rules, they need to trust the teacher and the situation (M, J. Elias & Schwab, 2006), Developing rights and responsibilities rather than rules makes an important point to students. "Teaching children that something is wrong because there is a rule against it is not the same as teaching them that there is a rule against it because it is wrong, and helping them to understand why this is so” (C. $. Weinstein, 1999, p. 154). Students should understand that the rules are developed so that everyone can work and learn together. I might add that when Ken has had some very difficult classes, he and his st dents have had to establish some “laws” that protect students’ rights, as you can see in Table 13.2 Another kind of planning that affects the learning environment is designing the physical arrangement of the class furniture, materials, and learning tools. Planning Spaces for Learning STOP & THINK Think back over all the rooms in all the schools you have attended. Which cones stand out as inviting or exciting? Which ones were cold and empty? Did one teacher have a design that let students do different things in various parts of the room? « Spaces for learning should invite and support the activities you plan for your classes, and they should respect the inhabitants of the space. This respect begins at the door for young, children by helping them identify their classroom. One school that has won awards for its architecture paints each classroom door a different bright color, so young children can find their “home” (Herbert, 1998). Once inside, spaces can be created that invite quiet reading, group collaboration, focused lectures, discussion and debate, or independent research. If students are to use materials, they should be able to reach them. In terms of classroom arrangement, there are two basic ways of organizing space: personal territories and interest areas. PERSONAL TERRITORIES AND SEATING ARRANGEMENTS. A personal territory is your own (usually assigned) seat. Can the physical setting influence teaching and learn- ing in classrooms organized by territories? A front seat location does seem to increase Participation for students who are predisposed to speak in class, but a seat in the backMANAGING LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS Il make it more difficult to participate and easier to sit back and daydream, To “spread the action around,” C. $. Weinstein and Romano (2015) suggest that teachers move around the room when possible, establish eye contact with and direct questions to stu- dents seated far away, and vary the seating so the same students are not always con- signed to the back, Horizontal rows share many of the advantages of the traditional row and column arrangements. Both are useful for independent seatwork and teacher, student, or media presentations; they encourage students to focus on the presenter and simplify house- keeping. Horizontal rows also permit students to work more easily in pairs. However, this is a poor arrangement for large-group discussion. Clusters of four or circle arrangements are best for student interaction. Circles are especially useful for discussions but still allow for independent seatwork. Clusters per mit students to talk, help one another, share materials, and work on group tasks. Both arrangements, however, are poor for whole-group presentations and may make class management more difficult ‘The fishboul or stack special formation, where students sit close together near the focus of attention (the back row may even be standing), should be used only for short periods of time, because it is not comfortable and can Iead to discipline problems. On the other hand, the fishbowl can create a feeling of group cohesion and is helpful when the teacher wants students to watch a demonstration, brainstorm on a class problem, or see a small visual aid, INTEREST AREAS. The design of interest areas can influence the way the areas are used by students. For example, working with a classroom teacher, Carol Weinstein (1977) made changes in interest areas that helped the teacher meet her objectives of having more girls involved in the science center and having all students experiment more with a variety of manipulative materials. In a second study, changes in a library corner led to more involvement in literature activities throughout the class (Morrow & Weinstein, 1986). If you design interest areas for your class, keep the Guidelines: Designing Learning Spaces on the next page in mind. Personal territories and interest areas are not mutually exclusive; many teachers use a design that combines these types of organization. Individual students’ desks—their territories—are placed in the center, with interest areas in the back or around the periph- ery of the room. This allows the flexibility needed for both large- and small-group activ- ities. Figure 13.3 on page 549 shows a secondary classroom that has individual desks (personal territories), but still works well for teacher presentations and demonstrations as well as small-geoup work. Getting Started: The First Weeks of Class Determining 2 room design, rules, and procedures are the first steps toward having a ‘well-managed class, but how do effective teachers gain students’ cooperation in those early critical days and weeks? One study carefully analyzed the first weeks’ activities of effective and ineffective elementary teachers, and found striking differences (Emmer & Evertson, 2017; Evertson & Emmer, 2017). EFFECTIVE MANAGERS FOR ELEMENTARY STUDENTS. In the effective teachers’ classrooms, the very first day was well organized. Nametags were ready, There was some- thing interesting for each child to do right away. Materials were set up. The teachers had planned carefully to avoid any last-minute tasks that might take them away from their students, These teachers dealt with the children’s pressing concerns first. “Where do 1 put my things?” “How do I pronounce my teacher’s name?” *Can I whisper to my neigh- bor?” “Where is the bathroom?" The effective teachers were explicit about their expecta- tions. They had a workable, casily understood set of rules and taught the students the most important rules right away. They taught the rules like any other subject—with lots of explanation, examples, and practice 547548 CHAPTER THIRTEEN Ss Designing Learning Spaces Note the fixed features, and plan accordingly. Examples 1. Remember that the media center and computers need electrical outlets 2. Keep art supplies near the sink, small-group work by 2 blackboard, Create easy access to materials and a well-organized place to store them, Examples 1, Make sure materials are easy to reach and visible to students, 2. Have enough shelves so that materials need not be stacked, Provide students with clean, convenient surfaces for studying. Examples 1. Put bookshelves next to the reading area, games by the game table. 2. Prevent fights by avoiding crowed werk spaces Avoid dead spaces and “racetracks.” Examples 1. Don'thave all the interest areas around the outside of the room, leaving a large dead space in the middle 2. Avoid placing a few items of furniture right in the middle of this large space, creating a “racetrack” around the furitue. Arrange things se you can see your students and they ean see all instructional presentations. Examples 1. Make sure you can see over parttions. 2. Design seating so that students can s without moving their chairs or desks instruction Make sure work areas are private and quiet. Examples 1, Make sure there are no tables or work areas in the middle of traffic lanes; a person should not have to pass through tone area to get to anather. 2. Keep noisy activities a far as possible from quiet ones Increase the feeling of privacy by placing partitions, such as bookcases or pegboards, between areas or within large: Provide ch Bamples 1, Establish private cubicles for individual work, open tables for group work, and cushions on the floor for whole-class meetings 2. Give students a place to keep their personal belongings. ‘This is especially important if students don't have personal desks. 9 and fle lity. ‘Try now arrangements; then evaluate and improve. Examples 1. Have 3k acrangement”; then evaluate 2. Enlist the aid of your students. They have to live in the room, too, and designing a classroom can be a very challenging educational experience. For more ideas on classroom desian, go to wiew.edutopia.org and search for classroom designs” ‘Throughout the first weeks, the effective managers continued to spend quite a bit, of time teaching rules and procedures. Some used guided practice to teach procedures; others used rewards to shape behavior. Most taught students to respond to a bell or ‘some other signal to gain their attention, These teachers worked with the class as a whole on enjoyable academic activities. They did not rush to get students into small groups or to start them in readers. This whole-class work gave the teachers a better ‘opportunity to continue monitoring all students’ learning of the rules and procedures. Misbchavior was stopped quickly and firmly, but not harshly, In the poorly managed classrooms, the first weeks were quite different, Rules were not workable; they were either too vague or very complicated, For example, one teacher made a rule that students should “be in the right place at the right time.” Students were not told what this meant, so their behavior could not be guided by the rule. Neither pos- itive nor negative behaviors had clear, consistent consequences. After students broke a rule, ineffective managers gave a vague criticism, such as "Some of my children are too noisy,” or issued a warning, but did not follow through with the threatened consequence.MANAGING LEARNI Getnoke ‘A SECONDARY CLASSROOM ARRANGEMENT This high school teacher has designed a space that allows teacher presentations and demonstrations as well as small-group work, and computer interactions without requiring constant rearrangements. qqqaqgaqg gqq0qgqg Souce: Emmet Edmund T: Eero, Caen Mt. Clasroom Maagement Far Men igh Schoo Teacher, Loreal Veron, ‘Snes. p 32 6201" Ropes ond Heron Soprosicedby Poms of Patonrovestn, he eo NY In the poorly managed classes, procedures for accomplishing routine tasks varied from day to day and were never taught or practiced. Instead of dealing with these obvi- ous needs, ineffective managers spent time on procedures that could have waited. For example, one teacher had the class practice for a fire drill the first day, but left unex- plained other procedures that would be needed every day. Students wandered around the classroom aimlessly and had to ask each other what they should be doing. Often the students talked to one another because they had nothing productive to do. Ineffective teachers frequently left the room. Many became absorbed in paperwork of in helping just one student. They had not made plans for how to deal with late-arriving students or interruptions. One ineffective manager tried to teach students to respond to a bell as a signal for attention, but later let the students ignore it, All in all, the first weeks in these classrooms were disorganized and filled with surprises for teachers and students alike. EFFECTIVE MANAGERS FOR SECONDARY STUDENTS. What about getting started in a secondary school class? It appears that many of the differences between effective and ineffective elementary school teachers are the same at the secondary level. Again, ‘effective managers focus on establishing rules, procedures, and expectations on the first day of class. These standards for academic work and class behavior are clearly commu- nicated to students and consistently enforced during the first weeks of class, Student behavior is closely monitored, and infractions of the rules are dealt with quickly. In classes with lower-ability students, work cycles are shorter; students are not required to spend long, unbroken periods on one type of activity, Instead, during cach period, they are moved smoothly through several different tasks, In general, effective teachers ENVIRONMENTS: 549550 CHAPTER THIRTEEN Engagement (l, C4) A principle of educational psychology is that the more Fuudents are cognitively engaged in an activity, the more they are likely to learn, What tacice can teachers employ to maximize their students’ cognitive engagement during learning tasks? MyLab Education Video Example 13.3 A mathematics lesson about graphing comes alive forthe ‘fudents In this video. They find iv eaey 10 stay on tack 5 they taste jelloeans and record their preferences. They determine the clases most popular flavor by creating a laze graph of favorite favors carefully follow each student's progress, so students cannot avoid work without facing consequences (Emmer & Evertson, 2017) With all this close monitoring and consistent enforcement of the rules, you may. wonder if effective secondary teachers have to be grim and humorless. Not necessarily. ‘The effective managers in one classic study also smiled and joked more with their stu- dents (Moskowitz & Hayman, 1976). As any experienced teacher can tell you, there is much more to smile about when the class is cooperative. For more ideas about getting started on the first day of class, see the helpful book by Harry and Rosemary Wong, The First Days of School: How To Be an Effective Teacher (H. Wong & Wong, 2009). MyLab Education selfcheck 13.2 MAINTAINING A GOOD ENVIRONMENT FOR LEARNING ‘A good start is just that—a beginning. Effective teachers build on this beginning. They maintain their management system by preventing problems and keeping students engaged in productive learning activities. We have discussed several ways to keep stu- dents engaged. In Chapter 12, on motivation, for example, we considered stimulating curiosity, relating lessons to student interests, establishing learning goals instead of per- formance goals, and having positive expectations. What else can teachers do? Encouraging Engagement STOP & THINK What activities keep you completely engaged—the time just seems to disap- pear? What is it about those activities that keeps you focused? © In general, as teacher supervision increases, students’ engaged time also increases. One study found that elementary students working directly with a teacher were on task 97% of the time, but students working on their own were on task only 57% of the time (Frick, 1990). This does not mean that teachers should eliminate independent work for students. It simply means that this type of activity usually requires careful planning and monitoring. When the task provides continuous cues for the student about what to do next, involvement will be greater. Activities with clear steps ate likely to be more absorbing, because one step leads naturally to the next. When students have all the materials they need to complete a task, they tend to stay involved. If their curiosity is piqued, students will be motivated to continue seeking an answer. And, as you now know, students will be more engaged if they are involved in authentic tasks—activities that have connec- tions to real life. Also, activities are more engaging when the level of challenge is higher (Emmer & Gerwels, 2006), Of course, teachers can't supervise every student all the time or rely on curiosity to keep students motivated. Something else must keep students working on their own. In their study of elementary and secondary teachers, Evertson, Emmer, and their colleagues found that effective class managers at all levels had well-planned systems for encourag- ing students to manage their own work (Emmer & Evertson, 2017; Evertson & Emmer, 2017). The Guidelines: Keeping Students Engaged are based on their findings. Prevention Is the Best Medicine ‘The ideal way to manage problems, of course, is to prevent them in the first place— this certainly will make more time for learning. In a classic study, Jacob Kounin (1970) examined classroom management by comparing effective teachers, whose classes wereMANAGI 551 LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS — GEE Keeping Students Engaged Make basic work requirements clear Examples 1. Specify and post the routine work requirements for 1 headings, paper size, pen or pencil use, and neatness. 2. Establish and explain rules about late or incomplete work and absences. a pattern of incomplete work begins to develop, deal wih it early; speak with parents if Monitor werk in progress. Examples When you give an assignment in class, make sure each student gets started correctly. If you check only students whe raise their hands for help, you will miss those wha think they know what to do but don't really understand, those who are too shy to ask for help, and those who don't plan to do the work at all. necessary 2. Make due dates reasonable, and stick to them unless the 2, Check progress periodically, In discussions, make sure student has a very good excuse for lateness ‘everyone has a chance to respond ‘Communicate the specifics of assignments. Give frequent academic feedback. Examples Examples 1 With younger students, have a routine procedure for 1. Elementary students should get papers back the day after diving assignments, such as writing them on the board they are handed in inthe same place each day, With older students, 2. Good work can be displayed in the classroom, ancl assignments may be dictated, posted, or given in a graded papers sent home to parents each week syllabus. 2. Students of all ages can keep records of grades, projects 2. Remind students of upcoming assignments ‘completed, and extra creits earned 3. With complicated assignments, give students a sheet 4, For older students, break up long-term assignments into describing what to do, what resources are available, due several phases, giving feedback at each point. dates, and so on, Older students should also be told your grading criteria, 4. Demonstrate how to do the assignment, do the first fow ‘questions together, or provide a sample worksheet Fr more ideas, go to wuwedutopia.org and search fr "keeping students engaged ” relatively free of problems, with ineffective teachers, whose classes were continually plagued by chaos and disruption. Observing both groups in action, Kounin was sur- prised to find the teachers were not very different in the way they handled discipline once problems arose. The difference was that the successful managers were much better at preventing problems. First, these teachers captured students’ attention and maintained ‘engagement in work that was at appropriate levels for all students. Second, these effec- tive classroom managers were especially skilled in four specific kinds of prevention: “withitness,” overlapping activities, group focusing, and movement management. More recent research confirms the importance of these factors (Emmer & Stough, 2001; Jones & Jones, 2016). WITHITNESS. Withitness means communicating to students that you are aware of everything that is happening in the classroom. ‘With-it" teachers seem to have eyes in the back of their heads. They avoid becoming absorbed by distractions or interacting with only a few students, because this encourages the rest of the class to wander. These teachers are always scanning the room, making eye contact with individual students, so. the students know they are being monitored (Charles, 2011; Weinstein & Romano, 2015). ‘These teachers prevent minor disruptions from becoming major. They also know who instigated the problem, and they make sure they deal with the right people. In other words, they do not make what Kounin called timing errors (waiting too long before intervening) or ‘arget errors (blaming the wrong student and letting the real per- petrators escape responsibility for their behavior). Withitness According to Kounin, awareness of everything happening in a classroom,552 CHAPTER THIRTEEN Overlapping Supervising several activities at once Group focus The abilty to keep as many students at possible involved in activities. Movement management Keeping lessons and the group moving at an appropriate (and flexible) pace, with smooth transitions and variety If two problems occur at the same time, effective managers deal with the more serious one first. For example, a teacher who tells two students to stop whispering but ignores even a brief shoving match at the pencil sharpener communicates a lack of aware- ness. Students begin to believe they can get away with almost anything if they are clever. OVERLAPPING AND GROUP FOCUS. Overlapping means keeping track of and supervis- ing several activities at the same time. For example, a teacher may have to check the work of an individual and at the same time keep a small group working by saying, “Right, go on,” and stop an incident in another group with a quick “look” or reminder (Charles, 2011), ‘Maintaining a group focus means keeping as many students as possible involved in appropriate class activities and avoiding narrowing in on just one or two students. Problems arise when teachers have students work one at a time while the rest of the class waits and watches, All students should have something to do during a lesson, For example, the teacher might ask everyone to write the answer to a question, and then call on individuals to respond while the other students compare their answers, Choral responses might be required while the teacher moves around the room to make sure everyone is participating. During a grammar lesson, the teacher might say, “Everyone who thinks the answer is have run, hold up the red side of your card. If you think the answer is has run, hold up the green side” (Hunter, 1982). This is one way teachers can ensure that all students are involved and that everyone understands the material. MOVEMENT MANAGEMENT. Movement management means keeping lessons and the group moving at an appropriate (and flexible) pace, with smooth transitions and variety. ‘The effective teacher avoids abrupt transitions, such as announcing a new activity before gaining the students’ attention or starting a new activity in the middle of something else. When transitions are abrupt, one-third of the class will be doing the new activity, many will be working on the old lesson, several will be asking other students what to do, some will be taking the opportunity to have a little fun, and most will be confused. Another transition problem Kounin noted is the slowdown, or taking too much time to start a new activity. Sometimes teachers give too many directions at once. STUDENT SOCIAL SKILLS AS PREVENTION. But what about the students? What can they do? When students lack social and emotional skills such as being able to share materials, read the intentions of others, or handle frustration, classroom management problems often follow. So all efforts to teach social and emotional self-regulation are steps toward preventing management problems. Over the short term, educators can teach and model these skills, and then give students feedback and practice using them in a variety of settings. Over the long term, teachers can help to change attitudes that value aggression over cooperation and compromise (M. J. Elias & Schwab, 2006). Figure 13.4 is a lesson outline that can be used to target and improve specific social skills for an individual or small group. You can sce that this is an example of good teach- ing. There is a clear goal defined by specific and observable targets, modeling, practice with the teacher and then (very important) practice in the natural setting like the gym or lunchroom where the problem usually occurs, and finally some kind of recognition or reinforcement (Jones & Jones, 2016). Caring Relationships: Connections with School All efforts directed toward building positive relationships with students and creating a classroom community are steps toward preventing management problems, TEACHER CONNECTIONS. Students respect teachers who maintain their authority ‘without being rigid or harsh, are fair and honest with them, demonstrate emotional support and caring, make sure students understand the material, ask if something is, wrong when they seem upset, and use creative instructional practices to "make learn- ing fun.” Students also value teachers who show academic and personal caring by acting like real people (not just as teachers), sharing responsibility, minimizing the use of external controls, including everyone, searching for students’ strengths, com- municating effectively, and showing an interest in their students’ lives and pursuits