Organization and

Management of
Learner-Centered
Classrooms
Module 3
Intended Learning Outcomes:
After studying the module, you are expected to:
1. Identify various forms of learner-centered organization based on
learners need;
2. Formulate classroom procedures and routines that promote discipline,
fairness, respect and care among learners and encourage learning;
3. Design, organize and explain the significance of the layout of the
physical structure of the classroom for active engagement of learners,
individually or in groups, in exploration, discovery, hands-on and self-
learning activities;
4. Describe the roles and responsibilities of the teacher and the learners for
a supportive, inspiring, motivating and productive learner-centered
classrooms; and
5. Evaluate which disciplinary actions are positive and non-violent in the
management of learner behavior.
 Introduction
As teachers, we are dedicated to become proficient, productive,
responsible educators
in an increasingly complex and challenging world. We do not just
instruct, assess and guide
our students, but are challenged to serve as effective classroom
managers to our students
towards quality learning. The quality of learning directly reflects our
management of the class.
The teachers’ actions pose a great impact inside the classroom.
Classroom management
make up the size of the teacher’s task and there is no shortcut to class
management. It’s
either you will be successful or fail in dealing with your students.
 Learning Objective:
Learn about learner- centered
classroom management and
organization.
Classroom Management
 Is “ the actions and strategies teachers use to solve the problem of
order in classrooms” (Doyle, 1986, p. 397). Effective teachers also
use rules, procedures, and routines to ensure that students are
actively involved in learning (Marzano, Marzano, & Pickering,
2003). In essence, they use management not to control student
behavior, but to influence and direct it in a constructive manner to
set the stage for instruction (McLeod, Fisher, & Hoover, 2003).

Classroom Organization
 Focuses on the physical environment
 Effective teachers organize a safe classroom environment
(Educational Review Office, 1998).
 They strategically place furniture, learning centers, and materials
in order to optimize student learning and reduce distractions.
 A.
Forms of learner-centered classroom
organization, procedures and physical
structure

Physical set up is one of the most important components in teaching. It

reflects your teaching style and it also reflects you. How we design our
classroom has an impact on the way our students think clearly. Conducive
learning environment promotes effective teaching and learning.
1. Room Structuring:

For For group Activity-

individualized learning oriented
learning Organize them around classroom
tables or clusters of
Set up learning centers desks. You can Set up a large table for
or stations for students organize them in cooperative projects.
to work at their own groups of four for Provide a space for wet or
pace depending on messy projects.
cooperative learning.
their abilities and For frequent whole-
interest. Set up an group discussions, try a
individual work area circle or U-shaped desk
for this type of configuration where
learning. everyone has a front
row seat.
2. Classrooms routines and procedures
Establishing routines is not that difficult. For teachers who are strict and non-
negotiating, establishing a routine send a message to the students that they should
cooperate in maintaining order in the classroom. According to Erlinda D. Serrano and
Ana Ruby M. Paez, classroom events that can be
routinized are the following:

> Getting the attention of students to respond to a particular question, reactions etc.
> Correcting home works in class.
> Excusing oneself from class for emergency purpose or use of the comfort room
> Posting of visual aids on the board
> Updating oneself of the lessons when absent in class
> Going out of the room during break time
> Clearing the table and desks after performance of tasks
> Swapping of partners on discussions
> Forming participatory groups
>Reporting and sharing of responses
 Benefits of Routines
The following are reasons why faithful observance of routines is highly beneficial:

1. Routine procedures help in freeing the minds of teachers to think about other
matters in teaching. If every time an activity is performed, and a teacher has to
consider some options on how to do it, it will be too taxing on his/her part to
constantly think and decide.
2. Establishing routines on how to collect assignments or distributing materials
enables the teacher to focus more in his/her lesson planning.
3. In the execution of lessons, a teacher who has routines for calling on students is
relieving himself/herself of the burden of worrying about whom to call next, thus
allowing more time to focus on what are being shared by the students.
4. It is easier for the students to predict their teacher’s next move and armed with
such knowledge, they can concentrate and learn more.
5. Stability is assured especially for the new students who are unfamiliar with the
class rules.
6. Reduces anxiety on the part of students who do not know how to get involved in
different class activities.
3. The social environment: Fairness, respect, care
and encouraging learning
In every classroom, the most successful learning occurs when teachers are facilitators or
activators of learning. Learning is more engaging when the classroom climate is welcoming
to all learners.
When the teacher’s management plan is fair, consistent and organized, the students understand
what to expect and can make wise choices and take responsibility for their actions.
Teachers should be a model of good communication and behavior for them to evaluate. The
attitude of teachers must be one of support and fairness because this is the foundation of
which effective classroom management and positive teacher student-relationships are form.
As teachers, we should promote gender and racial equality in all subjects. Give equal praise and
expectations. Treat each other with dignity and respect, listen to each others points of view,
recognizing that there may be disagreement and do not use derogatory words to your
students.
Aside from being fair and showing respect, teachers can show they care about their students by
knowing their student and the lives they live, actively listening to them, and asking students
for feedback would mean you value their opinions and experiences.
This creates a culture where students feel safe to ask questions and take chances, which will help
them grow academically.
4.Creating motivating learning
environment
The foundation for any learning must be built on a safe, positive and nurturing learning
environment where there’s open communication.
Develop a learning environment where students feel motivated to learn within the
boundaries and expectations of a safe classroom.
By modeling and encouraging a safe environment and purposeful rules, students feel
motivated to do the right thing and help one another.
It is important for teachers to put an emphasis in intrinsic motivation in the classroom to
keep the students interested and invested in their own learning goals.
Intrinsic motivation is self-driven type and it last for a long time and it must be developed
among students.
In addition, extrinsic motivators help student understand the expectations of the classroom
and aid in their intrinsic motivation.
These kinds of motivators include praise, positive reinforcement and rewards for
exceptional behavior.
 Five Effective ways to get your students excited about learning
Encourage students–students
look to teachers for approval and
01. positive reinforcement, and are 02.
more likely to be enthusiastic
about learning if they feel their
work is recognized and valued.
Encourage open communication,
praise your students often,
recognize them for their
contribution. If your classroom is
friendly where students feel
respected, they will be more eager
to learn.
03.
Get them Involved– one way to
encourage students to be involved
in the classroom is teaching them
to be responsible. Make
participating fun by giving each
student a job to do. Giving
students a sense of ownership
allows them to feel accomplished
and encourages active
participation in class.
Offer Incentives– setting expectations and
making reasonable demands encourages students
to participate, but sometimes students need an
extra push in the right direction. Rewards give
students a sense of accomplishment and
encourage them to work with a goal in mind.
 Get Creative– avoid monotony by
changing around the structure of
04. your class. Teach through games
and discussions instead of lectures,
encourage students to debate and
enrich the subject matter with
visual aids, like colorful charts,
diagrams and videos, create a
warm and stimulating
environment.
Draw connections to Real life– showing
your student that a subject matter is used
05. every day by “real” people given it new
importance. If they see how it applies to
them, they may be motivated to learn
attentively.

https://teach.com/what/teachers-change-lives/motivating-students/
 B.
Learner-Centered Classroom:
Roles and Responsibilities
Student-centered classroom involves changes in the roles and
responsibilities of learners and instructors in the delivery of
instructional strategies, and in learning itself; these all differ from
those in the traditional teacher-center classroom.
Below are the roles and responsibilities of both the teacher and
learner:
Teacher: Learner:
1. Recognize and accommodate different 1. Are active participants in their own learning
learning modalities
2. Makes decisions about what and how they will learn
2. Provide structure without being overly
directive 3. Construct new knowledge and skills by building on
current knowledge and skills.
3. Listen to and respect each learner’s point of
view 4. Understand expectations and are encouraged to use
self-assessment measures
4. Encourage and facilitate learners’ shared
decision-making 5. Monitor their own learning to develop strategies for
learning
5. Help learners work through difficulties by
asking open-ended questions to help them 6. Work in collaboration with other learners

arrive at conclusions or solutions that are 7. Provide work that demonstrates authentic learning
satisfactory to them.
 D. The role of discipline in learner-centered classrooms
Always starts with the basic.
Every class should have a
short list of class rules or norms
that developed together
positively phrased.
Developing this list as a group
allows students to see the why
behind the rules and
buy- in to how they are enforced.
Create three to five rules that tell
everyone what they should do,
not what they shouldn’t do. The
teachers job is to facilitate the
development
of the list, not develop it yourself.
Work on how you rephrase and
narrow these rules.
Are disciplinary actions that are intended
to teach students to make better
behavior choices rather than to punish
them. One of the bests ways to teach
our students to accept responsibility is to
use logical consequences. Logical
consequences teach students the how’s
and why’s of good decision, rather than
making them feel sorry for making bad
choice. Why do logical consequences
work so well? When the consequence is
Collaborative related, reasonable and delivered Logical
class norms respectfully, the student is able to make consequences
the connection with their own behavior
and is less likely to resist or deny
responsibility. The goal of logical
consequences is to help students
develop internal understanding, self-
control, and a desire to follow the rules.
Logical consequences are respectful of
the child’s dignity while punishment often
calls upon
an element of shame. Make sure that
your consequences are connected to the
misbehavior. Students don’t learn from
consequences that feel spiteful or
unpredictable.
 3 types of logical consequences

Time-out You break

or Take a it, You fix
Loss of
break it Privilege

Use this type of logical consequences

when you see an opportunity for a
Is not a punishment, you are not
student to solve a problem they
banishing the child for misbehavior.
caused. When something has Use this type of logical consequence
Instead, you are asking them to take
been broken, feelings have been hurt, when a student does not follow
a few minutes to regain self-
or a mess has been made- whether expectations. Use this type of logical
control and to think over what just
accidentally or intentionally- the consequence when student defy, test, or
occurred. Example: When students
consequence is that the one simply forget the rules. Example: A
make a
responsible for the problem takes student speaks rudely to the teacher.
derogatory remark about another The
responsibility for fixing it. Example:
student’s response to a question, you teacher refuses to listen to her/him until
One child accidentally knocks
take a she/he changes her tone of voice.
into another on the playground. She
break and let the student realize what
stops, apologizes and offers to help
he/she just said.
the other
child.
3. Consistent application – A classroom without consistent practice can often be
chaotic. But creating an environment that welcomes uniform responses to behavior
choices will support each students’ understanding of expectations. Unchanging rules
and regulations ensure that students and families understand classroom norms and
know what to expect when those norms are not met. The consistent application goes
hand in hand with logical consequences. Make sure that you are consistent with your
rules, your consequences, and your reinforcement. Consistency is critical in creating
space for effective learning environment. Students are able to participate in learning
more effectively when they have a clear understanding of classroom procedures and
their importance. Teachers needs to be fair, consequences need to be issued to the
student immediately and all students should be treated the same. Being consistent in
your classroom is paramount to being successful as a teacher and obtaining respect
from your students.

4. Student-specific – when responding to misbehavior, take into account the social,

emotional and cognitive skills of the students, as well as what was happening in the
situation. The consequence for a student might be the same, but you might practice
more with this student or have them reflect on their behavior. Example: you have a
student who always pushes in line. The student has an assigned line spot that has
been working well, but the student still needs reminders to go to their line. You line up
your class but forgot to remind them, the student goes to a different spots and pushes
in line. In this situation, tell the student that the consequences remain the same, but
apologize to them for not reminding them of their spots.
5. Time for resolution – In your class, develop routines for resolving conflicts.
This is not a skill that comes naturally to students or adults, so be prepared to
guide and instruct. First thing though, provide the space and time for this to
occur. Some teachers build this into their morning meeting or closing meeting.
Have a conflict resolution process for disagreements between students. This
process should focus on
communicating clearly, finding agreeable solutions, and make a plan to move
forward.

6. Calm spaces – What happens when a student is struggling to control their

emotions or behavior? Do they have a place they can go in your room or
process they can go through? Lots of classroom have a take-a-break spots,
these can just reinforce the behaviors. Implementing a process for your take-a-
break spot and teaching it are more
essential that what the space looks like. Students could even complete the
process at their desks, and this may work better for older students. It includes a
simple process that students use that focuses on self-regulation and coping
skills.
 Summary/Conclusion
Classroom management refers to actions that an instructor takes to
create and maintain a learning environment that is conductive to
successful instruction. These action include decisions about structure,
organization, and course activities that support student by managing
their expectation and behavior.
In conclusion, classroom management is beneficial to the success of
the students. What they learn and how they learn lies in the balance,
if effective classroom management is not in effect. Making sure that
you state rules clearly and going through procedures daily helps
minimize disruption and chaos. Setting rewards system that focus on
both effort and success encourages students to follow rules and
promote self regulation, to help them to make better choices and be
more productive.
 Resources
https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/articles/teaching-content/classroom-
organization-
physical-environment/
https://teach.com/what/teachers-change-lives/motivating-students/
https://lincs.ed.gov/state-resources/federal-
initiatives/teal/guide/studentcentered#:~:text=Student%2DCentered
%20Learning.,-
Author%3A%20Mary%20Ann&text=About%20the%20TEAL%20Center
%3A%20The,educ
ation%20in%20the%20content%20areas.
https://www.weareteachers.com/logical-consequences-in-the-classroom-2/
https://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/columnists/charney/charney007.shtml
https://www.socialemotionalworkshop.com/2017/12/sel-student-centered-discipl
ine
/