Managing Students Behavior

Teacher Anne, a multigrade teacher,

conducted a whole class discussion with her
Grades 1,2 and 3. The class was harmonious
until she told the second and third graders to
go and work in groups while she was dealing
with the first graders. The learners were
Let’s Begin neglectful of what to do. Most of them were
just playing around and not helping in
accomplishing the given task. Only a few
members in each group were doing all the
work. Teacher Anne wasn’t able to keep
every group under control.
 1. What went wrong in Teacher Anne's class?

WE ARE 2. What are the possible causes of the learners'

misbehavior?

ON OUR 3. What are some of the possible preventive

WAY measures that Teacher Anne could have done

to promote acceptable behaviors?

4. How can you deal with this and other

misbehaviors when they occur?
 LET'S DIG DEEPER
For both new and seasoned teachers, managing
disruptive behaviors is a challenge. One of its
underlying causes is that teachers are rarely given
training on how to successfully manage undesired
classroom behaviors, preferring instead to focus on
how to effectively employ teaching strategies to
provide quality instruction. However, we must keep
in mind that instructional quality is greatly affected
by how we manage our students' behavior. If we are
not equipped with effective classroom management
skills, we will end up spending the majority of our
time dealing with the students' behavior instead of
delivering the lesson.
Classroom management can be defined as the
process of establishing and sustaining
appropriate student behavior such that the
delivery of lessons is not compromised
(Kratochwill, 2010). This means that the purpose
of classroom management is not to maintain
order for the sake of maintaining order, but to
maintain order for the sake of learning. Having a
system in place that specifies classroom
behavior standards can help in managing the
classroom environment, ensuring that students
are held accountable for their behavior.
 1. Planning before school begins. Before the school
year starts, the teacher visualizes life in the classroom:
how learners are going to behave in the classroom,
how they will interact with one another, how materials
Three (3) will be arranged, and other essential classroom
considerations.
distinct phases 2. Implementing plans. The teacher executes the plans
of classroom that were developed before the beginning of school. In
this phase, expectations are formed. The learners create
management: a vision as to what will happen in their class.
3. Maintaining good discipline. The teacher maintains
the positive academic and social norms that have been
established. The role of the teacher shifts towards
maintaining a high level of student engagement and
minimizing disturbances in the learning environment.
 In a multigrade classroom, a
teacher works with students of diverse
ages and ability levels. As a result, he/she
is likely to confront some behavioral
problems. According to Wong and Wong
(2009), the root cause of behavior
problems in classrooms appears to be the
absence of established rules and
procedures rather than poor student
discipline. Research shows, that providing
rules and procedures helps things run
smoothly in the classroom. Because,
different grade levels exist in a multigrade
classroom, establishment of
comprehensive and consistent rules and
procedures becomes even more necessary.
Here are some guidelines to
consider when planning rules,
routines and procedures for a
Multigrade Classroom:

a. Inside the Classroom

- What rules and
procedures are you going to
establish for the use and care of
the different materials and
equipment in the classroom?
-What rules and procedures
will the learners be expected to follow
when they are in a certain area of the
classroom?
Here are some guidelines to
consider when planning
rules, routines and
procedures for a Multigrade
Classroom:
b. Other School Areas such as in
the comfort room, office,
playground, etc.
✔ When and how are
learners going to have access to
these areas?
✔What rules and
procedures are you going to
implement for lining up and
going to these areas?
✔How should learners
behave in these areas?
Here are some guidelines to
consider when planning rules,
routines and procedures for a
Multigrade Classroom:

c. During Whole-Class Activities and Seatwork

✔ When and how do you want learners to
ask and answer questions (e.g., raising hands)?
✔ If you want everyone's attention, how
will you cue or signal the class (e.g., using bell or
hand signal)?
✓ What rules and procedures are you going
to set up for learners working together?
✔How and when are you going to give
instructions for activities or assignments?
✔How are you going to monitor
progress on tasks or assignments?
✔How and when will the learners obtain
the materials they need for the activities, tasks, or
assignments?
Here are some guidelines to
consider when planning rules,
routines and procedures for a
Multigrade Classroom:

c. During Whole-Class Activities and Seatwork

✔What procedures will learners
follow when turning in the outputs or
materials, especially when you are having a
discussion with individuals or small groups?
✔How and when will the learners'
outputs or assignments get corrected?
✔What procedures will you use for
returning work?
✓ What can the learners do when
they are done with their tasks?
Here are some guidelines to
consider when planning
rules, routines and
procedures for a Multigrade
Classroom:
d. During Small Groups
✔What procedures, rules,
and signals will learners follow
regarding the movement to and
from groups?
✔ When and how can
learners ask and answer questions?
✔What are your
expectations for learners who are
working together in small groups?
✔While you are dealing
with a group of learners, what will
the rest of the class be doing?
Here are some guidelines to
consider when planning
rules, routines and
procedures for a Multigrade
Classroom:
e. Other Procedures that Must Be
Considered
✔ What routines are you
planning to establish to start each school
day?
✔ What routines are the
learners going to follow to end each
school day?
✔re you going to use a student
helper system? What expectations are
you going to set for student helpers to
accomplish their roles?
✔While you are dealing with a
group of learners, what will the rest of
the class be doing?
Source: Adapted and revised from The
Multigrade Classroom:
A Resource Handbook for Small,
Rural Schools
Classroom behavior management
entails more than just following rules
and procedures. Rather, it's a proactive
and constructive system. This means that
teachers should establish an organized,
consistent and culturally-relevant
classroom environment that fosters
student learning and effective
instruction. Moreover, they should
consistently engage and communicate
with students and their families to build
positive relationships with them (The Iris
Center, 2021).