Classroom

Management
 WHO ARE YOU??
TWO TRUTHS AND A LIE
• Record 3 statements about
yourself.
• 2 of the statements should be
truthful
• 1 should be a lie
• We will try to spot the lie!!
 BEST IN SHOW
 Identify the best teacher you ever had, and why they
were the best.

 What is one strategy that teacher used for classroom

management?

 Now identify a teacher that you would consider one of

the worst teachers you ever had, and Definitely do not
give any names on this one!!

 Identify specific actions that you feel have earned them

this title.
 What is Classroom
Management?
– It’s effective discipline
– It’s being prepared for class
– It’s motivating your students
– It’s providing a safe, comfortable
learning environment
– It’s building your students’ self
esteem
– It’s being creative and imaginative in
daily lessons
– And . . .
 . . . It’s different for
EVERYONE!!
WHY?
– Teaching Styles
– Personality/Attitudes
– Student population
– Not all management strategies
are effective for every teacher

• Try different strategies to see if

they work for you
 QUIZ TIME!!

What is your classroom

management profile?
WHICH POOH CHARACTER
ARE YOU??

• Rabbit

• Owl

• Piglet

• Eeyore
 SELF ASSESSMENT
• Fist-to-Five…Where are you with classroom
management?
• A fist indicates you are still thinking?
• One finger indicates extremely frustrated.
• Two fingers indicates frustrated.
• Three fingers indicates that you are surviving.
• Four fingers indicates that you are pretty
comfortable and things are working well.
• Five fingers indicates that your classroom runs
smoothly with very few issues. What are you
doing here?? 
 Why is Classroom
Management Important?
• Satisfaction and enjoyment in
teaching are dependent upon
leading students to cooperate
• Classroom management issues
are of highest concern for
beginning teachers
• Classroom management and
effective instruction are key in
ensuring student success and
learning
THE FAB 15…

LET’S BEGIN!
…NUMBER 1

“EXPECT THE BEST…

TEACH THE REST”
 YOU SET THE TONE
• Set the tone for everything…behavior,
procedures, grades, work ethic, attitude…
everything!!
• Teach students to manage their own behavior
• Students LEARN to be on-task and engaged in
the learning activities you have planned for
them…REMEMBER THIS…
“It is more natural to be off-task than on!”
• Teach, teach, and re-teach routine classroom
procedures
• Model/provide exemplars for excellence in
student work and attitudes
 …NUMBER 2

I KNOW, I KNOW, YOU HAVE HEARD

THIS A MILLION TIMES..
 FFC
• Be fair, firm and consistent…
remember that students are, by
nature, the morality police.
• They can spot inconsistencies a mile
away and take joy in calling you out
on it!!
• Students may not enjoy
consequences of inappropriate
behavior but they will respect your
decisions if they know that you are
fair and apply
discipline/consequences fairly
…NUMBER 3

ACCENTUATE
THE POSITIVE
 POSITIVE IS A PLUS
• Build a positive, PROFESSIONAL
rapport with students
• Establish a positive classroom
environment…greet students at the
door everyday with a smile
• Model the positive behaviors and
attitude you desire in your students
 …NUMBER 4

“IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A PLAN,

THEN YOU ARE PLANNING TO
FAIL!!”
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN
 PLAN, PLAN, PLAN
• Planning engaging, purposeful lessons is
one of the best recipes for a smooth,
orderly classroom
• Over plan your lessons to minimize
down time…down time is every
teacher’s worst enemy
• Plan lessons that address multiple
learning styles and allow all students to
experience success
…NUMBER 5

THE BOY SCOUTS SAID

IT BEST…
 BE PREPARED!!
• Be organized
• Be on time
• Be prepared for changes to your even
the “best laid plans”
• Have a plan B
• Have a plan C
• Anticipate possible hiccups in your
lessons and activities
• In other words…winging it is not an
option!!
REFLECTIVE PLANNING
 DEVELOP EFFECTIVE
BEHAVIOR CUES
• Focus attention on entire class
• Don’t talk over student chatter
• Silence can be effective
• Use softer voice so students really
have to listen to what you’re
saying
• Raise your hand
…NUMBER 6

“TIME IS OF THE
ESSENCE”
Transition vs. Allocated Time
• Allocated time: the time periods you intend for
your students to be engaged in learning
activities
• Transition time: time periods that exist between
times allocated for learning activities
– Examples
• Getting students assembled and attentive
• Assigning reading and directing to begin
• Getting students’ attention away from
reading and preparing for class discussion
Transition vs. Allocated Time
• The Goal:
– Increase the variety of learning
activities but decrease transition
time.
• Student engagement and on-task
behaviors are dependent on how
smoothly and efficiently teachers
move from one learning activity to
another
…NUMBER 7

K.I.S.S.
KEEP IT SIMPLE SUGAR
• Make classroom rules simple
• Keep classroom procedures simple
• Give clear and simple instructions
during classroom activities
• Remember that even adults can
only process 3-4 instructions at a
time effectively!!
…NUMBER 8

EDUCATOR “FENG SHUI”

CLASSROOM ARRANGEMENT
• Make sure all students can see
and hear clearly (and you can see
them clearly)
• Arrangement is determined by
learning activity (lecture, class
discussion, small group work, etc.)
• Allow room and easy access for
proximity control
• Think through class procedures
and learning activities and arrange
the room in the best possible way
FAB 15…NUMBER 9

“WITH-IT-NESS”
 WITH-IT-NESS
• Withitness refers to a
teacher’s awareness of what
is going on in the classroom
A teacher has “with-it-ness” if:
• When discipline problems occur, the
teacher consistently takes action to
suppress the misbehavior of exactly
those students who instigated the
problem
• When two discipline problems arise
concurrently, the teacher deals with the
most serious first
• The teacher decisively handles
instances of off-task behavior before the
behaviors either get out of hand or are
modeled by others
With-it-Ness (continued)
• When handling misbehavior –
make sure all students learn what
is unacceptable about that
behavior
• Getting angry or stressed does not
reduce future misbehavior
• Deal with misbehavior without
disrupting the learning activity
FAB 15…NUMBERS 10 & 11

“ACTIONS SPEAK
LOUDER THAN WORDS”
PROXIMITY AND BODY LANGUAGE

• Eye contact, facial expressions,

gestures, physical proximity to
students, and the way you carry
yourself will communicate that
you are in calm control of the class
and mean to be taken seriously.
• Be free to roam
• Avoid turning
back to class
 DEVELOP EFFECTIVE
BEHAVIOR CUES

• Focus attention on entire class

• Don’t talk over student chatter
• Silence can be effective
• Use softer voice so students really
have to listen to what you’re
saying
• Raise your hand
…NUMBER 12

“THE BEST DRIVERS ARE

DEFENSIVE DRIVERS”
PROACTIVE VS. REACTIVE
• The best teachers use all of the Fab 15
strategies already mentioned and more
to ensure that their classroom runs like
a well-oiled machine.
• By using proactive teaching and
classroom management strategies,
more time is spent on teaching and
learning and less on reacting and
putting out fires.
• Being proactive means paying it forward
before class starts but receives huge
dividends in the end!!
…NUMBER 13

“LAUGHTER IS THE
BEST MEDICINE”
 USING HUMOR

• Use humor when appropriate

• Be able to laugh at yourself
• NEVER use sarcasm
• Sarcasm puts students on the
defensive and damages your
relationship
…NUMBER 14

A STELLAR PERFORMANCE
 EVERY PERFORMER
NEEDS A STAGE
• Confrontation gives students a
“stage” to perform
• Avoid power struggles…no one
wins
• Give students a dignified way to
get out of a bad situation
• Pick your battles
• Address behavior issues in private
whenever possible
…NUMBER 15

DEVELOP A THICK SKIN

 IT IS NOT PERSONAL
• Kids make poor choices…that is what
they do!
• Kids misbehave…that is their job!
• Kids test boundaries and limits…it is a
natural part of growing up!
• Kids don’t always do what we want
them to…no matter how much they like
us!
• DON’T TAKE IT PERSONNALY!!
THE HONEYMOON IS
OVER!!
Dealing with
Misbehavior
 Functions of Behavior
• Every behavior has a function
• Four primary reasons for
disruptive behavior in the
classroom
– Power
– Revenge
– Attention
– Want to be left alone (i.e.,
disinterest or feelings of
inadequacy)
 Functions of Behavior
• Many misbehaviors exhibited by
students are responses to a behavior
exhibited by the teacher
• Do not tolerate undesirable behaviors
no matter what the excuse
• Understanding why a person exhibits a
behavior is no reason to tolerate it
• Understanding the function of a
behavior will help in knowing how to
deal with that behavior
 Dealing with off-task
behaviors
• Remain focused and calm; organize
thoughts
• Either respond decisively or ignore it all
together
• Distinguish between off-task behaviors and
off-task behavior patterns
• Control the time and place for dealing with
off-task behavior
• Provide students with dignified ways to
terminate off-task behaviors
• Make specific references to behaviors, do
not make it a personal attack
 Dealing with off-task
behaviors

• Remember that continuing with

classroom instruction is always the
main priority!!
• Avoid playing detective
• Utilize alternative lesson plans
• Utilize the help of colleagues
• Communicate and enlist the help
of parents/guardians
Power Seeking Behavior
• Power-seeking students
attempt to provoke teachers
into a struggle of wills
• In most cases, the teacher
should direct attention to
other members of the class
Attention Seeking Behavior
• Attention-seeking students prefer
being punished, admonished, or
criticized to being ignored
• Give attention to this student
when he or she is on-task and
cooperating
• “Catch them being good!” – and
let them know you caught them
 Behavior: Rambling -- wandering
around and off the subject. Using far-
fetched examples or analogies.

POSSIBLE RESPONSES:
 Refocus attention by restating
relevant point.
 Direct questions to group that is
back on the subject
 Use visual aids, begin to write on
board, turn on overhead projector.
 Say: "Would you summarize your
main point please?" or "Are you
asking...?"
 Behavior: Talkativeness -- knowing
everything, manipulation, chronic whining.

POSSIBLE RESPONSES:
 Acknowledge comments made.
 Give limited time to express viewpoint or
feelings, and then move on.
 Make eye contact with another participant
and move toward that person.
 Give the person individual attention during
breaks.
 Say: "That's an interesting point. Now let's
see what other other people think."
Behavior: Sharpshooting -- trying to
shoot you down or trip you up.
POSSIBLE RESPONSES:
 Admit that you do not know the answer
and redirect the question the group or
the individual who asked it.
 Acknowledge that this is a joint learning
experience.
 Ignore the behavior.
 Speak to the student in private…take the
stage away
 KNOW YOUR CONTENT!!
Behavior: Grandstanding -- getting caught
up in one's own agenda or thoughts to the
detriment of other learners.

POSSIBLE RESPONSES:
 Say: "You are entitled to your opinion,
belief or feelings, but now it's time we
moved on to the next subject," or
 "Can you restate that as a question?" or
 "We'd like to hear more about that if
there is time after the presentation."
Behavior: Overt Hostility/Resistance
-- angry, belligerent, combative
behavior.
POSSIBLE RESPONSES:
 Hostility can be a mask for fear. Reframe
hostility as fear to depersonalize it.
 Respond to fear, not hostility.
 Remain calm and polite. Keep your temper in
check.
 Don't disagree, but build on or around what has
been said.
 Move closer to the hostile person, maintain eye
contact.
 Always allow him or her a way to gracefully
retreat from the confrontation.
Behavior: Overt Hostility/Resistance --
angry, belligerent, combative behavior
(continued)
POSSIBLE RESPONSES:
 Allow individual to solve the problem
being addressed. He or she may not be
able to offer solutions and will
sometimes undermine his or her own
position.
 Ignore behavior.
 Talk to him or her privately during a
break.
 As a last resort, privately ask the
individual to leave class for the good of
the group.
Behavior: Griping -- maybe
complaining.

POSSIBLE RESPONSES:
 Point out that we can't change
policy here.
 Validate his/her point.
 Indicate you'll discuss the
problem with the participant
privately.
 Indicate time pressure.
Behavior: Side Conversations -- may be
related to subject or personal. Distracts
group members and you.

POSSIBLE RESPONSES:
 Don't embarrass talkers.
 Ask their opinion on topic being
discussed.
 Ask talkers if they would like to share
their ideas.
 Casually move toward those talking.
 Make eye contact with them.
 Standing near the talkers, ask a near-
by participant a question so that the
new discussion is near the talkers.
 As a last resort, stop and wait.