Module 9: Classroom management
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Curriculum and lesson planning are extremely important in helping your students find success, but you
also need to be able to handle a classroom to make sure you can carry out your plans. Classroom
management is probably the biggest struggle for new teachers who are still trying to determine their style
and do not yet have the tricks that a veteran has. In this module, our focus will be on making you feel like
a veteran before you enter the classroom so that you can implement your plans and help your students
excel. No one has perfect classroom management, but we will help you feel comfortable enough to
control your classroom the way you see fit.
Module 9: Classroom management
9.1 Setting expectations
9.2 Respect
9.3 Accountability
9.4 Choosing your battles
9.5 Unique strategies
9.1 Setting expectations
Students need structure to be successful in school, but that does not mean you have to be
a disciplinarian who spends most of your time punishing students for small misbehaviors.
It just means that you need to be clear about your expectations for the class right from the
beginning and carry out those expectations throughout the rest of the year. We will start by
discussing some of the strategies you can use to set expectations for your class, and then
we will review some common expectations that teachers have found success with in their
class.
9.1.1 How to set expectations
More than anything make sure that you address classroom expectations on the first
day to set the tone for the rest of the year. First impressions are important, and if
you begin the year allowing behavior that you do not want to allow for the rest of
the year, you are going to make things more difficult for yourself.
One method for setting successful classroom expectations is to use the first day of
class to have the students work together to create those expectations. Have your
students get into small groups and discuss what they expect to get out of this class,
what they expect from you, and what they expect from themselves and the other
students. After five to ten minutes, bring the class together and create a list that you
all narrow down into the final set of classroom expectations. Bringing your students
in on the process gives them the opportunity to see the importance of these
expectations, stresses them, and gives students the feeling that they are in control.
Now, when they break a class rule, they are breaking the very rules they helped to
develop.
You can also draw students into the activity by having them work together on a class
pledge or class promise. This would work very much the same way except the
pledge or promise is more personal and less quantifiable. If you would like, you can
then take the class pledge and synthesize it into a list of classroom expectations so
that you have both.
You can also take a more traditional route and create the list of expectations on
your own. If you do this, just make sure they are already posted when the students
walk into the classroom and take some time to review them with the class. Students
will notice them if they are posted on your wall, but they won’t really remember
them unless they are explicitly reviewed.
9.1.2 Common expectations for classrooms
Even if you ask your students to come up with classroom expectations, you obviously want
to make sure they will be effective. As the students make suggestions and you generate the
list, find subtle ways to steer the list towards what you were looking for. By doing this, you
can ensure the expectations are clearer and that they encompass everything you think is
important. Here are some of the expectations you should definitely make sure are on your
list:
Be respectful of others: This is probably the most classic and universal expectation
for you to set for your students. This is a great expectation because it encompasses
so many things. It refers to students being respectful to the teacher, to other
students, to the school, and to anyone who walks into the room. A respectful
environment is more conducive to learning because students feel more comfortable
to take risks and are less likely to fear ridicule.
Routines: We are not going to outline your routines here because you will come up
with them on your own, but you should try to set a routine for your students. It will
save class time throughout the school year and make your lessons flow better and
engage the students more effectively. Here is an example of some routines you may
want to outline for your students:
o When the students come in, where do they get the daily paperwork? If you get
your students into the habit of looking in a specific spot every day when they
walk in the door for any worksheets or other paperwork, you will save the time
of having to hand them out and take advantage of time that you wouldn’t have
in the lesson anyway, i.e., the time they take walking to their seats.
o Is there a routine or set of rules for when students can leave to go to the
bathroom and if they need to tell you or not? This seems petty, but it can
prevent many interruptions from students not knowing if they can just leave or
not.
o When you have class discussions, how do students participate? Do they raise
their hands and wait to be called upon? Do they just speak out and respect
each other enough to act civilly? Do you have a ball or other object that
students can hold when it is their time to talk? These types of routines really
help students understand how they should act and what behavior is not
conducive to a respectful classroom.
Responsibility: All students need to display a modicum of responsibility for their
learning, but the responsibilities for which you hold your students accountable are
up to their age and your preference. Whatever you decide, though, you should be
clear and up front about the rules to ensure your students follow them right from
the start.
9.2 Respect
We briefly discussed respect in the previous section, but it is so important to the way you
will manage your classroom that it warrants its own section. Building an atmosphere that is
based on mutual respect will help you avoid most of the problems new teachers face. Let’s
first discuss how respect manifests in your classroom.
9.2.1 Why is respect important?
Respect is a fairly small word that represents a lot and can have many different
manifestations in the classroom. Respect in the classroom does not just mean that
students listen to the teacher; it is so much more than that. There are three types of
respect you need to facilitate in your classroom:
1. Respect for the teacher: This is the kind of respect people usually think about
when you talk about respect in the classroom. While this is only one of three types,
it is still extremely important. Part of discovering who you are as a teacher is
discovering your teaching style. Some teachers demand specific behavior in their
classrooms and hold students accountable for acting outside of these guidelines,
while others are more laid-back in their style. Neither will work, however, if the
teacher has not gained the respect of the students. If the environment is too strict
and students do not respect the teacher, they will lash out and be combative. If the
environment is too laid-back and loose and students do not respect the teacher,
they will walk all over him or her and not listen. Regardless of what your teaching
style evolves into, your classroom environment has to be predicated upon respect.
2. Respect for other students: Besides direct lecturing, almost every teaching
strategy requires students to interact with each other or take intellectual risks. If
your students do not show respect for each other in the classroom, these strategies
will not work. How can you expect a student to answer a question that he or she is
not sure of when the other students in the class feel justified in disrespecting and
ridiculing him or her? If you ever want to have class discussions, work in groups,
have your students present, or do anything that involves students speaking out loud
and taking a chance, you need to be able to rely on the class treating each other
with respect.
3. Respect for themselves: Just as much as you need your students to treat each
other with respect for students to feel comfortable taking risks, you need the
students to have respect for themselves. You do not have ultimate control over this,
but you can do everything you can to constantly encourage them to respect
themselves. This means being encouraging of students sharing and offering them
positive reinforcement for contributing to the class.
If you can find a way to facilitate all three types of respect, you will be able to accomplish so
much more with your students.
9.2.2 How to facilitate respect
Creating a classroom environment that has its foundations in mutual respect does not
mean that you can never have fun. If done properly, it will actually give you the opportunity
to have more fun in the classroom because you will know that your students can handle it
and still do their work and progress as students. Here are some tips on how to provide that
safe and enjoyable community classroom for your students:
Your classroom needs to be built on mutual respect, so discuss respect on the first
day and stress it throughout the year. Let the students know that they have your
respect and that you in turn require them to show you respect. Students will have a
harder time being disrespectful to teachers who have shown them respect.
This sounds obvious, but it needs to be said: follow your own rules and treat your
students with respect. Do not make them feel dumb for an answer that is wrong and
lead by example. If a student is off the mark with an answer or comment (in terms of
being correct, not in terms of being disrespectful), look for their train of thought and
give them credit for how they answered, while letting them down easy. Students will
look to you to model the behavior you are looking for from them, so be a good
classroom role model.
Whenever you are doing an activity that will require students to step out of their
comfort zone, make mutual respect a spoken goal. If necessary, attach a grade to it.
Students need to be reminded constantly about how they should act, so when you
especially need them to show respect to each other, it is worth taking a few minutes to
go over it. If you are doing an activity that requires students to critique each other,
model the behavior first to show them what constructive criticism looks like.
Handle disrespectful behavior severely. Even if you have a lenient classroom where
students feel freer to express themselves, make disrespect where you draw a line in
the sand. If you have discussed respect and the students are aware of how they
should act, treat disrespectful behavior seriously, and implement real and
meaningful consequences for disrespectful actions.
Do not be afraid to bring parents and administrators into your plans for a respectful
classroom. Disrespectful behavior should be accompanied by both a punishment
and by contact home. Students will often make rash decisions and not worry about
the in-school consequences, but if your students know they will also face
consequences at home, they are much more likely to think about their actions.
9.3 Accountability
While most discussions of classroom management focus on managing classroom behavior,
accountability is an important aspect that you can control in many other areas of your
class. It is a pretty simple idea: set expectations for your students and then hold them to
those expectations. Why is it, then, that so many teachers have problems holding their
students accountable? Here are some possible reasons:
9.3.1 Why is accountability so hard?
Why is it hard for teachers to sometimes hold students accountable? If we all admit it is
important, why isn’t it just second nature?
Holding students accountable requires a confrontation. While teachers know that
student behavior will be better if they hold the students accountable, that does not
make putting their foot down any easier. While instinct tells you that the right thing
to do when a student acts inappropriately is to punish him or her accordingly, it can
be hard to actually do it because you know it will often end in an argument.
When you are trying to build an atmosphere of mutual respect, it can be difficult to
know when you are overreacting and when you just aren’t being strict enough. If a
student clearly acts inappropriately, then it may be easy to punish him or her
immediately. What happens, though, when the student toes the line of
inappropriate behavior? At what point do you act, and at what point do you let it go?
This can be a very difficult decision.
If you come down too hard on students, it could encourage more inappropriate
behavior rather than appropriate behavior. If students feel they are being punished
unfairly, they are more likely to act out in defiance.
Some students are terrible at dealing with confrontation, and it can just be easier to
ignore their behavior. While this might be a good strategy with some students as
long as they are not being disrespectful and are doing their work, it could have a
negative effect on the class environment. Students do not like it when they are held
to stricter standards than their classmates, so if you make too many concessions,
you end up either making concessions for the entire class or upsetting the students
who are acting appropriately.
Confrontations are stressful, and it is easier to just let something go or pretend you
didn’t see or hear it rather than make an issue of it.
Every student has a different story, and when you know that one of your students is
going through a tough time or has a less than satisfactory home life, you feel
compassion towards him or her and want to cut him or her some slack.
No one strives to be the mean teacher, and as much as you want to believe that you
don’t care what your students think about you, you will care.
9.3.2 How do you keep vigilant?
With all of these reasons to let things go, how do you remain vigilant? We all agree that the
right way to act is to punish inappropriate behavior with a reasonable teacher response,
but how do you make it easier, less stressful, and less disruptive? There is no easy answer,
but here is a strategy that might make things a little bit easier for you:
It’s not me; it’s you: Think about it. Most of the concerns listed in the previous section
stem from being the enforcer as the teacher. So, the best way to make things easier on you
is to remind the students that they are controlling their behavior. Instead of being the
enforcer, be upset that they have done this to themselves and will have to be punished.
This shift in attitude mentally shifts the confrontation and makes the student realize that
their actions are what are causing them problems. Of course, this only works if you have
clear rules of conduct for their behavior already in place.
As much as you may feel bad when you are doling out punishments, remember that
you are doing nothing wrong and have done nothing wrong. You are not the one who
misbehaved or acted inappropriately; they are. Put the burden back on the student,
and watch how many of them begin to check their own behavior.
When a student gets in trouble, your attitude and behavior should reflect the following
ideas:
o The student is the person who chose to break a classroom rule.
o The student is the person who had the choice in this situation, not you.
o You are forced to punish the student because of the rules you all set at the
beginning of the year.
o This is going to help your students, so let go of your guilt
When a student misbehaves, treat it like you are on their side and upset they will
now have to face a punishment. This makes the process seem like both of you are
experiencing the punishment, and you are beholden to the rules. The rules become
the enforcer, not the teacher. “Oh no, Billy. That’s the third time you had your phone
out, now you have to get detention.”
Notice how this shift in attitude helps you keep your students accountable without
making you feel the guilt you usually would. You will see this is actually easier than
letting behaviors go and seeing your classroom slowly de-evolve and break down.
Students will begin to take more responsibility for their actions. They will realize it is
their behavior, not the teacher, that is causing them to face punishments. This shift
will help you create the classroom environment you want without making you be
the bad person or the disciplinarian.
9.4 Choosing your battles
With everything that we have said about holding students accountable and creating a
classroom environment that is based on respect and having control over your classroom, it
is still important that you choose your battles. Your goal as a teacher is to help your
students find success, and that can’t happen if you are kicking your students out for every
little infraction. This is especially true in the case of a volatile student. This does not mean
that you should let him or her get away with anything that threatens the environment in
your classroom, just that you need to decide what behaviors are worth the fight and what
behaviors are not. Here are some things to consider when working with a child who is
prone to confrontation:
What is causing this behavior? Many times the answer to this simple question will
tell you how you need to act. If the student just has a problem dealing with a
confrontation, then you can correct his or her behavior by quietly approaching it in a
way that does not make a scene. If the student needs to be able to speak to
someone when he or she is having a tough time, it might be smart to have a routine
set up so that he or she can go see a counselor or school psychologist when he or
she feels an outburst coming.
With volatile students, try to focus your attention on prevention rather than
reaction. Get used to seeing the signs of a problem, and try to head them off before
it gets to the point where you have to impose a punishment or start a confrontation.
Quietly approaching a student when he or she seems to be having a bad day shows
that you care and might compel the students to take control of their behavior.
While students do not like it when someone gets different treatment than someone
else does, you need to remember that fair and equal are two different things. Just as
you need to differentiate your instruction to account for students who struggle with
a skill, you need to differentiate your management for students who have difficulty
behaving.
Talk to the student. Ask what triggers outbursts and how you can best approach him
or her in a time of stress. Often, the student will know what will help. When he or
she does not, work together to try to come up with a set of rules and routines that
hold the student accountable while still giving him or her some breathing room.
Enlist the help of other students, with the consent of the volatile student of course.
Does the student have a friend who can help calm him or her down in stressful
situations? If so, you can deflate tensions by giving the friend a signal to step in so
that you do not have to start a confrontation every time the volatile student acts
out. That being said, the friend is a student also, who does not deserve to bear all of
the weight of his or her friend. Use the friend as a resource rather than a crutch to
bear the weight of the disciplinary actions you should be imparting.
9.5 Unique strategies
While the best strategy for creating a positive classroom environment involves everything
we have discussed so far in this module, sometimes you need to employ fresh tactics to
encourage positive behavior. Here are some unique strategies that can help you take
confrontation out of classroom management.
Countdown: There are many strategies like this, but essentially the countdown
involves having some sort of signal to the class that they need to calm down. If you
do this properly, you can get students to modify behavior without saying a word.
When they get out of hand, simply start the timer and let them regulate themselves.
Commercial break: If you have a very loud or social group, you can set up a routine
where students are rewarded for positive and diligent behavior with a commercial
break or a period of time during which they can break from work to get up and walk
around and talk to friends socially. You will need to regulate the time for the
commercial break carefully and keep it short (two minutes is probably best since
that is the traditional length of commercial breaks).
Buddy system: Pair up your students and hold them accountable for each other. If
one of the partners missed the directions, the other is there to explain it. If one of
the partners is acting up, the other is there to try to deflate the situation. Handle
problems with one of the students as problems with the pair to keep them linked in
both reward and punishment. This will not work, however, if one student is not
compliant and always causing the problems.
Number your students: Of course you want your students to feel like individuals
and not just numbers on a sheet, but assigning each student a number can be
helpful. When you need them to act quickly, either getting into groups, presenting
ideas, or some other behavior, save time by calling out numbers. “We’re going to
have a debate; all the even numbers get on one side of the room, and the odd
numbers get on the other side.” This will cut down on a lot of the wasted time of
organizing students and will also promote compliance and classroom harmony.
Tight schedule: Building up a tight routine can really help you encourage diligent
behavior. If you create a routine of bell work and exit slips, your students know they
need to begin working immediately as class begins, and they know they are
accountable for something before they leave. This may seem very simplistic, but it
sets up a class routine and promotes appropriate behavior. Students know they
need to do this every day and come in ready to work.
