Online Dilemmas: Summaries and Resources
Dilemma One: Proactive and Productive Communication with Parents and Families Completed 12/2006
Dilemma Two: Assessment: Meaningful (or
Messy?) Completed 2/2007
Dilemma Three: Differentiated Instruction Completed 5/2007
Dilemma Four: Classroom Management Completed 6/2007
Dilemma Four: Differentiating Instruction
Though we don't want it to be so, classroom management often requires more attention and daily energy than is given to planning and instruction. *Professional Practice Standards require that we address management efficiently, and doing so with twenty-five, thirty, or more, students can be daunting.
In John Dewey's quote referring to a quietude in the classroom, he infers that rules imposing quietude will inevitably be broken, that imposing required postures and behaviors invites deviation. We now desire more than quietude in our classrooms, but what are the best ways to maintain a certain order while sustaining engaging learning environments for our students?
There are two
links in this posting. One, just below, will be a quick reference
and provides an answer to a question posed last week: When asked to
reveal their most useful classroom management tool in a recent
online poll, the majority of teachers across the country gave the
same one-word response. Can you predict what it was?
http://www.edutopia.org/node/4074
The other link is to an Educational Leadership journal from 2003, Building Classroom Relationships. This will require more of your time, but so worth it. The articles focus on building community with individual students and a classroom. Collectively they provide an excellent base for reflection and discussion of Classroom Management as well as strategies and resources.
Take a few
minutes to read and/or skim a couple of these articles, each is
three-four pages in length. The first three or four articles are
particularly insightful. You may disagree with some, that's fine
too. Let us know.
http://tinyurl.com/yqkwmn
After reading an article or two, reflect and respond in the
following way:
- Tell what you already feel pretty confident about in relation to classroom management, or your first thoughts about this topic;
- Something you learned and want to think more about;
- What questions do you now have?
- Which might you be most interested in exploring further?
Finally, assess your comfort level with the listed Classroom Environment Standards:
- Establishing, Managing and Maintaining a Positive, Student-focused Learning Environment
Establishing a Culture for Learning
Managing Classroom Procedures
Managing Student Behavior
Organizing Physical Space
In these past few months your anecdotal comments and questions have provided thoughtful, even wise direction for our discussion. So much appreciated.
More later. Thank you.
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In closing classroom management discussion, I'm posting a compilation of ideas that have emerged from this discussion (embedded in your online contributions), as well as a few other tidbits.- "Try-it-again" strategy
- Consistency & Patience!
- Clearly defined and consistently incorporated procedures add to a sense of order.
- Maintain behavior guidelines that support safety and respect.
- Curriculum that is diverse enough to engage all students.
- Room arrangement that allows teacher to move freely throughout.
- Incorporate music & movement.
- Laugh it up! Kids love to incorporate fun with learning.
- Engage challenging students in presenting parts of the lesson.
- Say 'hello' to every single student every day, including a positive comment.
- Accelerate parental involvement - could it be part of classroom procedure?
- Contact parents with positive comments about their child early in the school year.
- Use tools such as a 'sitting ball' that appropriately engages a busy child in kinesthetic movement.
- Talk informally with students whenever possible; call them at home.
- Use 'assertive' body language/posture with 'offending' students and incorporate flexibility and negotiation whenever possible.
- Conduct class meetings, engage students in team-building and cooperative projects.
- Build relationships with individual students and with class as a whole, i.e. informal conversations & team-building activities.
In addition, four articles on Building Relationships are still available via the site below, and they are full of management/relationship-building strategies.
You might
also find some of the instructional resources available in the On
Demand Information section of the STAR Web site.
(Go to
"Instructional Resources-->New Teacher Help and look for
"Classroom Management" and "Student Behavior"). Click
here to go there now.
Enjoy your well deserved summer respite.