Classroom management is one of the most challenging tasks teachers of today face on a day-to-day basis. Management is seen as a topic for concern for teachers, administrators, and the public (Eggen & Kauchak, 2010). Classroom management requires careful planning and effective instruction by the teacher. Doyle, (1986) identified several features of classrooms that make them complex and demanding:
- Multidimensional and simultaneous: Dealing with misbehaviour, while maintaining attention from the rest of the class (Eggen & Kauchak, 2010).
- Immediate: Avoiding events from escalating.
- Unpredictable: Unable to read students’ reactions and being aware of changes when they occur.
- Public: Responding to the offender of an incident, which shows students in the class the teacher is in charge and in control (Eggen & Kauchak, 2010).
These complex ideas of a classroom make classroom management challenging and important. Introducing positive routines like safety, order, and learning within a classroom will improve student motivation and achievement. Creating productive learning environments increase student enthusiasm, decreasing disruptive behaviours, which extends time for instruction, improving student achievement (Eggen & Kauchak, 2010). Academic learning is at the core of any effective classroom management system, it depends on time allocated to learning and effective instruction provided by the teacher. Ideal classroom management is to enhance instructional, engaged, and academic learning time (Eggen & Kauchak, 2010, p. 355). Other points to consider is the student’s development, classroom organisation, recorded sets of rules and routines and to set the tone and order of classrooms which are effective management systems.
Students come from diverse backgrounds so their prior knowledge differs and so do their experiences and behaviours. To accomplish management and organisation effectively teachers need to be caring, set clear standards of acceptable behaviour at the first initial meeting of students, form specific structure and routines for the classroom and apply effective instruction that is relevant to the topics and individual needs of each student (Eggen & Kauchack, 2010). B. F. Skinner’s theory on ‘Operant Conditioning’, portray the idea that learning is a function of change in overt behaviour (Kearsley, 2010). A student’s home environment can have a major impact on the student’s learning and behaviours, so it is just as important to involve parents/carers in school activities.
Then they are informed and aware of their child’s performance and achievement levels, where their child should be at and help improve these areas at home with homework and assignments (Eggen & Kauchak, 2010). In achieving parental involvement, they are kept informed and aware of their child’s performance and achievement levels. This will in doubt assist in forming harmonious relations with parents who will be motivated to support their child with homework and assignments.
To help maintain an orderly classroom, teachers should praise desired behaviours and ignore unacceptable behaviours (Eggen & Kauchack, 2010), apply appropriate consequences for these types of behaviour and be consistent in following through with the agreed consequences. Reinforcement is the key element in Skinner’s theory; a reinforcer is anything that strengthens the desired response (Kearsley, 2010). Teachers are required by law to intervene in cases of violence and aggression and act immediately to these problems and seek help if needed (Marsh, 2008). Teachers need to ensure that all communication whether to parents, students, staff and communities are all spoken to and handled in a professional and ethical manner.
Rules, routines, professionalism and planning are all major components in the organisation and management of a classroom. The 21st century teacher will need to accommodate for the diversity of learners that influence a 21st century learners within a society. Points to consider are the multi-cultural backgrounds of people living in Australia, the technological changes, environmental issues and different learning and psychological problems students have (Marsh, 2008). There is more than just considering rules and routines, attitudes and behaviours of students and effective instruction. Teachers of today need to be able to adapt to the many changes that are still taking place within communities and accommodate their teaching to suit students for the future.
Teachers need to demonstrate “withitness” where students know that the teacher is aware at all times of classroom behaviours. The way a teacher interacts with their students will influence both the likelihood of their compliance and attitudes (Eggen & Kauchak, 2010). Loud public lectures, criticism and sarcasm reduce the student’s sense of safety, creating resentment and diminish classroom climate not just for one student but most likely all in the class (Eggen & Kauchak, 2010). Following through with what has been discussed about maintaining an effective management system, if these basic points are not followed students may interpret a sense of uncertainty and learn that the teacher is not entirely committed to maintaining an orderly environment. Keeping interventions as brief as possible, too much time spent on discipline and student achievement can break the flow of the lesson and reduce time for instruction (Eggen & Kauchak, 2010). Teachers should at all times avoid arguments with students and other colleges in-front of a student this shows lack of control over the situation and models bad behaviour to the students. Teachers’ communication should be clear and firm, verbal and nonverbal behaviours must be consistent, as people react better to tone of voice and body language rather than that of spoken words (Aronson, Wilson & Akert, 2005). The ability to manage classrooms can be a challenge, but it isn’t impossible.
Organisation is a professional skill that includes preparing materials in advance, starting activities on time, making transitions quickly and smoothly, and creating well-established routines (Eggen & Kauchak, 2010, p. 357) Careful planning and consistent rules and routines that are age appropriate for the class, means the teacher is able to practice orderly and valuable learning experiences for each and every student in the classrooms of the 21st century learners.
