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The importance of classroom management can hardly be overstated. Without order and discipline,
teaching and learning cannot be facilitated efficiently and effectively. This chapter is geared towards
equipping prospective teachers with the competencies in establishing a healthy environment
conducive to teaching and learning.

An Overview of Classroom Management

Classroom management refers to the complex set of plans and actions that the teacher uses to ensure
that learning in the classroom is efficient and effective (Jacobsen et al, 1993). It is, therefore, different
from discipline. Discipline is often associated with having students quiet and on their seats, which
should not be the teacher's central focus in the classroom.

Classroom management also involves teaching the students how to manage their own behavior in
classroom settings by establishing learning situations that will allow them to do this (Savage, 1991).
Thus, it is broader than discipline and includes the teacher's over-all educational objectives. Through
appropriate classroom management, the teacher hopes to increase students’ academic achievement
and help students understand and direct their own behavior.

An important factor in classroom management is classroom leadership and the ability to establish a
classroom atmosphere that is conducive to learning (Charles, I991). An effective teacher has to be
concerned with his ability to provide a positive and healthy environment for learning to take place.
This requires that he be skillful in communicating and motivating students.

Another vital aspect of classroom management is discipline (Moore, 1992), Discipline, however,
should not be associated with punishment. While discipline is what a teacher does to prevent
disruptive behavior, punishment is a teacher's reaction to a disruptive behavior.

Classroom management, therefore, consists of three principal components, namely: leadership,

classroom atmosphere, and discipline or control.

Classroom Leadership
As mentioned earlier, classroom leadership is one of the major components of classroom
management. Classroom leadership, according to Doyle (1996), refers to the actions and behaviors
manifested by a teacher to influence the learners to put forth effort towards the achievement of the
goals and objectives of instruction.

According to Dreikurs and Cassel, as cited by Eby and Kujawa (1994), there are three types of
leadership styles that teachers use in the classroom: autocratic, laissez-faire, and democratic.
Teachers who are autocratic in their style of leading share the following beliefs:
 It is their responsibility to plan arrangement of desks and other furniture in the classroom;
 It is their responsibility to plan schedules that seldom vary;
 Teachers have the knowledge of the subject matter and the responsibility to express it to
students through teacher centered lectures, discussions, and assignments; and
 The student's role in the classroom is simply to obey the rules and comply with all assigned
work satisfactorily.

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From the foregoing beliefs autocratic teachers adhere to, it can be inferred that they use pressure,
criticism, and punishment to demand cooperation from the students. Thus, they assume the sole
responsibility for making all decisions for the class. Moore (1992) says that this style of leadership
results in an atmosphere of hostility and creates a feeling of powerlessness, competitiveness, high
dependency and alienation from the subject matter among students (Moore, 1992).

The second style of classroom leadership is laissez-faire. The teachers employing this mode of leading
are completely permissive. They appear to be tentative and powerless, as anything goes. They make
few rules and are not consistent in establishing and implementing the consequences for misbehavior.
They seem unable to assert authority over the academic work and student behavior. Thus, they create
a chaotic classroom climate where students do not know what is expected or how they can succeed.

The third approach to classroom leadership is the democratic style. Democratic teachers are neither
autocratic nor permissive. They are firm and consistent about their expectations regarding students’
behavior and academic achievement. They involve students in establishing specific rules and
consequences for violating rules. They are ready and willing to listen to the needs, desires and
reactions of their students. They seek compliance through encouragement rather than coercion.
Thus, democratic teachers create a classroom atmosphere characterized by openness, friendly
communication, and independence.

Classroom Atmosphere
Effective teachers seek to provide a classroom atmosphere that is supportive of students and their
efforts, where all students feel welcome and accepted by the teacher (Sanford & Emmer, 1988).
Teachers whose classes are friendly and positive find that their students learn and behave better than
those whose classes are restrictive and repressive. One way of providing a classroom environment
that is friendly and positive is to get to know the students and recognize each as a valuable and unique
learner. Some ways of getting to know the students are as follows:

1. Classroom sharing during the first week of school. Many teachers take time to ask students
to share information about themselves during the first week of classes. Some questions
usually asked include the following:
 By what name would you like me to call you?
 Where did you study last year?
 Can you tell us about your hobbies and other interests?

2. Observation of students in the classroom. To get to know better his students, an effective
teacher is alert to the individual behavior of each of them during class activities. Observing
students during group work is a good method of getting to know more about each student's
interests and skills.

3. Observing students outside the classroom. This is another way of knowing students.
Observing them during assemblies and other co-curricular activities can provide a teacher
important clues about their students’ behaviors and attitudes.

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4. Conversation with students. Spending time casually with the students can provide a teacher
opportunity to know his students more intimately.

5. Conferences and interviews with students. Conferences with students provide an

opportunity for a teacher to show that he is genuinely interested in a student as an
individual as well as a learner.

6. Student writing. Much can be learned from what students write provided that the teacher
reads everything that they write in his class.

7. Open-ended questionnaires. Some teachers administer a questionnaire to learn more

about their students. Questions like the following are provided for the students to answer:
 When you are with your friends, what do you usually talk about?
 What reading materials do you enjoy reading?
 What is your favorite television show?
 What do you usually do after class hours?
 What do you want to become after graduation from high school?

8. Cumulative record. It is a document containing information recorded every year by

teachers and other school personnel. A student's cumulative record can provide a teacher
with useful information to get to know a particular student better.
9. Discussion with fellow teachers and guidance counselor. To better understand an individual
student, it is often helpful to talk with his previous teachers or counselor to learn of their
experience with that student.

The classroom should be a pleasant place for each student to come to and learn in. All students should
feel welcome in the classroom and accepted as an individual with dignity. Some specific ways by which
a positive classroom environment can be created, according to Cangelosi (1994) are as follows:
 Making the classroom an attractive place to be;
 Fairness and objectivity in dealing with every student in class;
 Admonishing behavior, not the student;
 Rewarding positive behavior;
 Sending positive notes home to parents or guardians;
 Rewarding individual successes, no matter how small the accomplishment;
 Making learning fun, using humor while teaching;
 Helping students develop their skills in cooperative learning;
 Encouraging high aspirations from each student and letting each of them know that you
are confident in his ability to achieve;
 Encouraging students to set high but realistic standards for themselves;
 Using interesting teaching strategies that increase students' motivation to learn;
 Involving students in every aspect of their learning, including the planning of learning
activities; and
 Being an interesting person and optimistic and enthusiastic teacher.

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Classroom Discipline
Classroom disciplines a process of controlling student behavior in the classroom (Sprick, l1989). It
involves steps in preventing inappropriate student behaviors and procedures for dealing with
inappropriate behaviors. Today educators prefer to use the term classroom control to mean
classroom discipline, owing to its association with punishment. According to Callahan, Clark, and
Kellough (1992), classroom control involves the following elements:
 Control from within the learner and from outside factors;
 Understanding of the learner and the learner's perceptions of his behavior;
 Referral to specialists when necessary;
 Individualized instruction to meet the unique needs of each learner; and
 Prevention through the application of effective teaching and control strategies.

Classroom control is important because teachers are sometimes confronted with student
misbehavior which they have to address. Some types of student misbehavior that have to be
contended with include the following (Charles, 1989):

1. Aggression. There are occasions when aggressive students physically or verbally attack their
fellow students or even their teachers. As a teacher, you have to be aware of the rules and
regulations on this kind of behavior. When in doubt about what to do, consult the school
principal or even the guidance counselor.

2. Immorality. This type of misbehavior includes cheating, lying, and stealing. A student who
habitually does those behaviors has to be referred to a specialist.

3. Defiance of authority. When a student refuses to do what the teacher tells him to do, this
defiance is worthy of temporary or permanent removal from class, at least until there has
been a conference about the situation involving the student, his guardian/parent, and a
school official.

4. Class disruptions. This type includes talking loudly or out of turn, walking about the room
without permission, clowning, and tossing objects. In dealing with these kinds of
misbehaviors, it is important that you have communicated to the students the
consequences of such inappropriate behaviors. Following your stated rules for
misbehavior, you have to deal promptly and consistently with the misbehavior.

5. Goofing off. This type of misbehavior includes those that are most common in the
classroom: fooling around, not doing the assigned tasks, daydreaming, and just generally
being off task. For a time this type of misbehavior can be ignored but if it persists, all it
takes is to get the students back on task.

On the basis of the foregoing discussion, it is evident that some student misbehaviors and problems
in classroom control are teacher or school-caused. As a teacher, one of your major responsibilities is
to model appropriate behavior and not be a cause or contributor to student misbehavior and
problems in the classroom. What are some teacher behaviors that can cause student misbehavior?
Emmer and his associates (1990) identified the following teacher behaviors as possible causes of
student misbehavior:

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1. Nagging. Continuous and unnecessary scolding and criticizing of students upsets the
recipient students and arouses resentment from their peers.

2. Assigning extra school work. Habitually giving reading assignments to students who
misbehave make the students feel that the school is a drudgery and no longer look forward
to their classes.

3. Punishing the group. Punishing the whole class for the mistake or misbehavior of one
student develops among the students hostility towards their teacher and loss of respect,
as well.

4. Use of writing as punishment. Making students hand copy certain pages of a book as
punishment arouses among them hatred of the subject and the teacher.

5. Threats and ultimatums. Threats and ultimatums that a teacher does not implement lead
to loss of credibility on his part.

6. Premature judgments and actions. A teacher’s impulsiveness and habit of not thinking
clearly before acting can lead him to reprimand the wrong student. Because of hasty and
faulty judgment, students may lose respect for the teacher.

7. Inconsistency. A teacher may also lose the respect of his students, as well as control of the
class due to arbitrary and inconsistent enforcement of classroom rules.

8. Harsh and humiliating punishment. A teacher can also lose control of his class through
frequent use of harsh and humiliating punishment.

Preventing Classroom Management Problems

Preventing problems before they occur involves anticipation of potential problems before they occur.
An orderly classroom does not happen by chance. It is the result of careful and systematic planning.
The first step in planning, however is the formulation of a system of rules and procedures. Once
established, teachers need to plan for teaching and monitoring these rules.

Classroom rules that specify standards for student behavior are vital for effective management. As
pointed out by Jacobsen and his colleagues (1993), rules that are clearly stated and consistently
monitored can do much to prevent management problems. The following guidelines can be
considered by teachers in preparing classroom rules (Evertson, 1987):
 Keep class rules and school rules consistent;
 State rules clearly;
 Provide rationales for rules;
 State rules positively; and
 Allow student input in the rule making process.

Rules and procedures will not automatically work just because they exist and have been presented to
the students. Merely presenting the rules will prevent misbehavior from some students. On the other
hand, carefully teaching these rules will eliminate the problems before they get started. In order to
prevent problems from cropping up, teacher have to continuously monitor their rules and
procedures. The combination of the rules and procedures together with careful monitoring will
eliminate most classroom management problems before they get started.

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Theoretical Approaches in Dealing with Classroom Management Problems

On the basis of teacher’s assumptions about their students and their role in guiding students’
development, teachers take different approaches in dealing with classroom management problems
(Levin & Nolan, 1991). These approaches are the following: interventionist, non-interventionist, and
interactionalist.

1. Interventionist (Rules/Reward – Punishment)

Interventionists believe that environment and/or external-conditioning ultimately shape
the development of a child (Sert, 2007). As a result, these instructors assume full control
of the students' environment by setting strict rules and following through with
consequences if inappropriate behavior occurs. These teachers generally have more
experience, are older, and place emphasis on authority. Their expectations for the pupil
are made clear. Routines are well established, and systems well organized. Interventionists
focus on modifying behavior through reinforcement, conditioning, and material tactics to
reverse unacceptable behavior (Witcher, Jiao, Onwuegbuzie, Collins, James, & Minor,
2008). This model may prove beneficial for children with behavioral problems who require
routine, clarity, and clear expectations to perform well.

2. Non-Interventionist (Relationship - Listening)

Non-Interventionists share a more humanistic approach. They believe students' behavior
is a direct reflection of internal processes that need to be expressed. These internal feelings
are a means of focus in understanding a child's development. Unlike the Interventionist
style, minimal authority is administered, providing the student more control of their
environment and behavior. These teachers tend to be empathetic, and are more willing to
compromise. Their approach is supportive vs. authoritative. Indirect tactics such as visual
cues are given to encourage the individual to self-correct unacceptable behavior (Witcher,
et al., 2008). This model may prove beneficial to children who have an established locus of
control, and can be trusted to self-regulate. It affords them freedom, and is most
rewarding.

3. Interactionalist (Confronting – Contracting)

Interactionalists maintain a balance between the interventionists and non-interventionists
extremes (Sert, 2007). They lie somewhere in the middle, with the idea that development
is a direct result of "interaction between internal and external forces" (Witcher, et al.,
2008). With this style, there is a constant interaction between the teacher and the
misbehaved pupil. The responsibility of behavioral control is a shared task between teacher
and student (Sert, 2007). This relationship is key in holding the student accountable for his
or her own actions eventually facilitating independence. If and when appropriate, the
instructor will confront unacceptable behavior by taking into account both the internal and
external factors.

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Controlling the Class through Assertive Discipline

Assertive discipline became a popular approach to classroom management in the I980's, a system
developed by Lee Canter in the 1970s. It emphasizes the teacher's right to an orderly classroom.
According to Jacobsen and his colleagues (1995), this approach to discipline attempts to train teachers
to respond to management problems with proactive assertive behaviors rather than non-assertive or
hostile actions. It is based on the premise that teachers have three rights:
 The right to establish a classroom structure that is conducive to learning;
 The right to determine and expect appropriate behavior from students; and
 The right to ask help from parents, the principal, and other professionals to produce order
in the classroom.

Using these rights as bases, assertive discipline advocates the creation of a management system
similar to the interventionist approach. Rules and procedures are clearly laid out at the beginning of
the school year and are enforced with both reward and punishment.

Rewards can include the following: praise, awards notes or phone call to parents, special privilege,
and material consequences.

Punishments, on the other hand, can include time out, removal of privilege after school detention,
principal's office, and hone involvement.

Methods of Assertive Discipline

 Make the rules very clear; don't be ambiguous.
 Recognize when students behave correctly and praise.
 Be specific when praising students, make sure they know why they are being praised.
 Reward exceptional behavior.
 Be clear of the consequences of bad behavior.
 Always follow through with the consequences of rule breaking.