CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT

In educational circles it is commonly said that no one pays attention to good classroom
management until it is missing. When classrooms are effectively managed, they run smoothly
and students are actively engaged in learning. When they are poorly managed, they can
become chaotic settings in which learning is a foreign activity. Our coverage begins by
examining why classrooms need to be managed effectively, followed by strategies for
designing the classroom’s physical environment. Then we discuss the importance of creating
a positive environment for learning and ways to be an effective communicator.
What is Classroom management?
Classroom management is the process by which teachers and schools create and maintain
appropriate behavior of students in classroom settings. The purpose of implementing
classroom management strategies is to enhance prosocial behavior and increase student
academic engagement (Emmer & Sabornie, 2015; Everston & Weinstein, 2006). Effective
classroom management principles work across almost all subject areas and grade levels
(Brophy, 2006; Lewis, et al., 2006). When using a tiered model in which school-wide support
is provided at the universal level, classroom behavior management programs have shown to
be effective for 80-85 percent of all students. More intensive programs may be needed for
some students.
WHY CLASSROOMS NEED TO BE MANAGED EFFECTIVELY?
 Management issues in elementary and secondary school classrooms
 The crowded, complex, and potentially chaotic classroom
 Getting off to the right start
 Emphasizing instruction and a positive classroom climate
 Management goals and strategies
Why is classroom management important?
Effective classroom management:
 Establishes and sustains an orderly environment in the classroom.
 Increases meaningful academic learning and facilitates social and emotional growth.
 Decreases negative behaviors and increases time spent academically engaged.
Although effective classroom management produces a variety of positive outcomes for
students, according to a 2006 survey of pre-K through grade 12 teachers conducted by APA,
teachers report a lack of support in implementing classroom management strategies. Chaotic
classroom environments are a large issue for teachers and can contribute to high teacher
stress and burnout rates. Therefore, it is important to use effective classroom management
strategies at the universal level in a tiered model, as they serve as both prevention and
intervention methods that promote positive outcomes for students.
Why classroom management works?
Effective classroom management
Classroom management systems are effective because they increase student success by
creating an orderly learning environment that enhances students' academic skills and
competencies, as well as their social and emotional development. Classroom management
systems are most effective when they adhere to three basic principles (Brophy, 2006, pp. 39-
40):
1. Emphasize student expectations for behavior and learning.
2. Promote active learning and student involvement.
3. Identify important student behaviors for success.
More specifically:
a) What behaviors are required to reach the goals of learning activities?
b) What implications does a particular learning activity have for student roles?
c) How will the teacher prepare students to take on these roles?
School Wide Implementation
Teachers concerned with classroom management typically need help with two issues:
1. Preventing discipline problems.
2. Dealing with current discipline problems.
To address these concerns, researchers have established several systems such as positive
behavior support (PBS) (Crone & Horner, 2003; Crone, Horner, & Hawken, 2010) and social
and emotional learning (SEL), (Weissberg, Kumpfer, & Seligman, 2003).
POSITIVE BEHAVIOR SUPPORT
Positive behavior support (PBS) is typically set up as a multilevel model of intervention and
involves a school-wide structure of support for teachers that adopt evidence-based programs
(Freiberg & Lapointe, 2006), and small group and individualized programs for students who
do not respond to the school-wide structure and need more support (Robinson & Griesemer,
2006). At the school wide level, teachers and staff create a positive school culture by clearly
defining positive expectations that are taught to all students and adults (Bradshaw, 2014).
An example of a system of PBS as a tiered model might look like the following:
Tier 1:  universal level
 The school establishes expectations for behavior.
 Ensure that students, staff and families understand these expectations; schools
operationalize positive behaviors and teach them to students.
 Teachers have pro-social contacts with students and model expected behaviors.
 Teachers receive formal training in behavior management.
 The school establishes a school-wide leadership team to support the PBS
activities.
 The school implements a methodical system of recording student behavior to
facilitate decision-making regarding potential intervention or other responses.
Tier 2: secondary level of intervention
 An evidence-based program such as First Steps to Success (Walker, Stiller, Bolly,
Kavanagh, Steverson, & Feil, 1997) can be implemented with groups of students
in need of this level of support.
Tier 3: tertiary level
 Individualized evidence-based programs are implemented for students not
responding to the second tier based on results of behavior data and analysis of
their behavior. Most classroom teachers have not been trained in functional
assessment or analysis of behavior, so it is important that they consult with their
colleagues (e.g., school psychologists, special education teachers) who have
expertise in this area.
Tier 1: universal instruction and intervention
Approximately 80-85 percent of students will be able to meet classroom behavior
expectations when given high-quality, universal instruction/intervention on behavior.
Explicitly teach students classroom expectations and routines
Teachers should not assume that students know the appropriate and expected classroom
behaviors. Instead, teachers should make it a priority to help their students understand what
appropriate classroom behaviors are and make this information explicit.
 Spend extra time teaching expectations at the beginning of the school year; this plan
will help students get into the practice of following rules right from the start.
 Reteach your goals throughout the year, and make sure your students are familiar with
these goals. It could be helpful to display them in your classroom.
 Make your classroom goals easy to understand and measurable (e.g., if your goal is to
"be respectful" make sure your students know what that means. Provide them
examples of respectful behaviors that you expect from them).
 Generally, do not exceed five expectations at a time; too many expectations will cause
students to forget directions.
 Adapt behavior expectations based on context such as group size or setting.
Reward positive behaviors
 Student praise is one of the most effective ways of increasing positive behavior.
Giving behavior-specific praise that identifies what the student has done correctly is a
powerful strategy for increasing good behavior.
 Assess what rewards are reinforcing for your students: do they appreciate teacher
attention or prefer small prizes? Rewards only work if the student finds them
reinforcing, so rewards may need to be tailored for individual students.
Develop a curriculum that facilitates student engagement
  Ensure that the difficulty level of the instructional materials is appropriate for the
students. Instructional materials that are too easy or too difficult can result in off-task
behavior.
 Create opportunities for student choice in materials studied. Student choice allows for
greater ownership of academic experience. (see module on autonomous learners)
 Incorporate student interest into the curriculum, causing the students to become more
invested in what they are learning (Kern & Clemens, 2007).
What if a student isn't responding to instruction or intervention? 
If a student isn't responding to universal instruction/intervention with classroom appropriate
behavior, they may need a stronger or customized intervention. Implementing intensive
socio-emotional interventions for students with behavior difficulties is an effective means of
enhancing classroom management because socio-emotional interventions can equip students
with the competencies, skills and motivation they need to behave appropriately in school. 
Tier 2: smaller group instruction
Typically an additional 10-15 percent of students need more behavior support than is
provided at the Universal level. Tier 2 support typically involves small group instruction.
Institute socio-emotional groups
Small group instruction can be established for students who need to focus on specific skills to
improve and manage their classroom behavior. Topics for these groups may include:
a. Self-management
b. Anger management
c. Conflict resolution
d. Specialized social skill instruction
e. Mentoring programs
Institute daily check-in and check-out procedures:
Check-in and check-out procedures allow for monitoring of students' behavior as well as
provide feedback for improvement. Criteria for monitoring are based on school behavior
expectations.
Develop brief functional behavior assessments to determine the motivation behind
student behaviors.
Consult with colleagues trained in functional behavior assessment to collect data on students'
behavior and offer analyses of potential interventions that are most appropriate and effective
for specific needs.
Involve families in supporting children in group interventions
Inform families of problem-solving plans at school and engage in consistent communication
to ensure effectiveness of plans.
Tier 3: individual intervention
An additional 5-7 percent of students may need continued support beyond Tier 2
interventions. These students typically benefit from individualized, intensive interventions.
A problem-solving team in the school can offer support to the teacher
Problem-solving teams composed of teachers, school psychologists, principals and special
educators should meet regularly to collaborate on appropriate interventions for students
needing increased support.
Develop and implement function-based interventions for individual students
Functional behavior assessments are effective means of determining the purpose of student
misbehavior and creating appropriate interventions (Scott et al., 2005).
Social and emotional learning
Social and emotional learning (SEL) is affiliated with the Collaborative for Academic, Social,
and Emotional Learning (CASEL) (Weissberg, Kumper, & Seligman, 2003). SEL programs
provide instruction at the universal level and are designed to teach social and emotional
competencies to students to enhance their success in school and in life (Durlak, Weissberg,
Dymnikci, Taylor, & Schellinger, 2011). According to CASEL, effective SEL instruction
includes opportunities to practice skills, coordination with school and community
environments, systematic and sequential programming throughout grade levels, and
continuous monitoring of programming.
Recommendations for teachers
1. Do not use vague rules.
2. Do not have rules that you are unwilling to enforce.
3. Do not ignore student behaviors that violate school or classroom rules (they will
not go away).
4. Do not engage in ambiguous or inconsistent treatment of misbehavior.
5. Do not use overly harsh or embarrassing punishments or punishments delivered
without accompanying support.
6. Do not use corporal punishment.
7. Avoid out-of-school suspension whenever possible (APA Task Force on Zero
Tolerance report).
8. Do not try to solve problems alone if you have serious concerns about a student.
Refer to your school psychologist or special education professional.
Developmental differences
Classroom management in high schools
Although positive behavior support systems are producing strong results for increased pro-
social behaviors and decreased negative results in elementary schools, these systems are less
often implemented in high schools.
Sometimes, high schools have tried to resolve behavioral issues by:
 Repeating and restating consequences.
  Increasing the averseness of consequences.
 Establishing a bottom line or zero tolerance level policies.
 Excluding students from the "privilege" of attending school through out-of-school
suspensions and expulsions.
 Offering alternative ways of completing the high school experience someplace
else (e.g., alternative school, community college) (Sugai & Horner, 2002).
These frequently enforced consequences:
 May lead to overly controlling environments.
 Could trigger and reinforce antisocial behavior.
 Can shift accountability and educational responsibility away from the school.
 Can devalue student-teacher relationships.
 Might weaken the link between academic and social behavior (Sugai & Horner,
2002; American Psychological Association [APA] Zero Tolerance Task Force,
2008).
When implemented in high schools, prevention-based classroom management systems:
 Create and promote a positive school climate.
 Enhance student commitment to school.
 Teach and reward individual student social skills.
 Disrupt and monitor antisocial behaviors and interactions.
Effective high school classroom management adjustments
Due to developmental differences between elementary and high school students, adaptations
to classroom management strategies must be made. The following are some examples:
 Allow students to be involved in the development and implementation of goals.
Students will be increasingly engaged in classroom management strategies if you
give them collaborative responsibility in the creation and implementation of
expectations.
 Teach behavior expectations as you do in elementary school; do not assume that
high school students understand social expectations.
 Remember: not all high school students are motivated by academic success or
social success. Have students individually assist in identifying what they would
find reinforcing.
DESIGNING THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT OF THE CLASSROOM
 Principles of classroom arrangement
 Arrangement style