Factors in Classroom Management

Classroom management is an important teaching skill.

Classroom management is an important teaching skill. An atmosphere that facilitates learning is the first step to students' academic success. Classroom management involves many factors, ranging from the physical arrangement of the classroom to dealing with students' disruptive behaviors. Managing a classroom efficiently allows teachers to make learning an enjoyable process for their students.

Physical Environment

The physical aspect of the classroom is the first thing that students perceive when they step inside. It can influence their attitude toward learning even without them being aware of it. Consider how desks are arranged to provide easy traffic flow and students' interactions for pair and group work; using neutral colors and posting useful visual aids on the walls; the room's acoustics; and maintaining proper lighting and temperature. Students' comfort means the lack of unpleasant distractions from learning.

Teacher's Attitude

A teacher's personal qualities can affect students' attitude toward learning. Teachers should project their voice and clearly articulate words so that all students in the room can hear and understand. These qualities can prevent students' fussing while trying to find out what the teacher just told them to do. The teacher's posture should exhibit confidence; facial expressions and hand gestures should enhance the meaning of words, especially in language classes.

Unfavorable Circumstances

Teaching under adverse circumstances is another factor to consider in classroom management. In teaching large classes, of 30 to 40 students or more, individual teacher-student interaction is minimized and students have fewer opportunities to fully participate in the learning activities. Teaching multiple-proficiency levels can be equally difficult, because it forces teachers to adapt their strategies to meet all of their students' goals. Consider group work tasks to address these issues.

Classroom Discipline

Dealing with disruptive behaviors in class is a skill that teachers must learn. Before attempting one of several strategies to manage bad behavior, teachers must understand what triggers it. There are multiple causes for students' misbehavior: curricular variables (tasks are too difficult, easy, boring or unstructured); social variables (positive or negative interactions between students); and setting variables (time of day, personal problems at home, student feeling sick, hungry or tired). When the causes are clear, teachers can take appropriate measures to handle inappropriate behavior.

Teacher-Student Relationship

Teachers that value students' opinions and feelings and are genuinely interested in their progress seldom have classroom management issues. Treating students equally, but trying to meet each and every one's needs as individuals with different learning systems creates a positive learning climate in the classroom. Teacher-student relationships based on mutual trust and respect can contribute to students' successful acquisition of knowledge and lead to good academic results.

References

• TESOL Courses: "Classroom Management"; Laurie Pollitt
• "Language Assessment: Principles and Classroom Practices"; H. Douglas Brown & Priyanvada Abeywickrama; Second Edition; 2010; p. 245-247,253
• Institute of Education Sciences: "Reducing Behavior Problems in the Elementary School Classroom"; Sept. 2008; p.17-18