What is classroom management?

The purpose of education

Proactive teachers
How to improve school achievement
What should you know?

Essential skill
Based on
creating a positive
physical and emotional environment.

Proactive classroom management is the art and

science of transforming a collection of young

people into a cohesive group of learners (Henley)

To teach students to be
responsible citizens
(Langdon, 1996)
RESPONSIBLE

Compliance
Obedience to
authority

Self-control (no
constant
supervision)

Self-directed

the ability to make

socially
appropriate
choices

RESPONSIBLE
BEHAVIOUR

Characterised by
care for others

How ?
Means used to manage students
Structures develop
Disciplinary techniques

be accountable
for personal action

Trying to teach students to make good choices while

using overbearing tactics to force obedience would be
counterproductive (Good & Brophy, 2000)

 Do not avoid problems in learning or problems

with behaviour.
Accept responsability to find solutions
Accept responsability for their students
successes and failures (Brophy, 1983)
Understand that each student comes with
strengths and weaknesses
Incorporate social skills lessons into their daily
activities and routines.
Emphasize civility
Model the qualities they want to develop in their
students.

Their challenge:

Bring out the best in all students

3 principles (Brophy
1983)

3 characteristics
Can-do attitude
They enable the
growth of students
at risk
accept-noexcuses motto

 pass their classroom

difficulties to someone else
give up on disadvantaged
students, learning disabled or
hyperactive

Students note their

teachers attitude.
He belived in me
She challenged me
He cared about me as a person

survey
Respondents talked
about personal
qualities
No mention of specific
instructional methods.
The positive nature of
the person mattered
most (Henley, 2000)

Atributes
Provide emotional
support
Provide basic
necessities You
matter (snacks)
Challenge students
Give students
responsabilities

In class
Most behavioral
problems are handled
within the classroom
Learning is viewed as
a lifelong endavor
Profesional
develoment and the
acquisition of new skills
are prized.
Students are
respected as
individuals first.

Despite the difficulties teachers must try

to do their best to help the students

Students cannot learn

in a classroom marred
by disciplinary
problems

Factors:
Poor classroom
management
Disruptive students

How?
Social
competence
It is the ability to
maintain peer
relationships and
exhibit pro-social
behaviour in school.
Rejected or isolated
students are at risk of
low social
competence

Top disciplinaries problems(national center for

education statistics 2002)

priorities

Tardiness
Absenteeism
Class cutting

Breaking rules
Tobacco use
Sale of drugs on school

Techers must take into account their

emotions and their needs.

Factors:

Emotional restraint
Personal needs
Mini theories

Emotional restraint
Teachers must model the same
restrain they seek to develop in
their students.

Personal needs

Emotional intelligence
Ablity to perceive a situation as
stressful, reflect on the best course
action, and choose a reasonable
action (Goleman,1995)

Mini theories

Reflective teachers understand that

their personal psycological needs
influence their behaviour.
When needs are frustrated
theachers may project that onto
their students.

An intellectual is someone whose mind watches itself (Albert

Camus).
Reflective teachers look for causes.

 Biophysical

theory: human behavior through

an analysis of metabolic, genetic, and neurological

factors.

Psychodynamic

theory: repressed

emotions cause anxiety and phobias.

Behaviorism

theory: ascribes behavior

change to the manipulation of environmental factors.

Developmental

theory:

explains the
observable differences in childrens thoughts.(areas of
development: motor, cognitive, language, and socialemotional).

Combine insights and principles from two or more

theories. They must provide practical guidelines on a
number of overlapping issues.

Interactional perspective
The classroom an ecosystem (physical and social
environmental variales)
Physical: space, chairs, color
Social: group dynamics, rules, family
involment, cultural differences.

The teacher becomes a proactive problem solver.

When one system does not work, the proactive teacher
moves on to another approach instead of blaming
the student.

Structure
organizational practices, routines and procedures
evolves with time
flexible and responsive to learners needs

Instruction

engaged in their lessons

disruptions are minimal
Teachers know the curriculum and take their students
need and interests into account.

Discipline

It is proactive and educational

To teach students social skills.
Teach how to manage the feelings, behave
appropriately and respect others rights.

Proactive classroom management aims

to help students to become self-directed
in their learning and behaviour.
Proactive teachers are reflective and
practice positive behaviour supports and
constructive social skills.