Classroom Management: An Approach

Padmaja, C V. IUP Journal of English Studies 7.2 (Jun 2012): 39-42.

Classroom management which establishes constructive and productive classroom environment is
critical to achieve positive results in imparting education. The aim of this paper is to show what
classroom management is, issues of classroom supervision, and managing the behavioral trends
of the students in tandem with the academic discipline. The paper also focuses on how to manage
tempo and time while establishing a connectionbetween the teacher and student, which is
imperative in making the class effective. In the process, the importance of components like
content management, conduct management and covenant management, illustrating the measures
to be employed to improve teacher's quality through effective classroom management, have been
taken into consideration. Besides, the effectiveness of art of communication that plays a pivotal
role in imparting education to all students has been looked into.
Managing the class effectively is the key to achieve positive educational upshots. Effective
classroom management involves not only effective teaching but also effective supervision,
facilitation and maintenance of academic discipline. Besides identification of problems related to
learning, supervising students by guiding them in their academics to achieve the targeted goal is
also a part of classroom management. A classroom is the place where teaching and learning
activities take place without interruptions or distractions. The activities get hampered if the
environment does not promote effective learning. This is where classroom management plays a
major role along with teachers' willingness to accept the responsibility for classroom control.
A good teacher should set long-term goals with solution-centric approach to various problems
that may crop up in the process before the class. A pragmatic approach and spontaneity are
essential on the part of the teacher in arriving at quick solutions to the problems that keep arising
in interacting with the students. A systematic approach in the classroom may reduce classroom
problems. We cannot deny that classroom discipline has a high degree of efficacy on teaching
and learning. Teachers who cannot make proper planning of a unit that is to be taught are bound
to face discipline problems and may also fail to motivate students. At the same time, such
teachers also fail in clarifying the doubts of the students, if at all a student raises a doubt. Hence,
it is essential that a teacher prepares himself or herself and is clear about each step of the content
to be taught in the class in a clearly defined manner. The quality of instruction is a key factor that
influences a student's behavior and achievements. Teachers should be careful in safeguarding
their dignity and ensure that the students follow their instructions.
Content management, conduct management and covenant management play an important role in
effective teaching practices. Content management lays emphasis on instructional management

skills, sequencing and integrating additional activities and dealing with instruction-related
discipline problems, while conduct management focuses on one's belief about the nature of
people. Integration of knowledge about human diversity into a particular instructional philosophy
can help the teachers manage their class effectively. The teachers should control and be prepared
for any consequence and follow it up. Some of the tasks of the teacher in managing classroom
environment are acknowledging responsible/positive behavior, correcting irresponsible/improper
behavior, proximity control, gentle verbal reprimands, and setting limits outside the classroom.
Covenant management emphasizes the classroom group as a social system. Positive interaction
of teacher with the student brings in a desirable learning atmosphere to the classroom. The
culture of any university or college is directly influenced by the culture of the larger
communities. As societal dynamism plays an important role in setting educational goals, there
should be constant and consistent revision and modification of the correlation between
universities and communities.
The quality of teacher-student relationship, assertiveness/dominance of the teacher in the class,
and cognitive approach are a few key factors for all other aspects of class management.
Connectivity between teacher and student is imperative in deft handling of a class. In this regard,
the trust between students and teacher is of great importance. Some believe that dominance of
teacher in the class is essential to improve discipline in the class. Dominance in class is a much
misinterpreted impression among most teachers; dominance here means the capability of a
teacher to impart a clear purpose while positively guiding the students in academics as well as
personality development.
Assertiveness of the teacher promotes him/her as a dominant personality in the class and leaves
an everlasting impression on the minds of the students. Positive dominance/ assertiveness should
be followed by cooperation and love for the students. While dominance focuses on the teacher as
a driving force in the classroom, cooperation focuses on the student and teacher functioning as a
team. Loving teacher makes learning in the class easier and also leaves lasting influence on the
emotional growth of the student. The liaison between these two dynamics-dominance and
cooperation-is a vital force in strengthening the teacher-student relationship.
Cognitivism is a 'thought process' relating to either comprehension or reasoning or interpreting or
analyzing or synthesizing. It is a student-centered approach, which helps teachers in striving to
understand the reasons behind a particular behavioral pattern. It also helps in the transformation
of the thought process of students by critical thinking and creates new pathways. This encourages
the "find out for yourself' approach after setting the tasks, thereby controlling the learner's moves
in a self-directed way and also paves way for self-motivated learning. Learning experience
differs from one learner to another. The teacher has to encourage and augment the morale of the
students by building self- esteem, by making them understand the value and significance of
improving peer relationships and so on through love for learning and motivation. Managing a

classroom requires patience, confidence and respect. It is in the hands of the teacher to create an
environment where students feel respected, trusted and composed to gear themselves up to learn.
Effective communication skill is the heart of good classroom management. It is with the art of
communication alone that a student is drawn to a teacher. It is the manner in which a teacher
communicates with his students that sets the overall tone of the class. Teachers should be
proactive and create an interactive environment. Dealing with discipline issues privately or
quietly without humiliations builds trust in the teachers and helps in reducing the negative
behavioral problems in the class. Occasional emotional outbursts of the teacher also escalate
students' behavioral problems.
The teachers should, therefore, focus on effective instructional strategies to avoid academic and
behavioral difficulties ofthe students. This facilitates student-teacher trust. Each student is unique
with his/her own temperament, learning capacities/styles and thinking abilities. No single style
alone is the right one. A teacher should strive to know the temperament of each student and deal
accordingly. This calls for multiple strategies in achieving congenial classroom environment.
Conclusion
By applying learner-centric approaches, teachers can effectively reduce disruptive behaviors in
imparting knowledge. Argument never works out, as it is an iron curtain between the student and
the teacher. Resorting to discussion or explanation-and not aiguments-will build trust in the
teacher. Constructive criticism by using positive statements is more effective and makes students
respond more pertinently. Effective classroom management may not eradicate all the problems in
the class, but is helpful in minimizing them. As pointed out by Emmer and Stough, "Highly
effective instruction reduces but not fully eliminates classroom behavior problems."
It is essential for us the educators to think of ways that may make the classroom environment
better. We have to keep innovating from time to time to make learning more involved and
teaching more purpose-driven.0
References

Bibliography
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3. http://www.suite 101 .com/content/the-cognitive-approach-to-lesson-planning-al 16006
4. http://www4faculty.org/includes/108r2.jsp

5. Viva Career Skills Library (2007), Professional Ethics and Etiquette, 2nd Edition, Viva Books
Private Limited, New York.
Reference # 43J-2012-06-04-01
AuthorAffiliation

C V Padmaja*