Running Head: Classroom Management

Classroom Management
Katiana Cokinos
Principia College

Running Head: Classroom Management

According to EdGlossary, classroom management refers to the

wide variety of skills and techniques that teachers use to keep
students organized, orderly, focused, attentive, on task, and
academically productive during a class. I believe that classroom
management is not only about the students and getting them to learn
material, but it is just as much about the teacher and the way that they
deliver the material. Classroom management needs to include
differentiation, which I believe is the most important factor.
Differentiation is when new material is presented in different ways in
order to reach each diverse learner in the unique way that they
process information.
There are many factors that go into classroom management.
Teachers must set the tone of the classroom on the very first day. He or
she must make it known that they are in charge. Routine is huge. If a
routine is set up in the classroom, there are clear expectations and
outcomes that students abide by and often refer to. Routines or
procedures provide the infrastructure that guides daily life in
classrooms and supports rules and expectations. Routines lead to a
more predictable, less confusing classroom environment so students
are more likely to be engaged in learning and less likely to display
problem behavior (Cruickshank 410). If the class as a whole creates
their own set of objectives and rules, with the approval of the teacher,
this will give the students accountability for following them. When a

Running Head: Classroom Management

teacher rights the class agenda on the board every day, students
arrive to school knowing exactly what they will be learning and doing.
Reading the agenda to the class or having a student read it aloud
should be the first thing in the routine. Especially with a younger age
group, include short brain breaks throughout the day so students
stay on task and wont get restless. I observed a teacher of a
kindergarten class that turned on a Kidz Bop dance-along video. This
got the children out of their seats and allowed them to release some
energy.
The way that the Kipp School managed their classrooms is
genius. The students use sign language to communicate their request
to leave the room to go to the bathroom or get a drink of water as a
way to avoid interrupting the learning. Instead of a PA system that
would constantly disrupt the classrooms, teachers have walkie-talkie
and in-ear devices to communicate with each other instead of in front
of the students. Students must sit up straight with their hands clasped
and feet flat the entire time, and must have sealed lips and hands by
their sides when walking in the hallways. Teachers often have students
repeat after them to ensure that the students are paying attention and
understanding the information. If a student gets distracted, the teacher
will remind them, Track me and the student will quickly focus again.
According to the staff of the Kipp School, the childrens behavior in
school reflects also in their home environment. This structure must

Running Head: Classroom Management

greatly impact behavior at home and is probably carried with them for
a lifetime. I admire Kipps classroom management methods because it
prioritizes learning and allows no room for misbehavior or distractions.
The theatrical tone and almost robotic act performed by the
teachers allowed for the constant attention given by the students, and
it was a great way to show their authority. Teachers often called
students out, not in a harsh way, but as a way of proving to the
students that they must be on-task at all times. There was absolutely
no time for side conversation amongst the students or chaotic
transitional time. I feel as though, through Kipps teaching and learning
styles, a teacher would be able to teach anywhere and always have
their classroom under control.
Having a classroom that is out of control is my biggest fear about
being a teacher and even scared me away from being one for as long
as I can remember. But after learning more about classroom
management, I now realize ability at hand of having authority in the
classroom.
I learned a big lesson about classroom management during my
internship in Mrs. Drostes second grade class at North Elementary. I
failed to set the tone and assumed that the students would give me
automatic respect. My first lesson didnt turn out that way I planned
because of this. The children treated me more like a friend than a
teacher. Some of them tested me and refused to listen to my

Running Head: Classroom Management

directions. One of the best pieces of advice Ive ever received about
teaching came from Mrs. Droste when I asked her for guidance on
managing her students. She advised me to point out the positivity in
behavior instead of focusing on the negative. My first lesson consisted
of the constant calling-out of misbehaved kids. This gave them the
attention that they were seeking. For my second lesson, I tried calling
out the well-behaved students. I made many comments such as, I
love how Trey is working so nice and quietly, who else is working like
Trey? Immediately, more kids followed Treys model behavior, and
soon the entire class was doing the same. Children respond to
positivity. The positive commentary given by the teacher is so much
more productive than the negative. For now on, I will leave behind all
of the pointing-out of flaws and focus on the opposite. I differentiated
my activities to meet the needs of every learner in the roomI held
class discussions, played a video, read a story to the class, assigned
independent work, and allowed students to work together on other
work. Transitions were smooth, students were generally on-task and
focused, but most importantly, they were engaged because they
enjoyed the activities they were doing.
In the book, How to Talk so Kids can Learn, Adele Faber describes
the several skills she came up with that invite kids to cooperate. Its all
about the way the teacher reacts and responds to the student. Instead
of accusations, sarcasm, and orders, Faber advises teachers to instead

Running Head: Classroom Management

describe the problem. She writes, When teachers describe the

problem, instead of accusing or giving commands, students are more
willing to behave responsibly. Instead of blaming, insulting, or putting
down students, give information about the situation instead. This way,
students dont feel like their teachers are attacking them. Classroom
management is all about controlling and redirecting behavior.

Work Cited
Faber, A., & Mazlish, E. (1996). How to Talk so Kids can Learn: What
Every Parent and
Teacher Needs to Know at Home and in School. New York: Simon
& Schuster.
Hidden curriculum (2014, August 26). In S. Abbott (Ed.), The glossary
of education
reform. Retrieved from http://edglossary.org/hidden-curriculum.

Running Head: Classroom Management

Cruickshank,D.R.,Jenkins,D.B.,&Metcalf,K.K.(1995).TheActofTeaching.New
York:McGrawHill.