Classroom Management

National University
Chelsea Johnston
ITL 608 Design and Process of Teaching
 Behavioral Approach to Teaching
• A Behavioral approach to classroom management focuses on “establishing
clear expectations for appropriate behavior, monitoring behavior, and then
reinforcing appropriate behavior and redirecting inappropriate behavior”
(Huitt, 1996).
• To effectively establish positive classroom expectations, educators should set
rules and procedures immediately, focus on positive behaviors, model
appropriate behavior, implement natural consequences, and hold students
accountable for their actions.
 Cognitive Approach to Teaching
• A Cognitive approach to classroom management allows students to make
connections between content and the world around them. Cognitive
strategies help students structure their thinking to allow them to overcome
obstacles.
• With the Cognitive approach, educators try to help students control their
behaviors, rather than attempting to control them through external
influences.
• This approach allows students to utilize their inner dialogue to problem solve.
 Humanist Approach to Teaching
• A Humanist approach to classroom management is highly based on student
centered instruction. The educator is to base the instruction on student
needs, values, and emotions.
• The Humanist approach drives students to gain self awareness personally
and academically.
• The lessons are created to be culturally relevant to the students and inspire
their realization of its learning importance.
• With this approach, the educator is to help guide the students through the
learning process, rather than instructing them on what to do (Khatib, 2013).
Social Psychological Approach to Teaching
• A Social Psychological approach to classroom management emphasizes the
importance of social skills within the learning environment.
• Instruction should be centered around student feelings, thoughts, beliefs, and
goals, making the student “an active agent in the learning process” (Halpern
& Desrochers, 2005).
• Allows for educators to apply social psychology to their learning plan and
help their students build better social skills.
 My Approach to Teaching
“Establishing clear expectations for appropriate behavior, monitoring behavior, and then
reinforcing appropriate behavior and redirecting inappropriate behavior” is how I plan to
conduct my classroom (Huitt, 1996). The type of classroom management I most relate to is the
Behavioral approach. I find it to be important to hold our students to high standards and push
them to preform to their full potential. By setting the expectations at the beginning of the year,
students will have a clear understanding of the standards and can adequately be held
accountable for their actions. Students may rely on me to give constant and encouraging
feedback, engaging lessons, and clear behavioral expectations.
Positive and negative consequences arise naturally as students make choices; this is an effective
strategy I will implement in my classroom. For reoccurring misbehaviors, I will have students
complete a reflection sheet, on which they decide the reasons for their behavior, identify the
consequence, and create a plan for improving their behavior.
 Management Scenario
Scenario: During your social studies class, two students in the back of the room become engaged
in a heated argument that threatens to escalate into a fight. How might you address this kind of
disruption within the classroom? What steps will you take to address this specific problem and
hopefully prevent future incidents?
Taking the time to address proper team/group skills at the beginning of the year can help eliminate
situations as such. I plan to brainstorm with my students on how to effectively and respectfully work with
others. Students will be able to recite successful strategies as well as offer solutions to resolve any
disagreements. This concept will be revisited continuously throughout the year and students will be held
responsible to abiding to them. If a disruption like this still occurs, students will be required to write a
resolution plan with detailed steps on how they plan to overcome the issue. Once doing this, the students
who had the conflict will share their ideas and tell each other what they could have done better. I plan to
teach my students how to successfully work with others while still being confident enough to voice their
opinions. My students will learn about respect and how to implement it in their work through repetitive
and consistent instruction.
 References
• Halpern, D. F., & Desrochers, S. (2005). Social Psychology in the Classroom:
Applying What We Teach as We Teach it. Journal of Social and Clinical
Psychology, Vol. 24, No. 1, 51-61.
• Huitt, W. (1996). Classroom Management: A Behavioral Approach. Retrieved from
Educational Psychology Interactive.:
http://www.edpsycinteractive.org/topics/manage/behmgt.html
• Khatib, M. (2013). Humanistic Education: Concerns, Implications, and
Applications. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 45-51.