The document discusses establishing a classroom management system built on mutual respect. It provides steps for teachers to model respectful interactions, establish routines and smooth transitions, conduct individual conferences and goal setting with students, use contracts to build intrinsic motivation, and implement regular class meetings. The overall aim is to maximize instructional time through clarifying expectations and engaging students in the classroom community.
CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT Establishing a Classroom Management System Built on Mutual Respect and Caring Environment
1. Section III : Establishing a
Classroom Management System
Built on Mutual Respect and
Caring Environment
2. When a teachers plan an exciting
curriculum and actively engage
students in learning activities, the
students are much less likely to
spend time off task or distracting
others. Major studies on classroom
management have found that
teachers who are able to maximize
instructional time and clarify their
expectations for students spend
much less time on classroom
disciplines. (Everton &
Harris,2002).
3. SCOPE OF SECTION III
• MODELING AND BUILDING MUTUAL RESPECT:
TEACHER/STUDENT, STUDENT/STUDENT INTERACTION
• ESTABLISHING ROUTINES AND SMOOTH TRANSITIONS
• USING INDIVIDUAL CONFERENCES ANG GOAL SETTING
• USING CONTRACTS TO BUILD INTRINSIC MOTIVATION
• IMPLEMENTING CLASS MEETINGS
5. Modelling, practice, and rehearsal are the
cornerstones for establishing a warm and caring
environment. The basic rule for any classroom is
“Always be respectful of others.” Respect includes
honouring other people’s personal
space, belongings, opinions, and efforts to be
recognized and accepted in the classroom .
6. The steps for modelling and building mutual
respect in the classroom.
Establish classroom expectations
Begin the school year by talking to students about
the meaning of respect as well as respectful
attention and verbal interactions.
7. Practice respectful interactions
Prepare a series of situations that are likely to
occur in the classroom. Ask students to think
about how they might react to each situation,
then both of you and the students act out a
scenario using the students’ suggestion.
Classroom Scenarios
Michael wants to walk next to his friends in the line going
to the cafeteria. When his group is called to line up, he
moves to the front and pushes in next to his friends,
displacing several students who are already in line.
8. Chart non respectful words and possible substitutions
Ask the students to think about words that do not
show respect and to identify other words that can
be substituted to solve problems and show respect.
What respect is ... What respect is NOT ...
Listening to the other Interrupting while another
person’s point of view person is talking
Being willing to Thinking, “Its my way or
compromise nothing”
Being honest Coloring the facts to sway opinion
your favor
Being open to a Closing your mind to constructive
solution discussion.
9. Create a classroom chart of problem-solving procedures
Lead a discussion of ways in which problem can be
solved, and help students brain storm approached
they might use to achieve a mutually acceptable
solution.
Steps
1. Agree to be honest, not call names, not interrupt, and work
hard to solve the problem.
2. Listen to the other person’s story, restate what he or she
said, and ask how that person feels about it.
3. Each person tells what he or she wants and is willing to solve
the problem.
4. Gather all the wants and willing from both sides of the
dispute and try to find the solution.
5. Summarize the solution and say what you will do if
something like this happens again.
10. Use classroom situations to further the students’
understanding
As situation arise in the classroom, model respectful
interaction and teach approaches to problem-solving.
If additional procedures is needed, they can be taught
and added to the classroom chart of problem-solving.
12. Routines help students understand when things
will happen and what is expected of them. The
teacher must carefully set expectations as well as
the consequences for students who make poor
choices (Glasser & Dotson,1998).
13. Example of Classroom Routines ..
Routine Expectations
Entering the classroom Place coats & sweaters in closet,
lunchboxes on back shelf,homework
in home work file
Classroom Duties Check duty board for your name and
perform your duties as needed.
Help Needed Stand up your “help” sign and wait for
assistance going on with other work
while you wait.
Others...
14. The steps for establishing and implementing
classroom routines.
Involves students in setting classroom routines
Discuss the purpose of classroom routines and
decisions that need to be made about them. List
their suggestions and include yours, after you
explain them.
15. Choose a set of routines
From the list, choose three to five with which to begin.
Explain that these routines will be tried and evaluated
before they kept or change.
Discuss natural consequences
Talk about making choices and what happens when
we choose to break a rule or not follow a routine.
16. Chart routines
Create a chart listing routines and students’ names.
17. Conduct periodic evaluation and reset routines
as necessary
Monitor the effectiveness of routines, and chart
infractions as well as students’ choices.
Deal with the students who regularly ignore routines
or make poor choices.
Remember that not all students have the same ability
to make good choices. Discuss infractions privately
with the student. Make it clear that you see the
problem as poor choice-making.
18. Respond rather that react
When you discuss infractions or set up new routines
be sure that you respond to the problem instead react
to it.
20. A learning community focuses on
collaboration, setting personal goals, and self-
reflection. Two important tools for establishing and
meeting these outcomes are individual
conferences and goal-setting. Students become
self-reflective only after they recognize both their
strengths and areas for improvement
(Bridges,1995).
21. The steps for implementing individual
conference and goal-setting
Explain the purpose of individual conference and
goal setting.
Involve students in a discussion about what
conferences are, how often they will occur and
their purpose.
22. Demonstrate a conference
With the help of a willing student, model the process
by conducting a demonstration conference in which
you look at a piece of work and set goals together.
Discuss elements of a successful conference
Talk about demonstration conference. Point out the
student’s involvement, how strengths are identified,
and how goals are set for the next conference.
23. Collaboratively design a conference report sheet
Work with students to design a conference report
sheet that will document the elements discussed.
Student’s name_______________ Date of conference_______
Academic topics _____________________________________
Behavior topics______________________________________
Responsibity topics___________________________________
Academic goal sets ___________________________________
Behavioral goal sets __________________________________
Responsibility goal sets _______________________________
Other goals set ______________________________________
Student’s signature __________________________________
Teacher’s signature ___________________________ _______
Approximate date of next conference ___________________
Comments :________________________________________
24. Set up conference schedule
Explain how you will set up conferences and when
they will take place.
Prepare for the conferences
At first, it is helpful to ask students to bring a specific
piece of work to the conference. Before the conference
use the report sheet to briefly note any strengths or
concern you want to address.
25. Involve the students in the process
Be sure to give the students the chance to talk during
the conference. Ask them to identify their strengths
both academically and behaviourally and note what
areas they need to work on.
Keep the process going and growing
Conference must be scheduled regularly. Once a month
may be a month for most elementary students, but
you may need to meet with others more often.
27. An individual contract can change student work habits,
Interactions, or behaviours. It is not appropriate for every
Student but is usually reserved for those who need extra
motivation in accomplish goals (Brophy,2004).
28. The steps for writing and implementing
student contract
Identify specific behaviours or goal to be addressed
The students must understand exactly what is
expected, and the teacher must suggest a plan
that the students can follow.
29. Involve the students in the conversation
Before the teacher ever suggests a contract, he must
verify that the student is willing to work on the
problem.
Establish the incentive
Incentives must be tailored to each student but be
appropriate for a learning environment. Stay away
from material rewards. Instead, offer free reading
time, work with self-selected partner, extra computer
time, or the chance to listen to music when completing
in-class writing assignments.
30. Draw up the contract
The contract is formally written, word-processed,
signed, and dated. The elements must be specific and
the expectations clear.
I, Andre Jones, agree to complete my assigned work each day
before lunch time. For each day that I finish before lunch,
Ms.Rivers will allow me 5 extra minutes of free-time activity.
If, at the end of the week, I have completed my work
everyday Ms.Rivers will allow me to do free-time activities
with my friends instead of by myself. I understand that my
friends and I must work quietly enough so that we don’t
disturb the other students. Signed on this 19th day of
September,2006.
_____________________ __________________
Student’s Signature Teacher’s Signature
31. Monitor students progress
Check with the student each day to monitor progress.
Acknowledge progress with a two thumbs-up signal,
verbal encouragement, or any other brief celebration.
Follow up on the appointed date
At the conference, discuss student progress. If the
student has accomplished his goals, follow up with
the incentives. If the student has made the progress
but has not met the goals, extend or revise the contract.
32. Acknowledge the student’s accomplishment
Celebrate the accomplishment with the rest of the
learning community. Keep it simple, but let other
students know how hard the student has worked and
how important it is for him to set goals and
accomplish them.
Move from the incentive to the intrinsic
The student’s feeling of accomplishment after fulfilling
a contract becomes the basis of a discussion between
student and teacher.
34. Team-building is vital to developing a community of
learners. Make time each day for the class to express
concerns and celebrate successes. Class meetings provide
a perfect forum for this interaction (Glasser,1969).
35. The teachers should do the following...
Use the formal process and hold meetings weekly.
Have all students sit in a circle, facing each other.
Model respectful behaviour.
Do not dominate the process.
Trust your students to lead meetings, participate in
the process, choose the solutions, and make
decisions.
36. The steps for conducting class meetings
Seat students in circle
Students should be seated so they can make eye
contact with everyone in the group. They can
move their desks into circle, sits in chairs around
a circle, or sit in circle on the floor.
37. Explain the purpose and expectations for the meetings
Students should understand that class meetings are a
time for mutual respect. Establish a method to make
sure that no one, even a teacher, monopolizes the
discussion.
Establish the agenda
The teacher should sets up a class-meeting agenda
box in the room. The students may submit agenda
items using a form that they complete.
38. Begin with compliments
To set a positive tone, students are given an
opportunity to compliment one another.
Conduct the discussion
Allow students to discuss the problems, share their
views and experience as long as they stay respectful
and take turns. Teacher will serve as peacemakers.
Brainstorm solutions
Students suggest solutions, which are written on the
board. The teacher may serve as scribe. All suggestions
are written down without any judgement. After the list
is complete, the group votes on which solution to try
first.
39. Move through the agenda
The group leader must keep the agenda moving.
Teachers may want to hold class meetings at the end
of the day or right before lunch to ensure that they
do not exceed 15-20 minutes for young children or
30-45 minutes for older students (Styles,2001).
Review the plan
At the end of the meeting, briefly review the plan and
note the next meeting date. Make it clear that an
emergency meeting can be called before the next
scheduled meeting, if necessary.