The Professional and Practical Purposes For Classroom Management

Managing the Classroom: A Professional and Practical Responsibility

---

Introduction:

Pintrest.com

For educators an aspect of the classroom which is of concern and often frustration relates to management of the classroom. Much time and energy is devoted to the careful crafting of lesson plans, curriculum, and learning materials. Often when need arises and driven by circumstances classroom teachers will engage in considering actions and reactions related to the realities of managing their classroom environments.

It has long been my contention that healthy, happy, and productive learning environments don’t happen by accident. Rather as with so many other endeavors in life, productive classroom come about as a result of long, hard, at times tedious planning and preparations that sets the stage for professional success and student achievement. What follows are a number of areas/points of consideration that thoughtful educators might well consider when looking to effectively manage their classroom environments.

Points to Consider:

An important starting point is the reality that when the teacher doesn’t provide structure and define expectations and practices in the classroom the students will fill the vacuum establishing their own interpretation of what they would like the classroom structure and culture to be. As a professional the teacher must clearly identify the goals and visions necessary for their programs and curriculum to be successfully engaged with by their students. It is incumbent on the educator to consider the wide range of goals, conditions, and variables which exist in their environments as they develop their classroom model and methodology. Such considerations speak to the ability of the teacher to enjoy professional success and personal satisfaction in a field of work which can be very challenging in today’s climate (Ediger, 2013).

The following represent several areas of consideration which teachers might be well served to consider as they consider their pedagogical practices.

1) First, develop well planned and structured lesson plans and practices which

clipartkid.com

are designed with the specific classroom, curriculum, and student population and needs in mind. Lessons must be well paced, continually moving forward maintaining student interest. Having materials and curriculum prepared and ready for use is essential. Throwing lessons together last minute, “winging it” is not only a recipe for disaster, it is a disservice to your students. Keep lessons and classwork moving forward, not straying off topic or follow rabbit trails unless prepared and able to support such activities. Attention to detail will keep students engaged, as they are taught “bell to bell” (Ediger, 2013).

2) Teachers must also mindfully and purposefully work to be continually engaged in their classroom environment. When educators are off task, preoccupied with other classroom or personal tasks, a vacuum is created. Teachers should work towards moving throughout the classroom environment, engaging with students, providing the support and structure which speaks to the activity at hand, as well as monitoring activities. Part of mindful engagement is the frontloading of clear, concise expectations and standards for the students, their work, and the lesson at hand. Doing eliminates confusion, provide behavioral structure, and set the tone for what the classroom work environment should look like.
(Ediger, 2013).

3) Building upon the idea of providing explicit expectations and standards is the need to in turn provide ongoing feedback relative to student academic efforts, achievements, and behavior. Doing so provides students with vital needed information related to the classroom culture that the teacher is looking to develop. It is difficult for teachers to justify their student’s academic and behavioral missteps when standards and expectations have not be proactively discussed and identified. Holding students to rules and standards which have not been explicitly defined is unfair and unreasonable. Such practices confuse and embitter students who lack clear boundaries by which to gauge their environment (Ediger, 2013).

malit.org.uk

Another consideration relates to the reasonableness of the standards. Standards which are reasonable and age appropriate directly support classroom functionality and academic success. Standards should be high, but applied with reasonableness and love. Standards should also be fully explained to students to allow them insight into the reasoning behind their creation and application. Rules cannot, and should not be an end unto themselves, they are there to protect students and enable them to work in environments which allow them to achieve and flourish (Ediger, 2013).

Conclusion:  

Managing a classroom community is a difficult and at times exhausting endeavor. It takes mindful, proactive planning, application, and upkeep. In that student populations are ever changing classroom optimization presents something of a moving target. Yet, in spite of all of the challenges, educators are well served to consider that by taking the time, and making the effort to lay the critical foundation that classroom management provides they are speaking to three realities. First, the care and well-being of their students is a professional responsibility. Secondly, educator have a practical interest in creating a healthy safe culture in that student achievement and behavior will ultimately be supported. Such environments lead to the type of student success which promotes professional success for the educator. Finally, teachers who take the time to do the difficult job of effectively planning, establishing, and supporting optimized classrooms for their students at the end of the day make their jobs easier as their students and classrooms run more effectively.

References

Ediger, M. (2013). Managing the classroom: A very salient responsibility in teaching and learning situations is classroom management. Education, 134(1), 15-18.