Effective Behavior Management Strategies In The Classroom

During my four years in college, I learned all of the best teaching strategies, how to write effective lesson plans, and learned about behavior management strategies. It was not something I questioned; you just simply follow the lead of the instructors and the clinical instructors I was placed to work with. When I finally got to that amazing, yet frightening first day, I dreamt of those twenty-five smiling second grade students sitting completely still and eager to learn. Then the students actually came into my classroom. Much to my surprise, there were students that exhibited disruptive behavior. With all of the paperwork, assessments, lesson plans, meetings, and pressure from administration, I was quick to forget all of the strategies of

Michael using “Give me Five” as the established signal to get students’ attention. When she gave an assignment, she gave them clearly stated directions and requirements, and during one assignment, I observed her using an online timer that displayed the time limit they had for the assignment. She modeled the behaviors and attitude that she expects from her students. Often time, she would address problems confidentially with the students causing disruption. Students felt comfortable and genuinely happy to be in the classroom. The teacher has a positive attitude towards her students and teaching. She smiled, she took time to say hello, and asked how their weekends were. During their conversations, she would maintain eye contact with the students. During instructional time, she was prepared for the upcoming lesson and follow-up. She showed a passion for teaching through the energy, drive, and cohesiveness of the classroom. There are five classroom rules that are stated in a positive manner. There are clearly stated consequences such as, missing recess, silent lunch, a note home to a parent, and the principals for rules that are broken. I observed the teacher in this classroom using praise. I and observed and wrote field notes of the students’ behavioral responses. Then I had a subsequent observation using punishments where I observed and wrote field notes of the students’ behavioral

Classroom management is directly tied to the level of students’ involvement and academic achievement (Kirk, 2010). Behavior management focuses on decreasing the amount of time students display disruptive behaviors so students can achieve academically. There are three effective strategies for effective classroom management. They include, proactive classroom management through praise, consistent consequences and punishments, and positive interaction between teacher and students (Kirk, 2010). Teachers teach students their behavior expectations by teaching them to follow a set of specific rules so they are aware of their expectations in the classroom. There should only be a minimal amount of rules, they should have easy, positive wording, and should be specific observable behavior (Marchant, 2012). The following literature reviews will show the importance of proactive classroom management through praise and consistent consequences through punishments. It will attempt to show the link between each behavior management technique and a decrease in disruptive