The most frequently used management techniques are those that prevent small problems from escalating into big ones. Many classroom incidents can be prevented by a simple technique suggested by Hartford, Connecticut, teacher Robert Bencker. Bencker, who teaches at an inner city alternative high school program, suggests that teachers set the tone for the day by greeting each student personally as he or she enters the classroom. Use the opportunity, he says, to establish rapport, and to deal with such minor problems as gum chewing, boisterous behavior, bad moods, or unwanted materials, quietly and discretely — before they can erupt into public confrontations that threaten control and disrupt the class.
But don’t stop there. Once students are in the classroom, you’ll want to continue with some of these teacher-recommended techniques for maintaining control without confrontation:
- Establish eye contact.
- Move around the room and increase proximity to restless students.
- Send a silent signal.
- Give a quiet reminder.
- Re-direct a student’s attention.
- Begin a new activity.
- Offer a choice.
- Use humor.
- Provide positive reinforcement.
- Wait quietly until everyone is on task.
- Ask a directed question.
And, when all else fails, try something else!
Creating a climate for learning is probably the most important — and most difficult — task a teacher faces, but it can be even more difficult for beginning teachers. As former U.S. Department of Education teacher-in-residence Mary Beth Blegan says, “Setting the classroom environment is key. For a new teacher that means pretending that you know what you’re doing.”
Source: www.education-world.com
