Chapter Three Educational Extension

Approaches to Classroom Management

As a teacher, you must be aware of the principles and consequences of any classroom
management decisions and strategies you may wish to implement. Lets take a look at three such
management approaches: the self-discipline approach, the instructional approach, and the desist
approach. These three approaches to classroom management form a continuum, from the self-
discipline approach at one etreme, to the instructional approach, to the desist approach at the
opposite etreme.
The Self-Discipline Approach
The self-discipline approach is built on the premise that students can be trusted to
e!aluate and change their actions so their beha!iors are beneficial and appropriate to e!eryone.
This democratic approach !iews classroom management as a function of the teachers ability to
establish working teacher-student relationships, recogni"e studentsdignity, and ehibit realness,
trust, acceptance, and empathy. #ith these attitudinal qualities in mind, lets look at four of the
more democratic classroom management models.
Reality Therapy
$e!eloped by #illiam %lasser &'()*, '(++, '(,)-, reality therapy is a strategy that helps
students take responsibility for eamining and sol!ing their own problems. %lasser belie!es that
students are rational beings who can control their beha!ior if they wish. .or eample, witness the
usual good student beha!iors found on the first day of school.
/ften, teachers need to help students learn to make good beha!ioral choices so they can
become responsible indi!iduals able to satisfy their needs in the real world0 they must be guided
toward reality. 1tudents are forced to acknowledge their beha!ior, and they should make !alue
2udgments regarding that beha!ior. .or eample, when a disruption occurs, instead of asking why
students are beha!ing that way, teachers ask, 3#hat are you doing45 The emphasis is put on the
you so that there is no misinterpretation as to who is responsible. This question is followed up
with queries such as 36s this beha!ior against the rules45 or 36s this beha!ior helping you or this
class45 6f the misbeha!ior persists, the teacher meets pri!ately with the student to design a
commitment for change. 6f the original plan pro!es inadequate, the teacher and student
reeamine, renew, or re!ise the plan. 6f the disruptions continue or the commitment is not
followed, the consequences should become progressi!ely more se!ere: principal conference,
parent conference, in-school suspension, out-of-school suspension, and finally permanent
eclusion from school.
7ote that reality therapy places the responsibility on the student, not the teacher.
8egardless of their personal backgrounds and home situations, students are epected to comply
with the rules. The teachers function is to assist students to become responsible, producti!e
classroom members. 6nstead of punishing students, teachers continually stress student
responsibility for their own beha!ioral choices.
9lassroom meetings are an essential element in addressing problems in the %lasser
model. 1tudents sit in a close circle and discuss classroom situations and problems. The teachers
role is to pro!ide background information as needed and to withhold opinions. All students
participate in the formation of classroom rules, consequences, and procedures. All students are
epected to obser!e the agreed-upon rules and consequences. The rules are fleible, howe!er,
and could be changed with another meeting as the situation changes.
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Teacher Efectiveness Training (TET)
Teacher effecti!eness training &T:T-, concei!ed by $r. Thomas %ordon &'(+;-, stresses
the establishment of positi!e working relationships between teachers and students in an
atmosphere of openness and trust. Teachers reduce disrupti!e student beha!ior by using clear
!erbal and non!erbal communication strategies. The key to this approach is identifying who
owns the problem < the teacher or the student. .or eample, if students continuously talk as the
teacher tries to teach, the teacher owns the problem because he or she is kept from reaching the
goal of teaching. /n the other hand, if the teacher feels annoyed by a students beha!ior or if the
teacher wishes a student would change his or her beha!ior, the problem likely belongs to the
student. The student who says he or she hates the teacher or hates the sub2ect owns that problem.
#hen teachers own the problem, they send an 6-message which tells students how they feel
about the situation and in!ites students to change or correct the situation < for eample, 36 am
angry with this continuous talking in class,5 36 am disappointed in your beha!ior at the
assembly,5 or 36 cant hear myself think with the noise in this classroom.5 6f the process works,
the student &or class- should see the harm being done and change his or her &or their- beha!ior. 6f
an 6-message does not correct the problem, howe!er, the teacher and student &class- are in a
conflict situation. #hen this happens, %ordon recommends using a 3no-lose5 problem resolution
strategy. After the teacher and student identify the problem, they cooperati!ely generate possible
solutions. Then they e!aluate these ideas, re2ecting those that are unacceptable to either party.
=unishment is not a !iable option because the students would be placed in a losing situation.
7et they rank the remaining ideas, select the best solution, and decide how to implement the
solution so that both parties are satisfied. They assess the results and try alternate solutions if
needed.
#hen a student owns a problem, the teacher listens acti!ely and empathetically to
counsel, support, and encourage the student to epress his or her !iews. 6nstead of offering a
solution, the teacher focuses upon the students perspecti!e and helps the student find his or her
own solution.
Inner Discipline
6nner discipline, de!eloped by >arbara 9oloroso &?@@?-, a former nun and now a teacher-
author, re2ects 3quick-fi5 solutions to discipline problems. 6nstead, she suggests teachers focus
on helping students de!elop inner discipline that will enable them to acknowledge their mistakes,
take responsibility for their actions, think through solutions, and correct their misdeeds. 1chool
becomes a place where teachers and students work together to learn, relate, grow, and create
community.
9oloroso suggests that teachers treat students with respect by gi!ing them a sense of
power in their own li!es with opportunities to make their own decisions and to grow from the
results of those decisions, whate!er they may be. Teachers must, howe!er, make sure that
students decisions dont lead to situations that are life threatening, morally threatening, or
unhealthy. 7atural, reasonable consequences should be in!oked consistently when rules are
!iolated. 1tudents will then de!elop the inner discipline and self-confidence that will help them
grow into responsible, resourceful, and resilient adults.
9oloroso suggests that teachers management styles fall into three categories. 3>rickwall
teachers5 are rigid, use power and coercion to control others, and teach what instead of how to
think. They demand that students follow the rules without question. 3Aellyfish teachers5 pro!ide
Chapter Three Educational Extension
little structure, consistency, or guidance and rely on putdowns, threats, and bribery to control
students. =unishment and rewards are often arbitrary and inconsistent. These teachers are la in
discipline, set few limits, and more or less let students do what they want. 3>ackbone teachers5
pro!ide the support and structure necessary for students to beha!e creati!ely, cooperati!ely, and
responsibly, which leads to inner discipline. They use clear, simple rules partnered with
reasonable, purposeful consequences. 1tudents ha!e freedom to pursue opportunities and sol!e
problems within established limits.
Beyond Discipline
6n his book, Beyond Discipline: From Compliance to Community, Alfie Bohn &'(()-
questions the assumption that classroom problems are always the fault of students who dont do
as they are told. Cost teachers work to control childrens beha!ior either by punishment or
reward, which is often ineffecti!e. 6nstead of acknowledging the possible problems of a dull
curriculum or poor teaching, teachers place complete blame on students for their negati!e
beha!ior.
Bohn suggests that our present reward-punishment approaches are only short-term
solutions to classroom problems. De contends that punishment only teaches students that they
will suffer dire consequences when they are caught misbeha!ing, and rewards teach them how to
respond positi!ely only in order to win a pri"e or praise. Therefore, both punishments and
rewards do not culti!ate long-lasting moral !alues in students.
Bohn belie!es rules are of no practical !alue in the classroom0 rules blind teachers to
what students can achie!e. 6nstead of using classroom 3discipline,5 teachers should work to
de!elop a democratic classroom community that recogni"es the needs and interests of both
teachers and students. A classroom community is a place where students are cared about and care
about others, are !alued and respected, and think in terms of we instead of I. 1tudents are
in!ol!ed in the decision-making process and are continually brought into making 2udgments,
epressing their opinions, and working cooperati!ely toward solutions that benefit the class,
which will ha!e a positi!e impact on students and eliminate beha!ioral problems.. #hen
problems arise, the teacher should ask the student, 3#hat do you think we can do to sol!e this
problem45 9lass meetings are forums for addressing questions that affect the class, including
problems of beha!ior.
The Instructional Approach
The premise that forms the basis for the instructional approach to classroom management
is that well-planned and well-implemented instruction will pre!ent most classroom problems.
The assumption is that students will not engage in disrupti!e beha!ior when well-planned and
well-implemented lessons engage students in the learning process with acti!ities that meet their
interests, needs, and abilities. Lets now look at two models of classroom management that focus
on the principles of the instructional approach.
The Kounin Model
6n a comprehensi!e comparison of effecti!e and ineffecti!e classroom managers, Aacob
Bounin &'(+@- found that the teachers differed !ery little in the way they handled classroom
problems once they arose. The primary difference was in the things the successful managers did
that tended to pre!ent classroom problems. They were totally aware of e!erything in the
Chapter Three Educational Extension
classroom en!ironment0 they kept students acti!ely engated0 and they conducted well-planned
lessons with smooth transitions. Bounin concluded that some teachers are better classroom
managers because of skill in four areas: 3withitness,5 o!erlapping acti!ities, group focusing, and
mo!ement management &9harles, ?@@?-.
#ithitness is the skill to know what is going on in all parts of the classroom at all times0
nothing is missed. 3#ithit5 teachers respond immediately to student misbeha!ior and know who
started what. A ma2or component of withitness is scanning the class frequently, establishing eye
contact with indi!idual students, and ha!ing eyes in the back your head. 3#ithit5 teachers dont
make timing errors &waiting too long before inter!ening- or target errors &blaming the wrong
person and letting the real perpetrators escape responsibility for misbeha!ior-. 3#ithit5 teachers
pre!ent minor disruptions from becoming ma2or and know who the instigator is in a problem
situation.
:ffecti!e classroom managers are also skilled at o!erlapping. /!erlapping means
handling two or more acti!ities or groups at the same time. :ssentially, it is the ability to monitor
the whole class at all times. 6t in!ol!es keeping a small group on task, for eample, while also
helping other students with their seatwork.
.inally, Bounin notes that successful classroom management also depends on mo!ement
management and group focusEthat is, the ability to make smooth lesson transitions, keep an
appropriate pace, and in!ol!e all students in a lesson. Coreo!er, effecti!e managers do not lea!e
a lesson hanging while tending to something else or change back and forth from one sub2ect or
acti!ity to another. They keep students alert by holding their attention, by holding them
accountable, and by in!ol!ing all students in the lesson.
The Jones Model
>ased upon o!er '@ years of researching classroom difficulties, .rederick Aones &'(+(-,
found that teachers lose *@F or more of their instructional time through students time-wasting
&e.g., talking and walking around the room-. Aones contends that this wasted instructional time
can be reclaimed when teachers correctly implement four strategies: limit setting, good body
language, incenti!e systems, and gi!ing help efficiently.
Limit setting is the establishment of classroom boundaries for appropriate beha!ior.
According to Aones, these limits should include the formation of rules of beha!ior, as well as
descriptions of appropriate work beha!ior, procedures for getting supplies and materials,
instruction on what to do when stuck on seatwork, and what to do when finished with assigned
seatwork.
7inety percent of discipline and keeping students on task, Aones contends, in!ol!ed the
skillful use of body language. >ody language is a set of physical mannerisms that tend to get
students back to work, the most effecti!e of which are physical proimity to students, direct eye
contact, body position &body orientation toward student-, facial epressions, and tone of !oice.
Aones contends that incenti!e systems also can be used effecti!ely to keep students on
task and to get them to complete their work. 6ndeed, he suggests that preferred acti!ities, such as
time on the computer, free time, use of educational games, and free reading, can ser!e as
moti!ational rewards for desired beha!iors. .urthermore, Aones adds, the use of peer pressure
represents a quite effecti!e moti!ator. .or eample, time can be deducted from the class-
preferred acti!ity time when an indi!idual student misbeha!es. The deduction of time can be
recorded, as Aones suggests, with a large stopwatch placed at the front of the room, so the whole
Chapter Three Educational Extension
class can see. 6f a large stopwatch is not a!ailable, a standard amount of time &e.g., one minute-
can be deducted for each instance of misbeha!ior.
.inally, Aones found that giving help efficiently is related to time on task. Dis research
re!ealed that teachers on the a!erage spend ; minutes helping indi!idual students who are ha!ing
difficulty with seatwork. Aones recommends that this time be cut to no more than ?@ seconds per
student. $oing so allows more students to be helped and reduces the tendency for students to
work only when the teacher is standing near them.
1etting limits, using body language, implementing an incenti!e system, and gi!ing help
efficiently will not eliminate all beha!ior problems. #hen such problems do de!elop, Aones
suggests, a back-up system, such as in-class isolation or remo!al from the room, is needed.
The Desist Approach
The desist approach to classroom management gi!es the teacher full responsibility for
regulating the classroom. The teacher enforces a set of specific rules to control student beha!ior
in the classroom. >ecause the desist approach models of classroom management gi!e teachers
power to deal forcefully and quickly with misbeha!ior, they can be !iewed as power systems.
The desist approach probably is the most widely used strategy in todays schools. Two common
desist models of classroom management are assertive discipline and behavior modification.
Assertive Discipline
Lee and Carlene 9anter &'(+)- contend that teachers ha!e a basic right to teach and
students ha!e the right to learn in a well-disciplined classroom. To this end, the 9anters ad!ocate
asserti!e discipline, which calls for asserti!e teachers who clearly and firmly communicate needs
and requirements to students, follow up their words with appropriate actions, and respond to
students in ways that maimi"e compliance but in no way !iolate the best interest of the students
&9anter G 9anter, '(+), p. (-. Asserti!e teachers take charge in the classroom in a calm yet
forceful way.
Asserti!e teachers do not tolerate improper beha!ior that interrupts learning. 9ommonly
used ecusesEpeer pressure, home en!ironment, and heredity, for eampleEare not accepted
for misbeha!ior. The asserti!e teacher establishes rules and limits for beha!ior, along with
consequences for proper beha!ior and improper beha!ior. 1tudents who follow the established
rules recei!e positi!e consequences, such as a material reward, free time, or special pri!ileges,
whereas students who break the rules recei!e negati!e consequences, such as detention, gi!ing
up part of their lunch period, staying after school, or going to the principals office. The rules,
limits, and consequences are communicated to students and parents in clear terms at the
beginning of the year.
Asserti!e teachers insist on decent, responsible beha!ior from their students. After
establishing epectations early in the year, asserti!e teachers consistently reinforce the
established procedures and guidelines. They do not threaten to enforce the rules and guidelines
and apply the consequences to misbeha!ior0 they promise to do so. 6t is assumed that all students,
if they want, are capable of beha!ing0 it is a matter of choice.
Chapter Three Educational Extension
Behavior Modification
>eha!ior modification, based on the ideas and work of >. .. 1kinner &'(),, '(+'-, is an
approach that e!ol!es from the assumptions that students will change their beha!ior to recei!e
definite rewards.
The basic premise of beha!ior modification is that student beha!ior can be changed by
altering the consequences that follow their actions and beha!iors. Technically, reinforcement
principles are used systematically for changing some aspect of educational practice or student
beha!ior. 1tudents who follow established procedures, who follow the rules, or who perform
well on required work are gi!en reinforcers, or rewards. The reinforcers may be teacher praise,
good grades, or e!en such tangible items as stickers or appropriate free mo!ies. 1tudents who do
not follow the procedures, who misbeha!e, or who perform poorly are denied desired rewards or
are punished in some way.
>asically, there are four general categories of consequences that can follow students
actions: positi!e reinforcement, negati!e reinforcement, =unishment 6, and =unishment 66. As
noted earlier, positi!e and negati!e reinforcement are used for maintaining or increasing the
occurrence of a desired student beha!ior. 6n the case of positi!e reinforcement, a reward &e.g.,
praise, grades, or free time- is presented for desired beha!ior, whereas negati!e reinforcement
in!ol!es the remo!al of an undesired stimulus &e.g., weekend homework, no !isiting, or a change
in the seating arrangement-.
6nappropriate student actions can be discouraged through the use of punishment. Like
reinforcement, punishment comes in two categories, simply labeled 6 and 66. =unishment 6, the
most commonly used form, in!ol!es the application of some undesirable stimulus. .or eample,
undesirable student action can be followed by a pri!ate reprimand, isolation, or a trip to the
principals office. 6n contrast, =unishment 66 in!ol!es the remo!al of a desired stimulus or the
withholding of an anticipated positi!e stimulus. .or eample, inappropriate student beha!ior
could be followed by a loss of free time, eclusion from a school film, or loss of computer time
for a week. 6f used appropriately, both =unishments 6 and 66 should result in the elimination of, or
at least a decrease in, undesired student beha!iors.
8einforcement can also be a comple system. .or eample, one such program is the
token reinforcement system, in which students earn tokens for both positi!e classroom beha!iors
and academic work. The tokens earned are then periodically echanged for some desired acti!ity
or reward.
PI!TS T P!DE"
#hich approach to classroom management did your fa!orite B-, teacher use4
%i!e specific eamples.
6dentify T#/ common student misbeha!iors. $escribe how teachers would deal
with these beha!iors using the three approaches to classroom management.
#hich approach to classroom management do you belie!e you might use one
day4 #hy4
Chapter Three Educational Extension
"eferences
9anter, L., G 9anter, C. &'(+)-. ssertive discipline: ta!e"charge approach for today#s
educator. Los Angeles: 9anter and Associates.
9harles, 9. C. &?@@?-. Building classroom discipline &)th ed.-. 7ew Hork: Longman.
%lasser, #. &'()*-. $eality therapy: new approach to psychiatry. 7ew Hork: Darper G 8ow.
%lasser, #. &'(++-. '@ steps to good discipline. %oday#s &ducation, '', )'<)I.
%lasser, #. &'(,)-. Control therapy in the classroom. 7ew Hork: Darper G 8ow.
9oloroso, >. &?@@?-. (ids are worth it) *iving your child the gift of inner discipline. 7ew Hork:
Darper9ollins.
%ordon, T. &'(+;-. %eacher effectiveness training. 7ew Hork: $a!id CcBay.
Aones, .. &'(+(, Aune-. The gentle art of classroom discipline. +ational &lementary ,rincipal, -.,
?)<I?.
Bohn, A. &'(()-. Beyond discipline: From compliance to community. Aleandria, JA:
Association for 1uper!ision and 9urriculum $e!elopment.
Bounin, A. 1. &'(+@-. Discipline and group management in classrooms. 7ew Hork: Dolt,
8inehart G #inston.
1kinner, >. .. &'(),-. %he technology of teaching. 7ew Hork: Appleton-9entury-9rofts.
1kinner, >. .. &'(+'-. Beyond freedom and dignity. 7ew Hork: Bnopf.