CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES

Classroom Management Strategies for Building Relationships with Problem Students

Classroom Management Strategies for Building Relationships with Problem Students

Introduction

Most educators agree that effective learning involves a variety of cognitive and metacognitive strategies (Meece, 1994) as well as good discipline and classroom management. Whilst not ignoring the value of cognitive and metacognitive strategies for effective learning, recent research has stated that discipline and classroom management is probably the most taxing aspect of a teacher's role (Carey, 2003; B. Rogers, 1997). For some teachers the most difficult task may not be the mastery of the content matter but learning how to deal effectively with children. Osborn and Osborn (1989) reported that there were situations when their best lesson plans were lost due to poor classroom management and discipline techniques. Misbehaviour can be hurtful; it disrupts and disinhibit others learning. Discipline problems are a major concern for the teachers in schools.

Schools encourage and enhance the youths of the society to acquire skills and knowledge that will help them become responsible contributors to society as adults and teachers are the facilitators of this learning process (Carey, 2003). However, better part of the teachers' role is to come up with solutions to the pervasive problem of maintaining discipline. Discipline is essential if students are going to learn unhampered by hostile disruptions (Osborn & Osborn, 1989; B. Rogers, 1997; W. A. Rogers, 1991; Smith & Laslett, 1993). Classroom discipline is harder these days. However, with effective discipline teachers will be able to deliver the curriculum. Teachers will need to step out of their customary role of curriculum delivery and develop skills to manage behaviour problems.

The Discipline Problems

The single most cause of concern for educators are discipline problems in schools as it affects all aspects of education (Crittenden, 1991; Smith & Laslett, 1993). Teachers can face a range of disruptions in any one day or session. These disruptions may range from low level variety, such as attention seeking, tapping, and calling out, noise at the desk to high level defiance, refusal, yelling and so on. It may be the behaviour which inhibits a student's own learning or it may be the behaviour of one student which is disruptive to the learning of another (Lewis, 1997).

Children will disrupt for many reasons. Children may disrupt a class because they may be bored, some people like being class clown, or just because they are mischievous (B. Rogers, 1997). Today disruption seems to be a normal feature of a classroom. Rogers (1997) state that some children may disrupt for reasons such as not being able to cope with work or they may be bringing significant socio-economic problems with them to classroom.

Strategical Approaches

Ignoring and not addressing the potential cause of misbehaviour will result in frustration for the teacher to ameliorate the particular misbehaviour (Cameron, 1998).

However, behavioural approaches have been used in schools widely with a wide range of incentives, rewards, and punishments (Lewis, 2001). Also commonly used strategies by teachers include warnings, rebukes and punishment (Carey, ...