Essential skills for classroom management

How to manage your classroom?

1. Classroom Management
Ayman Reda,
Social Worker & Student Counselor
First Academy School
[email protected]
[email protected]

2. Classroom ManagementQui c k T im e ™ a n d a
d ec o m p re s s o r
a re n e ed e d t o s ee t h is p i c t u re.

3. Better Behavior
Better Learning
Essential Skills for
Classroom Management

4. Teacher Language in the
classroom
Learning Conversations: increase time
spent on learning conversations
Managing Conversations: reduce time
spent on managing behavior
conversations.

5. The Balance Model
of BehaviourManagement
(Richmond, 2002)
Acknowledgement Correction
Clear Expectations

6. Imbalance 1
Unclear Expectations
Acknowledgement Correction

7. Imbalance 2
Too much acknowledgement

8. Imbalance 3
Too much correction

9. The 10 Essential Skills for
ClassroomManagement
Establishing expectations–Making rules.
Giving instructions–Telling students what to do.
Waiting and scanning–Stopping to assess what is happening.
Cueing with parallel acknowledgement-Praising a particular student to
prompt others.
Body language encouraging-Smiling, nodding, gesturing and moving near.
Descriptive encouraging–Praise describing behaviour.
Selective attending-Not obviously reacting to certain behaviours.
Redirecting to the learning-Prompting on-task behaviour.
Giving a choice-Describing the student’s options and likely consequences of
their behaviour.
Following through-Doing what you said you would.

10. 1. Establishing expectations

11. 1. Initially present a small number of rules to
students. Developing rules with the class can
also be effective.
2. Publish the rules where students can read
them.
How to Establish Expectations:

12. 3. Keep the rules short, simple and
positive.
For example:
Arrive on time and be prepared.
Follow teacher instructions.
Keep hands and feet to yourself.
Use manners.
Stay on task.
How to Establish Expectations:

13. 4. Refer to the rules at times when they are being
followed, not just when they are not being followed.
5. Model Social skills -e.g. appropriate manners, tone
of voice, body language, punctuality, dress.
How to Establish Expectations:

14. ACTIVITY
At your table/small group discuss the following
briefly.
1. What are/what would you want as your class
rules?
2. When would/do you refer to your class rules?
3. How would/do you model your class rules?

15. 2. Giving instructionsQui c k T im e ™ a n d a
d ec o m p re s s o r
a re n e ed e d t o s ee t h is p i c t u re.

16. Why is giving an instruction an effective
management skill?
1. Clear, short instructions help students
understand what you expect them to do.
2. Instructions help students organise what they
are required to do.
3. Instructions cue to students that they need to
be actively engagedwith the curriculum.
Skill 2 -Giving Instructions

17. 1. Use a verbal/non-verbal attention gaining
prompt to focus student attention towards
the teacher.
2. Wait and scan (Skill 3)
3. When student attention is focused, start
your instruction. Keep instructions short.
Be concise.
How to give effective verbal instructions:

18. 4. Link the instruction to a short pause
and scan the class.
5. Separate instructions and content
talk. Avoid frequently placing
instructions within extended
content talk.

19. 7. Use “thanks” rather than “please”
at the end of an instruction for a
crisper, less question-like tone.
-“Thanks” implies compliance.
8. Give the instruction in a firm, calm
and measured voice.
9. Use ‘now’ if the group or student is
escalating.

20. For example
“David, looking to the front, now.” Do
not shout.
(Use a calm, firm tone of voice.)
When he responds appropriately, pause
slightly to reaffirm, then look away and
continue.

21. ACTIVITY
At your table/small group discuss and re-write the following class
instruction.
Teacher Goal:
-The teacher wants to meet the class at the library after
morning tea.
“OK year 7, Daniel, Melissa, Stephen turn around. I can still see
people writing, put all your stuff away and pay attention to the
teacher. I need to tell you something important and you had
better get it. We need to go to the library after morning tea
today. Meet me at the library after morning tea. Stephen turn
around, why do you always ignore my instructions, I am sick of it.
Now go to morning tea year 7 and remember what I told you.”

22. 3. Waiting and scanning

23. To wait and look at your students for 5-10 seconds
after you give an instruction.
1. It gives students time to process the direction.
2. It indicates non-verbally to students that you mean
what you say; increasing compliance.
3. You avoidfilling all the available time with excess
talk which can inadvertently train the class to stop
listening to your voice.
Skill 3 -Waiting and Scanning

24. 1. After you have given an instruction,
pause, remain quiet and look at your
students by scanning the whole room for
5-10 seconds to maintain their attention.
2. When student attention is gained, then
continue with your dialogue or prompt
them to begin following your instruction.
How to wait and scan:

25. 4. Cueing with parallel
acknowledgementQui c k T im e ™ a n d a
d ec o m p re s s o r
a re n e ed e d t o s ee t h is p i c t u re.

26. To acknowledge students’ on-task behaviour with
the intention of prompting others to follow suit.
1. It cues other students to match the behaviour that
is being acknowledged.
2. It is an alternative to a redirection, so can help you
to avoid nagging or becoming too directive.
3. It contributes to a positive tone in the classroom.
Skill 4 -Cueing with parallel acknowledgment

27. 1. After setting students to task, move around
your room to non-verbally signal to them that
they should become engaged with the task. Walk
near all members of the class.
2. Touch the work of students who are on-task.
This cues you to continue to circulate throughout
the classroom.
How to use body language encouraging:

28. 3. Once you have made one general tour of the
room, pause, maintain minimal teacher talk
or focused quiet timeand then walk slowly
toward students who may be off-task.
-This can prompt them least intrusively to
resume on-task behaviour.

29. 4. Smile and make eye contact to acknowledge.
-This helps students feel welcome and
noticed.
5. Make discrete nodding movements and finger
signals where appropriate as acknowledgment.

30. •Standing too close to a student.
-This can be intimidating and cue
hostility.
•Moving too fast towards a student.
-This can induce a ‘fight/flight’
response.
•Holding eye contact.
-This can become a ‘stare-out’
challenge.
Avoid the following:

31. •Standing near to the student.
-This can indicate that you are waiting
for compliance after you have given a
correction.
It is better to praise/prompt/correct,
pause briefly, then walk away and scan
back.
•Showing irritation or annoyance through
foot tapping, pursing lips, crossing arms or
pointed frowning.

32. 5. Body Language encouragingQui c k T im e ™ a n d a
d ec o m p re s s o r
a re n e ed e d t o s ee t h is p i c t u re.

33. 6. Descriptive encouragementQui c k T im e ™ a n d a
d ec o m p re s s o r
a re n e ed e d t o s ee t h is p i c t u re.

34. 7. Selective attendingQui c k T im e ™ a n d a
d ec o m p re s s o r
a re n e ed e d t o s ee t h is p i c t u re.

35. 8. Redirecting to the
learningQui c k T im e ™ a n d a
d ec o m p re s s o r
a re n e ed e d t o s ee t h is p i c t u re.

36. 9, Giving a choiceQui c k T im e ™ a n d a
d ec o m p re s s o r
a re n e ed e d t o s ee t h is p i c t u re.

37. 10. Following throughQui c k T im e ™ a n d a
d ec o m p re s s o r
a re n e ed e d t o s ee t h is p i c t u re.

38. Questions?