UNIT 4.

CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT

4.1 Introduction
Classroom management (CM) represents the way a teacher organizes the
classroom, learners and the whole teaching process in order to make the
lesson effective. The concept refers to:
- management techniques used in the classroom and
- the activities to be performed.
- preparation of materials,
- organization,
- classroom decoration,
- the establishment and enforcement of routines and rules.
It is linked to issues of motivation, discipline and respect; it aims at
encouraging and establishing student self-control through a process of
promoting positive student achievement and behavior.
It involves planning, organization, control of learners, of learning process for
creating an effective learning experience.
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Teachers play various roles in a typical classroom, but one of the most important
is that of classroom manager.
• Effective teaching and learning cannot take place in a poorly managed
classroom.
• Effective teachers appear to be effective with students of all achievement
levels regardless of the levels of heterogeneity in their classes.
• If the teacher is ineffective, students will achieve inadequate progress
academically, regardless of how similar or different they are regarding their
academic achievement. 
The effective teacher performs many functions that can be organized into
several major roles:
1. Making wise choices about the most effective instruction strategies to
employ;
2. Designing classroom curriculum to facilitate student learning;
3. Making effective use of classroom management techniques;
4. Coping effectively with overlapping situations;
5. Engaging students in a variety of challenging activities.
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4.2 Classroom management components
1. Climate for learning
The concept refers to: the environment created by the school, the teachers and
the students; different strategies to motivate students, to increase students'
opportunities to learn, to help students learn and maintain appropriate
behavior, to promote student self-responsibility, and to foster accountability. 
Climate for learning is seen as a major component of classroom behavior and
learning. The learning environment must be envisioned in both a physical
space and a cognitive space.
• The physical space of the classroom is managed as the teacher prepares the
classroom for the students.
• The cognitive space is based upon the expectations teachers set for students in
the classroom and the process of creating a motivational climate.
Effective teachers create and implement classroom management practices that
cultivate an engaging classroom environment for their students. A significant
aspect of this beginning is the teacher's establishment of expectations for
student behavior, which are expressed through rules and procedures.
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Classroom climate is closely associated with learning environment and it is

seen as a major factor of classroom behavior and learning. Recent
research findings suggest strong relationship between classroom climate
and students’ school achievement. Classrooms which are characterized by
greater cohesion and goal-direction, lesser extent of disorganization and
conflicts, offer better opportunities for learning and consequently
students become successful.
An effective learning environment has in view the following parameters:
• physical environment (the size of the classroom, cleanliness, tidiness,
safety, sitting arrangement);
• the teacher's attitude towards the teaching process and the students
(their learning styles, needs);
• the students' motivation and attitudes towards the learning process/one
another/each other;
• the atmosphere created in the classroom.
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2. Organization of the classroom
Classroom management and classroom organization are intertwined. While rules and
routines influence student behavior, classroom organization affects the physical
elements of the classroom.
Classroom organization is evident in a room even if no one is present: furniture
arrangements, location of materials, and fixed elements are all part of organization.
Effective teachers: decorate the room with student work, arrange the furniture to
promote interaction as appropriate, have comfortable areas for working, consider
student needs in arranging the room by leaving space for wheelchairs; have walkways
so students can access materials, pencil sharpeners, trashcans; they organize in such a
way as to allow the teacher to freely move around the room to monitor student
progress.
It means that the teacher needs to have in view certain aspects and answer positively the
questions:
• Is the classroom clean, neat, and orderly in appearance?
• Can the blackboard represent an efficient tool (is it big enough, clean, is it properly
used);
• Are there any classrooms rules and routines?
• Can all the students see the teacher, the blackboard, the displayed materials well?
• Does the teacher know students feelings?
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3. Attending the students. Establishing good rapport
Positive teacher-student relationships promote a sense of school
belonging and encourage students to participate cooperatively. Students
develop confidence to experiment and succeed in an environment where
they are not restricted by the fear of failure. Teachers are able to assist
students with motivation and goal setting, and students can turn to them
for advice and guidance. Developing positive teacher-student
relationships takes significant time and effort; however, the benefit on
both the teacher and student is immeasurable. Attending strategies are:
• the verbal code: teachers should value student diversity and identity by
learning names quickly and pronouncing them correctly, talk about trust,
• the nonverbal code: nod, smile, eye contact, supportive look or touch.
A good rapport is ensured by: the teacher's interest in each student as an
individual, feedback offered on students progress, fair manner
treatment, value on what students think and say, balance between
praise and criticism, creating a positive atmosphere: stimulating,
energizing and motivating.
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4. Physical Arrangement and Teaching Space
Research shows that the physical arrangement of the classroom can affect the
behavior of both students and teachers. The spatial structure of a classroom
refers to:
• how the students are seated,
• where the students are in relation to one another,
• how classroom members move across the room,
• the classroom atmosphere and order.
The classroom environment suggests that the classroom should be organized to
accommodate a variety of activities throughout the day and to meet the teachers’
instructional goals. The main principles are:
• the teacher needs to see and be seen by all the students,
• minimize distraction to keep the students engaged,
• provide each student as well as the teacher with a personal space,
• to ensure that each student can see the teachers’ presentation and materials
used in class.
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The area where the teacher prefers to sit or stand during the lesson is
also of great importance, because it increases or decreases student
involvement:
• If the teacher prefers sitting, this can trigger lack of attention,
disruptive behavior, or unpleasant atmosphere;
• If the teacher prefers standing, but not mobile, he/she needs to
master good techniques and be prepared with attractive material to
keep the students busy during the lesson;
• The teacher who walks around the classroom monitoring students'
activity, being ready to offer help is the one who contributes to a
pleasant and relaxing atmosphere;
• The teacher who moves too much, can disturb or confuse the
students;
The teaching space contributes to the success of teaching therefore the
students become more engaged in activities.
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5. Teacher Talking Time
• Teacher talking time (TTT) is the time that teachers spend talking in class, rather
than learners. It can be compared with student talking time (STT). One key element
of many modern approaches is to reduce the amount of teacher talking time as
much as possible, to give learners opportunities to speak, and learn from speaking.
• Learners need to produce language in real time conversation; learners should be
given a chance to notice their own mistakes, and the class should be student-
centred.
• They also need input from an effective language user in order to form hypotheses
about language rules, and the teacher may be one of the main sources of this
input.
• Finally, it concerns more with its quality and not quantity.
• Teacher talking time is linked with: the amount of info the teacher offers, the
instructions, the checking techniques, questioning techniques, the feedback, as
well as the way s/he reacts to students' errors. Less talk gives more opportunities
to students to talk, to express their ideas, feelings, attitudes. The teacher talking
time and student talking time depend on the type of the lesson and the activities
involved.
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6. Eye contact
Eye contact is a very important non-verbal teaching technique,
which enhances students’ attention in the classroom. It makes so
much difference: if students feel that the teacher is actually talking
and engaging with them, they are more likely to engage with
teacher and listen what they’re saying.
One aspect of non-verbal communication is the use of the eyes to
convey messages. The eyes are a powerful tool for both the
teacher and the learner, yet much classroom time is spent with
eyes firmly fixed on the book, the board, the floor, the window, or
roaming randomly around the teaching and learning environment.
Part of the non-verbal code used in the classroom, it plays an
important role especially in establishing good rapport. The teacher
should look into pupils' eyes when addressing to them, or when
explaining something.
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Good eye contact does not mean staring or gazing. Many learners are likely to find
this uncomfortable and consequently avert their own eyes and lose
concentration.
Neither does good eye contact mean eyes darting from learner to learner around
the room - this has no effect whatsoever.
It is recommended that there should be three to five seconds eye contact for non-
verbal communication to take place or while they are performing tasks. Students
are encouraged to make eye contact while they are working together in pairs or
groups.
Part of the non-verbal code used in the classroom, it plays an important role
especially in establishing good rapport. The teacher should look into pupils' eyes
when addressing to them, or when explaining something.
There is a strong link between the amount of eye contact people receive and their
degree of participation in group communication - in the number of turns taken in
a group conversation for example.
The teacher must have in view that a fix and steady look may sometimes make
students lose confidence. Teacher's look must be encouraging, supportive and
friendly.
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7. Body Language
Nonverbal language represents a good way to make ideas clearer and understandable
in the classroom communication, it also improves teaching efficiency. Effective
teachers use body language to communicate with students, build rapport with
them, and make them feel safe and supported. The more engaged the students are
in the classroom, the more likely they are to succeed.
Research shows that over 80% of communication is non-verbal. This establishes an
educational environment that nourishes positive relationships, which leads to
increased student achievement. Body language is important in cultivating the
student's character, because what the teacher does is imitated by students,
sometimes subconsciously. It includes facial expressions and gestures, thus:
• The teacher's smile encourages students;
• The teaching frowning the eyebrows can signal that something is missing in their
answer, is incorrect or insufficient;
• A raised finger can signal attention;
• The intonation patterns- tone, rising or falling intonation is the paraverbal
communication;
• The movement of teacher's head is a sign of approval, disapproval, interest or
need for correction.
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8. Raising students' motivation
Educational psychology has identified two basic classifications of motivation - intrinsic and
extrinsic. Intrinsic motivation arises from a desire to learn a topic due to its inherent interests,
for self-fulfillment, enjoyment and to achieve a mastery of the subject. On the other hand,
extrinsic motivation is motivation to perform and succeed for the sake of accomplishing a
specific result or outcome.
Students who are very grade-oriented are extrinsically motivated, whereas students who seem to
truly embrace their work and take a genuine interest in it are intrinsically motivated.
Raising student's motivation is not an easy task, lots of aspects of teacher's activities like:
• organization of the course,
• relevance of material,
• variety in activities,
• use of appropriate strategies and techniques,
• nature of the assignments and assessment,
• informal interactions,
• attitudes toward students,
• style of teaching need to be taken into consideration.
The usual procedures are: showing enthusiasm, use of variety of activities, establishing good
rapport with students, relevance of topics and materials, bringing appropriate examples,
active involvement in activities etc.
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4.3 Classroom Management Techniques

Classroom management techniques are the methods that teachers use to implement
good standards of behavior in their students. By using proven methods, teachers
can encourage students to display appropriate behavior in the classroom. 
Elementary-level teachers need to ensure lesson plans that do not have much
downtime for students. A large block of unscheduled time can cause students to
become restless and may lead to disruptive behavior.
Middle school teachers will largely want to focus on establishing rapport with
students, allowing for more autonomy, teaching respect, and explicitly redirecting
them from negative behaviors. Teachers can incorporate multiple middle school
classroom management strategies into their lesson plans to keep students well-
behaved and on track with their curriculum.
Classroom management strategies can also be more effective if they:
• are relevant to the subject matter and activities,
• incorporate some specific rules, guidelines, or expectations for how students
should behave themselves in a working group. Similarly,
• enable strong problem solving, practice, and attention to detail.
The first step to a successful classroom management is establishing the rules on the
first day.
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Rules are descriptions of standards for acceptable classroom
behavior, such as „listen when someone else is talking”.
Students should understand the reason behind the rules, so they can
accept responsibility for their own behavior.
Effective teachers have a minimum number of classroom rules,
which tend to focus on expectations of how to act toward one
another, maintain a safe environment, and participate in learning.
The teachers offer clear explanations of the rules, model the rules,
rehearse the expectations with students, and offer students
opportunities to be successful in meeting the expectations.
Some teachers like to distinguish between academic and behavior
expectations. Academic expectations relate to how students ought
to conduct themselves related to learning, homework, class
activities, and so on. Behavioral expectations relate to how
students interact with one another and contribute to a space
where everyone can learn and feel safe.
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The following principles can guide teachers in their effort to promote this
understanding:
1. Create rules and express them positively. It shouldn’t just be a list of don’ts.
2. Justify rules and rehearse them! “because I say so” is not a persuasive
justification.
3. Discuss rules with the class. Explain their purpose in order to improve learning.
4. Negotiate with the pupils to get commitment. Ask for suggestions and remember
to justify and compromise. Make posters and get them to sign up!
5. Regularly review the rules together.
6. Encourage pupils to invent rules and take ownership of them.
7. Remind pupils of any relevant rules before a potentially disruptive activity or if
you are aware of “something brewing”. This kind of response can drastically reduce
inappropriate behavior.
8. Encourage and develop team working (team rules for success).
Rules must also be consistent with the culture and established code of conduct of the
school. It is not sufficient to simply state the rules or have them displayed; rules
must be taught explicitly and monitored for understanding and compliance.
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Procedures are routines that students follow in their daily learning activities.
• they are more flexible than rules,
• they vary little during the course of the day or the year.
• routines commonly include how to: enter and leave the classroom, take
attendance, indicate lunch selection, secure materials, dispose of trash, label
work, turn in assignments, make a transition during or between instructional
activities, get to safety during drills and actual emergencies, and change from
one activity or location to another.
Effective teachers use routines for daily tasks. They invest the time at the start of
the school year to teach the routines. By establishing and practicing routines that
require little monitoring, teachers ensure that the focus of the classroom is more
concentrated on instruction.
Effective teachers spend more time establishing classroom rules at the beginning
of the year and periodically review rules throughout the year. Rules alone are
insufficient to promote appropriate behavior and academic productivity; rules
must be implemented within the context of a comprehensive instructional and
behavior management system that includes careful planning to meet the needs
of individual students as well as the whole class, learning activities that promote
student engagement, and consistent consequences for rule violations.
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4.4 Managing Disruptive Student Behavior
Disruptive behavior can be defined as behavior that substantially or
repeatedly interferes with the instructors’ ability to conduct class or other
students’ ability to learn.
Disruptive behavior in classrooms is a significant challenge for learning in
schools and a risk factor for students’ academic achievement and a
significant source of teachers’ work‐related stress.
Highly productive and constructive training instructions alleviate, but do not
eliminate, classroom behavior issues. Behavior management and
classroom discipline have been observed to be ineffective in classrooms
when teachers are stressful and are ineffective in their classrooms.
Generally, disruptive behavior is any behavior that interferes with the
instructor's ability to conduct the class, or the ability of other students to
profit from the instruction. Such behavior may take various forms and can
be dependent upon many factors including class size, subject matter, and
the relationship between faculty and students.
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Examples of disruptive behavior include:
• Electronic devices going off including the answering of cell phones;
• Repeated tardiness;
• Leaving class without permission;
• Talking in class without permission;
• Making noise and repeatedly interrupting;
• Reading newspapers/magazines in class;
• Eating/ drinking in class without permission;
• Being verbally abusive to the instructor or other students including personal insults;
• Persistent and unreasonable demands for time and attention, both in and out of the
classroom;
• Refusing to comply with the directions of the instructor;
• Attempts to contact you at your home in inappropriate ways;
• Behaviors indicating a romantic or other obsessive interest in you;
• Intimidating or harassing another person through words and/or actions;
• Threatening/intimidating/harassing the instructor or other students, regardless if verbally,
written or through voice mail or e-mail communications;
• Threats of physical assault;
• Carrying or displaying weapons, destroying property or throwing objects in a manner
reasonably perceived as threatening;
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Recognizing and acknowledging achievement and positive behavior is an important part of
effective management and may include offering incentives. Incentives and rewards should be
negotiated with students and should match their age and developmental level. They should
be fair and consistent and avoid any cultural or gender bias.
It is a good idea to check how individual students respond to public praise before using this type
of acknowledgement for achievement. Teachers should keep track of which students are
being praised and reinforced to ensure that all students are receiving appropriate
acknowledgement. Examples of positive reinforcement include:
• timely positive feedback and acknowledging effort
• recognizing contributions to the community (citizenship)
• recognizing participation in special events such as sports days
• merit certificates that link to the whole-school reward system, such as assembly awards
• raffle tickets for end of session, day, week, month, term prizes
• class star chart with clear criteria for earning rewards that are linked to specific rules
• class jobs and responsibilities
• free choice activity for a set time, such as computer, craft, sport activities
• whole-class celebrations, excursions or outings
• positive contact with family in person or via certificate, email, letter or phone call
• articles in the school newsletter and positive referral to executive staff.
• students' involvement in collecting, counting, recording and monitoring progress.
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4.5 Classroom Management Style
Teaching style defines the behaviours or actions teachers exhibit in the teaching process, the
beliefs and values teachers hold.
Teaching style is not only the teaching method itself but something larger that relates to the
entire teaching-learning exchange, regardless of the environment or content of teaching.
There are four main types of teachers in the classrooms today.
Authoritarian teaching style
• The authoritarian teacher places firm limits and controls on the students. This teacher
prefers vigorous discipline and expects swift obedience.
• Students will often have assigned seats for the entire term.
• The desks are usually in straight rows and there are no deviations. Students must be in their
seats at the beginning of class and they frequently remain there throughout the period.
• This teacher rarely gives hall passes or recognizes excused absences. Students know they
should not interrupt the teacher.
• Since verbal exchange and discussion are discouraged, the authoritarian's students do not
have the opportunity to learn and/or practice communication skills.
• Failure to obey the teacher usually results in detention or a trip to the principal's office. In
this classroom, students need to follow directions and not ask why.
• Very little is allowed, every little infraction is caught and disciplined. Students obey, but
mostly of fear, and the teacher blames the students for the discipline problems.
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Permissive teaching style
• The laissez-faire teacher is not very involved in the classroom. This teacher
places few demands, if any, on the students and appears generally
uninterested. The laissez-faire teacher just doesn't want to impose on the
students. As such, s/he often feels that class preparation is not worth the
effort.
• Things like field trips and special projects are out of the question. This teacher
simply won't take the necessary preparation time. Sometimes, s/he will use
the same materials, year after year. Also, classroom discipline is lacking. This
teacher may lack the skills, confidence, or courage to discipline students.
• The students sense and reflect the teacher's laissez-faire attitude.
Accordingly, very little learning occurs. Everyone is just "going through the
motions" and killing time. In this aloof environment, the students have very
few opportunities to observe or practice communication skills. With few
demands placed on them and very little discipline, students have low
achievement motivation and lack self-control.
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Detached teaching style
• The teacher is the one who really does not care. S/he seems to
have discipline problems in class, but may not even care what kind
of grades the students may receive during classroom activities.
• The teacher will sit behind the desk until the students are working
and grade papers during the class or when on duty.
• There is no emotional support or behavioral management from
the detached teacher.
• Accordingly, very little learning occurs. Everyone is just «going
through the motions» and killing time. In this environment, the
students have very few opportunities to observe or practice
communication skills.
• With few demands placed on them and very little discipline,
students have low achievement motivation and lack self-control.
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Authoritative style
• The authoritative teacher is the one who has an orderly classroom, a
strong discipline plan and is caring and supportive.
• Students respect this teacher and know that they can go to him/her with
their problems of any kind, no matter how big or small.
• The authoritative teacher places limits and controls on the students but
simultaneously encourages independence.
• This teacher often explains the reasons behind the rules and decisions. If
a student is disruptive, the teacher offers a polite, but firm, reprimand.
• This teacher sometimes metes out discipline, but only after careful
consideration of the circumstances.
• The authoritative teacher is also open to considerable verbal interaction,
including critical debates.
• The students know that they can interrupt the teacher if they have a
relevant question or comment. This environment offers the students the
opportunity to learn and practice communication skills.