Behaviour management is of perennial concern to all teachers because of the numbers of students in a typical classroom which means that, in a sense, the teacher is always dealing with a crowd. Control of that crowd must, therefore, be a priority. However, the focus of attention should arguably be directed towards the maintenance of a positive climate for learning and to the prevention of managerial problems, so that crises are minimised or avoided. This is by no means easy, since classrooms are such complex places, where events can unfold very quickly. Moreover, even where teachers have control of the classroom, students may remain unclear about the aims of learning tasks set for them. The vital message is that classroom management is an absolutely necessary means to an end - but it is not the end itself.
