Whether the teacher is adopting whole class, individual or group teaching strategies, part of their job is to maximise the time that all the individuals in the class are on task and paying attention. Involving all the students in the learning activities of a classroom involves developing the sensitivity to be able to ‘read’ how individual students are responding and to be able to anticipate the most effective way of maintaining interest or re engaging attention. This will differ from individual to individual and in different contexts.
Teachers with effective classroom management skills are able to anticipate and to see where help is needed. They are able to nip trouble in the bud. They are skilful at scanning the class whilst helping individuals and they position themselves accordingly. They are alert; they can pre-empt disturbance; and they can act fast. They can sense the way a class is responding and can act to maintain a positive atmosphere. However, these skills have to be learned and developed.
Chaplain, R. (2018) Teaching Without Disruption in the Secondary School. London: Routledge.
Ellis, S. and Tod, J. (2018) Behaviour for Learning. Promoting Positive Relationships in the Classroom. 2nd edition. London: Routledge.
Munns, G., Arthur, L., Downes, T., Gregson, R., Power, A., Sawyer, W., & Steele, F. (2012). Motivation and Engagement of Boys: Evidence-Based Teaching Practices. Appendices. Australian Government Department of Education, Science and Training.
This freely available article is about an approach to classroom management based upon person centred psychology. The metaphor of turning pupils from ‘tourists’ to ‘citizens’ is used to sum up the changes in pupils’ attitudes and approaches to their schools and behaviour that can be aimed for. The notion of pupils being tourists in their schools describes a need for change to support classroom management:
Freiberg J. (2012) 'From Tourists to Citizens.' Better Evidence Based Education Journal. (5) 1 11-12
