Why Classroom Management?

Many instructors worry that students will not participate in the daily activities of the classroom or that they will become resistant or disruptive in a way that makes it difficult for them to teach and for other students to learn. The management of the classroom environment is therefore a large part of what constitutes success in teaching. No matter the size of the class, classroom management helps both instructors and students in the teaching and learning process. By learning to manage effectively, instructors can avoid conflicts that arise from confusing or difficult classroom interactions. The first step in learning classroom management is to ask yourself: What kind of classroom environment works for you (how much chaos can you tolerate) and helps your students learn? As we are talking about different ways to create classroom norms, it is important to know that what works for one teacher may not work for others.

Classroom management means creating an efficient and comfortable classroom environment that allows you to reach all of your students and working with students to maintain an environment of respect. Communicating your goals and expectations for the course on the first day of class, preparing for your class sessions each week, and managing daily class sessions effectively can help your students can succeed in the course.

We propose that instructors establish the rules, roles and norms of a class in order to ensure that lesson plans run smoothly and that the students and instructors can engage in the shared process of learning in a meaningful and transparent way. We therefore use these three categories (rules, roles, and norms) to discuss effective classroom management:

  • RULES
    • Attendance and lateness
    • Academic Integrity
    • Laptop use
  • ROLES
    • Student Tasks & Related Behaviors
    • Mutual Accountability
  • NORMS
    • Civility in the Classroom
    • Daily Agendas
    • Effective use of Office Hours

Recommended Reading

  1. “Classroom Management,” Academy of Art University
  2. “Daily Tasks in Teaching,” Aleks Prighozin, Department of English Languages and Literatures and Teaching Consultant at the Chicago Center for Teaching 
  3. “Your First Day of Class,” Dan Kimmel, Department of Sociology and Teaching Consultant at the Chicago Center for Teaching

Links

Creating an Enabling Classroom Environment Workshop