The Rewards of Effective Classroom Management

Cynthia Alaniz

In my first year of teaching, I remember being consumed with the doling out of rewards and consequences. I dutifully kept track of names and checkmarks on monthly incentive charts. I spent much time writing and rewriting classroom rules, posting them on chart paper, and reciting them with the class.

Now, I focus more on meeting my students' needs, and in doing so, I find that my management plan serves its ultimate purpose: classroom learning.

How important is a sound management system? Robert Marzano tells us that "effective management strategies" make up one component of "effective classroom pedagogy." Without a plan in place, learning is less likely to happen. What do I expect my students to do? How do I expect them to treat one another? Am I creating the very best possible conditions for learning? Every teacher must answer these questions again and again.

Ways to Cultivate Positive Relationships

An essential step toward effectual classroom management is developing a positive relationship with students. During the summer, I encounter future students throughout the community at restaurants, the grocery store, or the public library. Recognizing them as students at my school, I establish a connection through a casual greeting and conversation about vacation plans.

Sometimes these same students walk through my door during "Meet the Teacher" night before the first day of school. As the evening progresses, I become familiar with parents' names, students' interests, and names of siblings. What makes them unique? What is important to them? I make it evident that I already care very much about them. I want them to walk away from the evening knowing they will have a teacher who is supportive and considerate. I cultivate this connection throughout the year with annual class mottoes (e.g., this year's: "Be a person of excellence!"), collaborative media projects, and peer teaching—knowing that as my students form bonds with one another, our class takes on its own personality. Classroom camaraderie also comes about through shared experiences such as celebrations, goal accomplishment, humorous moments, and challenges we face together.

Of course, I also set in place specific, reasonable rules that are brief and easy to remember. These rules cover treatment of self, others, and property. We discuss examples, and my students understand that no expectation is arbitrary; rather, it ultimately serves the good of all. Through lively, honest discussion, students begin to understand that every action is a choice. As I address behaviors throughout the day and implement consequences, I remember to be consistent, treating each student with dignity. My students know that I will be fair, and I earn their trust daily with each interaction.

Learners Together

My most effective management strategy, however, is showing my students that I am a learner, too. While recently completing my master's degree in educational leadership, I informed them regularly of my progress. Because I was also taking exams and submitting assignments, I gained instant credibility with them. My students took my advice on organizational skills and study habits because I was living it. I found it easier to put myself in my students' shoes as I examined my students' tasks: Would this assignment motivate me? What would I need for this project? My empathy made me more attuned to the needs of my class, and in turn, fostered a positive classroom culture.

I show students in other ways that I never stop learning. When I discuss my ongoing efforts to become more proficient with technology tools such as blogging, Jing, or my interactive whiteboard, my students know I am eager to know more and do more. I unveil my current writing projects with them, modeling revision strategies and revealing struggles with word choice. I share my forays into various topics of interest (curriculum design, photography, college football, multimedia presentations, and Texas history). They hear me question (politely and thoughtfully), every speaker and visitor to our classroom or school. During our sustained silent reading time, they see me reading books on current education topics or the latest children's bestsellers, so every one of my students knows from the very first day of school that reading is as important to me as breathing. I'm happy to share my goals and projects with my students, so they see that adults seek out their own learning, too. Marvelously, I receive a double payoff for my pursuits: the actual knowledge I acquire for myself, and the positive influence my example has on students. At the same time, I'm never hesitant to share my own setbacks, because through these obstacles, I have the opportunity to model perseverance and wonder. I realize that I am the textbook in my class, and that everything I say and do is an opportunity to teach.

Patience, Time, and Praise

Although my students are savvy and independent, I never forget they are children who need to be taught how to cope with situations even some adults find difficult. At any age, it's always difficult to repair fractured friendships, take a less-traveled path alone, or adjust to unwelcome change. Learning to cope with situations like these requires coaching, patience, and an investment of time. We set goals for behavior, and I praise them for their effort and success. My students also learn to work through disputes using conflict resolution techniques taught by our school counselor using a conflict resolution wheel posted in the classroom. The wheel is a pictorial representation of kid-friendly solutions to conflicts that students might encounter during the normal day. (Typically, disagreements arise over proper adherence to game rules, contributions to group projects, or the acceptance of ideas and differences.) Solutions on the wheel include "Walk away," "Use 'I' messages," or "Be kind." After guiding them to the wheel and helping them find appropriate resolutions, it's satisfying to watch students refer to the wheel on their own and suggest solutions for classmates.

No strategy is effective in all situations. However, if teachers keep their students' needs in mind and interact with them as fellow learners, the classroom can become a nurturing community of mutual respect. Although classroom management requires a significant amount of "uploading" on my part, the benefits come in the form of long-lasting friendships and accomplishments in which we can all take pride. My students walk away with rewards that are far more enduring than any check mark, gold star, or blue ribbon: increased knowledge, confidence, and abilities. There is a reward for me as well: I derive profound joy in knowing that my students are better prepared for the challenges that await them beyond the walls of our classroom.

References

Marzano, R. J. (2007). The art and science of teaching: A comprehensive framework for effective instruction. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Cynthia Alaniz is a 4th grade teacher and grade-level team leader at Denton Creek Elementary School in Coppell, Texas.

ASCD Express, Vol. 5, No. 24. Copyright 2010 by ASCD. All rights reserved. Visit www.ascd.org/ascdexpress.