CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT

Web of Scholar ISSN 2518-167X CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT Naila Gasimova Azerbaijan, Azerbaijan State Oil and Industry University ARTICLE INFO Received 13 March 2018 Accepted 28 March 2018 Published 12 April 2018 KEYWORDS attention problems, assertive behavior, classroom management, expectations and consequences, level of dominance, rapport, teaching approach ABSTRACT In this article the first and most basic obligation of a teacher to see the beauty that exists within every student is examined and described. Every child is infinitely precious. When we start from this vantage point, classroom management -- and its flip side, student engagement -- comes more easily. It's an outgrowth of students feeling loved and respected. In the article we’ll discuss tips for better classroom management. They are:  Love your students  Assume the best in your students  Praise what and when you can  Do sweat the small stuff  Identify yourself  Forge a class identity  Have a plan © 2018 The Author. Introduction. One of the most important roles that teachers play in a typical classroom is the role of a manager. A poorly managed classroom cannot lead to effective teaching and learning. The main goal of classroom management is to reduce misbehavior in the classroom. Effective classroom management gives the students little time to misbehave. Discipline often comes to mind at the mention of classroom management, but the crucial component of teaching is much more. Classroom management creates a set of expectations used in an organized classroom environment. It includes routines, rules and consequences. Effective classroom management paves the way for the teacher to engage the students in learning. Teachers need to behave in different ways at different stages of a lesson to manage the classroom. It is of great importance to guide learners successfully through the lesson. These different ways of behaving in and managing the class are called teacher roles. Teacher roles vary in every lesson. They depend on the teaching approach, learning styles and learning needs used by teachers in the classroom. What are the advantages of classroom management? It is extremely important for students to learn in an environment that’s free of disruption in order to reach their full academic potential. When teachers can effectively control the direction and behaviour of a classroom, students are likely to achieve improved academic results. This makes an effective classroom management system essential for both teachers and students. Setting goals. Teachers need to behave in different ways at different stages of a lesson to manage the classroom. They have to guide learners through the lesson. Teachers use a lot of approaches in every lesson to guide learners successfully. Teaching approach is a way of teaching used every lesson. In this article we’ll consider some roles teachers often adopt:  Planner  Manager  Observer  Facilitator  Diagnostician  Language resource  Assessor  Rapport builder In the next subsection of this article, we consider how teacher roles match with different aspects of teaching and with different stages of a lesson. What are the characteristics of effective teacher-student relationships? Let's first consider what they are not. Effective teacher-student relationships have nothing to do with the teacher's personality 56 4(22), Vol.4, April 2018 https://ws-conference.com/webofscholar Web of Scholar ISSN 2518-167X or even with whether the students view the teacher as a friend. Rather, the most effective teacherstudent relationships are characterized by specific teacher behaviors: exhibiting appropriate levels of dominance; exhibiting appropriate levels of cooperation; and being aware of high-needs students. We will also analyze the following points necessary in the learning process:  Appropriate Levels of Dominance  Establishing Clear Expectations and Consequences  Establishing Clear Learning Goals  Providing Feedback on those Goals  Exhibiting Assertive Behavior  Appropriate Levels of Cooperation  Providing Flexible Learning Goals  Taking a Personal Interest in Students  Using Equitable and Positive Classroom Behaviors  Awareness of High-Needs Students  Attention problems Methods of solution. As a planner teachers prepare and reflect on the lesson before teaching, anticipate problems, select, design and adapt materials. As a manager teachers organise the learning space, make sure everything in the classroom is running smoothly and set up rules and routines (things which are done regularly) for behaviour and interaction. As an observer teachers goes around the class during individual, pair and group work activities, checking learning and providing support as necessary. As a facilitator teachers provide opportunities for learning, help learners to access resources and develop learner autonomy. As a diagnostician teachers work out the causes of learners’ difficulties. As a language resource learners can ask teachers for help and advice about language. As an assessor teachers evaluate the language level and attitudes of the learners by using different means of informal and formal assessment. As a rapport builder teachers tries to create a good relationship with and between learners. Teachers can be planners before the lesson, rapport builders during the warm-up and lead-in phase, language resources during the language input and practice phase, monitors during role-play, pairwork activities or writing, and assessors during the lesson, both formally and informally, and after the lesson when we are correcting learners’work. The teacher roles we adopt have to be appropriate for the teaching and learning context, the teaching approach, the lesson aims, the stage of the lesson, the type of activity and the age, level and attitude of the learners. Appropriate Levels of Dominance is an important characteristic of effective teacher-student relationships. In contrast to the more negative connotation of the term dominance as forceful control or command over others, they define dominance as the teacher's ability to provide clear purpose and strong guidance regarding both academics and student behavior. Studies indicate that when asked about their preferences for teacher behavior, students typically express a desire for this type of teacher-student interaction. For example, in a study that involved interviews with more than 700 students in grades 4–7, students articulated a clear preference for strong teacher guidance and control rather than more permissive types of teacher behavior (Chiu & Tulley, 1997). Teachers can exhibit appropriate dominance by establishing clear behavior expectations and learning goals and by exhibiting assertive behavior. Establishing Clear Expectations and Consequences. Teachers can establish clear expectations for behavior in two ways: by establishing clear rules and procedures, and by providing consequences for student behavior. It is of great importance to establish rules and procedures for general classroom behavior, group work, seat work, transitions and interruptions, use of materials and equipment. In general, the class should establish these rules and procedures through discussion and mutual consent by teacher and students (Glasser, 1990). Along with well-designed and clearly communicated rules and procedures, the teacher must acknowledge students' behavior, reinforcing acceptable behavior and providing negative consequences for unacceptable behavior. Teachers build effective relationships through such strategies as the following:  using a wide variety of verbal and physical reactions to students' misbehavior, such as moving closer to offending students and using a physical cue, such as a finger to the lips, to point out inappropriate behavior; https://ws-conference.com/webofscholar 4(22), Vol.4, April 2018 57 Web of Scholar ISSN 2518-167X  cuing the class about expected behaviors through prearranged signals, such as raising a hand to indicate that all students should take their seats;  providing tangible recognition of appropriate behavior—with tokens or chits, for example.  employing group contingency policies that hold the entire group responsible for behavioral expectations;  employing home contingency techniques that involve rewards and sanctions at home. Establishing Clear Learning Goals. Teachers have to establish and communicate learning goals at the beginning of a every unit of instruction. They have also to provide feedback on those goals, continually and systematically revise the goals, provide summative feedback regarding the goals. The use of instructions can help teachers establish clear goals. The clarity of purpose is of great importance for students. So their teacher has to provide proper guidance and direction in academic content. Exhibiting Assertive Behavior. Teachers can also communicate appropriate levels of dominance by exhibiting assertive behavior. Assertive behavior is the ability to stand up for one's legitimate rights in ways that make it less likely that others will ignore or circumvent them. Assertive behavior differs significantly from both passive behavior and aggressive behavior. These researchers explain that teachers display assertive behavior in the classroom when they use assertive body language by maintaining an erect posture, facing the offending student but keeping enough distance so as not to appear threatening and matching the facial expression with the content of the message being presented to students. Teachers have to use assertive body language by maintaining an erect posture, facing the offending student but keeping enough distance so as not to appear threatening and matching the facial expression with the content of the message being presented to students. Teachers have to use an appropriate tone of voice, speaking clearly and deliberately in a pitch that is slightly but not greatly elevated from normal classroom speech, avoiding any display of emotions in the voice. Teachers have to persist until students respond with the appropriate behavior. They don’t have to ignore an inappropriate behavior; they don’t have to be diverted by a student denying, arguing, or blaming, but have to listen to legitimate explanations. Appropriate Levels of Cooperation. Cooperation is characterized by a care for the needs and opinions of others. Although not the antithesis of dominance, cooperation certainly occupies a different field. Whereas dominance focuses on the teacher as the driving force in the classroom, cooperation focuses on the students and teacher working as a team. The interaction of these two dynamics—dominance and cooperation—is a central force in effective teacher-student relationships. Several strategies can foster appropriate levels of cooperation. Provide Flexible Learning Goals. Just as teachers can communicate appropriate levels of dominance by providing clear learning goals, they can also convey appropriate levels of cooperation by providing flexible learning goals. Giving students the opportunity to set their own objectives at the beginning of a unit or asking students what they would like to learn conveys a sense of cooperation. Teachers have to give students choice, increase their understanding of the topic and try to accommodate students' interests. Take a Personal Interest in Students. Probably the most obvious way to communicate appropriate levels of cooperation is to take a personal interest in each student in the class. All students appreciate personal attention from the teacher. Although busy teachers—particularly those at the secondary level—do not have the time for extensive interaction with all students, some teacher actions can communicate personal interest and concern without taking up much time. Teachers can talk informally with students before, during, and after class about their interests. Teachers should greet students outside of university—for instance, at extracurricular events or at the store; single out a few students each day in the lunchroom and talk with them; be aware of and comment on important events in students' lives, such as participation in sports, drama, or other extracurricular activities; compliment students on important achievements in and outside of the university; meet students at the door as they come into class; greet each one by name. Use Equitable and Positive Classroom Behaviors. Teachers have to figure out the importance of the subtle ways in which they can communicate their interest in students. Teachers should, for example, make eye contact with each student; deliberately move toward and stand close to each student during the class period; make sure that the seating arrangement allows them and students clear and easy ways to move around the room. 58 4(22), Vol.4, April 2018 https://ws-conference.com/webofscholar Web of Scholar ISSN 2518-167X Attribute the ownership of ideas to the students who initiated them; allow and encourage all students to participate in class discussions and interactions; provide appropriate wait time for all students to respond to questions. Awareness of High-Needs Students. Classroom teachers meet daily with a broad crosssection of students. In general, 12–22 percent of all students in universities suffer from mental, emotional, or behavioral disorders, and relatively few receive mental health services. 18 percent of students have special needs and require extraordinary interventions and treatments that go beyond the typical resources available to the classroom. Although the classroom teacher is certainly not in a position to directly address such severe problems, teachers with effective classroom management skills are aware of high-needs students and have a repertoire of specific techniques for meeting some of their needs. There are five categories of high-needs students with and special classroom strategies for each category and subcategory. Passive students fall into two subcategories: those who fear relationships and those who fear failure. Teachers can build strong relationships with these students by refraining from criticism, rewarding small successes, and creating a classroom climate in which students feel safe from aggressive people. The category of aggressive students comprises three subcategories: hostile, oppositional, and covert. Hostile students often have poor anger control, low capacity for empathy, and an inability to see the consequences of their actions. Oppositional students exhibit milder forms of behavior problems, but they consistently resist following rules, argue with adults, use harsh language, and tend to annoy others. Students in the covert subcategory may be quite pleasant at times, but they are often nearby when trouble starts and they never quite do what authority figures ask of them. Strategies for helping aggressive students include creating behavior contracts and providing immediate rewards and consequences. Attention problems. Students with attention problems fall into two categories: hyperactive and inattentive. These students may react well when teachers agree with them to manage behaviors; teach them basic concentration, study, and thinking skills; help them divide tasks into manageable parts; reward their successes; and assign them a peer tutor. Students in the perfectionist category are driven to succeed at unattainable levels. They are self-critical, have low self-esteem, and feel inferior. Teachers can often help these students by encouraging them to develop more realistic standards, helping them to accept mistakes, and giving them opportunities to teach other students. Socially inept students have difficulty making and keeping friends. They may stand too close and touch others in annoying ways, talk too much. Teachers can help these students by giving advice them about social behaviors. Hyperactive students have difficulty with motor control, both physically and verbally. Fidgets, leaves seat frequently, interrupts, talks excessively. Inattentive students have difficulty staying focused and following through on projects. Has difficulty with listening, remembering, and organizing. Teachers have to contract with the students to manage behaviors. They should teach basic concentration, study, and thinking skills. The best way to work with inattentive students is to separate students in a quiet work area and to list each step of a task. Teachers should reward their successes. Conclusions. Effective classroom management, i.e. organising the classroom and the learners, is dependent on the teacher adopting appropriate roles. For example, when learners arrive late in class or misbehave, the teacher needs to deal with the situation appropriately to ensure that the learners understand that this is not acceptable behaviour. In this situation, the teacher’s role is primarily to maintain discipline. If, on the other hand, the teacher adopts inappropriate roles, this can have a negative effect on their classroom management. Imagine a situation where one learner is dominating the interaction in the classroom, resulting in other learners becoming annoyed and being unwilling to participate. If the teacher sets out clear classroom routines and codes of conduct in which learners take turns to participate and listen to each other’s contributions, he or she will build rapport with the class and provide the learners with a more supportive learning environment. There are several common situations in which a teacher has to adapt his or her role as appropriate to encourage smooth classroom management. These include learners not completing homework, monitoring learners during pair and group activities, learners failing to understand instructions, learners chatting during pair or group work and not focusing on the task. The roles that teachers adopt also depend on the needs of the learners. With young learners, we might take on the role of a parent or a friend when a young student is unwell or unhappy. https://ws-conference.com/webofscholar 4(22), Vol.4, April 2018 59 Web of Scholar ISSN 2518-167X REFERENCES 1. Adelman, H. S., & Taylor, L. 2002. School counselors and school reform: New directions. Professional School Counseling, pp. 235–240. 2. Brophy, J. E. 1996. Teaching problem students. New York: Guilford 3. Chiu, L. H., & Tulley, M. 1997. Student preferences of teacher discipline styles. Journal of Instructional Psychology, 24(3), pp.168–171. 4. Marzano, R. J. (with Marzano, J. S., & Pickering, D. J.). 2003. Classroom management that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD. 5. Shel Holtz, Corporate conversations; Guide to Crafting Effective and Appropriate Internal Communication, 2004, USA, pp. 12-14. 6. Emmer, E. T., Evertson, C. M., & Worsham, M. E. 2003. Classroom Management. (6th ed.). Boston: Allyn and Bacon. 7. Robert J. Marzano, Jana S. Marzano and Debra J. 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