UNIT IV

CLASSROOM AND BEHAVIOUR MANAGEMENT

CLASS ROOM MANAGEMENT

Classroom management refers to the wide variety of skills and techniques that teachers use
to keep students organized, orderly, focused, attentive, on task, and academically productive
during a class. Generally speaking, effective teachers tend to display strong classroom-
management skills, while the hallmark of the inexperienced or less effective teacher is a
disorderly classroom filled with students who are not working or paying attention.
 It’s effective discipline.
 It’s being prepared for class.
 It’s motivating your students.
 It’s providing a safe, comfortable learning environment.
 It’s building your students’ self esteem.
 It’s being creative and imaginative in daily lessons.

Techniques for Better Classroom Control

• Focus attention on entire class

• Don’t talk over student chatter
• Silence can be effective
• Use softer voice so students really have to listen to what you’re saying
• Direct your instruction so that students know what is going to happen
• Monitor groups of students to check progress
• Move around the room so students have to pay attention more readily
• Give students non-verbal cues
• Engage in low profile intervention of disruptions
• Make sure classroom is comfortable and safe
• Plan your lessons to ensure you fill the period with learning activities
• Come to class prepared
• Show confidence in your teaching
• Learn student names as quickly as possible
Proximity and Body Language
• Eye contact, facial expressions, gestures, physical proximity to students, and the way you
carry yourself
• Be free to roam
• Avoid turning back to class

Cooperation through communication

• Verbalize descriptions of behaviors and never value judgments about individuals

• Verbalize feelings but remain in control
• Do not place labels (good or bad)
• Do not get students hooked on praise
• Praise the work and behavior – not the students themselves
• Speak only to people when they are ready to listen

Dealing with misbehaviours

 Remain focused and calm; organize thoughts
 Either respond decisively or ignore it all together
 Distinguish between misbehaviors and misbehavior patterns

Dr.Sangeetha N R, Asst.Prof. SNTC Nedunganda Page 1

  Control the time and place for dealing with of misbehavior
 Provide students with dignified ways to terminate misbehaviors

Attention Seeking Behavior

 Attention-seeking students prefer being punished or criticized to being ignored

 Give attention to this student when he or she is on-task and cooperating
 “Catch them being good!” – and let them know you caught them

Power Seeking Behaviour

 Power-seeking students attempt to provoke teachers into a struggle of wills
 In most cases, the teacher should direct attention to other members of the class

Shyness or Silence -- lack of participation

 Change teaching strategies from group discussion to individual written exercises or a

videotape
 Give strong positive reinforcement for any contribution.
 Involve by directly asking him/her a question.
 Make eye contact.
 Appoint to be small group leader

Talkativeness -- knowing everything, manipulation

 Acknowledge comments made.
 Give limited time to express viewpoint or feelings, and then move on.
 Make eye contact with another participant and move toward that person.
 Give the person individual attention during breaks.
 Say: "That's an interesting point. Now let's see what other other people think."

Sharpshooting -- trying to shoot you down or trip you up.

 Admit that you do not know the answer and redirect the question the group or the
individual who asked it.
 Acknowledge that this is a joint learning experience.
 Ignore the behavior

Arguing -- disagreeing with everything you say; making personal attacks.

 Redirect question to group or supportive individuals.

 Recognize participant's feelings and move one.
 Acknowledge positive points.
 Say: "I appreciate your comments, but I'd like to hear from others," or "It looks like we
disagree."

Side Conversations -- may be related to subject or personal. Distracts group members and
you
 Don't embarrass talkers.
 Ask their opinion on topic being discussed.
 Ask talkers if they would like to share their ideas.
 Casually move toward those talking.
 Make eye contact with them.
 Standing near the talkers, ask a near-by participant a question so that the new discussion is
near the talkers.

Dr.Sangeetha N R, Asst.Prof. SNTC Nedunganda Page 2

  As a last resort, stop and wait.

GROUP DYNAMICS

In a class room the learners are mostly guided by the psychology of groups. A teacher has to
acquire a clear understanding of the concept of a group in general as well as that of psychological
group in particular.

Psychological group: - A psychological group has been defined as “two or more people who bear an
explicit psychological relationship to another”.

Types of groups

Primary/ Secondary / Tertiary group

In a Primary group, the members are in an intimate face to face relationship with one another.
Eg:- Family, Peer group

In a secondary group, the relationship of the members is more or less casual. Eg:- Trade union,
social organizations

In a tertiary group, the relationship is quite marginal and temporary in character. Eg:- passengers in
a theatre, passengers in a train.

Permanent / Temporary group

Family and school are permanent group. Accidental crowds in the street and the bus stop are
temporary group.

Organized /spontaneous group

Organized groups are formed as result of previous planning and these exist for some specific
purposes. In a spontaneous group, the individuals come together naturally without specific purpose or
previous planning.

Formal/ informal group

In formal group the members are bound to observe certain predetermined rules. In informal groups,
members are not bound by such rules or code of conduct.

Class Room As A Group………/ Educational significance

 Formal group
 Improve the group behaviour
 Develop feeling of self sacrifices
 Develop qualities of leadership
 Prepare for future social life
 Reduces interpersonal tensions
 Enhances learning
 Develop feeling of cooperation

Factors Influencing Group Formation/Forces operating within a group

The formation of a group is influenced by the following factors.

1. Group cohesiveness
2. Group morale
3. Group structure

Dr.Sangeetha N R, Asst.Prof. SNTC Nedunganda Page 3

 4. Common interests
5. Group norms
6. Conformity with the group
7. Group dynamics

Group cohesiveness

Cohesiveness is the extent of intimacy of the members of a group and may be said to be the sticking
force in a group. The degree to which the members of a group wish to remain in the group because of
the feeling of belonging is called group cohesiveness. A sense of belongingness, we feeling,
favourable attitude towards membership in a group, freedom of action, self expression and
communication etc are generally considered as cohesive factors. Good understanding between the
members as well as the presence of common motives and goals lead to the development of
cohesiveness and it forms an essential factor for effective group work.

Group morale

Morale refers to the level of group functioning as well as the unity and solidarity of the group. It
stands for team spirit, loyalty among its members, devotion to the ideals of the group and a desire to
perform at the highest pitch of endeavour. The group which has a highest morale is held together by
internal cohesion rather than external force. It is also characterized by adaptability of its members to
changing circumstances and successful adjustment to them.

Group structure

Size of the groups, individual roles within the groups, and group relations are the most important
among structural characteristics. The size of many group is determined by the operation of arbitrary
external factors.

Individual role within the group- how an individual behaves towards other members of the group
depends partly upon the personality of the individual and partly upon the nature of the group structure
and his role within that structure.

Group relations:- Most groups are made up of subgroups and the different subgroups vary in the
closeness or remoteness of relationship to one another.

Group dynamics

Dynamics means force. Group dynamics refers to the forces that regulate the working of the group. It
is the study of the forces exerted by the group on the individual or by the individual on the group.
Certain pressures in a group will bring about uniformity of thinking among its group members while
certain others inhibit creativity among them. Changes in a group may enhance or lower productivity
or may not affect the at all. Group dynamics studies these forces and try to understand the components
which are responsible for the rise or fall of all these forces.

Method to assess social relationship in a group

Sociometry

Sociometry is a method developed by J.L.Moreno for assessing social relationships among

members of a social group. It is a method for assessing receptive or rejective tendencies of the
members in the social group. Children are asked to write the names of those members of the group
with whom they would like to play or work. From this data, a sociogram can be constructed. This
sociogram will reveal the structure of the group. It will help the teacher to identify the stars, cliques
and isolates. Stars are those who are chosen by many. They may have qualities to attract others.
Cliques are groups of three or four who have chosen exclusively among themselves. Isolates are those
who are chosen by nobody. They may tend to break away from the group under pressure. Thus the

Dr.Sangeetha N R, Asst.Prof. SNTC Nedunganda Page 4

sociogram reveals that whether the class/ group are a well knit or loosely knit group. In a class, it will
help to prevent social mal-adjustments in children and to promote social cohesion.

Leadership leadership qualities and characteristics of good leader

Leader is one who is capable of exerting his influence on others to a much greater
extent than others influence him.The group leader is of central importance to the moral of the
group.

Qualities of a good leader.

 Patience endurance and broad mindedness

 Extrovert
 Superior intelligence
 Strive to win confidence of followers
 Be practical
 Must fulfils the plans formulated by them
 Must have faith in one's ability to win
 Must not be frightened to tell the truth to his people when they go wrong
 Recognise once own short comings
 Both physical and moral courage
 Good speaker
 Receptive to suggestions made by others.
 Democratic Outlook

Types of leadership

1. Authoritarian leader
2. Democratic leader
3. Laissez faire leader

1. Authoritarian leader:-

Exert more absolute power than a democratic leader. He alone determines the policies of the
group. He alone makes major plans; he alone fully knows the succession of father steps in the

Dr.Sangeetha N R, Asst.Prof. SNTC Nedunganda Page 5

group activities. The authorisation leader deliberately develops these absolute functions and
actively resists changes in them. The authoritarian leader encourages a segregated group
structure in which inter communication among the members is held to a minimum. This will
be less opportunity for the development of close interpersonal relations among all group
members, which in turn weaken the cohesiveness and feeling of belonging of the group.

2. Democratic leader:-

Here the leader seeks to evoke the maximum involvement and participation of every member
in group activities land in the formulation of group objectives. He seeks to spread
responsibility rather than to concentrate all power in his hands. He seeks to encourage and
reinforce interpersonal relations throughout the group so as to strengthen it. He seeks to
prevent the development of a hierarchical group structure in which special privilege and
status predominate over co-operative functioning. In comparison to the authoritarian leaders,
the democratic leader serves as the agent of group.

Distinction between authoritarian and democratic leader

Authoritarian Democratic

All decision/policies taken by the leader Decision is a matter of group work

Techniques and steps of attainment - dictated The leader point out 2 or 3 procedures from
by the leader which a choice could be made

Leader usually dictates specific tasks for each Division of task is left to the group. The
member and assign co-workers member are free to work with whom so ever
they choose

Subjectivity in praise in criticism Objective in praise and criticism

Remain all of them the group and Encourage group interaction, a regular group
discourages interaction number

Laissez faire leaders:

Plays a passive role. He gives complete freedom to each member to take decision of his own
with regards to the role he has to play in the group. He does not attempt to control the group

Dr.Sangeetha N R, Asst.Prof. SNTC Nedunganda Page 6

and to impose any kind of restriction on it. The leader supplies required information and help
if and when asked for. Under such a leadership the work output will be very little because of
the lack of co-operation among members arising out of absence of a Central management and
concerted effort to be generated by the active influence of the leader.

Steps to be taken in schools for developing effective leadership

• Opportunity for playing the role of leader (through a co-curricular and extra-
curricular activities)
• Teaching biographies of great leaders.
• Teachers should be living examples of successful leadership

• Organization of Scouting, NCC, School Parliament.

• The teacher should give recognition for those who take initiatives and exhibit
leadership qualities.

*******************************

Dr.Sangeetha N R, Asst.Prof. SNTC Nedunganda Page 7