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Teachers’ views on effective classroom management: a mixed-methods investigation in Western Australian high schools

• Original Article
• Open access
• Published: 30 June 2020
• Volume 20 , pages 107–124, ( 2021 )

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• Helen Egeberg   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0001-9907-8593 1 ,
• Andrew McConney 2 &
• Anne Price 2  

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Teachers’ views about teaching, learning and school experiences are important considerations in education. As the central participants in classroom interactions, students and teachers naturally have strong views about what it takes to manage learning and surrounding behaviours effectively. With this in mind and because we believe that ignoring the thinking of either of these stakeholders would be to the detriment of teaching and teacher education, we focused on hearing and understanding teachers’ voices about teaching, learning and classroom management. Our aim was to further clarify teachers’ perspectives on how educators create quality learning environments as well as gathering their views of various disciplinary interventions, their perceptions of challenging students and their sense of efficacy for classroom management in order to inform both policy and practice in teacher education. A survey was conducted with 50 secondary school teachers to capture their views on their classroom experiences. Follow up interviews with teachers identified by students as effective in their classroom management provided consistent reports that effective classroom managers build positive relationships with their students, manage their classrooms by establishing clear boundaries and high expectations, and engage students in their learning.

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1 Introduction

Classroom management is universally seen as a key dimension of teachers’ work as reflected in research that places it among the most required teaching skills (Huntly 2008 ; Jones 2006 ; McKenzie et al. 2011 ). Teachers’ skill in classroom management is often cited as the dimension of teachers’ work that is the most challenging and the area of training that many beginning and pre-service teachers feel is lacking (Australian Education Union 2009 ; Evertson and Weinstein 2006 ; Kafman and Moss 2010 ; Peters 2012 ; Putman 2009 ; Ritter and Hancock 2007 ; Romano 2008 ). In order to enhance or transform these skills, as well as inform policy and practice with regard to classroom management it is important to investigate and understand teachers’ views and beliefs, as their “philosophy about the nature of teaching, learning and students determines the type of instruction and discipline we have in schools and classrooms” (Freiberg 1999 , p. 14).

As the central participants in classroom interactions, students and teachers naturally have strong views about what it takes to manage learning and surrounding behaviours effectively (Lewis 2001 ; Lewis et al. 2008 ; Roache and Lewis 2011 ; Sullivan et al. 2014 ; Woolfolk Hoy and Weinstein 2006 ) With this in mind and because we believe that ignoring the thinking of either of these stakeholders would be to the detriment of teaching and teacher education, we focused on hearing and understanding teachers’ voices about teaching, learning and classroom management. Our aim is to further clarify teachers’ perspectives on how educators create quality learning environments as well as gathering their views of various disciplinary interventions, their perceptions of challenging students and their sense of efficacy for classroom management, in order to inform both policy and practice in teacher education.

Students’ perceptions of teachers who create and maintain safe and supportive learning environments, and their classroom experiences, have been previously examined (Egeberg and McConney 2017 ). Despite varying school contexts, students identified effective classroom managers as teachers who meet students’ needs by developing caring relationships and controlling the classroom environment while fostering student responsibility and engaging students in their learning (Egeberg and McConney 2017 ). Few researchers, however, have investigated the views of both students and teachers in the same study, ensuring that setting and context are similar (Woolfolk Hoy and Weinstein 2006 ; Roache and Lewis 2011 ). In the current research, teachers at the same schools as the student participants in our 2017 study were surveyed about their views on classroom management, including those identified by their students as being effective managers. Teachers in this smaller group were also subsequently interviewed. Previous studies have reported teachers’ perceptions about education and teaching practices; the significance of this research, however, is that it examines the views and beliefs of teachers who previously had been identified by their students as effective in creating and maintaining quality learning environments.

2 Literature review

The term classroom management is a conceptual umbrella, one that is often used interchangeably with discipline , but is also seen as distinct from classroom instruction (Egeberg et al. 2016 ). Research in the 1980s, however, argued that teachers’ management and instruction are not separate, but are inextricably interwoven and complex. “Classroom management is certainly concerned with behaviour, but it can also be defined more broadly as involving the planning, organization and control of learners, the learning process and the classroom environment to create and maintain an effective learning experience” (Doyle 1986 , p. 396). It is this definition, as well as the view provided in the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers that we subscribe to here (AITSL 2011 ). Using Woolfolk Hoy and Weinstein’s ( 2006 ) three interwoven aspects of teacher practice: classroom management (actions to create a productive, orderly learning environment); discipline (actions to elicit change in students’ behaviour); and, socialization (actions to help students fulfil their responsibilities) we aimed to examine high school teachers’ views and beliefs to better understand what teachers do to create and maintain safe and supportive learning environments.

Historically, teacher education has relied on scales focused on a narrower concept of discipline (Glickman and Tamashiro 1980 ; Wolfgang and Glickman 1986 ), rather than the broader concept of classroom management that encompasses both behaviour management (BM) and instructional management (IM). “Examination of the literature on teacher knowledge, beliefs, and perceptions indicates that we have potentially valuable scales and inventories that have rarely been used in research” (Woolfolk Hoy and Weinstein 2006 , p. 211). One of the scales that these authors refer to is Martin, Yin and Baldwin’s Attitudes and Beliefs on Classroom Control, which was later revised as the Behavior and Instructional Management Scale (BIMS) (Martin et al. 1998 ; Martin and Sass 2010 ). The BIMS is important in the study of differences that may exist between teachers’ beliefs and their capacity to implement them within the classroom (Martin et al. 1998 , 2007 ; Martin and Sass 2010 ). This, we believe, provides an appropriate starting point from which to examine teachers’ beliefs and perspectives of the more encompassing construct of “classroom management”. Although the BIMS is based on the Beliefs on Discipline Inventory developed by Wolfgang and Glickman ( 1986 ), it nevertheless reflects a broader concept encompassing teachers’ perceptions of their classroom management, in terms of both BM and IM around which Martin and her colleagues developed and validated the BIMS (Martin and Sass 2010 ). Teachers’ efforts aimed at preventing misbehaviour, along with how a teacher responds to misconduct, are related to BM, whereas IM includes the plans, goals, and tactics teachers use to deliver instruction in a classroom.

Research shows that teachers’ interactions with students are often linked to their beliefs about young people and how they develop (Erden and Wolfang 2004 ). Glickman and Tamashiro ( 1980 ) and Wolfgang ( 1995 ) conceptualized a framework to explain teacher beliefs and approaches along a control continuum, with relationship-listening beliefs and non-interventionist approaches at the least controlling end, rules/rewards-punishment beliefs and interventionist approaches at the most controlling end, and confronting-contracting beliefs and interactionalist approaches in the middle. A more recent conceptual framework clusters discipline theories across a similar continuum from autocratic through authoritative and mixed to egalitarian. This continuum also varies according to distribution of power in classrooms, from teacher-centred, to shared, to student-centred, and from a focus on student behaviour only, to a compound focus on behaviour, cognition, emotion and relationships (Porter 2007 ).

In the past, various studies had shown that many teachers and even some policies, reflected very traditional views about discipline (Adey et al. 1991 ; Oswald et al. 1991 , 1994 ). These studies identified four orientations to classroom discipline: traditional, liberal progressive, socially critical, and laissez-faire. Teachers who hold a traditional orientation have many beliefs in common with an interventionist rules-rewards philosophy as depicted in Wolfgang’s ( 1995 ) framework. Teachers with a liberal progressive orientation believe in a democratic approach in which students share power, are part of decision-making, and cooperation and social skills are essential for participation. Teachers who hold a socially critical stance see student misbehaviour as resistance against an unfair system with repressive and at times inappropriate practices. The laissez faire stance is essentially congruent with the non-interventionist, described in Wolfgang’s framework. Although few teachers adhered completely to one type of view, nearly 70% of secondary teachers identified as traditionalist, with the remainder mainly liberal progressive.

In a 2001 study, over 3500 students from years 6, 7, 9 and 11 in Australian schools were asked to complete a questionnaire that documented the extent to which their teachers used various discipline strategies. The students’ responses were used to conceptualise teachers’ classroom discipline behaviour in terms of three styles: influence which includes the use of listening and clarifying techniques to negotiate solutions; group management which includes class meetings, agreed management of behaviour and non-punitive teacher responses to enable students to make better choices; and, control which involves rules, rewards and a clear hierarchy of increasingly severe punishments for misbehaviour (Lewis 2001 ). Secondary students reported that even though some teachers used techniques such as hints and discussion, (aligned with an influence, relationship-based approach), many teachers tended toward the use of punishment. This suggested that most teachers held a controlling or coercive style of management. The study also showed that “students who receive more relationship-based discipline are less disrupted when teachers deal with misbehaviour and generally act more responsibly in that teacher’s class. In contrast, the impact of coercive discipline appears to be more student distraction from work and less responsibility” (Lewis 2001 , p. 315).

In a 2014 study, Sullivan, Johnson, Owens and Conway, asked 1380 Year 12 teachers in South Australia to identify the range and frequency of student behaviours requiring disciplinary response and to explain how they responded. Analysis of responses to the web-based survey showed that low-level disruptive behaviours occurred most frequently with very little aggressive or antisocial behaviour. The study showed that disengaged behaviours were the most prevalent suggesting that these “have more to do with factors within a teacher’s control than with those located within the student” (Sullivan et al. 2014 , p. 53). Instead of using responses that may address the underlying cause of the misbehavior, such as ways to engage students positively in their learning, the study found that teachers tended to implement a “stepped approach” involving increasingly severe coercive techniques. As Maguire et al. ( 2010 ) argued, moving the focus from controlling discipline approaches to ways of engaging students offers opportunities for teachers to preclude or divert unproductive student behaviour and reduce their reliance on punitive intervention strategies.

Thus, it is clear that determining what (typically) is and what is not effective classroom management is a complex issue (De Jong 2005 ). Many researchers have attempted to conceptualise guiding principles and practices that could be used to support the development of appropriate approaches to managing student behaviour (McLeod et al. 2003 ). In essence, “teachers who approach classroom management as a process of establishing and maintaining effective learning environments tend to be more successful than teachers who place more emphasis on their roles as authority figures or disciplinarians” (Brophy 1988 , p. 1). It is the ability of a teacher to know not only what they want to teach, but also how they will organise and structure it for their students and their circumstances that makes all the difference, creating a healthy, caring classroom culture where all students, and teachers, can thrive (Bennett and Smilanich 2012 ).

The current study investigates this broader view of classroom management. It encompasses both behaviour management (BM) which includes pre-planned efforts to prevent misbehavior as well as teachers’ response to it, specifically establishing expectations, monitoring and teaching behaviour and providing opportunities for student input and, instructional management (IM), which addresses teachers’ pedagogical aims and methodologies and includes aspects such as planning and structuring routines as well as the use of various instructional techniques to enable active participation and engagement. Consequently, this research gives voice to the views and experiences of not just teachers, but teachers who have been nominated by their students as being effective in creating and maintaining quality learning environments, centered on effective classroom management. The overarching question that frames the study is, “What are effective teachers’ views of classroom management?” Component research questions include:

What are secondary teachers’ orientations toward classroom management?

To what extent do teachers’ classroom management views differ according to school sector, school socioeconomic status (SES) or gender? and

How do teachers, who have been identified by their students as being effective, manage their classrooms?

3.1 Research design

The purpose of this study is to examine the perceptions of secondary school teachers about their classroom management, at a variety of high schools in Western Australia. For educational researchers holding a pragmatic worldview, the choice of research design is guided by the research question(s) asked, rather than epistemology, with a view to further understanding the phenomenon being studied and to add value, in a practical sense. In this study, our key aim is to advance our collective understanding of effective classroom management and to broaden the perspective with which it is viewed, thereby facilitating translation into practice. In achieving this, both description and explanation are important. Descriptions involve drawing a picture of what is happening, and “attempting to make complicated things understandable” (Punch 2000 , p. 15). Explanation involves examining the ‘how’, as well as describing the ‘what’ because this has the potential to influence our future practice. An increasingly used research approach to achieving both description and explanation is to employ both quantitative and qualitative perspectives on the phenomenon of interest—in this case teachers’ classroom management. For this reason, a mixed methods research design was chosen—with one type of data collection (e.g., qualitative) offsetting potential limitations or lack of depth in the other, and vice versa. Specifically, this study used a sequential explanatory design, with two distinct phases, quantitative followed by qualitative (Creswell 2014 ). As Greene et al. ( 1989 ) have explained, a mixed methods approach provides depth and detail to a study and potentially uncovers new insights into participant experiences. While a quantitative method allows stronger generalisability and comparability, and better accommodates investigating the ‘what’, a qualitative approach allows deeper examination to build a more complete picture of effective classroom management, and better accommodates answering ‘how’ or ‘why’ questions. In addition to its mixed methods design, the study was also interpretive in that high school teachers described their views through surveys (quantitative) and interviews (qualitative); we summarized, analyzed and interpreted these views to advance our understanding of effective classroom management.

Previously, in an earlier phase of this research, 360 students from a variety of public and private secondary schools had participated in a study that catalogued and examined students’ views of effective classroom management. Students were recruited from metropolitan high schools in Perth, Western Australia (WA), and comprised Year 9 and 10 students (255 males and 105 females) ranging in age between 14 and 16 years. The overarching intention of that study was to better understand, from the perspective of their students, what teachers do to create and sustain safe and supportive learning environments. In this earlier phase, we used the Students Perceptions Survey (SPS) from Cambridge Education and Tripod Survey Assessments that allowed students to characterise what it is that teachers do in effectively managing their classrooms, and to nominate some teachers they believed did this well (Egeberg and McConney 2017 ).

3.2 Participants

In the current study, we invited teacher-participants via email asking them to take part in a survey and follow up interview. Participants comprised 50 secondary school teachers, (23 males and 27 females), working in six schools representing the three school sectors in Western Australia (WA)—the Association of Independent Schools of WA (AISWA), the WA Department of Education (DOE) and Catholic Education (CEWA). Of the 50 teachers who completed the first phase (survey), their students had nominated 25 (10 male and 15 female) as effective classroom managers. Twenty-two of these teachers (9 male and 13 female) were subsequently available for individual interviews. Across the six schools involved, between 3 and 5 teachers were interviewed from each school, ranging in age from 26 to 62 years. Table  1 provides a breakdown of this study’s teacher participants by school characteristics and gender. For the purpose of this study we combined AISWA and CEWA schools into one group and classified these as “Private”. School socioeconomic status (SES) was determined via the Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage (ICSEA) which uses two data sources: student enrolment records including information relating to parent occupation, school education, non-school education and language background (direct data) and Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) census data (indirect data). ICSEA values range from around 500 (extremely socio-educationally disadvantaged) to about 1300 (very advantaged) (ACARA 2012 ). Any particular school’s ICSEA is the averaged value representing all students in the school. For this study, schools with an average ICSEA above 1100 were considered higher SES , and those with ICSEA values less than 1100 were considered lower SES .

3.3 Instruments

Two instruments were used for data collection: the first was a survey that allowed teachers to describe how frequently they use particular classroom management strategies or techniques. The Behaviour and Instructional Management Survey (BIMS) is a relatively brief, psychometrically validated instrument that measures how frequently teachers report using particular techniques, both behavioural and instructional. Martin and Sass ( 2010 ) used exploratory factor analysis (EFA) in validating the BIMS. Analysis of the Behavior Management subscale showed good internal consistency (Cronbach’s α  = 0.8), with an average inter-item correlation of 0.377 (SD .091). The average corrected item-total correlation for this subscale was 0.5 (SD .071), suggesting good item discrimination. Results for the Instructional Management subscale also showed good internal consistency ( α  = 0.8), with an average inter-item correlation of 0.365 (SD .092). The average corrected item-total correlation for this subscale was also 0.5 (SD .086), again suggesting good item discrimination (Martin and Sass 2010 ). Overall, Martin and Sass’s ( 2010 ) EFA results provided solid evidence of discriminant and convergent validity, good internal consistency and strong item discrimination. Using the BIMS as an inventory, we sought to determine the frequency with which 50 teachers-participants reported engaging in various classroom management behaviours. We emphasize that using the BIMS as a definitive assessment of teachers’ approach to classroom management was not the main purpose; rather, our intention was to “warm up” teacher-participants in articulating or focusing their views about classroom management during individual interviews.

Item 25, the last item on the teacher survey, was an open-ended question that asked teachers what they do that helps to create and maintain safe and supportive learning environments. This aspect of our data collection and analysis, and that of the ensuing teacher-participant interviews, centered on a qualitative approach, enabling further exploration of these teachers’ perspectives. We employed an inductive process of gathering detailed information from participants, in this case teachers, and then formed this into themes (Creswell 2014 ). The data were first coded thematically using NVivo, a qualitative analysis software that provides word frequencies and key words in the context of concepts like classroom management, caring relationships, behaviour and instruction. Using text search and word frequency queries we added annotations to record our insights and this in turn assisted with identifying patterns across the responses to identify connections and themes that informed our development of answers to the research questions posed.

The second phase of data collection comprised individual interviews with 22 selected teacher participants. These participants were chosen from those who had volunteered via the survey and who also had been selected by their students as effective in creating and maintaining safe and supportive learning environments. The interview topics were developed from research into effective classroom management (Ferguson 2010 ; Garza et al. 2010 ; Lewis 2001 ; Lewis et al. 2008 ; Woolfolk Hoy and Weinstein 2006 ). The topics were also used as the basis for further clarifying teachers’ perspectives about effective classroom management as well as their perceptions of the frequency, efficacy and acceptability of various disciplinary interventions. The interviews were semi-structured, audio taped with consent for future transcription, and about 30 min in duration.

4.1 Phase 1: survey

This study posed the following questions:

The BIMS provides a framework that allows characterisation and summarization of the strategies or techniques teachers use in managing their classrooms. On the BIMS, teachers report the frequency with which they use each of 24 briefly described strategies, as shown in Table  2 for the 50 teacher-participants in this study.

In answering research question 1, of the classroom management techniques used by teachers, the four that showed the highest frequency of use, across all teachers, were: I use whole class instruction to ensure a structured classroom (IM #2); I redirect students back to the topic when they get off task (BM #15); I direct the students’ transition from one learning activity to another (IM #16 ) ; and, I use a teaching approach that encourages interaction among students (IM #24). As shown in Table  2 , for these four items, all teachers (100%) reported using the strategy sometimes, often or always. Only one of the 24 strategies suggested a low proportion of teachers using the technique frequently. Specifically, 44% of teachers indicated that when a student talks to a neighbour, they would move the student away from other students (BM #7), sometimes (36%) or often (8%). This type of control or compliance strategy would seem not to be a major aspect of these teachers’ approaches to classroom management. In another example, only a small majority (56%) indicated that if a student’s behaviour is defiant, I demand that they comply with my rules (BM #23) sometimes (20%), often (26%) or always (10%).

Using the scoring system that Martin and Sass designed for the BIMS, with Always allocated a “5” to Never receiving a “1”, and scoring for some items being reversed, we examined responses for items aligned with three key approaches to classroom management: a controlling, interventionist approach; an interactionalist, needs-based approach, and; a less controlling non-interventionist approach. It is important to note that there are no specific cut scores for identifying teachers as interventionist, interactionalist, or non-interventionist, and this was certainly not our intention. It was also the case, however, that we viewed higher scores on the combined scales of the BIMS as indicative of a tendency toward a more controlling approach, lower scores suggestive of a less controlling approach and those centrally located indicative of an interactionalist approach, as had been the case in Martin and Sass’ classroom management research ( 2010 ). In this, we found that all of the 25 teachers identified by students as creating and maintaining effective learning environments most frequently used an interactionalist approach, whereas a more modest 74% of teachers not nominated by students indicated that they most frequently use this approach.

In answering research question 2 (To what extent do teachers’ classroom management views differ according to school sector, school socioeconomic status (SES) or gender?) we compared BIMS response distributions from teachers across school sectors (public and private), school SES (higher and lower ICSEA) and teacher gender. Very little difference was evident between groups of teachers in terms of what techniques they would use frequently in their classrooms. Female teachers comprised 52% of the teachers surveyed and 60% of the teacher cohort identified as effective by students. The largest group-based difference noted was for item BM#3: I limit student chatter in the classroom with 96% of female teachers suggesting they would use this strategy frequently in comparison to 75% of male teachers. Two other items showed a notably higher proportion of female teachers indicating frequent use as compared to males: 96% of female teachers indicated they establish a teaching daily routine in their classroom and stick to it (IM #8) compared to 79% of male teachers; and, 81% of female teachers indicated that they use input from students to create classroom rules (BM #9) compared to 63% of males. In contrast 71% of male teachers said they allow students to get out of their seat without permission (BM #11 ) in comparison to 58% of female teachers.

Similarly, to examine potential differences between teachers nominated by their students as effective classroom managers, and those not, and to answer research question 3 “How do teachers, who have been identified by their students as being effective, manage their classrooms?” we also conducted two statistical tests, the results of which are given in Table  3 . We conservatively used non - parametric statistical tests as the data provided via the BIMS are ordinal data. We used Pearson’s Chi Squared test to determine whether there was a statistically significant difference between expected and observed frequencies between teachers “nominated as effective” and those “not nominated”. On the other hand, Mann–Whitney U is a nonparametric test of the null hypothesis that it is equally likely that a randomly selected value from one population will be statistically different than a value from a second population. Mann–Whitney U can be used to investigate whether two samples were selected from populations having the same distribution. As detailed in Table  3 , we found that in no case were teacher-participants nominated as effective classroom managers by their students statistically different from teachers not nominated, in terms of the frequencies with which they used the management strategies reflected in the 24 items of the BIMS.

In further examining BIMS responses from the 25 teachers nominated by students as effective classroom managers, compared against the responses of 25 teachers not nominated however, it was the areas of control and interaction that showed some differences in approach between the two groups. Differences in the frequency with which the teachers frequently use a strategy between those nominated and those not are graphically depicted in Fig.  1 .

Differences in percentages of nominated and non-nominated groups of teachers who use BIMS strategies frequently in classroom management. Note : Positive differences (bars to the right) indicate that nominated teachers use a BIMS strategy more frequently; negative differences (bars to the left) mean that non-nominated teachers use the strategy more frequently

As shown in Fig.  1 , for example, 28% of nominated teachers indicated that they would frequently move a child for talking to their neighbor (BM #7), compared to 60% of teachers who were not nominated by their students. (Hence, 28% minus 60% results in a negative difference of 32% suggesting that teachers nominated by their students as effective managers, less frequently use punitive strategies. Nominated teachers more frequently took, it would seem, a flexible approach and less frequently demanded compliance (IM #22 & BM #23). Nominated teachers also more frequently used group work (IM #10), inquiry - based learning (IM #14) and student input when creating projects (IM#12) and also more frequently limited chatter in the classroom (BM #3).

In reviewing the comments made by teachers in response to Question 25 (an open-ended question that asked teachers what they do that helps to create and maintain safe and supportive learning environments), a third construct of classroom management other than the two already determined emerged, that of care . We therefore categorised teachers’ responses into one of three emergent themes—instructional management, behaviour management and care—with some comments appearing in more than one category as shown in Table  4 .

Teachers’ building of positive relationships with their students received the greatest proportion of responses, with nearly 43% of 50 teachers surveyed suggesting this a key strategy. Teachers specified that building positive relationships by showing genuine care and listening to student voices is important in being an effective manager. For example:

Taking the time to get to know your students and build that relationship on a daily basis is, in my opinion, the most important thing a teacher can do.

Coupled with this, the teacher’s ability to listen to students and to confer with them on various elements of their learning and school experience was also seen as important:

Positive accountability; the students knowing that they are valued, that they have a voice that is heard.

4.1.2 Behaviour management

For many of the teachers nominated as effective by students, care and concern were also manifested in the way they managed the class, and in high expectations. Thirty-nine percent of teachers’ responses could be categorized as focused on behaviour management , their ability to establish clear boundaries and high expectations without being rigid, threatening or punitive. For example:

Have high expectations of students in all aspects of their classroom conduct and effort. Treat all students with respect when dealing with them individually or in a group/class situation.

For those teachers not nominated by students a consistent comment was the need for consistency, consequences for all actions and follow - through, seeming to suggest a somewhat more authoritarian view of how student behaviours should be managed.

4.1.3 Instructional management

Thirty two percent of the responses could be categorized as related to the theme of instructional management; that is, teachers’ ability to engage their students by creating interest, clarifying students’ understandings of various concepts and consolidating this understanding especially through the use of formative assessment with useful and appropriate feedback. Those teachers nominated by students considered engaging teaching and clear explanation as paramount in their management of the class:

Show a willingness to be flexible in interpreting and delivering the curriculum in a way that students will find engaging. Make the learning intentions clear. Encourage questions and make mistakes part of learning.

In contrast, those not nominated by students seemed more focused on detailed subject knowledge as opposed to how that subject knowledge was delivered. Teachers also used words like clear, effective, humour, relationship, understanding, interesting, and respect to describe what they do to create and maintain safe and supportive learning environments.

4.2 Phase 2: interviews

In further answering research question 3, and indeed the overarching question of this study, the teachers who participated in the interviews were 22 of the 25 nominated by their students as being effective classroom managers. The interviewer posed a series of questions aimed at creating a mental set for participants around student behaviour and effective classroom management. All of the teachers agreed that students choose to behave well in some classes and not so well in others with one surmising what most had suggested: ‘how much of that is a conscious choice or a learned response to the context could be different’. A variety of reasons for students’ misbehaviour in school were suggested. Many were seen as ‘factors outside the teacher’s control. It can be the temperature, it can be what they’re doing at night, it can be the relationship with their family and it can be problems with their friends.’ Two key factors were dominant in the responses given by these teachers:

I think relationship is the main thing. I think kids find it really hard to misbehave when they have a really good relationship with the teacher but I also think that lack of engagement plays a key factor. Some kids will misbehave if they’re bored or something’s too difficult for them and they’re frustrated and they can’t do it.

Discipline was not so much about punishing students for infractions as it was teaching them how to behave appropriately and therefore disciplinary interventions needed to be both preventative and corrective.

Discipline is really all about getting the kids to control themselves and to make better choices. Discipline, I suppose, is about teaching discipline.

In discussion of key techniques used or required to manage classrooms a number of concepts were mentioned, all of which fell into the three key themes developed through analysis of the survey data, and well-articulated by one teacher who said, “look after me, manage my room, and do stuff that’s interesting. I think if we’ve got those three happening, we’re in a pretty good situation.” The use of various reminders and redirects such as eye contact, minimal use of verbal responses, use of students’ names and proximity were considered the “best way to go. Give them chances, keep it low key, scan the class, proximity, body language, all of that is crucial.”

The teachers interviewed had mixed opinions on involving students in classroom discipline decisions including creating rules with the students or talking with students to discuss the impact of their behaviours. One teacher explained, “we’re not a democracy, we’re a benevolent dictatorship.” But, others were quick to advocate otherwise:

At the beginning of the year that’s what we should all do. I do it by asking kids what they expect in the classroom, if we’re going to be productive, what do they expect from me as a teacher, what do they expect from other kids in the room, what do they expect from themselves. Then, based on that, if you had to put some guidelines in place what would they be for this to be a place of work?

When it came to the use of punishment all of the teachers interviewed agreed:

It’s such a negative thing to do. There’s no relationship-building aspect to it either. You’ve sort of lost what you’ve built. Obviously, there has to be consequences if you did something wrong. But punishing and being aggressive, handing out detentions and “scab” duty, it’s ineffective because you separate the consequence, not only from the behavior but separate it from yourself. It doesn’t do anything, it makes them angry and it doesn’t change their behavior. It doesn’t teach them, it doesn’t encourage them to a better way of behaving.

Encouraging students to a better way of behaving was important amongst all participants.

I don’t bribe them with anything. Sometimes it’s just a comment or bit of encouragement, or even a call home to say doing well. I often will say things like “It’s been a really great lesson today, we’ve had some really great input, everyone’s been focused, I thought the group work was fantastic” that kind of lay it on a bit thick and so it’s been really good, and try to mention a few names of, that comment that Susie said, you know that really generated some interesting discussion… rewarding them for their learning.

All teachers interviewed agreed that, “90% of it [effective classroom management] is building a rapport. Once I’ve built a rapport then I can train them, both academically and socially. I think if you are engaging and interactive and actually show that you care about them and about their progress. That goes a long way into establishing a successful classroom.”

5 Discussion

Effective classroom management is a key dimension of teacher preparation and practice, and an important factor in early-career teacher retention or attrition (Buchanan et al. 2013 ). In an effort to improve teachers’ classroom management and its development within Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programs, it seems important to take strong consideration of teachers’ views of the practices that comprise positive learning environments. Recognizing the equal importance and value of students’ views about what happens in the classrooms (OECD 2014 ), this study investigates the beliefs and self-reported actions of teachers that students nominated as effective in creating and maintaining quality learning environments.

The aim of this study was to examine the views of teachers that students suggest manage their classes well to ascertain what their approaches are and how they manage the behaviours of the students in their classrooms. Our analysis of teachers’ survey responses showed that the two constructs of effective classroom management, instructional and behavioural management, were certainly evident in all teachers’ classrooms with most indicating their preference for techniques that are more consistent with an interactionalist approach. However, 16% of teacher-participants also suggested a preference for a more corrective and controlling approach in their classroom management. In comparing the views of those nominated by students with those not, teachers’ use of compliance and coercion strategies showed the largest differences between the two groups, despite not being statistically different . However, all teachers nominated by students as effective reflected a largely interactionalist rather than interventionist approach to classroom management. This would seem to be consistent with research that suggests that most success comes from those teachers who exhibit interactionalist traits (Brophy 1988 ; Lewis 2001 ; Maguire et al. 2010 ).

In analysing the open-ended question that asked teachers what they do that helps to create and maintain safe and supportive learning environments, the differences between those nominated by students and those not became wider and clearer. Responses from those teachers not nominated by students show a much greater reliance on imposing and maintaining control, with 20% of their comments referring to the need to regulate and enforce rules through the use of consequences such as detentions or time out. Interestingly, over 20% of those nominated by students referred instead to building caring relationships as a key element in effective classroom management. This led us to suggest a third key construct of classroom management needing attention, that of care for students .

Interviews with teachers nominated by students further consolidated the three constructs of effective classroom management: caring relationships, behaviour management and instructional management. Participant-teachers believe building rapport through caring for their students’ well-being, as the key to building positive relationships. They indicated that trust and encouragement were fundamental aspects of their relationships with students in addition to high expectations and appropriate challenges. These teachers held students accountable but also fostered student responsibility with support and structure. They firmly believed in creating learning experiences for their students that were varied and engaging.

A limitation of this study was not being able to verify the views of these teachers in observed practice. An obvious extension of this research would be to observe some of these teachers in the classroom, to further develop and highlight key practices that effectively manage students and their learning environment. Core findings from this study, however, re-affirm that effective classroom management is multidimensional including caring relationships, high expectations and opportunities for engagement, participation and contribution. This has important implications for how we prepare new teachers, for supporting early career teachers and for teachers’ ongoing professional learning. Do we attend sufficiently to the multidimensionality of classroom management in our initial teacher education programs? Are we providing impactful, research based professional learning for teachers, that offers support and mentoring as well as skills-based training?

Furthermore, at the macro policy level, these findings should be used to inform standards–setting authorities such as the Australian Institute for Teaching and Leadership (AITSL) as part of ongoing reviews of policy instruments, including the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (AITSL 2011 ) and Initial Teacher Education mandated program accreditation standards (AITSL 2018 ). Any such reviews would greatly benefit from considering the views of teachers identified by students as effective classroom managers. As many of the teachers in this study suggested that students themselves had been a great influence on their knowledge and understanding of how to effectively manage their classrooms, perhaps greater value could be placed on the views of those we seek to most influence—the students themselves. It seems important to also note that while building positive relationships and having high expectations may be more difficult to regulate, measure and quantify than some other pedagogical practices, they were nevertheless considered by both students and teachers in this study to be of central and critical importance.

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Egeberg, H., McConney, A. & Price, A. Teachers’ views on effective classroom management: a mixed-methods investigation in Western Australian high schools. Educ Res Policy Prac 20 , 107–124 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10671-020-09270-w

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200+ List of Topics for Action Research in the Classroom

In the dynamic landscape of education, teachers are continually seeking innovative ways to enhance their teaching practices and improve student outcomes. Action research in the classroom is a powerful tool that allows educators to investigate and address specific challenges, leading to positive changes in teaching methods and learning experiences. 

Selecting the right topics from the list of topics for action research in the classroom is crucial for ensuring meaningful insights and improvements. In this blog post, we will explore the significance of action research in the classroom, the criteria for selecting impactful topics, and provide an extensive list of potential research areas.

Understanding: What is Action Research

Table of Contents

Action research is a reflective process that empowers teachers to systematically investigate and analyze their own teaching practices. Unlike traditional research, action research is conducted by educators within their own classrooms, emphasizing a collaborative and participatory approach. 

This method enables teachers to identify challenges, implement interventions, and assess the effectiveness of their actions.

How to Select Topics From List of Topics for Action Research in the Classroom

Choosing the right topic is the first step in the action research process. The selected topic should align with classroom goals, address students’ needs, be feasible to implement, and have the potential for positive impact. Teachers should consider the following criteria when selecting action research topics:

• Alignment with Classroom Goals and Objectives: The chosen topic should directly contribute to the overall goals and objectives of the classroom. Whether it’s improving student engagement, enhancing learning outcomes, or fostering a positive classroom environment, the topic should align with the broader educational context.
• Relevance to Students’ Needs and Challenges: Effective action research addresses the specific needs and challenges faced by students. Teachers should identify areas where students may be struggling or where improvement is needed, ensuring that the research directly impacts the learning experiences of the students.
• Feasibility and Practicality: The feasibility of the research is crucial. Teachers must choose topics that are practical to implement within the constraints of the classroom setting. This includes considering available resources, time constraints, and the level of support from school administrators.
• Potential for Positive Impact: The ultimate goal of action research is to bring about positive change. Teachers should carefully assess the potential impact of their research, aiming for improvements in teaching methods, student performance, or overall classroom dynamics.

List of Topics for Action Research in the Classroom

• Impact of Mindfulness Practices on Student Focus
• The Effectiveness of Peer Tutoring in Mathematics
• Strategies for Encouraging Critical Thinking in History Classes
• Using Gamification to Enhance Learning in Science
• Investigating the Impact of Flexible Seating Arrangements
• Assessing the Benefits of Project-Based Learning in Language Arts
• The Influence of Classroom Decor on Student Motivation
• Examining the Use of Learning Stations for Differentiation
• Implementing Reflective Journals to Enhance Writing Skills
• Exploring the Impact of Flipped Classroom Models
• Analyzing the Effects of Homework on Student Performance
• The Role of Positive Reinforcement in Classroom Behavior
• Investigating the Impact of Classroom Libraries on Reading Proficiency
• Strategies for Fostering a Growth Mindset in Students
• Assessing the Benefits of Cross-Curricular Integration
• Using Technology to Enhance Vocabulary Acquisition
• The Impact of Outdoor Learning on Student Engagement
• Investigating the Relationship Between Attendance and Academic Success
• The Role of Parental Involvement in Homework Completion
• Assessing the Impact of Classroom Rituals on Community Building
• Strategies for Increasing Student Participation in Discussions
• Exploring the Influence of Classroom Lighting on Student Alertness
• Investigating the Impact of Daily Agendas on Time Management
• The Effectiveness of Socratic Seminars in Social Studies
• Analyzing the Use of Graphic Organizers for Concept Mapping
• Implementing Student-Led Conferences for Goal Setting
• Examining the Effects of Mind Mapping on Information Retention
• The Influence of Classroom Temperature on Academic Performance
• Investigating the Benefits of Cooperative Learning Strategies
• Strategies for Addressing Test Anxiety in Students
• Assessing the Impact of Positive Affirmations on Student Confidence
• The Use of Literature Circles to Enhance Reading Comprehension
• Exploring the Effects of Classroom Noise Levels on Concentration
• Investigating the Benefits of Cross-Grade Collaborations
• Analyzing the Impact of Goal Setting on Student Achievement
• Implementing Interactive Notebooks for Conceptual Understanding
• The Effectiveness of Response to Intervention (RTI) Programs
• Strategies for Integrating Social-Emotional Learning (SEL)
• Investigating the Impact of Classroom Discussions on Critical Thinking
• The Role of Brain Breaks in Enhancing Student Focus
• Assessing the Benefits of Inquiry-Based Learning in Science
• Exploring the Effects of Music on Studying and Retention
• Investigating the Use of Learning Contracts for Individualized Learning
• The Influence of Classroom Colors on Mood and Learning
• Strategies for Promoting Collaborative Problem-Solving
• Analyzing the Impact of Flexible Scheduling on Student Productivity
• The Effectiveness of Mindful Breathing Exercises on Stress Reduction
• Investigating the Benefits of Service Learning Projects
• The Role of Peer Assessment in Improving Writing Skills
• Exploring the Impact of Field Trips on Cultural Competency
• Assessing the Benefits of Personalized Learning Plans
• Strategies for Differentiating Instruction in Large Classrooms
• Investigating the Influence of Teacher-Student Relationships on Learning
• The Effectiveness of Vocabulary Games in Foreign Language Classes
• Analyzing the Impact of Classroom Discussions on Civic Engagement
• Implementing Goal-Setting Strategies for Test Preparation
• The Role of Classroom Celebrations in Building a Positive Environment
• Strategies for Enhancing Student Reflection and Metacognition
• Investigating the Effects of Positive Behavior Supports (PBS)
• The Influence of Classroom Humor on Student Engagement
• Assessing the Benefits of Student-Led Research Projects
• Exploring the Impact of Timed vs. Untimed Tests on Anxiety
• Investigating the Use of Educational Podcasts for Learning
• The Effectiveness of Debate Activities in Developing Persuasive Skills
• Analyzing the Impact of Mindful Walking Breaks on Concentration
• Strategies for Promoting Digital Citizenship in the Classroom
• The Role of Visualization Techniques in Mathematics Learning
• Assessing the Benefits of Classroom Agreements for Behavior
• Exploring the Effects of Goal-Setting in Physical Education
• Investigating the Influence of Classroom Seating Charts on Behavior
• The Effectiveness of Peer Editing in Improving Writing Skills
• Strategies for Integrating Cultural Competency in History Lessons
• Analyzing the Impact of Classroom Pets on Student Well-Being
• The Role of Morning Meetings in Building Classroom Community
• Investigating the Benefits of Using Learning Centers in Elementary Schools
• Exploring the Effects of Virtual Reality in Geography Education
• Assessing the Impact of Homework Choice on Student Motivation
• Strategies for Promoting Growth Mindset in Mathematics
• The Influence of Classroom Layout on Group Collaboration
• Investigating the Benefits of Mindful Listening Practices
• The Effectiveness of Using Real-World Examples in Science Lessons
• Analyzing the Impact of Student-Led Assessments on Accountability
• Exploring the Use of Learning Contracts for Student Responsibility
• Investigating the Benefits of Teaching Digital Literacy Skills
• Strategies for Implementing Peer Mentoring Programs
• The Role of Graphic Novels in Promoting Literacy
• Assessing the Impact of Flexible Grouping in Mathematics Classes
• The Effectiveness of Using Storytelling for Conceptual Understanding
• Investigating the Influence of Classroom Rituals on Attendance
• Exploring the Benefits of Mindfulness Practices in Physical Education
• Strategies for Integrating Social Justice Education in the Curriculum
• Analyzing the Impact of Goal-Setting on Homework Completion
• The Role of Classroom Mindfulness Activities in Stress Reduction
• Investigating the Benefits of Using Educational Apps for Vocabulary
• The Effectiveness of Using Drama in History Lessons
• Assessing the Impact of Classroom Routines on Time Management
• Exploring the Influence of Teacher-Student Rapport on Academic Achievement
• Strategies for Promoting Active Listening Skills in the Classroom
• Investigating the Benefits of Using Concept Mapping in Science
• The Role of Classroom Socratic Seminars in Developing Critical Thinking
• Assessing the Impact of Mindful Eating Practices on Student Focus
• Exploring the Effects of Flipped Learning in Physical Education
• Investigating the Benefits of Using Educational Games for Math Fluency
• The Effectiveness of Peer Assessment in Art Classes
• Strategies for Fostering Creativity in Science Education
• Analyzing the Impact of Morning Stretches on Student Alertness
• The Role of Classroom Discussions in Enhancing Social Studies Learning
• Investigating the Benefits of Using Augmented Reality in History Lessons
• Assessing the Impact of Growth Mindset Interventions on Test Anxiety
• Strategies for Incorporating Environmental Education in the Curriculum
• The Effectiveness of Using Conceptual Maps in Literature Analysis
• Exploring the Influence of Classroom Lighting on Reading Comprehension
• Investigating the Benefits of Using Learning Apps for Language Acquisition
• The Role of Classroom Experiments in Science Education
• Analyzing the Impact of Mindful Breathing Exercises on Test Performance
• Strategies for Promoting Collaborative Problem-Solving in Mathematics
• Assessing the Benefits of Mindfulness Practices in Physical Education
• Exploring the Effects of Flexible Seating on Student Collaboration
• Investigating the Influence of Homework Choice on Student Motivation
• The Effectiveness of Using Educational Podcasts for History Learning
• Strategies for Integrating Sustainability Education Across Subjects
• Analyzing the Impact of Mindful Writing Practices on Language Arts Skills
• The Role of Peer Teaching in Enhancing Understanding of Complex Concepts
• Investigating the Benefits of Using Digital Storytelling in Literature Classes
• The Effectiveness of Inquiry-Based Learning in Social Studies
• Assessing the Impact of Student-Led Book Clubs on Reading Engagement
• Strategies for Incorporating Financial Literacy in Mathematics Education
• Exploring the Influence of Classroom Decor on Science Interest
• Investigating the Benefits of Mindful Movement Breaks in the Classroom
• The Role of Reflection Journals in Developing Critical Thinking Skills
• Analyzing the Impact of Virtual Field Trips on Geography Learning
• Strategies for Promoting Inclusive Physical Education Practices
• Assessing the Benefits of Using Educational Board Games for Learning
• The Effectiveness of Mindfulness Practices in Foreign Language Classes
• Investigating the Influence of Classroom Rituals on Academic Rigor
• Exploring the Impact of Student-Led Conferences on Goal Setting
• The Role of Mindful Listening Practices in Improving Communication Skills
• Investigating the Benefits of Using Educational Apps for Science Exploration
• Analyzing the Effectiveness of Socratic Seminars in Philosophy Classes
• Strategies for Promoting Gender Equity in STEM Education
• Assessing the Impact of Classroom Celebrations on Student Well-Being
• The Effectiveness of Using Debate Activities in Language Arts
• Exploring the Influence of Positive Affirmations on Classroom Climate
• Investigating the Benefits of Using Concept Mapping in History Essays
• Strategies for Incorporating Media Literacy in Social Studies
• Analyzing the Impact of Mindful Reflection Practices on Homework Completion
• The Role of Peer Collaboration in Enhancing Artistic Skills
• Investigating the Benefits of Using Educational Apps for Vocabulary Acquisition
• The Effectiveness of Mindful Breathing Exercises in Test Preparation
• Assessing the Impact of Flipped Learning in Science Laboratories
• Strategies for Promoting Civic Engagement in Social Studies Classes
• Exploring the Influence of Outdoor Learning on Scientific Inquiry
• Investigating the Benefits of Using Learning Stations for Literature Analysis
• The Role of Mindful Movement in Improving Physical Education Experiences
• Analyzing the Effectiveness of Virtual Reality in Language Learning
• Strategies for Incorporating Global Perspectives in Geography Education
• Assessing the Impact of Mindful Coloring Activities on Stress Reduction
• The Effectiveness of Using Educational Games for History Review
• Investigating the Benefits of Mindful Breathing Exercises in Mathematics
• Exploring the Influence of Classroom Rituals on Study Habits
• The Role of Mindful Listening Practices in Enhancing Oral Communication
• Analyzing the Impact of Student-Led Workshops on Study Skills
• Strategies for Promoting Critical Media Literacy in Language Arts
• Assessing the Benefits of Mindfulness Practices in Physical Fitness
• The Effectiveness of Using Educational Apps for Music Appreciation
• Investigating the Influence of Classroom Decor on Artistic Expression
• Exploring the Impact of Mindful Eating Practices on Nutrition Awareness
• The Role of Peer Assessment in Improving Science Fair Projects
• Analyzing the Benefits of Mindful Breathing Exercises in History Classes
• Strategies for Promoting Teamwork in Physical Education
• Assessing the Impact of Classroom Celebrations on Cultural Understanding
• The Effectiveness of Using Conceptual Maps in Geography Education
• Investigating the Benefits of Mindful Movement Breaks in Mathematics
• The Role of Mindful Listening Practices in Improving Musical Skills
• Analyzing the Impact of Student-Led Discussions in Philosophy Classes
• Strategies for Incorporating Environmental Stewardship in Science Education
• Assessing the Benefits of Using Educational Games for Physical Fitness
• Exploring the Influence of Classroom Decor on Mathematical Interest
• Investigating the Effectiveness of Virtual Reality in Art Appreciation
• The Role of Mindful Movement in Enhancing Physical Education Experiences
• Strategies for Promoting Cultural Competency in Language Arts
• Analyzing the Impact of Mindful Breathing Exercises on Test Anxiety
• The Effectiveness of Using Educational Apps for Science Exploration
• Investigating the Benefits of Peer Teaching in Mathematics Classes
• Exploring the Influence of Classroom Rituals on Language Arts Skills
• Assessing the Impact of Mindful Coloring Activities on Creative Expression
• The Role of Mindful Listening Practices in Improving Public Speaking
• Investigating the Benefits of Using Learning Stations for History Learning
• The Effectiveness of Peer Assessment in Improving Writing Skills
• Strategies for Promoting Digital Literacy in Geography Education
• Analyzing the Impact of Mindful Eating Practices on Healthy Habits
• Assessing the Benefits of Using Educational Games for Social Studies
• The Effectiveness of Mindful Movement Breaks in Science Education
• Exploring the Influence of Classroom Decor on Writing Motivation
• Investigating the Role of Mindfulness Practices in Mathematics Anxiety
• Strategies for Incorporating Financial Literacy in Social Studies
• Analyzing the Benefits of Using Concept Mapping in Science Labs
• The Role of Mindful Breathing Exercises in Improving Music Education
• Exploring the Impact of Virtual Reality on Foreign Language Acquisition
• Assessing the Benefits of Mindful Movement Breaks in History Classes

Tips for Conducting Action Research in the Classroom

• Setting Clear Research Goals and Objectives: Clearly define the goals and objectives of the research to ensure a focused and purposeful investigation.
• Involving Stakeholders in the Research Process: Engage students, parents, and colleagues in the research process to gather diverse perspectives and insights.
• Collecting and Analyzing Relevant Data: Use a variety of data collection methods, such as surveys, observations, and assessments, to gather comprehensive and meaningful data.
• Reflecting on Findings and Adjusting Teaching Practices: Regularly reflect on the research findings and be open to adjusting teaching practices based on the insights gained from the research.

Case Studies or Examples

Highlighting successful action research projects provides inspiration and practical insights for teachers. 

Sharing case studies or examples of impactful research can demonstrate the positive outcomes and improvements that can result from well-conducted action research.

In conclusion, action research is a valuable tool for educators seeking to enhance their teaching practices and improve student outcomes. 

Selecting the right topics from a list of topics for action research in the classroom is crucial for the success of action research projects, and teachers should consider alignment with goals, relevance to students, feasibility, and potential impact. 

By exploring a diverse range of topics, teachers can embark on meaningful action research journeys, contributing to the continuous improvement of education.

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The Key to Classroom Management

Appropriate Levels of Dominance

Establish clear expectations and consequences, establish clear learning goals, exhibit assertive behavior, appropriate levels of cooperation, provide flexible learning goals, take a personal interest in students, use equitable and positive classroom behaviors, awareness of high-needs students, don't leave relationships to chance.

• 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.
• 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 and communicating learning goals at the beginning of a unit of instruction.
• Providing feedback on those goals.
• Continually and systematically revisiting the goals.
• Providing summative feedback regarding the goals.

The use of rubrics can help teachers establish clear goals. To illustrate, assume that a teacher has identified the learning goal “understanding and using fractions” as important for a given unit. That teacher might present students with the following rubric:4 points. You understand the characteristics of fractions along with the different types. You can accurately describe how fractions are related to decimals and percentages. You can convert fractions to decimals and can explain how and why the process works. You can use fractions to understand and solve different types of problems.3 points. You understand the basic characteristics of fractions. You know how fractions are related to decimals and percentages. You can convert fractions to decimals.2 points. You have a basic understanding of the following, but have some small misunderstandings about one or more: the characteristics of fractions; the relationships among fractions, decimals, and percentages; how to convert fractions to decimals.1 point. You have some major problems or misunderstandings with one or more of the following: the characteristics of fractions; the relationships among fractions, decimals, and percentages; how to convert fractions to decimals.0 points. You may have heard of the following before, but you do not understand what they mean: the characteristics of fractions; the relationships among fractions, decimals, and percentages; how to convert fractions to decimals.

Teachers can also communicate appropriate levels of dominance by exhibiting assertive behavior. According to Emmer and colleagues, 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. (2003, p. 146)

• 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.
• 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.
• Persist until students respond with the appropriate behavior. Do not ignore an inappropriate behavior; do not be diverted by a student denying, arguing, or blaming, but listen to legitimate explanations.
• Talk informally with students before, during, and after class about their interests.
• Greet students outside of school—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 school.
• Meet students at the door as they come into class; greet each one by name.
• Make eye contact with each student. Teachers can make eye contact by scanning the entire room as they speak and by freely moving about all sections of the room.
• Deliberately move toward and stand close to each student during the class period. Make sure that the seating arrangement allows the teacher and students clear and easy ways to move around the room.
• Attribute the ownership of ideas to the students who initiated them. For instance, in a discussion a teacher might say, “Cecilia just added to Aida's idea by saying that . . . .”
• Allow and encourage all students to participate in class discussions and interactions. Make sure to call on students who do not commonly participate, not just those who respond most frequently.
• Provide appropriate wait time for all students to respond to questions, regardless of their past performance or your perception of their abilities.
• 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. Most of all, teachers must keep in mind that aggressive students, although they may appear highly resistant to behavior change, are still children who are experiencing a significant amount of fear and pain.
• Students with attention problems fall into two categories: hyperactive and inattentive . These students may respond well when teachers contract 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 tutor 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, and misread others' comments. Teachers can help these students by counseling them about social behaviors.

The Key to Classroom Management - table

Adelman, H. S., & Taylor, L. (2002). School counselors and school reform: New directions. Professional School Counseling, 5 (4), 235–248.

Brophy, J. E. (1996). Teaching problem students . New York: Guilford.

Brophy, J. E., & McCaslin, N. (1992). Teachers' reports of how they perceive and cope with problem students. Elementary School Journal, 93 , 3–68.

Chiu, L. H., & Tulley, M. (1997). Student preferences of teacher discipline styles. Journal of Instructional Psychology, 24 (3), 168–175.

Dunn, N. A., & Baker, S. B. (2002). Readiness to serve students with disabilities: A survey of elementary school counselors. Professional School Counselors, 5 (4), 277–284.

Emmer, E. T. (1984). Classroom management: Research and implications . (R & D Report No. 6178). Austin, TX: Research and Development Center for Teacher Education, University of Texas. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED251448)

Emmer, E. T., Evertson, C. M., & Worsham, M. E. (2003). Classroom management for secondary teachers (6th ed.). Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

Emmer, E. T., Sanford, J. P., Evertson, C. M., Clements, B. S., & Martin, J. (1981). The classroom management improvement study: An experiment in elementary school classrooms . (R & D Report No. 6050). Austin, TX: Research and Development Center for Teacher Education, University of Texas. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED226452)

Evertson, C. M., & Emmer, E. T. (1982). Preventive classroom management. In D. Duke (Ed.), Helping teachers manage classrooms (pp. 2–31). Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Evertson, C. M., Emmer, E. T., & Worsham, M. E. (2003). Classroom management for elementary teachers (6th ed.). Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

Glasser, W. (1969). Schools without failure . New York: Harper and Row.

Glasser, W. (1990). The quality school: Managing students without coercion . New York: Harper and Row.

Kerman, S., Kimball, T., & Martin, M. (1980). Teacher expectations and student achievement . Bloomington, IN: Phi Delta Kappan.

Marzano, R. J. (2003a). What works in schools . Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Marzano, R. J. (with Marzano, J. S., & Pickering, D. J.). (2003b). Classroom management that works . Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

McCombs, B. L., & Whisler, J. S. (1997). The learner-centered classroom and school . San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Stage, S. A., & Quiroz, D. R. (1997). A meta-analysis of interventions to decrease disruptive classroom behavior in public education settings. School Psychology Review, 26 (3), 333–368.

Wang, M. C., Haertel, G. D., & Walberg, H. J. (1993). Toward a knowledge base for school learning. Review of Educational Research, 63 (3), 249–294.

Wubbels, T., Brekelmans, M., van Tartwijk, J., & Admiral, W. (1999). Interpersonal relationships between teachers and students in the classroom. In H. C. Waxman & H. J. Walberg (Eds.), New directions for teaching practice and research (pp. 151–170). Berkeley, CA: McCutchan.

Wubbels, T., & Levy, J. (1993). Do you know what you look like? Interpersonal relationships in education . London: Falmer Press.

Robert Marzano is the CEO of Marzano Research Laboratory in Centennial, CO, which provides research-based, partner-centered support for educators and education agencies—with the goal of helping teachers improve educational practice.

As strategic advisor, Robert brings over 50 years of experience in action-based education research, professional development, and curriculum design to Marzano Research. He has expertise in standards-based assessment, cognition, school leadership, and competency-based education, among a host of areas.

He is the author of 30 books, 150 articles and chapters in books, and 100 sets of curriculum materials for teachers and students in grades K–12.

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Research Topics about Classroom

• The Future Classroom
• The Resistance of Students in the Classroom
• Large-Scale or Classroom-Based Evaluation
• Inclusion of Autistic Children in Regular Classrooms
• Disadvantages and Consequences of Small Classroom Size
• Should Professors Be Allowed to Speak Out in Class on Political or Social Issues?
• Classroom Lesson Pacing
• Hands-on Learning in the Classroom: Benefits and Drawbacks
• My Personal Classroom Management System
• Classroom Environment that Supports Teaching and Learning
• Dealing with Depression in the Classroom
• Peer Practice in the Classroom: Interactive Learning Strategies
• Classroom Procedural Environment
• Classroom & Behavior Management Time-Out Rooms
• Management of Classroom Behavior
• God and Darwin in Science Class: Where Do Students’ Beliefs Go?
• Technology in the Classroom
• Integrative Education Model as a Classroom Management Technique
• Classroom Management: Definition of Terms
• Classroom Values for Children
• Brown’s from Teacher-Centered to Learner-Centered Curriculum: Improving Learning in Diverse Classrooms
• Portland State University: Technology Resources in the Classroom
• Professors’ Opinions on Political or Social Issues in the Classroom
• Evaluation Ethics: Classroom Observation Protocols
• Early Childhood Classroom Design
• The Application of Technology in the Classroom
• Comparison of the Effectiveness of Flipped Classroom and Traditional Classroom Student Engagement and Teaching Methodologies
• Insensitive Racial Name-Calling in the Classroom
• Recommendations for a Poor Classroom Learning Environment
• Diversity in the Classroom and Its Implications
• Preschool Classroom Science
• Displaying Religious Assignments in the Classroom: The First Case
• Buying School Supplies for a Classroom

Essay Topics on Classroom Management

• Effective Student Classroom Management Techniques
• Different Classroom Management Strategies that Teachers Can Use Every Day
• Effective Classroom Management and Bandura
• Culturally Responsive Teaching Practice and Classroom Management
• Strategies for Classroom Management and Collaborative Learning
• Evidence-Based Classroom Management Strategies and Materials
• Data Analysis and Classroom Management Results
• Computers, Teaching Assistants, and Classroom Management
• Cosmopoint International Institute of Technology Online Enlistment, Clearance, and Classroom Management System
• Prevention of Disruptive Behavior in the Classroom
• Classroom Management Education for Motivating Young Learners
• Overview of the Classroom Management Action Plan
• Academic Achievement Can Be Improved through Classroom Management Skills
• Classroom Management’s Legal and Ethical Implications
• Discipline and Classroom Management in Regular Classrooms
• Classroom Management in Public Schools: Effective Teachers and Instructional Practices
• Behavioral Conditioning and Classroom Management
• Classroom Management Philosophical Assumptions and Beliefs
• Comprehensive Classroom Management Plan: Effective Disruptive Behavior Response
• Classroom Management and Discipline – Routines and Rules

Fascinating Classroom Management Topics to Write about

• What Influences Teachers’ Classroom Management Capabilities
• Classroom Management and Behavior Expectations at School
• Theory of Classroom Management by Maslow
• The Instrumental Music Classroom and Classroom Management
• Effective Discipline and Classroom Management
• Classroom Management Education and Early Childhood Education
• Management Principles of Fayols in the Classroom
• Middle and High School Classroom Management
• Management and Discipline in the Classroom to Meet the Needs of a Diverse Student Population
• Effective Classroom Management and Instructional Strategies
• Classroom Management and Behaviorist Education Theory
• Teachers’ Classroom Management Challenges
• Methods and Techniques for Classroom Management
• Classroom Management Can Either Make or Break the School Year
• Classroom Management and Self-Efficacy
• Junior High School Classroom Management Education Classroom Management Journal
• Classroom Management Pioneers of the 20th and 21st Centuries
• Best Practices Checklist and Its Utility in Classroom Management Preparation Evaluation
• Four Classroom Management Techniques

Classroom Management Research Questions

• How Can Disruptive Behavior Be Controlled in a Classroom Without Interrupting the Lesson?
• What Issues in Classroom Management Could Be Avoided?
• Does Good Classroom Management Prevent Discipline Issues?
• What Influences Teachers’ Classroom Management Capabilities?
• What Are the Difficulties of Managing an Online Classroom?
• How Can We Assist Students in Continuing to Learn During COVID-19?
• What Approaches Would Be Most Effective in Teaching Mixed-Ability Students English as a Foreign Language?
• Is Classroom Management a Natural Talent or Something that Can be Learned?
• What Impact Do Physical Learning Environments Have on Student Motivation?
• Do Cultural Factors Influence Classroom Interaction and Learning Outcomes?
• How Can a Teacher Manage Classroom Noise?
• What Key Skills Do Teachers Who Are Defined as Effective Classroom Managers Demonstrate?
• What Is the Importance of Developing Personal Relationships with Students?
• What Are Some Disruptive Classroom Management Strategies and Solutions?
• Is It Possible to Use Social Media Effectively in the Classroom? or is it Too Distracting?
• How Do Middle School Socioeconomic Status and Elementary School Class Size Influence Middle School Transition?
• What Are the Essential Elements of Good Classroom Management?
• Are There Any Alternatives to the Flanders Instrument for dealing with Classroom Interactions?
• Do Colors Impact Children Who Have Deficits and Emotional or Behavioral Disorders?
• Why Are Small Class Sizes Beneficial to Learning Outcomes?
• How Do Students Feel About Using Smartphone Technology for Educational Purposes?
• What Is the Relationship between Numeracy Automaticity and Regular Classroom Performance?
• How Can Teachers Help Students Become Better Learners by Conducting Research in Their Own Backyards?
• Should We Be Using So Much Technology in the Classroom?
• Can We Consider Education in a Virtual Classroom as an E-learning Example?
• What Is the Most Effective Way to Create a Healthy Community of Students in a Classroom?
• What Impact Does Classroom Management Have on Students?
• What Are Effective Classroom Management Techniques?
• How Can Teachers Get the Most Out of Classroom Management?

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23 Brilliant Classroom Management Strategies and Techniques

Keys to a well-planned system.

Blocksi helps schools become 21st-century learning environments by keeping students safe and secure as they use the internet both at school and at home. Click here to learn more about their tools and services including content filtering, monitoring, and reporting tools.

Some classrooms run like clockwork, with teachers seeming to manage them effortlessly. Others … well, not so much. But there’s nothing magic or automatic about classroom management. It’s a skill that teachers build over time, constantly refining their classroom management strategies to find the ones that work best for them. Here are some teacher-tested management techniques for designing and maintaining your own ideal classroom learning environment.

1. Work with a classroom management system that really “gets” today’s classrooms

While teachers don’t usually get to choose their own classroom management systems, sometimes one stands out enough to be brought to your administrators’ attention for consideration. We love Blocksi for how much more it provides teachers above and beyond the basics like attendance monitoring and grading software. For example, Blocksi allows teachers to monitor every student’s screen from the teacher dashboard, allowing you to ensure your class is on task during independent work times. Teachers can also engage in text conferences or video conferences with students in class or remotely, making quick, meaningful feedback a breeze. It also gives teachers the option to filter what websites and YouTube videos students can access, making sure students are safe and using their devices responsibly. It really is more like a classroom teacher’s co-pilot than a simple classroom management app.

2. Build relationships with your students

This is the most important of classroom management strategies and often the most challenging. The payoffs are worth the effort though. When students and teachers trust one another, they can get so much more done in the classroom. Positive relationships may not solve all your classroom management problems , but they’re a great place to start.

Be realistic about how much information you can hold in your head. Keep a chart or notebook about things you learn from your students. Who swims on Wednesdays? Who lives with their grandmother? Which kid loves to pick strawberries? Review this chart regularly before you meet with your students so you can ask them personal questions that show you care.

7 Teacher Phrases That Can Change Your Classroom Culture

• Cultivating Long-Lasting, School-Wide Relationships for Students

3. Communicate positively with families

This doesn’t just mean calling home when there’s a problem. That’s important, of course, but so is sharing students’ successes with their families. Every parent wants to hear positive news about their child, and this reinforcement almost always makes its way back to the student. Try to contact at least one family each day to celebrate their child’s achievements.

• 7 Reasons Why You Should Send Positive Messages to Parents
• 9 of the Biggest Parent Communication Mistakes (Plus How To Fix Them)

If this sounds like a lot of work, we’ve got good news! Parent-teacher communication apps make things so much easier. One of our favorites, TalkingPoints , is a free app that focuses on family engagement, especially for under-resourced, multilingual communities. Parents and teachers text each other through their phones or a web browser, and the app provides any translation needed. Texting allows both parents and teachers to communicate on their own schedules, improving the process for everyone. You can learn more about TalkingPoints here , and when you’re ready to get started, sign up and start communicating for free today.

4. Create a learning space that matches your needs

These days, there are no set rules for what a classroom needs to look like. Think about your teaching style, and create a classroom with areas that match. Do you do a lot of group work? Use tables, or desks that can easily be rearranged. Be sure to provide spaces for students to work on their own comfortably, and accommodate any special needs. Consider asking students to help create the space that helps them learn, and be open to their suggestions.

• 8 Types of Learning Spaces for Your Classroom
• 25 of the Best Flexible Seating Options for Today’s Classroom
• How To Create and Use a Calm-Down Corner in Any Learning Environment
• How To Create Inclusive Classroom Spaces for Students With Physical Disabilities

5. Set clear expectations up front

Most teachers start the year by sharing their classroom rules and procedures. If you really want students to abide by them, take some extra time to explain more specifically what you mean and why they matter. If your first rule is “respect each other,” students will likely need some clarification around what that means to you. Brainstorm a list together, or ask students to act out appropriate and inappropriate behaviors.

Take things a step further by having your students work together to create classroom rules that they all agree to follow. When you use techniques like giving kids buy-in and treating them like adults, it improves classroom management.

• What Makes Good Classroom Rules?
• 35 Must-Teach Classroom Procedures and Routines

6. Establish a behavior management plan

Every single teacher must be prepared with specific plans for behavior issues, including consequences for poor choices. Determine what you’ll say and do (it can help to role-play some common scenarios with more experienced teachers in advance). Try to match consequences with behaviors, so they’re more meaningful for students. In the heat of the moment, it can be tough to hand out a consequence. Enforce the consequence without any emotion. “You did this, and the consequence is this.” This helps students see that the behavior is unacceptable, but the student is still valuable.

• Need Behavior Reflection Sheets? Grab Our Free Bundle
• Behavior Management Starts With Principals, Not Teachers. Here’s Why.

7. Be consistent, insistent, and persistent

Once you’ve established your rules and behavior management plan, stick with it, every single day. When you tell kids to stop talking and get back to work, but you don’t follow through, you are effectively telling them it doesn’t matter that much. This can lead to teachers raising their voices and saying things they regret. You don’t have to be mean—you just have to mean it.

• Logical Consequences in the Classroom
• 10 Ways To Discipline Students Without Taking Away Recess

8. Don’t yell at students

Seriously, no screaming, shouting, or yelling in the classroom. Most kids just tune it out anyway. Determine other methods for getting students’ attention, like doorbells, clapbacks, or hand signals. These classroom management strategies save your voice and lower everyone’s stress levels.

• 10 Ways To Stop Yelling in the Classroom (and Still Get Students’ Attention)
• 15 Reasons Why Teachers Love Their Wireless Classroom Doorbells

9. Incorporate movement whenever possible

Sitting still is hard . Whenever possible, let kids get up and move around in your classroom, even just for a minute or two. This helps reset their brains, shake out the wiggles, and prepare to focus on learning again. Even better? Use active learning activities when you can. When moving and learning happen together, kids really benefit.

• 54 Educational Brain Breaks for Kids
• 35 Active Math Games and Activities for Kids Who Love To Move
• 21 Kinesthetic Reading Activities To Get Students Up and Moving

10. Accommodate all learners

People learn in a variety of different ways, so the best classroom management techniques include lots of variety too. Offer activities that work for multiple learning styles: Allow students to read a text, watch a video, have a discussion with their peers, do hands-on practice, and more. When a student struggles with material, try switching up the teaching and learning methods you’re using. The more opportunities you give students to succeed and feel confident in their learning, the better.

• What Are Learning Styles, and How Should Teachers Use Them?
• 18 Effective Ways To Scaffold Learning in the Classroom
• 21 Differentiated Instruction Strategies Every Teacher Can Use

11. Understand special needs

So many classroom management challenges can be averted by considering and planning for the needs in your classroom. Regularly review IEP and 504 plans, and share any concerns or questions with the special ed team. Be transparent with these students so they know the plan—and they know you know it too. Encourage kids to remind you of their accommodations, so it’s a team effort. This reduces anxieties for everyone and empowers kids to ask for what they need.

• What Exactly Is an IEP?
• What Is a 504 Plan? What Teachers Need To Know

12. Recognize and honor diversity

When students feel seen, their learning and achievement skyrockets. As you learn more about your students, look for ways to represent their diverse characteristics in your lessons. Highlight BIPOC scientists , LGBTQ+ authors and books , and multilingual learning resources. Educate yourself on the differences between equality and equity, and strive to understand the challenges many of your students face both in and out of the classroom.

• 9 Areas of Your Teaching to Evaluate for Diversity & Inclusion

13. Address individual problems individually

When a student struggles, we sometimes want to help them “save face”—or help ourselves avoid difficult conversations. So, we choose to punish the whole class, or spend extra time on a topic that only a few kids really need help with. Learn to privately address challenges directly with the student(s) affected. These conversations really do get easier over time and can help you build strong relationships all around.

• Why I’m Against Collective Punishment in Classrooms
• Tips for Keeping Your Cool During Hard Conversations

14. Don’t take things personally

Kids come to school with all sorts of baggage and often take out their wider frustrations on teachers and fellow students. It can be tempting to take things personally and let your emotions take over. Instead, take a step back and return to your behavior management plan. Ask yourself, “What does this student need right now?” and go from there. In the rare case where you and a student actually do seem to have a personal conflict, remember to address that individually with them instead of getting into a shouting match in the classroom.

• Coping With the Emotional Weight of Teaching

15. Focus on the facts

In the same vein, be sure that you’re truly addressing the problem you have, not the one you think you have. For instance, if it feels like one particular student is constantly interrupting the class, start keeping track. (Better yet, have another teacher or admin step in to observe and keep track for you.) It might not happen as often as you think, or it might be that there’s a pattern to the problem that suggests its own solution. Do your best to use classroom management techniques that approach situations with logic rather than emotion or frustration.

• 10 Creative Ideas for Tracking Classroom Behavior

16. Stay organized

Source: @suzannesplans

Teachers have a million different things to do during any given day, so organization is one of the most important classroom management strategies. There’s a reason so many teachers love their daily planners and can’t get enough classroom organization ideas. Here are some of our favorite articles to get you started:

• 33+ of the Best Teacher Productivity Tools To Help You Manage All the Things
• 16 Hacks for Keeping Your Teacher Desk Organized (Yes, Really!)
• Best Teacher Backpacks and Teacher Bags
• 15 Easy Solutions for Messy Classroom Spaces
• Here’s Everything That Should Go in Your Teacher Survival Kit

17. Give students as much responsibility as possible

One way to help with organization is to take some responsibilities off your plate. Delegation is one of the best classroom management strategies because it empowers your students. They can take over jobs like taking attendance, cleaning up workstations, passing out papers, and even grading each other’s homework. Stop looking for ways to do things for your students, and instead find ways they can do things for themselves.

• The Big List of Classroom Jobs for PreK-12
• Why We’re Ditching Classroom Jobs for Star Student of the Day

18. Plan, plan, plan

Even if you aren’t required to submit lesson plans, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do them. There’s a lot to manage throughout the day, and not knowing what you are supposed to be teaching can easily destroy a good day. Develop plans that work for your teaching style, accommodate all learners, go along with curriculum standards, and pique the curiosity of your students. It may sound daunting, but the more you do it, the better you’ll get. A well-planned day is one of the best classroom management strategies for making an immediate positive impact. Plus it can make all the difference between being tired and flat-out exhausted.

• The Best Teacher Planners, According to Teachers
• Educators Say These Are the Best Online Planners for Teachers
• 24 Lesson Plan Examples for Every Grade and Subject

19. Learn to be flexible

Then again, the best-laid plans sometimes get derailed by snow days, sick kids, escaped hamsters, and other unforeseen emergencies. Teachers have to be able to be flexible and make adjustments on the fly. Build extra time into every lesson plan for the unexpected, and keep a supply of early-finisher activities on hand too. When you utilize classroom management strategies that help you go with the flow, your life becomes so much easier.

• The Big List of Fast Finisher Activities

20. Notice the good things

Feeling down or negative? There’s a good chance you’re only focusing on the perceived failures or struggles in your classroom. All too often we spend our days telling students (and ourselves!) what went wrong. Just as it takes practice to notice things that aren’t going well in the classroom so you can course-correct, you might need to work on noticing things that are going well. Get in the habit of making a daily list of successes, even if they’re as small as “every kid remembered to turn in their homework on their own” or “Luiz and Geena didn’t fight at all today.” Use that list to praise students personally or send positive texts to families.

• 15 Ways To Bring More Positive Language Into Your Classroom and School

21. Recognize achievements of all kinds

Be lavish with your praise! We don’t always need to be problem-solving. Instead, build on the positives, which will then push out the negatives. For example, if you see kids working together to solve something, notice it out loud. “Nice teamwork, you two. Can you share why you decided to do this together instead of on your own?” This way you’ll get to hear their thinking, and other students will get to learn that it’s OK (and encouraged) to do things differently.

• The Subtle Power of the Positive Note

22. Focus on behavior over achievement

As you’re celebrating achievement, try to look for and praise the behaviors that led to it. This encourages kids to value a growth mindset , where getting better at something is just as important as being good at it in the first place. So if a student receives a C on a test but it’s a 10-point improvement over their last score, tell them you’re proud. Ask how they accomplished that gain, and encourage them to keep up the positive behavior.

• Ways To Encourage Good Behavior Without Junky Prizes or Sugary Treats

23. Default to compassion

A kid shows up late. “Everything OK? We missed you.” A kid doesn’t have their homework for the fourth time this week. “Hey, is something going on that’s making it hard for you to get your work done? This is really important, and I want to make sure you’re able to do what you need to do.” A kid throws a tantrum in class. “Wow, you’re really struggling with self-control. Can you tell me why? Are you hungry or tired?” This is one of those strategies that can be a real game-changer with your most challenging students. Learn more at the link.

• The Secret to Classroom Management—No Matter Where You Teach

Classroom Management Techniques by Grade

• Kindergarten: Classroom Management | Online Teaching Guide
• First Grade: Classroom Management | Online Teaching Guide
• Second Grade: Classroom Management | Online Teaching Guide
• Third Grade: Classroom Management | Online Teaching Guide
• Fourth Grade: Classroom Management | Online Teaching Guide
• Fifth Grade: Classroom Management | Online Teaching Guide
• 11 Dos and Don’ts of Middle School Classroom Management
• 50 Tips and Tricks for High School Classroom Management

Be sure to check out Blocksi to see all the tools and resources this classroom management system offers teachers and schools.

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100 Classroom Management Topics and Essay Examples

🏆 best classroom management ideas, 👍 good class management ideas, ✅ most interesting classroom management topics, ❓ classroom management research questions.

• Classroom Behaviour Management According to Lewis, Roache, and Romi, the ability of a learner to grasp the concept that is passed by the teacher heavily relies on the ability of that particular teacher to manage the behaviour of […]
• The Emperor’s Club: Classroom Behaviour Management The Emperor’s Club is a movie drama telling the story of the life of a teacher, William Hundert. These strategies will include behavior management, the engagement of students, and the level of power the protagonist […] We will write a custom essay specifically for you by our professional experts 808 writers online Learn More
• Classroom Management and Learning Environment Thereby, the result is the achievement of the set goals in the course of teaching. This helps the students adjust well with the topic of study and familiarize themselves with the directives and requirements in […]
• Behaviour Management in a Classroom Setting In a classroom setting, the teacher is capable of regulating the behaviour of the students. To positively change the behaviour of a student, the teacher must be able to trace the cause of their problematic […]
• Classroom Management: Limitations and Benefits Taking class composition into consideration is highly important for the success of management of the class, where an educator is to provide positive student-teacher relationships and capitalize on human resources making cultural backgrounds a part […]
• Classroom Management Issues X’s view of classroom management does not incorporate the variety of components that allow an educator to analyze the behavior and attitudes of the students and organize the learning activities in the most effective way.
• My Own Classroom Management System Classroom management involves not only the management of student behavior but everything that goes on in the class…from preparation for the class day, to what transpires during the day and even up to when the […]
• Evaluation of Classroom Management Theories The following evaluation will assess the Skinner Model of Operant Conditioning, the Glasser Model or The Choice Theory, the Canter Model, and Jones’ Model. Therefore, educators must balance the approaches and adapt to the conditions […]
• Legal and Ethical Implications for Classroom Management Teachers’ classroom management should be built in a way that does not allow for abuse of students’ rights, and enables the learners to get the necessary studying information and proper instructions.
• Classroom Management Strategies If a teacher sees students in the laboratory or on the field playing and talks to them about the activity, they are doing, these students will have respect to the teacher both inside and outside […]
• Clinical Field Experience in Classroom Management First, I will be able to understand the expectations of learners based on the course outline before delegating duties and responsibilities to the trained aides in education.
• Classroom Management and Routines Reinforcement in the class is expressed in the form of praise, and the opportunity to take a reward from the treasure box.
• The Concept of Classroom Management In the analysis of the first case, the main reason behind the preference for this type of arrangement revolves around the need to create space, enhance movement of the teacher, and enable high levels of […]
• Benchmark – Classroom Management Plan The degree to which the relationship with students’ parents is developed determines the fullness of their involvement: the more active the adult is in the classroom, the more varied the learning can be.
• Strategies for Good Classroom Management The modeling of practices that a teacher would like to see and the teaching of character may be regarded as the most essential strategies that help to minimize cultural and individual differences.
• “Classroom Management Strategies for Difficult Students” by O’Farrell The strategies that have been suggested to teachers and elaborated in this article include; building a sense of empathy, showing admiration the student’s negative attitudes and behaviors, letting go of ego when dealing with the […]
• Classroom Management: Term Definiton In a learning centre, the teacher should be able to explain to the learners the kind of behavior expected of them in the learning centre.
• Integrative Education Model as a Type of Classroom Management The Integrative Education Model is the most appropriate type of classroom management for gifted children because it involves students and teachers in polite conversations, encouragement and approval of each other.
• Classroom Behavior Management In order to achieve positive outcomes in the educational arena, teachers ought to be able to organize the classroom and manage the behavior of their students.
• Time-Out Rooms for Classroom & Behavior Management This is hard to argue with this idea, but only under the condition that the room is properly designed, safe, and is not abused by the educators; this should be a place where a child […]
• Productive Teacher-Student Interaction: Classroom Management In this case, the work is of a preventive nature but not reactive, which minimises the likelihood of conflicts and contributes to a favourable learning environment.
• Classroom Management and Communication A classic calendar and a wall clock will be hanging in front of the class so that students are updated on time and the class is decorated.
• Classroom Management Practices It is critical for a teacher to be able to address the unwanted behaviors of the student and establish the desired order in the classroom in order to facilitate productive work and successful learning for […]
• Disruptive Behavior Management in Classroom A student who is a “helpless hand raiser” either pays little to no attention to the teacher’s explanation of the new materials or gets disrupted during the explanation; as a result, the student misses important […]
• Classroom Management Plan and Its Importance Although the classroom management plan includes a range of components, its development is important to reflect the teacher’s priorities and actions to achieve the set goals; therefore, the plan should include the statement of the […]
• Classroom Management Observation and Assessment One of the simplest methods to do so is to have assessors sit at the back of the classroom and evaluate the teacher’s performance.
• Teacher Emotional Management in the Classroom The hypothesis of the study is clear and consistent with the objective of the study, which states that effective management and regulation of unpleasant emotions can help alleviate impacts of disruptive classroom behaviors of students […]
• Developing a Personal Approach to Classroom Management The environment should be characterized by mutual respect amongst the students and the teacher and this will facilitate the classroom to listen, ask questions, make constructive comments and generally when this is done freely the […]
• Classroom Management Comprehensive Plan All students will have to be attentive in class, to contribute in class; the students will have to raise their hands or politely bring me to their attention, the students will always complete and send […]
• Classroom Management: Johnny’ Case It is necessary to talk to the school counselor, discuss Johnny’s strong and weak points, taking into consideration his grade level, keep in mind possible rewards and obligatory schedules, and, at the same time, address […]
• Effective Classroom Management Strategies for Students
• The Different Classroom Management Tips Teachers Can Use Everyday
• Bandura and Effective Classroom Management
• Classroom Management and Culturally Responsive Teaching Practice
• Classroom Management and Collaborative Learning Strategies
• Evidence Based Strategies and Materials Related to Classroom Management
• Data Analysis and Results of Classroom Management
• Teaching Assistants, Computers and Classroom Management
• Online Enlistment, Clearance, and Classroom Management System for Cosmopoint International Institute of Technology
• Classroom Management: Preventing Disruptive Behavior
• Motivating Young Learners Classroom Management Education
• Classroom Management Action Plan Overvew
• Classroom Management Skills Can Foster Academic Achievement
• Legal and Ethical Implications for Classroom Management
• Classroom Management and Discipline in Regular Classrooms
• Classroom Management: Effective Teachers and Instructional Practices in Public Schools
• Classroom Management and Behavioral Conditioning
• Philosophical Assumptions and Beliefs Concerning Classroom Management
• Comprehensive Classroom Management Plan: Responding Effectively to Disruptive Behavior
• Classroom Management and Discipline – Classroom Rules and Routines
• What Affects Teachers Classroom Management Skills
• Classroom Management and School Wide Behavior Expectations
• Maslow’s Classroom Management Theory
• Classroom Management and the Instrumental Music Classroom
• Classroom Management and Effective Discipline
• Early Childhood Education and Classroom Management Education
• Classroom Management Using Fayols Principles of Management
• Classroom Management for Middle and High School
• Classroom Management and Discipline to Accommodate the Needs of a Diverse Student Population
• Effective Instructional Strategies and Classroom Management Skills
• Classroom Management and the Behaviorist Theory of Education
• The Classroom Management Challenges Facing Teachers
• Classroom Management Methods and Methods
• Classroom Management Can Make or Break The School Year
• Self Efficacy and Classroom Management
• Education Classroom Management Journal
• Junior High School Classroom Management
• 20th and 21st Century Classroom Management Pioneers
• Best Practices Checklist and Its Effectiveness in Relation to Classroom Management Preparation Evaluation
• Four Classroom Management Strategies
• What Do Managers Say About Classroom Management?
• How Can One Control a Disruptive Behaviour in a Classroom Without Disrupting the Lesson?
• What Problems Could Be Avoided in Classroom Management?
• Does Effective Classroom Management Prevent Discipline Problems?
• What Does Affect Teachers’ Classroom Management Skills?
• What Are the Challenges of Online Classroom Management?
• How to Support Students and Help Them Continue to Learn During COVID-19?
• What Strategies Would Be Effective to Handle Mixed-Ability Students in Learning English as a Foreign Language?
• Is Classroom Management an Innate Skill or Something Which Can Be Taught?
• What Is the Effect of Physical Learning Spaces on Students’ Motivation?
• Do Cultural Dimensions Affect Classroom Interaction and Learning Outcomes?
• How Can a Teacher Control Noise in the Classroom?
• What Are the Key Skills Demonstrated by Teachers Who Are Defined as Being Effective Classroom Managers?
• How Important Is It to Establish Personal Relations With Students?
• What Are Strategies and Solutions for Dealing With a Disruptive Classroom?
• Can Social Media Be Used Effectively in the Classroom or Is It Too Distracting?
• How May Elementary School Class Size and Middle School Socioeconomic Status Influence Middle School Transition?
• What Are the Key Elements of Effective Classroom Management?
• When Dealing With Classroom Interactions, Are There Any Alternatives to the Flanders Instrument?
• Do Colors Effect Children With Deficit and Emotional or Behavioral Disorders?
• Why Do Small Class Sizes Have Positive Effects on Learning Outcomes?
• How Do Students Feel About Using Smart Phone Technology for Learning Activities?
• What Is the Link Between Numeracy Automaticity and Student Performance in the Regular Classroom?
• How Can Teachers Help Their Students Become Better Learners by Doing Research in the Teachers’ Backyards?
• Should We Use So Much Technology in Teaching?
• Can We Consider Education Using the Virtual Classroom Is an Instance of E-learning?
• What Is the Successful Way to Build a Healthy Community of Students in a Class?
• How Do Classroom Management Affect Students?
• What Are Strategies for Effective Classroom Management?
• How Can Teachers Fully Benefit From Classroom Management?
• Chicago (A-D)
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Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Classroom management. Student teachers'

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Yu, Lai-wah. "A study of strategies adopted by student-teachers of the Hong Kong Institute of Education in classroom during their teaching practice." Hong Kong : University of Hong Kong, 1995. http://sunzi.lib.hku.hk/hkuto/record.jsp?B14778099.

Price, Beverly Pearson Witte Maria Margarita. "Teacher perceptions of the impact of professional development and teacher-student relationships on school climate." Auburn, Ala, 2008. http://repo.lib.auburn.edu/EtdRoot/2008/SPRING/Educational_Foundations,_Leadership_and_Technology/Dissertation/Price_Beverly_52.pdf.

Fielder, Robin L. Shannon David M. "A simulation exercise in decision-making in an elementary classroom." Auburn, Ala., 2005. http://repo.lib.auburn.edu/2005%20Summer/doctoral/FIEDLER_ROBIN_45.pdf.

Yasar, Seda. "Classroom Management Approaches Of Primary School Teachers." Master's thesis, METU, 2008. http://etd.lib.metu.edu.tr/upload/12610051/index.pdf.

Leung, Chi-mei Doris. "Differences between teachers with promotion and prevention focus in managing student classroom behaviors." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2000. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B29791248.

Chan, Kam-man. "A study of the quality of classroom management strategies." Click to view the E-thesis via HKUTO, 1992. http://sunzi.lib.hku.hk/hkuto/record/B3195604X.

Tsui, Chung-kwan Paul. "An evaluation of classroom management through expert-novice comparison : a case study /." Hong Kong : University of Hong Kong, 1996. http://sunzi.lib.hku.hk/hkuto/record.jsp?B17947455.

Ladd, Kathryn L. "A comparison of teacher education programs and graduates' perception of experience /." free to MU campus, to others for purchase, 2000. http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/mo/fullcit?p9998491.

Beaman, Robyn. "Behavioural interactions in secondary classrooms between teachers and students what they say, what they do /." Phd thesis, Australia : Macquarie University, 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/1959.14/13114.

Danyluk, Jill Danyluk. "From saboteurs to allies: The role of children and youth in teacher candidates’ development of classroom management." Thesis, Laurentian University of Sudbury, 2013. https://zone.biblio.laurentian.ca/dspace/handle/10219/2016.

Reinke, Wendy M. "The Classroom Check-up : a brief intervention to reduce current and future student problem behaviors through classroom teaching practices /." view abstract or download file of text, 2005. http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/uoregon/fullcit?p3181125.

Jones, Jay R. "Assessing student teacher perceptions of preparedness using a dialogic evaluation process a pilot study /." Diss., Columbia, Mo. : University of Missouri-Columbia, 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/10355/5898.

Hirschstein, Miriam K. "Community at their heart : relationships between teachers' beginning-of-year practices and student social perceptions and behaviors /." Thesis, Connect to this title online; UW restricted, 1999. http://hdl.handle.net/1773/7718.

Ward, Lindsey L. "Exploring facets of classroom management to promote student learning routine, procedure, and teachers' belief systems /." Theological Research Exchange Network (TREN), 2007. http://www.tren.com/search.cfm?p088-0193.

Yu, Lai-wah, and 余麗華. "A study of strategies adopted by student-teachers of the Hong Kong Institute of Education in classroom during their teaching practice." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 1995. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B31958394.

Shurtleff, Ingrid Lewis. "General Education Teachers' Self-Reported Response to Overt Student Problem Behavior in the Classroom." BYU ScholarsArchive, 2020. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/8509.

Shippy, Tanya L. "Relationships among teachers' pupil control ideology, teachers' pupil control behavior, student achievement, and self-regulating behaviors /." free to MU campus, to others for purchase, 1997. http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/mo/fullcit?p9842582.

Victor, Kelly R. "Identifying Effective Behavior Management in the Early Childhood Classroom." Cedarville University / OhioLINK, 2005. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=cedar1127229041.

Yang, She-king Sheila, and 楊舒琼. "A study of the effects of different courses on student teachers' attitude and classroom behaviour during their teaching practice inlocal secondary schools." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 1991. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B31956245.

Holdaway, Alex S. "Evaluating the Effects of a Formative Classroom Management Coaching Program for Pre-Service Teachers." Ohio University / OhioLINK, 2017. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1500565483566359.

Calhoun, Susan. "When Good People are Happy People: Looking at Emotional Expressivity of Student-Centered Junior High School Teachers." Diss., The University of Arizona, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/195365.

Lai, Tak-wah John. "Effectiveness of classroom management procedures involving behavioural approach : perceptions of prevocational schools' teachers and students /." Hong Kong : University of Hong Kong, 1996. http://sunzi.lib.hku.hk/hkuto/record.jsp?B17602130.

Funk, Kristin Marie. "Effects of Teacher Consultation on Evidence-Based Classroom Management Strategies: Teacher and Student Behavior." Diss., Temple University Libraries, 2013. http://cdm16002.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/p245801coll10/id/216543.

Stevens, Troy A. "Classroom management techniques for ADHD students a teaching guide for secondary teachers /." [Denver, Colo.] : Regis University, 2009. http://adr.coalliance.org/codr/fez/view/codr:159.

Short, Selena Gutierrez. "An Analysis of EC-4 Pre-Service Teacher Perceptions of Knowledge and Use of Classroom Discipline Techniques." Thesis, University of North Texas, 2006. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc5212/.

Price, Vida. "Behavior intervention support teams : (BIST) and student attendance, achievement and self-esteem /." free to MU campus, to others for purchase, 1998. http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/mo/fullcit?p9924915.

Zhou, Ning, and 周宁. "Solving the Chinese classroom paradox: a cross-cultural comparison on teachers' controlling behaviors." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2011. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B45690625.

Chan, Kam-man, and 陳錦文. "A study of the quality of classroom management strategies." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 1992. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B3195604X.

Lai, Tak-wah John, and 賴德華. "Effectiveness of classroom management procedures involving behaviouralapproach: perceptions of prevocationalschools' teachers and students." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 1996. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B31958709.

Tsui, Chung-kwan Paul, and 徐仲坤. "An evaluation of classroom management through expert-novicecomparison: a case study." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 1996. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B31958813.

Hamilton, Karen D. "A study of the effectiveness of seven selected classroom management discipline systems and sixteen strategies as perceived by new and beginning teachers /." La Verne, Calif. : University of La Verne, 2003. http://0-wwwlib.umi.com.garfield.ulv.edu/dissertations/fullcit/3090256.

Black, Jillian. "Pre-Service Teachers' Responses to Student Behavior in a Mixed Reality Environment." Miami University / OhioLINK, 2014. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1402474127.

Smith, Ernestine Helena. "Interpretation of meanings in classroom interactions: Three teachers and their African-American male students." Diss., The University of Arizona, 1995. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/187428.

Jones, Thomas L. "Middle School Teachers' and Administrators' Experiences When Students Transition." ScholarWorks, 2019. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/7020.

Saun, Gabriel John. "Teachers' Perceptions of Behaviour Difficulties in Primary Schools: A Madang Province Perspective, Papua New Guinea." The University of Waikato, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/10289/2342.

Babcock, Donna M. "An analysis of professional education course content specific to classroom management and student motivation within selected NCATE accredited teacher preparation programs." Doctoral diss., University of Central Florida, 2011. http://digital.library.ucf.edu/cdm/ref/collection/ETD/id/4732.

Ekman, Leila. "Fyra lärares föreställningar om oordning i klassrummet : en studie om lärares förväntningar och elevers behov och motivation." Thesis, Södertörns högskola, Lärarutbildningen, 2010. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:sh:diva-6006.

Tai, Chin Tong. "Silence in the classroom." HKBU Institutional Repository, 1999. http://repository.hkbu.edu.hk/etd_ra/392.

Koontz, Kendall Dawn. "Effect of responsive classroom approach on caring and respectful behaviors of children /." Electronic version (PDF), 2003. http://dl.uncw.edu/etd/2003/koontzk/kendallkoontz.pdf.

Lalama, Susana M. "A Comparison of Student and Teacher Perceptions of Classroom Management in Secondary Band Rehearsals in Florida Schools." Scholarly Repository, 2011. http://scholarlyrepository.miami.edu/oa_theses/297.

Brilhart, Daniel L. "Teacher conceptualization of teaching integrating the personal and the professional /." Columbus, Ohio : Ohio State University, 2007. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc%5Fnum=osu1186666429.

Mancini, Joseph A. "Student Discipline Strategies| Practitioner Perspectives." Thesis, Nova Southeastern University, 2017. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=10637843.

This applied dissertation presented a mixed method design to gain a broader perspective of the perceptions of classroom management practitioners within a particular school district. Many teachers, or practitioners, experience issues with classroom management because of their understanding of strategies they use. Because of the researcher’s position within the education system, it was recognized practitioners are mandated to utilize specific classroom management strategies. As such, the study was designed to glean the perceptions of these practitioners in relation to the misunderstandings and mandates related to the strategies dealt with on a daily basis.

The perspectives gleaned afforded opportunities to generate statistical data. The last question presented to the study participants allowed each participant to express his or her ideas, related to the questionnaire or otherwise, in any way they saw fit. The analysis of the study took into consideration the open response comments as they pertained to the statistical data generated.

Findings revealed the most favorable, as well as most effective, strategies as perceived by actual practitioners. Practitioners also expressed their opinions indicating their displeasure regarding mandated classroom management strategies commonly referred to as Office Referrals. Practitioners indicated they perceived revoking student privileges, placing students in time-out areas, and utilizing counseling services as more effective when choosing strategies relative to managing their classrooms.

Edwards, Holly G. "The effects of teacher knowledge and use of positive behavior support on student academic achievement." View electronic thesis (PDF), 2009. http://dl.uncw.edu/etd/2009-1/edwardsh/hollyedwards.pdf.

Kendall, Leslie Threadgill. "Academic Practices to Gain and Maintain Student-Teacher Connectedness and Classroom Behavioral Management, Related to Educator Demographics." Thesis, Lindenwood University, 2016. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=10030343.

Connectedness and classroom management has been defined as the ability to relate to students and keep order and maintain successful relationships with individuals. This qualitative study utilized surveys, questionnaires, interviews, and observations to examine the best practices implemented by educators to develop and maintain connections with students based upon the age, gender, ethnicity, and experience of a studied educator. The research investigated how classroom management positively and/or negatively affected the educator, students, and classroom environment, with respect to connectedness, as evidenced by behaviors such as off-task, aggressive, and non-academically productive behaviors. The research also examined how a teacher’s intonation and delivery method affected behavioral management, as measured by on-task, academically productive, and nonaggressive behaviors. The research examined what was the self-perception of participants of effectiveness in the classroom, as related to the recorded characteristics of age, gender, ethnicity, and experience level. The research focused upon 12 educators in a suburban district and observed the interactions and practices throughout an academic school year. Classroom observations were conducted and results triangulated to determine how connectedness and classroom management was achieved in the classrooms of teachers who represented various ages, genders, ethnicities, and experience levels. The findings concluded that age and experience were crucial in the development and maintenance of connectedness and classroom management. Another finding was the practice in which African American and Caucasian teachers approached connectedness and classroom management varied.

Pynchon, Susan Reynolds. "Resisting humiliation in schooling : narratives and counter-narratives /." Thesis, Connect to this title online; UW restricted, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/1773/7766.

Sutton, Charles T. Mr. "Teacher Attitudes and Practices that Support Student Learning." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2014. https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/2358.

Massar, Michelle. "Effects of Coach-delivered Prompting and Performance Feedback on Teacher Use of Evidence-based Classroom Management Practices and Student Behavior Outcomes." Thesis, University of Oregon, 2018. http://hdl.handle.net/1794/23123.

Walker-Bowen, Wanda. "Effective Caucasian female teachers of African American students." Diss., Mississippi State : Mississippi State University, 2007. http://library.msstate.edu/etd/show.asp?etd=etd-11052007-115905.

Riemann, Jodie. "Strategies primary school teachers find effective for students with conduct problems & disruptive behaviour : an exploratory study /." St. Lucia, Qld, 2004. http://www.library.uq.edu.au/pdfserve.php?image=thesisabs/absthe17729.pdf.

Coetzer, Zanie. "The impact of classroom management duties on the discipline of grade two learners / Zanie Coetzer." Thesis, North-West University, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/10394/8520.

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Classroom Management

Pick up strategies to build positive, compassionate classroom communities and cope with disruptive behaviors and distractions.

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4. challenges in the classroom.

In addition to asking public K-12 teachers about issues they see at their school, we asked how much each of the following is a problem among students in their classroom :

• Showing little to no interest in learning (47% say this is a major problem)
• Being distracted by their cellphones (33%)
• Getting up and walking around when they’re not supposed to (21%)
• Being disrespectful toward the teacher (21%)

Some challenges are more common among high school teachers, while others are more common among those who teach elementary or middle school.

• Cellphones: 72% of high school teachers say students being distracted by their cellphones in the classroom is a major problem. A third of middle school teachers and just 6% of elementary school teachers say the same.
• Little to no interest in learning: A majority of high school teachers (58%) say students showing little to no interest in learning is a major problem. This compares with half of middle school teachers and 40% of elementary school teachers. 
• Getting up and walking around: 23% of elementary school teachers and 24% of middle school teachers see students getting up and walking around when they’re not supposed to as a major problem. A smaller share of high school teachers (16%) say the same.
• Being disrespectful: 23% of elementary school teachers and 27% of middle school teachers say students being disrespectful toward them is a major problem. Just 14% of high school teachers say this.

Policies around cellphone use

About eight-in-ten teachers (82%) say their school or district has policies regarding students’ use of cellphones in the classroom. Of those, 56% say these policies are at least somewhat easy to enforce, 30% say they’re difficult to enforce, and 14% say they’re neither easy nor difficult to enforce.

High school teachers are the least likely to say their school or district has policies regarding students’ use of cellphones in the classroom (71% vs. 84% of elementary school teachers and 94% of middle school teachers).

Among those who say there are such policies at their school, high school teachers are the most likely to say these are very or somewhat difficult to enforce. Six-in-ten high school teachers say this, compared with 30% of middle school teachers and 12% of elementary school teachers.

Verbal abuse and physical violence from students

Most teachers (68%) say they have experienced verbal abuse from their students, such as being yelled at or verbally threatened. About one-in-five (21%) say this happens at least a few times a month.

Physical violence is far less common, but about one-in-ten teachers (9%) say a student is physically violent toward them at least a few times a month. Four-in-ten say this has ever happened to them.

Differences by school level

Elementary school teachers (26%) are more likely than middle and high school teachers (18% and 16%) to say they experience verbal abuse from students a few times a month or more often.

And while relatively small shares across school levels say students are physically violent toward them a few times a month or more often, elementary school teachers (55%) are more likely than middle and high school teachers (33% and 23%) to say this has ever happened to them.

Differences by poverty level

Among teachers in high-poverty schools, 27% say they experience verbal abuse from students at least a few times a month. This is larger than the shares of teachers in medium- and low-poverty schools (19% and 18%) who say the same.

Experiences with physical violence don’t differ as much based on school poverty level.

Differences by gender

Teachers who are women are more likely than those who are men to say a student has been physically violent toward them. Some 43% of women teachers say this, compared with 30% of men.

There is also a gender difference in the shares of teachers who say they’ve experienced verbal abuse from students. But this difference is accounted for by the fact that women teachers are more likely than men to work in elementary schools.

Addressing behavioral and mental health challenges

Eight-in-ten teachers say they have to address students’ behavioral issues at least a few times a week, with 58% saying this happens every day .

A majority of teachers (57%) also say they help students with mental health challenges at least a few times a week, with 28% saying this happens daily.

Some teachers are more likely than others to say they have to address students’ behavior and mental health challenges on a daily basis. These include:

• Women: 62% of women teachers say they have to address behavior issues daily, compared with 43% of those who are men. And while 29% of women teachers say they have to help students with mental health challenges every day, a smaller share of men (19%) say the same.
• Elementary and middle school teachers: 68% each among elementary and middle school teachers say they have to deal with behavior issues daily, compared with 39% of high school teachers. A third of elementary and 29% of middle school teachers say they have to help students with mental health every day, compared with 19% of high school teachers.
• Teachers in high-poverty schools: 67% of teachers in schools with high levels of poverty say they have to address behavior issues on a daily basis. Smaller majorities of those in schools with medium or low levels of poverty say the same (56% and 54%). A third of teachers in high-poverty schools say they have to help students with mental health challenges every day, compared with about a quarter of those in medium- or low-poverty schools who say they have this experience (26% and 24%). 

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Table of contents, ‘back to school’ means anytime from late july to after labor day, depending on where in the u.s. you live, among many u.s. children, reading for fun has become less common, federal data shows, most european students learn english in school, for u.s. teens today, summer means more schooling and less leisure time than in the past, about one-in-six u.s. teachers work second jobs – and not just in the summer, most popular.

About Pew Research Center Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. Pew Research Center does not take policy positions. It is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts .

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6 Common Leadership Styles — and How to Decide Which to Use When

• Rebecca Knight

Being a great leader means recognizing that different circumstances call for different approaches.

Research suggests that the most effective leaders adapt their style to different circumstances — be it a change in setting, a shift in organizational dynamics, or a turn in the business cycle. But what if you feel like you’re not equipped to take on a new and different leadership style — let alone more than one? In this article, the author outlines the six leadership styles Daniel Goleman first introduced in his 2000 HBR article, “Leadership That Gets Results,” and explains when to use each one. The good news is that personality is not destiny. Even if you’re naturally introverted or you tend to be driven by data and analysis rather than emotion, you can still learn how to adapt different leadership styles to organize, motivate, and direct your team.

Much has been written about common leadership styles and how to identify the right style for you, whether it’s transactional or transformational, bureaucratic or laissez-faire. But according to Daniel Goleman, a psychologist best known for his work on emotional intelligence, “Being a great leader means recognizing that different circumstances may call for different approaches.”

• RK Rebecca Knight is a journalist who writes about all things related to the changing nature of careers and the workplace. Her essays and reported stories have been featured in The Boston Globe, Business Insider, The New York Times, BBC, and The Christian Science Monitor. She was shortlisted as a Reuters Institute Fellow at Oxford University in 2023. Earlier in her career, she spent a decade as an editor and reporter at the Financial Times in New York, London, and Boston.

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After being insulted, writing down your feelings on paper then getting rid of it reduces anger

A research group in Japan has discovered that writing down one's reaction to a negative incident on a piece of paper and then shredding it or throwing it away reduces feelings of anger.

"We expected that our method would suppress anger to some extent," lead researcher Nobuyuki Kawai said. "However, we were amazed that anger was eliminated almost entirely."

This research is important because controlling anger at home and in the workplace can reduce negative consequences in our jobs and personal lives. Unfortunately, many anger management techniques proposed by specialists lack empirical research support. They can also be difficult to recall when angry.

The results of this study, published in Scientific Reports , are the culmination of years of previous research on the association between the written word and anger reduction. It builds on work showing how interactions with physical objects can control a person's mood.

For their project, Kawai and his graduate student Yuta Kanaya, both at the Graduate School of Informatics, Nagoya University, asked participants to write brief opinions about important social problems, such as whether smoking in public should be outlawed. They then told them that a doctoral student at Nagoya University would evaluate their writing.

However, the doctoral students doing the evaluation were plants. Regardless of what the participants wrote, the evaluators scored them low on intelligence, interest, friendliness, logic, and rationality. To really drive home the point, the doctoral students also wrote the same insulting comment: "I cannot believe an educated person would think like this. I hope this person learns something while at the university."

After handing out these negative comments, the researchers asked the participants to write their thoughts on the feedback, focusing on what triggered their emotions. Finally, one group of participants was told to either dispose of the paper they wrote in a trash can or keep it in a file on their desk. A second group was told to destroy the document in a shredder or put it in a plastic box.

The students were then asked to rate their anger after the insult and after either disposing of or keeping the paper. As expected, all participants reported a higher level of anger after receiving insulting comments. However, the anger levels of the individuals who discarded their paper in the trash can or shredded it returned to their initial state after disposing of the paper. Meanwhile, the participants who held on to a hard copy of the insult experienced only a small decrease in their overall anger.

Kawai imagines using his research to help businesspeople who find themselves in stressful situations. "This technique could be applied in the moment by writing down the source of anger as if taking a memo and then throwing it away when one feels angry in a business situation," he explained.

Along with its practical benefits, this discovery may shed light on the origins of the Japanese cultural tradition known as hakidashisara ( hakidashi refers to the purging or spitting out of something, and sara refers to a dish or plate) at the Hiyoshi shrine in Kiyosu, Aichi Prefecture, just outside of Nagoya. Hakidashisara is an annual festival where people smash small discs representing things that make them angry. Their findings may explain the feeling of relief that participants report after leaving the festival.

• Anger Management
• Social Psychology
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• Anger management
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Story Source:

Materials provided by Nagoya University . Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

Journal Reference :

• Yuta Kanaya, Nobuyuki Kawai. Anger is eliminated with the disposal of a paper written because of provocation . Scientific Reports , 2024; 14 (1) DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-57916-z

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