How Classroom Management Can Be Used to Positively Impact Student Learning

Format

Individual Presentation

Presenters

Gordon Eisenman, Augusta UniversityFollow

First Presenter's Institution

Augusta University

Second Presenter's Institution

na

Third Presenter's Institution

na

Fourth Presenter's Institution

na

Fifth Presenter's Institution

na

Location

Harborside East & West

Strand #1

Social & Emotional Skills

Strand #2

Safety & Violence Prevention

Relevance

“HEART”: Social & Emotional Skills Fostering social and emotional skills and the social climate for all children and youth.

This session focuses on selecting, modifying and implementing classroom management strategies that positively impact student learning. The goal being to move classroom management beyond controlling students to teaching students the management content they are missing in areas such as social, emotional, communication, and decision making skills. By addressing the missing skills and knowledge we empower students to develop self-control and life skills for the long term.

Brief Program Description

This session focuses on selecting, modifying and implementing classroom management strategies that positively impact student learning. With a focus on student learning, effective classroom management moves beyond controlling students to teaching students the management content they are missing in areas such as social, emotional, communication, and decision making skills that will empower students to develop self-control for the long term.

Summary

In many cases, teachers believe the purpose of classroom management is to control their student’s behavior. However, the purpose of classroom management should be to positively impact student learning. The main reason few teachers focus on learning in classroom management stems from the fact that in higher education classrooms, management is considered “neither content knowledge, nor psychological foundations, nor pedagogy, nor pedagogical content knowledge” (Evertson & Weinstein, 2006, p. 4) Until classroom management begins to be evaluated based on its effect on learning it will not be taken seriously by the profession.

One of the major reasons for a lack of attention by the profession is the focus on student behavior. While the rest of the profession is focused on helping students to gain knowledge and skills, classroom management is thought to be about an almost unrelated topic. When classroom management is seen as dealing with aberrant behavior, non-normal actions in the classroom, there is not a reason to give it much priority.

This session will concentrate on practical strategies and ideas designed to help teachers prevent interruptions to learning, create an environment that stimulates learning, techniques to help to bring students back to learning when small interruptions occur, and teach students knowledge and skills needed to improve social, emotional, communication, and decision making skills that will empower students to develop self-control for the long term.

Evertson, C., & Weinstein, C. (2006). Classroom management as a field of study. In Evertson, C., & Weinstein, C. (Eds.), Handbook of classroom management, Research, practice, and contemporary issues. (pp. 3 – 16). United States of America: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Evidence

The most common concern of beginning teachers is classroom management (Cakmak, 2008; Ganser, 1999, Jacques, 2000, Ladd, 2000, McCormacke, 2001). Beginning teachers report that poor classroom management skills and disruptive students are the most significant barriers to being a good teacher (Fideler & Haskelhorn, 1999). Teachers in their first few years of teaching blame their teacher preparation programs for failing to adequately prepare them for classroom management (Ladd, 2000; Monroe, Blackwell, & Pepper 2010). Merrett and Wheldall (1993) found that a vast majority of teachers felt that classroom management is very important, while 72% were unsatisfied with the preparation they received from their teacher education program in classroom management.

In many cases, teachers believe the purpose of classroom management is to control their student’s behavior. However, the purpose of classroom management should be to establish an environment for student learning. The main reason few teachers focus on learning in classroom management stems from the fact that in higher education classrooms, management is considered “neither content knowledge, nor psychological foundations, nor pedagogy, nor pedagogical content knowledge” (Evertson & Weinstein, 2006, p. 4) Until classroom management begins to be evaluated based on its effect on learning it will not be taken seriously by the profession.

References:

Cakmak, M. (2008). Concerns about teaching process: Student teacher’s

perspectives. Education Research Quarterly, 31(3), 57-77.

Evertson, C., & Weinstein, C. (2006). Classroom management as a field of study. In Evertson, C., & Weinstein, C. (Eds.), Handbook of classroom management, Research, practice, and contemporary issues. (pp. 3 – 16). United States of America: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Fideler, E. & Haskelhorn, D. (1999). Learning the ropes: Urban teacher induction programs and practices in the United States. Belmont, MA: Recruiting New Teachers.

Ganser, T. (1999, April). Reconsidering the relevance of Veenman’s (1994) meta-analysis of the perceived problems of beginning teachers. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Montreal, Canada.

Jacques, K (2000). Solicitous Tenderness: Discipline and responsibility in the classroom. In H. Cooper & R. Hyland (Eds.), Children’s perceptions of learning with trainee teachers (pp. 166-177). London: Routledge.

Ladd, K. (2000). A comparison of teacher education programs and graduate’s perceptions of experiences. Dissertation Abstracts International, 61(12A), 4695, (UMI No. 9998491)

McCormack, C. (2001). Investigating the impact of an internship on the classroom management beliefs of preservice teachers. The Professional Educator, 23(2), 11-22.

Merrett, F., & Wheldall, K. (1993). How do teachers learn to manage classroom behavior? A study of teachers’ opinions about their initial training with special reference to classroom behavior management. Educational Studies, 19(3), 91-107.

Monroe, A. E., Blackwell, S. E., & Pepper, S. K. (2010). Strengthening professional development partnerships while bridging classroom management instruction and practice. The Professional Educator, 34(2), 1-9.

Biographical Sketch

Gordon Eisenman has been in education for 30 years. He has been and elementary teacher's assistant, elementary teacher, and university professor of education. He has developed and taught courses in classroom management for the past twenty years. His scholarship in classroom management includes research, articles, presentations, and book chapters.

Keyword Descriptors

classroom management, student learning, student self-control

Presentation Year

2017

Start Date

3-7-2017 4:00 PM

End Date

3-7-2017 5:30 PM

Recommended Citation

Eisenman, Gordon, "How Classroom Management Can Be Used to Positively Impact Student Learning" (2017). National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Conference. 93.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/nyar_savannah/2017/2017/93