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Effective Classroom Management and Control
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EFFECTIVE CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT AND CONTROL
BY
Dr. M.B. Taiwo & Dr (Mrs) O.A. Opadokun
Introduction
The classroom can be described as the smallest and lowest unit in the school where the teachers
and the students interact. Their mode of interaction goes a long way in re shaping the course of education
towards better performance and improved outcome. Therefore, an enabling environment should be created
for the teacher to be able to effectively manage his/her classroom. Unless classrooms are competently
managed, both conventional instructions and innovative practices associated with our educational system are
likely to be greatly undermined. The secret or formular of a successful classroom environment can be seen
when teachers who, while teaching are able to monitor students' progress, anticipate their behavioural
problems and provide meaningful options in handling these problems. As a matter of fact, routine classroom
managerial actions are crucial to teaching, because in their absence, the classroom may function very
inadequately. It is on the basis of this, that this paper attempts to examine the major issues involved in
effective classroom management and control in the school system.
Concepts
The major concepts in this tope are three: Classroom, Management and Control
Classroom
The classroom as earlier described is the smallest and lowest unit in the school where the teachers
and the students interact. It can also be described as a room, in a given educational institution termed a
school, where teaching and learning takes place. The greatest pan of educational activities occurs in this
room'. Usually, there cannot be any meaningful activity going on in any school without classrooms as it is a
place where learning experiences are coordinated and various types of instructional efforts are housed.
Management
Management has been defined by various experts in various ways. To some, it
is a way of leading other people; while others see it as a means of coordinating
people's activities. Adesina (1980) sees management as the mobilisation of both
human and material resources in order to achieve the objectives for which an
organization is established.
Dr. M. B. Taiwo
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Control
Control can simply BE described as taking decision about how something is to
be done. It means making someone or something do what one wants or behave in the
way one wants people to behave.
Classroom Management
Classroom Management can be rightfully described as the art of carefully
preparing and presenting actions that are preliminary to teacher-pupil class
interaction, class grouping intended to create favourable conditions that will facilitate
instructions e.g. giving understandable directions or requests to follow certain
procedures or desist from disruptive behaviour. According to Akubue (1991)
Classroom management can also be described as the orchestration of classroom life
which includes curriculum planning, organising procedures and resources, arranging
the environment to maximise efficiency, monitoring students' progress, anticipating
potential problems, preventing latent misbehaviour and remedying overt disruptive
behaviours. Classroom management also include;
Actions that aim at regulating the social behaviour of pupils like directing
questions at an inattentive pupil, using positive reinforcement or applying
punishment as a remedial control measure.
Actions that assert the authority of the teacher, e.g. responses to requests, or
unilateral decisions on what pupils should do.
Classroom management, at its most routine level concerns a large variety of
straightforward activities such as simple clerical duties, ordering, maintaining and
distributing classroom materials and routine custodial caring for students' behaviour.
Classroom management focuses on encouraging and establishing student-control
through a process of promoting positive student achievement and behavior in this
light, academic achievement, teacher efficacy, teacher and students behavior are
directly linked with the concept of classroom management
Classroom management when put in a wider context can be regarded as the
orchestration of classroom life which includes: curriculum planning, organizing
procedures and resources, setting the tone of the class environment to maximise
learning, monitoring students' progress and anticipating potential problems, teachers
Effective Classroom Management and Control
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who, while teaching are able to monitor students' progress, anticipate their
behavioural problems, and provide meaningful options in handling these problems.
It is important to note that Classroom management recognizes the fact that
instructional competence counts very little if pupils are not ready to learn or if the
class is not disciplined. This explains why Classroom management is a critical part of
a teacher's function. Akubue, (1991). Simply put, having your classroom under
perfect control brings the joy back to teaching. Knowing how to keep a classroom not
only controlled but on task and attentive is the most crucial skill a teacher can have,
without which no effective teaching can take place. If must however be noted that
knowledge of subject matter alone is not enough to achieve effective classroom
management and control. Some good classroom management techniques are
discussed below to help teachers in achieving success.
Classroom Management Techniques
In achieving good Classroom management and control, Farrant (1976) opines
that the classroom manager must pay attention to two qualities, namely; authority and
efficiency.
Authority: Authority is very important so as to avoid chaos resulting from unruly
activities of pupils in the class. To command respect and have authority in the class,
the following must be considered by the teacher:-
Dignity: The classroom manager must be able to maintain his dignity by avoiding
achieving cheap popularity among his students.
Consistency: The classroom manager must be just and fair in dealing with the
students.
Firmness: The classroom manager must always be certain in his decisions. Right from
the first day in class, the teacher should not appear to be too easy, otherwise, the
students will take him / her for granted and play different pranks. Also, the teacher
should always avoid delaying giving reward and punishment. Discipline problems are
listed as the major concern for most new teachers. What can teachers expect and how
can they effectively handle discipline problems? Classroom management combined
with an effective discipline plan is the key.
Dr. M. B. Taiwo
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Judicious use of reward and punishment: The classroom manager should always use
reward and punishment as corrective measure and rewards should be used to
acknowledge success and efforts and also as incentives. Both punishments and
rewards should be moderately given. The students could be made to earn five points
for simply abiding by the classroom rules and completing the assignment given. If
they went above the call of duty, or if they worked following the teacher's high
expectations they should be given bonus points. The teacher would also deduct points
based on poor behaviour. Students could receive one warning before the deducted
points. By the end of the week, students could earn up to two hundred and fifty points
and they would all find this very interesting.
Self Criticism: The classroom manager should try and see himself as the pupils see him.
He should be aware of his strong and weak points He should always avoid personal
mannerism as this might make him/her a subject of ridicule.
Efficiency: This refers to the measure of the classroom manager. The following can help
the classroom manager to be efficient.
Tidiness: The classroom manager should always put things in their right places.
There should be a fixed place for everything needed in the classroom to keep the class
tidy. Being organized is a major classroom management technique that is difficult to
master. Since the beginning of any college degree program you are drilled that teacher must be
flexible and you need to roll with the unexpected. It's hard to stay organized when unexpected
events occur. The best you can do is to organize your lessons in a neat form and keep your grade
book up to date (so that you don't have stacks of un-graded papers cluttering the class). Three major
suggestions are also made thus:
a) Keep all of your teachers' edition texts in one location so that when/if you need to fill in an
unexpected event you can quickly flip to something interesting in the text.
b) Set up filing system that has one red (or bright colored) folder for any and all assessments that you
do for your class.
c) Always have a back up assignment ready for an emergency.
Organise all routine matters: Make rules for all routines in the class e.g sharing books in the class,
cleaning the chalkboard etc. Set Student expectations at the beginning of every lesson, activity, or special
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