Classroom Management: How to Handle Minor Classroom Management Problems
Author: Adam Waxler

Classroom Management: How to Handle Minor Classroom Management Problems
As a full-time middle school teacher as well as a part-time
adjunct education professor, I know quite well how
important it is to have strong classroom management skills.

Personally, I am a big proponent of the using a "proactive"
approach to classroom management. My goal is to stop
classroom management problems BEFORE they start.  I do this
by using teaching strategies that increase student
motivation, increase class participation and basically keep
my students involved throughout the entire lesson.

However, regardless of how effective a teacher uses
proactive classroom management strategies, minor
disruptions will still occur in the classroom. Before we go
any further let me make one thing perfectly clear
here...this article is about stopping MINOR classroom
management problems such as talking while the teacher is
talking, writing or passing notes, and minor roughhousing.

There are two common ways in which teachers usually deal
with these nagging classroom management issues...

In order to avoid being the known as the tough
disciplinarian, some teachers choose to simply ignore minor
misbehaviors altogether.  The problem with this approach is
that the misbehavior will most likely NOT go away. In fact,
the misbehavior will most likely escalate and the teacher
will be forced to deal with it anyway.  Therefore, ignoring
the misbehavior is just too risky.

On the other hand, some teachers use the strict approach
and react to every minor disturbance regardless of the
severity of the misbehavior.

The problem with this approach is that it presents the
teacher as a negative role model, and it may lead to an
overall negative feeling in the classroom and towards
learning and school in general. Furthermore, the teacher's
response may actual cause greater disruption to the lesson
than the student's original misbehavior.

The problem is if the teacher stops the lesson to
discipline 1 or 2 students for some minor misbehavior then
the class went from 1 or 2 students being off task to 20 or
30 students being off task. While, the teacher may not have
caused the original minor disruption, the teacher can
certainly be blamed for the other 20 to 30 kids being off
task.

So what's a teacher to do?

The key to handling these minor classroom management
problems is to make sure the lesson itself does not stop.

Many experts call this the "Law of Least Intervention".

The basic concept is simple...the teacher uses a series of
steps that require the least amount of teacher time and the
least amount of disruption to the lesson. The teacher
starts with the first step requiring the very least
intervention and if that doesn't work quickly moves up the
ladder to the next step which requires slightly more
intervention and so on.

By using this approach the teacher can maintain a positive
learning environment while at the same time maximize time
on task.  And, as I have stated time and time again, when
students are on task they are much less likely to disrupt
the class.

Remember, the intervention should take the least amount of
time...the least amount of teacher effort...create the
least unpleasant feeling for both teacher and student...and
have the least disruption to the lesson.


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