Julia G. Thompson

March 9, 2010

Sometimes it's not always easy to know if what we are doing in our classrooms is in line with the best possible practices for educational success.Here's an excerpt from a soon-to-be published second edition of DISCIPLINE SURVIVAL GUIDE FOR THE SECONDARY TEACHER to help you determine just what the climate in a successful classroom should be.

THE CHARACTERISTICS OF A WELL-MANAGED TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY CLASSROOM

Should teachers still worry about students who chew gum? What should we do about those students whose cell phones ring in class? How should we react when we hear students using offensive language?

As teachers, we wonder what to do about these and the countless other behaviors that we witness each school day. Are these the issues that should concern us or should we focus exclusively on the more serious problems confronting our students? After all, dealing with gum and cell phones seems rather silly when weapons at school are a real concern for many teachers.

Many educators are unsure of how to define a class that is well-disciplined because today’s discipline issues are neither simple nor self-evident. For example, we may want our students to be engaged in active learning, but those classroom activities can appear chaotic and noisy. We also struggle with thorny new issues such as cyber bullies, sexting, and online cheating.

Even though we may not always be in agreement about the exact definition of a well-disciplined classroom, most educators certainly know when things are not going well. Misconduct referral notices are remarkably uniform in the types of behaviors that teachers and administrators do not find acceptable in schools. A quick survey of these reveals just a few of the serious misbehaviors that we do not want our students to engage in:

• Violence
• Disrespect for authority
• Failure to complete work
• Bullying
• Dishonesty
• Tardiness
• Truancy

No sensible teacher wants to deal with these and their unpleasant aftermath because we know that these behaviors signal significant disruptions in the learning process and in the success of all of the students in our care.

Since we know what a disorderly classroom is, what then are the characteristics of an orderly classroom? Although there are as many hallmarks of a well-disciplined class as there are teachers and classes, a few of the most significant ones fall under the following broad categories.

The Physical Environment Is Invitational

In a well-disciplined classroom, the room itself is appealing. Many of us teach in cramped and overcrowded rooms without enough basic materials and certainly not expensive equipment such as interactive whiteboards and LCD projectors. Despite these restrictions, effective secondary teachers can manage to create an environment where students focus on learning. We can arrange desks to encourage collaboration as well as independent work, minimize traffic-flow problems, and make sure materials are readily available. The walls can be used to stimulate student engagement with displays of student work.

Students Understand the Rules and Procedures They Are Expected to Follow

The teacher has obviously given much thought to planning and establishing a well-organized learning climate. Class rules, procedures, and notices of upcoming activities are posted in convenient places to help students stay on track. Encouraging mottoes remind students of their goals and responsibilities. Students follow class routines for daily chores without nagging. In a well-disciplined class, students understand what they are expected to achieve each day and how they are to go about it.

Students Are Actively Engaged in the Pursuit of Knowledge

There is movement and laughter and noise. Active learning generates a much higher noise level than the silent classrooms of the past. Students are up and out of their seats while engaged in a variety of interesting activities that encourage thought and discovery. They do more talking than the teacher does on most days. A well-disciplined class is a place where no student sleeps or sits idly waiting for dismissal.

There Is a Persistent Tone of Mutual Respect

Teachers and students treat each other with obvious respect. This is evident in such nonverbal interactions as body language and tone of voice as well as in what students and teachers say to each other. Students speak with confidence because they feel their opinions are valued. Students in a well-disciplined class also respect their classmates. They have been taught to appreciate each other’s unique contributions to the class as well as appropriate ways to resolve conflicts. There is a general sense of togetherness and steadfast courtesy.

Students Take Responsibility for Their Learning

In a well-disciplined class, students may be led by their teachers, but they are not coerced into good behavior through threats of dire punishment. Instead, they are encouraged to understand the importance of choosing good behavior and its lasting rewards over the short-term thrills of bad behavior. In an orderly class self-directed students not only encourage each other, but they also work with their teacher to achieve academic and behavioral goals that they themselves have helped establish. Successful teachers employ a variety of strategies to promote responsible decision-making and create self-reliant students.

FIVE COMMON-SENSE STEPS TO A PRODUCTIVE CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT

Although the establishment of a productive classroom environment is a difficult and complicated task, it certainly is not an impossible one. Below you will find five common-sense actions that will make this task manageable.

Step One
Become thoroughly familiar with the content of the courses you teach. If you don’t know the material you are supposed to cover, then your instruction will lack authority. Secondary students are quick to spot teachers who do not have a good command of content and they are justified in having no patience with such teachers.

Step Two
Quickly get to know your students. When you are familiar with your students, you will be better able to establish the kind of rapport with them that you need in order to be a better teacher. Successful teachers have a sound working knowledge of adolescent behavior in general and of their own students in particular.

Step Three
Don’t rely on punishment to control of your classes. Instead, learn as much as you can about the various disciplinary practices that are available to you. Knowing the actions that can prevent or minimize potential discipline problems will help you establish a productive, positive classroom environment.

Step Four
Present yourself to your students and to your colleagues as a professional educator. That means doing all of the things excellent teachers do—maintain order, organize your time and materials, teach innovative lessons, and inspire student by being the adult role model they need.

Step Five
Assume responsibility for your attitude about the discipline problems in your classroom. Concentrate on the positive steps you can take to help your students become self-disciplined. Learn to monitor and manage your own stress levels so that you can be the effective educator your students need.