Classroom Management Strategies That Achieve Results
The teacher of today is facing overwhelming challenges in the classroom. Teachers are expected to meet all the needs of their students from many diverse backgrounds and have knowledge with which they must provide engaging, motivational lessons which will help boost the student achievement level. Their classroom management strategies should also help develop meaningful relationships with an average of 125 students they encounter on a daily basis. These students will be experiencing the Social, Cognitive and personal challenges and opportunities of early adolescent stages. Teaching is a complex skill that cannot be broken down into several tasks that are mastered one at a time.
Classroom management strategies are implemented in the winning of students’ hearts while getting inside their heads. This only occurs through very personal one on one interactions. Developing these relationships will result in less classroom behaviour problems and far better academic achievements. However, it is difficult to engage in such interactions while managing the classroom instruction and climate. Because students experience a decline in academic motivation and self esteem during early adolescence, it is essential that teachers take the time to build quality relationships in which they learn and understand the unique needs of their students at this crucial stage of development.
Implementing classroom management strategies in order to understand the students is essential. Although most students hide their true feelings, they crave positive social interaction with adults and peers and meaningful participation in families, schools and communities. Limits on behaviour and attitudes and opportunities for self-definition are very favorable to students at this stage. If teachers are intending to have a real impact, they should be prepared to break some rules and adopt some unconventional methods in learning. Focus on relationship building and development of the person as a whole, develops positive and socially acceptable behaviors. A teacher who shows personal interest, establishes clear goals and models positive behavior will achieve the best results.
