- Classroom management and the learning environment
these problems develop over time, and because they may involve repeated disagreements, they can eventually
become stressful for the teacher, the student, and any classmates who may be affected. Their persistence can tempt
a teacher simply to dictate a resolution—a decision that can leave everyone feeling defeated, including the teacher.
Often in these situations it is better to negotiate a solution, which means systematically discussing options and
compromising on one if possible. Although negotiation always requires time and effort, it is often less time or effort
than continuing to cope with the original problem, and the results can be beneficial to everyone. A number of
experts on conflict resolution have suggested strategies for negotiating with students about persistent problems
(Davidson & Wood, 2004). The suggestions vary in detail, but usually include some combination of the steps we
have already discussed above, along with a few others:
- Decide as accurately as possible what the problem is. Usually this step involves a lot of the active listening
described above. - Brainstorm possible solutions, and then consider their effectiveness. Remember to include students in
this step; otherwise you end up simply imposing a solution on others, which is not what negotiation is
supposed to achieve. - If possible, choose a solution by consensus. Complete agreement on the choice may not be possible, but
strive for it as best you can. Remember that taking a vote may be a democratic, acceptable way to settle
differences in some situations, but if feelings are running high, voting does not work as well. In that case
voting may simply allow the majority to impose its will on the minority, leaving the underlying conflict
unresolved. - Pay attention to how well the solution works after it is underway. For many reasons, things may not work
out the way you or students hope or expect. You may need to renegotiate the solution at a later time.
Keeping management issues in perspective.................................................................................................
There are two primary messages from this chapter. One is that management issues are important, complex, and
deserving of serious attention. The other is that strategies exist that can reduce, if not eliminate, management
problems when and if they occur. We have explained some of those strategies—including some intended to prevent
problems and others intended to remedy problems.
But there is an underlying assumption about management that this chapter emphasized fully: that good
classroom management is not an end in itself, but a means for creating a classroom where learning happens and
students are motivated. Amidst the stresses of handling a problem behavior, there is a risk of losing sight of this
idea. Telling a student to be quiet is never a goal in itself, for example; it is desirable only because (or when) it
allows all students to hear the teacher’s instructions or classmates’ spoken comments, or because it allows students
to concentrate on their work. There may actually be moments when students' keeping quiet is not appropriate, such
as during a “free choice” time in an elementary classroom or during a group work task in a middle school
classroom. As teachers, we need to keep this perspective firmly in mind. Classroom management should serve
students’ learning, and not the other way around. The next chapter is based on this idea, because it discusses ways
not just to set the stage for learning, as this chapter has done, but ways to plan directly for students' learning.