EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY

Chapter 11 page 222

are excitedly discussing a project that interests them. Conversely, students who are well-behaved and quiet
may not be learning anything, as when they are sitting quietly at their desks daydreaming rather than
listening to the teacher.
Classroom management is one of the greatest research success stories of the 20th century (Brophy,
2006). We now have a good understanding of the teaching strategies that are used by effective classroom
managers. Many of these strategies are generally applicable to a variety of styles of teaching—from
teachers who employ more traditional forms of instruction to teachers using constructivist instruction
(Brophy, 2006). We will discuss these strategies in this chapter.

GOALS OF CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT

Teacher educators Carolyn Evertson and Carol Weinstein (2006) have emphasized that classroom
management has two goals: academic learning and social-emotional learning. Academic learning refers to
learning content specified in state content standards (learning to read and write, learning to reason, learning
science, math, and social studies, and so on). Socio-emotional learning is learning that promotes growth in
social skills and the ability to express emotions maturely. Classrooms are well managed only if the teacher
has created environments that promote both of these kinds of learning.
Effective teachers not only reduce student misbehavior but also minimize wasted time in which
learning is not occurring. If a teacher spends 5 minutes each day taking attendance and passing back
papers, that adds up to 15 hours lost in a year of potential learning time. Effective teachers aim to
maximize student learning time.
Figure 11.1 highlights the five key components of effective classroom management. This chapter
elaborates in detail on each of these five components.

Figure 11.1: The five components of classroom management

1. Physical design of the classroom. Physical design refers to how the classroom is laid out—where the
   students’ desks are, where the teacher’s desk is, where learning centers and materials are located, where
   heavily used items such as pencil sharpeners are, and so on. Effective managers arrange the classroom
   in ways that increase enhance student learning and reduce opportunities for misbehavior.


2. Rules and routines. Teachers establish class rules and routines (such as routines for handing back
   papers and taking attendance) to keep class activities running smoothly with as little disruption and as
   little loss of time as possible.


3. Relationships. Effective classroom managers develop caring, supportive relationships with students
   and with parents, and they promote supportive relations among students.


4. Engaging, well-organized instruction. Effective classroom managers develop instruction that engages
   learners, and they carefully plan their instruction so that each learning activity is well-organized and
   runs smoothly.

Physical

Design

P r e v e n t i o n

Response

Rules &

Routines

Relation-

ships

Well-

Organized,

Engaging

Instruction

Discipline