| As a full-time middle school teacher as well as a | | | | and towards learning and school in general. |
| part-time adjunct education professor, I know | | | | Furthermore, the teacher's response may actual |
| quite well how important it is to have strong | | | | cause greater disruption to the lesson than the |
| classroom management skills. | | | | student's original misbehavior. |
| Personally, I am a big proponent of the using a | | | | The problem is if the teacher stops the lesson to |
| "proactive" approach to classroom management. | | | | discipline 1 or 2 students for some minor |
| My goal is to stop classroom management | | | | misbehavior then the class went from 1 or 2 |
| problems BEFORE they start. I do this by using | | | | students being off task to 20 or 30 students |
| teaching strategies that increase student | | | | being off task. While, the teacher may not have |
| motivation, increase class participation and basically | | | | caused the original minor disruption, the teacher |
| keep my students involved throughout the entire | | | | can certainly be blamed for the other 20 to 30 |
| lesson. | | | | kids being off task. |
| However, regardless of how effective a teacher | | | | So what's a teacher to do? |
| uses proactive classroom management strategies, | | | | The key to handling these minor classroom |
| minor disruptions will still occur in the classroom. | | | | management problems is to make sure the lesson |
| Before we go any further let me make one thing | | | | itself does not stop. |
| perfectly clear here...this article is about stopping | | | | Many experts call this the "Law of Least |
| MINOR classroom management problems such as | | | | Intervention". |
| talking while the teacher is talking, writing or | | | | The basic concept is simple...the teacher uses a |
| passing notes, and minor roughhousing. | | | | series of steps that require the least amount of |
| There are two common ways in which teachers | | | | teacher time and the least amount of disruption |
| usually deal with these nagging classroom | | | | to the lesson. The teacher starts with the first |
| management issues... | | | | step requiring the very least intervention and if |
| In order to avoid being the known as the tough | | | | that doesn't work quickly moves up the ladder to |
| disciplinarian, some teachers choose to simply | | | | the next step which requires slightly more |
| ignore minor misbehaviors altogether. The problem | | | | intervention and so on. |
| with this approach is that the misbehavior will | | | | By using this approach the teacher can maintain a |
| most likely NOT go away. In fact, the misbehavior | | | | positive learning environment while at the same |
| will most likely escalate and the teacher will be | | | | time maximize time on task. And, as I have |
| forced to deal with it anyway. Therefore, ignoring | | | | stated time and time again, when students are on |
| the misbehavior is just too risky. | | | | task they are much less likely to disrupt the class. |
| On the other hand, some teachers use the strict | | | | Remember, the intervention should take the least |
| approach and react to every minor disturbance | | | | amount of time...the least amount of teacher |
| regardless of the severity of the misbehavior. | | | | effort...create the least unpleasant feeling for both |
| The problem with this approach is that it presents | | | | teacher and student...and have the least disruption |
| the teacher as a negative role model, and it may | | | | to the lesson. |
| lead to an overall negative feeling in the classroom | | | | |