Trends in Classroom Management

Current Trends in Classroom Management Classroom DisciplineWong’s Pragmatic ClassroomKagan, Kyle, and Scott’s Win-Win DisciplineMorrish’s Real Discipline Strengths•Wong’s approach “pragmatic” where it is “built from practical ideas” pieced together from multiple sources (Charles, 2008, pg. 130). This theory does not fit with cookie cutter classrooms and can be modified to fit the teacher, content, or student group. •Encourages the idea that “discipline problems” will “largely disappear” when the classroom management is in check (Charles, 2008, pg. 0).
•“Rules of behavior set limits” where they “create a work-oriented atmosphere” (Charles, 2008, pg. 133). Behavior issues are simply violations of procedure and have specific and logical consequences that were clearly laid out on the first day of school. •“Student needs” are strongly represented were the “primary goal” is to “help students develop long-term, self-managed responsibility. •Encourages a spirit of teamwork between the teacher and student where the end result is where “students manage themselves responsibly” (Charles, 2008, pg. 151). A precursor to Kagan’s win-win strategy because it “teaches students right from wrong,” high expectations of adult authority, “and encourages them to make choices about behavior that are sufficiently mature and experienced to do” (Charles, 2008, pg.
227). •“To acquire essential [behavioral norms] skills, they need supportive guidance from enlightened, caring teachers” where it does not put the teachers and students on the same plane; however, it does not completely separate them. Weaknesses•Requires intense planning and execution by the teacher to ensure that consistency of procedures is followed in order for this to succeed. If there needs to be a change in classroom management style in the middle of the school year, Wong gives little detail on how that should be handled. They focus heavily on the first day and first few weeks of school.

•Sees disruptive behavior as “merely students’ ineffective attempts to meet certain unfulfilled needs” all the time (Charles, 2008, pg. 151). Where behavior issues could come from students not even trying at all. •Since the relationship needs to be based on the fact that the student and teacher must work together for the student to gain that responsibility, what happens when they do not gain that type of utlook? •This strategy may feel like an anarchy government where the students have little to no say in the classroom and their learning, where the teacher is the sole authority in the classroom. Advantages•States that “a well-managed classroom is task oriented and predictable” and it can be a “smoothly functioning learning environment” (Charles, 2008, pg. 132). •When students learn the win-win strategy, they learn life skills that can help with “developing self-management, responsibility, and other autonomous life skills” (Charles, 2008, pg.
151). Does not separate the teacher/student dynamic too much with authority and does not give the student too much power without clear expectation. Disadvantages•If a teacher does not the set the procedures and expectations in the classroom before the end of week two, research has shown that they will not have good classroom management •Procedures can seem daunting and intense and very little wiggle room for students. •This discipline type does not take preemptive strikes against disruptive behavior but rather “considers disruptive behavior to be a starting point” (Charles, 2008, pg. 152). This strategy may be easily confused with mistrust for their students and lowering one’s standard of expectation for the students just because of their age. Agree/Disagree•Solid expectations in an environment with crisp infrastructure is an idea that resonates with my strategy of teaching.
•I do not agree with this particular strategy where it states that we should wait for students to misbehave so we can address the idea of responsibility or re-directing. I do not believe in setting up the students for failure and put my best effort forward for them to succeed on the first try, not wait for them to mess up to fix it. However, I do agree with the idea of encouraging autonomy from the students and stating that they are their bets advocates for their own education. •This strategy does expect high expectations from the students to follow the rules but they are not in a true in a democracy like the previous strategy. There are no unrealistic expectations of maturity level and one will expect a student to act their age. The students are not set up to fail, but have a firm teacher foundation. Resource Center: Charles, C.
M. (2008). Builidng Classroom Discipline (9thth ed. ). Boston, MA: Pearson Education. Retrieved November 13, 2012