Friday Reflections - Classroom Management

Janet showing her students how to walk in the halls
Classroom management is a critical skill, and a skill that was in full display these first few days of school as I moved about Irving.   I am in awe of lines of well behaved students moving through the hallway, students sitting in circles, posters displaying classroom jobs, charts explaining behavioral expectations - the hum of well managed classes. All of us know strong teachers who have classroom management skills in spades. One such teacher in our midst is Janet, our veteran kindergarten teacher.   She is excellent at managing her classroom of five year olds! And, she has stepped out of her comfort zone and teamed up with Kayla this year; Kayla take notes - because Janet is a master at teaching critical procedures that set the stage for the important teaching that will happen for the rest of the year. And, Janet is sharing her expertise on procedures to some of our new teachers in a small group setting.  Thank you, Janet - above and beyond!

Perhaps a “101 Classroom Management” overview might help those among us who aren’t as evolved as Janet (myself included). It’s always helpful when author/s can clearly and directly describe and develop how to manage a classroom.

Harry and Rosemary Wong’s book The First Days of School simply and effectively lays out the case for teaching classroom procedures.  They describes two major problems in a classroom – movement and noise.   Consider movement – entering the classroom, coming in from recess, lining up, getting ready for lunch, walking in the hallway as an entire class, getting ready for dismissal, etc;  these movements are procedures and what Janet turns these procedures into routines by teaching, rehearsing and reinforcing the procedures.  The noise procedures that establish order when students are, for example, moving between centers and small and big group activities or asking for individual help or permission may require both oral and written instruction and cues; noise procedures need to be taught, rehearsed and reinforced with as much follow through as movement procedures.

Janet and Kayla are basically following three specific steps for teaching procedures to their kindergarten students:

Teach
Rehearse   Rehearse Rehearse and Rehearse some more!
Reinforce

I’ll leave you with this thought - whenever one is teaching, procedures are needed - regardless of age and content to be taught.  Sound procedures are the starting point for any significant learning.

Another way of looking at classroom management: 

“You seemingly waste a little time at the beginning to gain time at the end”.   Harry K. Wong (what a name, huh? 🤣)

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