Successful Classroom Management Systems

Guidelines Help Students become Self-Directed in Their Behavior

Mar 2, 2009 Dorit Sasson

Still struggling with difficult students? Successful classroom management systems provide students with guidelines for becoming self-directed in their behavior.

Many new teachers often work with students who are uncooperative or disrupt other students. If you do not manage difficult student behavior quickly, it can lead to many problems. A successful classroom management system provides necessary classroom procedures, rules and expectations for success that helps difficult students become more self-directed in their behavior.

Teachers can make their classroom management experiences less stressful by using the following guidelines to help establish their own classroom management system.

Have Self-Directed Classroom Procedures

Students tend to misbehave when they don't know what to do from the moment they enter the classroom. Provide students with self-directed classroom procedures that engage students right away. For starters, write a simple "Do Now" activity that includes three necessary tasks they should do for the first ten minutes of the lesson. Some teachers use a timer to ensure that their students stay on task.

Examples of other self-directed procedures include: having a box for turning in work, having students do something else while you are dealing with administrative matters, using a cue or signal when the noise level is unacceptable and procedures to conclude each lesson such as students completing a check-off sheet or behavior chart.

Create Well-Defined Classroom Rules

Set your expectations for success by communicating 3-4 well-defined classroom rules that you can stick to and are essential for running your classroom. Teach rules and procedures as deliberately and thoroughly as you would with academic content.

Develop Consequences for any Violation of a Rule

Make sure students know in advance a range of consequences should they start misbehaving. However, always begin with a warning. Make sure you state the consequences in clear and specific terms so that students will know exactly what will happen if they break a rule, and what they can do as immediate steps if they cannot control their behavior appropriately. For example, students who who cannot control their anger properly can be given an stress-free area where they can "time out."

Communicate Your Expectations for Success Minimizes Off-Task Behaviors

Teachers should provide a wide range of success-oriented classroom activities that establish a positive learning environment. By catering to different individual interests and levels using differentiated instruction, using cooperative learning such as group and pair work, and providing choices that lead to greater student autonomy, students have fewer opportunities to be off-task.

Students cannot be expected to take responsibility for their own behavior if you don't provide them with those procedures and rules that help them self-direct their behavior and learning. Over time, students won't challenge your authority and will take responsibility for their own learning and behavior.

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