Bad Classroom Management Example

Let us take a look at one example of how a teacher handled a classroom issue and take a look at what was done poorly and what could be improved upon for next time:

Mrs. D* teaches fifth grade. Her students were having a bad day and were not listening or staying in their chairs. Her method of handling the situation was to pull out the Barney song (I love you, you love me…) and play it for the class. The class was instructed that they must sit still and quiet through one whole playing of the song in order for the students to move onto another activity. Twenty minutes later the class period ended and they moved to specials with the song still playing.

The first problem with this scenario is that the song and task are both demeaning to the age of the student. A fifth grader does not like Barney and does not like that song. Having students sit through this song over and over again, having to sit still and quiet, was in essence the teacher telling them that she had no respect for them.

A student put in a position of belittling will revolt, whereas a student put in a position of being held to a high standard, will likely rise to the occasion. Next time, the teacher could have the students write a letter of apology to the teacher, or write a letter home to their parents explaining their behavior and signed by the teacher.

*Name changed

Those Who Can’t Do… Ask

There are two basic categories of teachers: those who have good classroom management and those who don’t. Those who have it either worked hard to get it, or it just came naturally. Those who don’t have it, well, it’s not because of a lack of trying.

In fact, in speaking to some teachers who struggle with classroom management, it is doubly frustrating for teachers to struggle day in and day out to control a class of students with another teacher never struggles at all. Usually teachers lay blame. In fact, all teachers I have spoken to lay blame:

• Bad group of kids
• Awkward age for kids
• Bad mix of kids
• Bad home life
• and so on

The list goes on but in the end it’s lying blame when in fact the only person who can change the situation is the teacher. And all teachers are able to change the situation if they only put their mind to it. It takes a lot of reflection, patience, trial and error and asking for help.

If you can’t seem to figure out how to get a particular group of kids under control, ask someone who has a great class – observe, ask “what if” questions, invite criticism, ask for suggestions, and be open to change.

Stop blaming the kids, start asking for answers.

Reflection is the Best Remedy

Many teachers are able to identify the fact that there is a problem in their classroom. Some are even able to specify what the problem is:

“John is my biggest classroom management problem”

“There are a couple of boys that just don’t get along”

“My students have respect issues”

These teachers often are also able to list various strategies they have tried in order to solve the problem.

“I’ve tried everything – taking away recess, threats, calling parents, notes home, sending them to the Principal’s office, ignoring the behavior, yelling, rewards, punishments, new seating arrangements, nothing helps!”

It may in fact seem to be the impossible class – often it is a group of students who have been impossible each grade level, developing a pattern of issues.

Solving a problem like this may not be simple but it is possible with some reflection. It is important for the teacher to take a good long look at what circumstances surround the issues involved in the classroom and attempt to think back to a trigger. It may be problems at home, it may be the style of teaching or it may be the lack of a social skill.

With some intense reflection on what works and what doesn’t work in each situation, the teacher may be able to start to address the heart of the matter and begin to see small changes in the behaviors. Addressing the behavior may not solve the problem, so through this reflection the teacher will hopefully begin to see beyond the outward behavior to the root cause.