Classroom Management - How to Handle Minor Classroom Management Problems

As a full-time teachers and a part-time mid-education associate professor, I know very well how important it is to have strong classroom management skills.

I personally am a big proponent of a "proactive" approach to classroom management. My goal is to stop classroom management problems before they begin. I do this by using teaching strategies to increase student motivation, improve teaching and my students always basicallyare involved throughout the lesson.

However, regardless of how effective a teacher uses proactive classroom management strategies that will be minor disruptions occur in the class. Before we go further, let me clear one thing here ... This article is about minor classroom management problems such as stopping to talk while the teacher speaks, in writing or passages, minor roughhousing.

There are two ways in which the teacher usuallydeal with these nagging classroom management issues ...

To avoid being ignored by the harsh discipline known some teachers to choose only minor misbehavior altogether. The problem with this approach is that the fault probably will not go away. In fact, the misconduct is likely to escalate and the teacher will be forced, with much of it anyway. Therefore, ignoring the misbehavior is simply too risky.

On the other hand, some teachers are using thestrict standards and respond to any small perturbation, regardless of the seriousness of the misconduct.

The problem with this approach is that it presents the teacher as a negative role model, and it may lead to an overall negative sentiment in the school and to learning and school in general. The answer, the teacher can actually cause major disruptions to the doctrine than the original wrongdoing by the student.

The problem is, if discipline is no longer the teacher to teach to 1or 2 students for some minor wrongdoing then the class went from 1 or 2 students were off task for 20 or 30 students were off task. While the teacher may not have caused the initial small disturbance, the teacher can with certainty for the other 20 to 30 children will be off task responsible.

So what is a teacher to do?

The key to dealing with these small classroom management problems is to ensure that the teaching itself is unstoppable.

Many experts call this the "Law of LeastIntervention ".

The basic idea is simple ... The teacher uses a series of steps that require the least time of the teacher and the slightest disturbance of the lessons. The teacher begins with the first phase of intervention, at least, and if that does not work quickly moves the ladder to the next step, the slightly more intervention and so require.

Through this approach, the teacher can get a positive learning environment while maximizing thetime on task. And, as I said over and over again when the students in the matter, they are much less likely to disturb the class.

Remember, the measure should take the least time consuming ... the least expenditure of teachers ... the uncomfortable feeling, at least for teachers and students ... and have the slightest disruption of teaching.