Classroom Management Tips-5

Part V: End Procrastination

By now you have received a number of tips to help you become an effective classroom management teacher. The whole basis of these tips, and this report, is to teach you how to take a proactive approach to classroom management.

However, even if you are using all these tips, even if you are using the "all-write" strategy and the "pair-share" strategy, even if you are using video, critical thinking questions, and making connections to student's interests, even if you are making your objectives clear, and checking for understanding, and even if you are giving very specific directions...you still have problems.

The problem is it doesn't matter how proactive you are or how many tricks you use to try to get students involved, some students still just don't do anything, they simply procrastinate as long as they can.

Don't get me wrong, these students are more than capable, they just simply procrastinate. They are the ones that say, "I don't get it" as an excuse for "not doing it".

The trick to solving this frustrating problem is in how you "monitor" the room after you give a set of directions.

First of all, you need to understand that teaching today does not involve the teacher sitting, or even standing, in one place. An effective classroom management teacher is constantly moving about the room. How else can you truly monitor student work?

Now, there is a tendency for teachers to want to go to their less-abled students first. This is natural, but it is also a mistake.

If you go to your less-abled students first, who require more time, your procrastinators will simply procrastinate longer. Instead, you want to go to your procrastinators first with a quick "hit and run".

Here are the steps:

First, give a set of directions.

Next, go immediately to your procrastinator and tell him, "I'll be back in 30 seconds (or whatever specific time you choose), and I want to see you do this". Be very specific. For example, "Amit, I asked you to answer questions 1 through 5 based on the reading. I want to see you answer question number 1 right now. I'll be back in 30 seconds to see how you did."

Third, make absolutely sure that you return to the procrastinator in the time you specified and continue in this manner. For example, "Great Amit, now answer the next three I'll be back in 1 minute and thirty seconds."

Procrastination is planned or intentional stalling. Getting these students on task doesn't take much, it just takes persistence.

Do this a few times and you will see your procrastinators stop procrastinating.

The simple fact is they would rather do the classwork than have you keep bothering them.

By getting the procrastinators started on the task they will now be involved in the classwork, and therefore, much less involved in any mischief.

Not only that, but now you can actually spend "more" time with your less-abled students.

Classroom Management Tips-4

Part IV: Be Specific

In Classroom management tips-3, I discussed the connection between student confusion and classroom management. Another way teachers can reduce student confusion is by "being specific" with their directions.

For example, there is a big difference between these two statements:

"Take a few minutes to answer the questions."

And...

"Take 3 minutes to write down answers to questions 1 through 5 on your own."

See the difference.

Now, of course, the next step would be to check-for-understanding (classroom management tips-3) by simply having a student repeat back the directions.

Actually, I would have one student repeat back how much time the students have to complete the task, another student to repeat which questions they are going to answer, and I would ask a third student who they were allowed to work with on the assignment.

Speaking of being specific, did you notice that I attached a very specific time limit to the task? This is important. Whenever you put students on a particular task make sure to attach a very specific time limit. In other words, you are putting your students "on-the-clock".

Classroom Management Tips-3

Part III: Increase Class Participation

As part of any strong instructional plan you must know effective ways to increase class participation. You see, class participation and classroom management are directly connected. The more you have students actively and constructively participating in your class the less discipline problems you are going to have.

In fact, your ultimate goal should be to get 100% class participation.

Think it's impossible? It's not.

There are many simple strategies that you can use to drastically increase the percentage of students who participate in your class.

**Just keep in mind, good class participation does not only consist of students raising their hands and volunteering information. **

A great way to increase class participation is by combining two simple teaching strategies known as the "all-write" and the "pair & share".

For example, instead of asking a question and having the same handful of students respond by raising their hands, I'll ask a question and tell all my students, "You have 3 minutes to write down an answer to..." After their three-minute time limit is up, I will then tell all students to take 2 more minutes to discuss their answer with their partner or group.

In this way I have taken what would have been less than 10% class participation and turned it into 100% class participation. And, those students who would have raised their hands anyway have now had a chance to develop even stronger answers.

By keeping students actively involved the teacher is being proactive.

The teacher is limiting the opportunity for classroom management issues to arise in the first place by keeping the students involved in the lesson.

Classroom Management Tips-2

Part II: Limit Student Confusion

Let's face it, students (and adults for that matter) get frustrated when they do not understand what to do next. Often times for students (and adults for that matter) this frustration leads to discipline problems.

Therefore, it is important for teachers to anticipate and clear up any possible confusion "before" problems arise. Remember, the effective classroom management teacher is pro-active.

One way to limit student confusion is to be consistent. Your class should never be a surprise to your students. For example, I always have my day's agenda and, most importantly, the lesson's objective, clearly posted.

And, I make absolutely certain to go through both at the beginning of every class. Again, I do not think these things should be a surprise to your students.

Your lesson's objective is what you want your students to learn from the lesson...don't you think it would be a good idea to let your students know what it is. :)

Another simple teaching strategy that will greatly reduce student confusion is to always check-for-understanding. Simply ask one or two students (at random) to repeat the directions back to you. You can do this whether you are giving directions for a worksheet or directions on how to quietly walk down the hall. If you check-for-understanding often throughout the lesson you will see less and less student confusion, and therefore, less classroom management problems.

Guidelines for finalizing Management Thesis title

The title for the thesis should be apt and reflect the scope, focus and nature of the work to be carried out by the student. The parameters for approval of the title are as follows:

1. The Title should be contemporary
2. The Title should be precise and effective in meaning
3. The Title should be specific
4. The Title should not be in the nature of an interrogative sentence,
For e.g. “Are Mutual Funds a Profitable Investment Avenue?”
5 The Title should not be like seminar topics. E.g. “Mutual Funds: Issues and prospects”.
6 The Title should not begin with words like “A feasibility study of…..” e.g. “A Feasibility Study of Brand Building”.
7 The Title should appropriately focus on the research intended to be carried out by the student under the guidance of the Faculty Supervisor. For e.g.
a) A study of Strategy Planning of Consumer Segmentation for Hindustan Unilever Ltd.
b) Issues and Challenges in Marketing of Mutual Funds of UTI.
c) An Analysis of Mutual Funds and Determinants of Consumer Preference.
8 The Title should be clearly indicative of the contents of the research work. For e.g.
a. The Determinants of Consumer Buying and Usage Behaviour for Mobile Handsets.
b. A Study of Correlation between Advertising in Yellow Pages and Sales.

Classroom Management Tips - 1

Part I: Increase Student Motivation

Let's start with what classroom management is not.

Classroom management is not about creating elaborate systems of rewards and punishments. Instead, effective classroom management is about keeping all of your students actively involved in all of your lessons.

In this manner the teacher is addressing classroom management issues "before" they arise...the teacher is being pro-active rather than re-active.

However, it is difficult to keep students actively involved if they are bored or uninterested in the topic.

That's why student boredom is one of the two biggest factors contributing to classroom management issues.

And, that is why it is the teacher's job to spark student interest and increase student motivation to learn.

How?

The best way to do this is by making connections between what the students are learning and what is going on in their own lives...in other words,

Find out what is important to them.

“Internet – Privacy Invasion” but before they read I had all the students make a list of things that today's youth does on Internet. After the students generated their lists we then discuss the connections between these things and privacy issues with these things.

The bottom line is, if you can get the students to "want" to learn then everything else becomes much easier.

Another way teachers can go about increasing motivation to learn is with simple critical thinking questions. For example, in a lesson on

Cyber Law, I start the lesson with the following critical thinking

Question:
"Do you think the Internet is being misused?"

This critical thinking question usually turns into a heated discussion and it is at this point that I introduce the topic of Cyber Law. The students are then eager to learn what laws were enforced by the Govt. and why they were imposed.

A third way to increase motivation to learn is with video. Of course, this seems obvious, but many teachers show video at the wrong point in the lesson...they save it for the end.

Video should not be shown at the end of the lesson in an "if you're good we'll get to it" sort of way.

Instead, short video clips should be used at the beginning of lessons to spark student interest and pique curiosity.

Ok, so let's recap. Classroom management issues are directly related to student boredom. Therefore, the teacher needs to increase student motivation to learn.

Three ways teachers can accomplish this are:

1. Make connections between content and the student's own interests.
2. Use critical thinking questions to spark heated discussions.
3. Use of video at the beginning of the lesson to pique interest and curiosity.

Tips to clear Group Discussion (GD)

A group discussion by definition involves speaking before a group of people, this puts in some aspect of public speaking. Let us look at some basic pointers on behavior during the discussion:

1. If you talk in a long winded way in a discussion, the other participants will not be courteous and wait for you to come to the point. So, speak in a concise manner.

2. Address everyone in the group and at the same time do not look at the moderators as they are not a part of the group.

3. Dress formally for the discussion.

4. Use formal language and try to put your point across only if you are very sure about it.

5. While interacting, do not point to a specific participant. Also, do not get personal; try to be objective in your arguments.

Hope you find these tips useful!