ASCD Poll: Classroom Management

In the ASCD Poll, we asked you which element of effective classroom management is the most challenging to implement. If you haven't taken the poll yet, please vote now.

What classroom management challenges do you face? What techniques do you use to overcome them? Let us know by posting a comment.

Comments

[Linda Saleski]

Most of our students do not attend school on a regular basis. They are often court-ordered, because of a variety of issues including truancy,to our facility for 30-60 days to attend school regularly and participate. The classroom management issues that we encounter are participating appropriately, completing tasks and homework, getting the teachers attention appropriately, and ignoring distractions by others. We utilize a token economy in conjunction with the Boys Town Family Model to provide the structure for students to obtain these and many other school-relevant skills. Having worked in schools prior to my coming to this type of environment, the lack of these skills and others were prevalent among the student population. Our students become motivated and self-confident when they realize that they can participate in school and be successful. We provide a learning environment that is both flexible and highly differentiated for the diverse levels of our learners. The most important classroom management tools that we use are building relationship with students, developing an understanding of their strengths and weaknesses as well as their performance ability, pre-teaching expectations for class participation, and using effective praise to acknowledge when students are meeting expectations.

[thebizofknowledge]

One of my most difficult classroom management challenges has been to motivate students to actually complete their reading and writing assignments. I've found that giving them incentives (such as not having to take a quiz if everyone completes an in class assignment) often results in them, not only completing their own work, but encouraging and helping their classmates to complete theirs as well.

[James Burns]

Effective classroom management occurs when respect is present in the room with all students feeling safe. I don't know about you but from what I have seen kids a brutal to one another. The students create the atmosphere. They must get along with one another.

for more about Jim
Burns http://behavioral-management.com/