Classroom Management 101
Classroom management is a topic on the minds of most teachers. There are some teachers that seem to have a natural ‘knack’ to creating, well-run, organized, and interference-free classrooms. The rest of us need to work hard to develop tools for providing an effective learning environment.
By observing these more gifted teachers, we can extract some tips that can be useful for all teachers. This does not mean being bossy, yelling, or mean. It means exuding a persona that says you know what you are doing, appearing confident (even if you have internal butterflies), being well prepared, and maintaining eye contact. You also walk around using the entire classroom, and you use comfortable hand gestures. Another skill exhibited by the ‘natural’ teacher is using a calm ‘easy-to-listen-to’ volume and tone of voice. Always maintain calm and control without getting flustered. You also use hand or facial gestures to signal messages without having to say a word, at times. Pausing in your lesson and creating times for silent reflection and ‘Think Time,’ also demonstrates your overall control over the class ‘flow.’
How you dress and feel also infuse you with an aura of confidence. Maintain personal hygiene and a feel of “with-it-ness." Make sure you dress well, drink and eat well, and get enough rest.
Nothing infuses you more with strong control of classroom management than being totally prepared for your lesson. Know precisely what your learner's objective is, how you will impart the learning, and how you will "check for understanding" that the learning has indeed taken place.
Keep in mind that having strong classroom management is not inconsistent with smiling, being friendly but fair, and occasionally sharing a light moment (when appropriate).
