Classroom Management

This document provides a comprehensive discussion on classroom management, including the importance of speaking to the situation rather than the person, setting limits on behaviors and not on feelings, and the correct sequence of interventions. It also explores the impact of teacher behavior on student behavior and the importance of emotional control and behavioral control in self-management.

Running head: CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT
CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT
Name of Student
Name of University
Author note

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Response to Question 1:
a).
“Speak to the situation, not the person’ is a crucial guideline to be comprehended and
applied by every teaching professional while managing a classroom. A teacher commenting
on his student’s characteristics rather than addressing the ‘disruptive classroom situation’ is
highly unacceptable from someone who has been given the responsibility of guiding every
student’s life in the classroom. Commenting on a student’s behavior is a form of ‘personal
attack’ which is a logical fallacy. Overall, it hinders the learning process of the class for the
attention of other students is drawn towards the reprimanded student.
b).
Parents send their loving children to a school with the aim of getting their children
guided by “More Knowledgeable Others” like ‘good’ teachers. Remarking on personal
characteristics of a student in front of others in the classroom imparts a negative impact on
the student’s self-esteem and reinforces him in a negative way. Given that the child is in his
developmental cognitive stage where his senses and personality is not yet weathered by
maturity or life’s experiences – he is supposed to feel sad and depressed after such a strong
criticism from his teacher. This might reflect in his studies and his behavioral interactions
with his parents as well. They might be angry or feel let down by the teacher who has
critiqued their son harshly and stop sending their son to the same school.
c).
Personal traits are very integral and innate to a person’s character while a behavior is
more influenced by a person’s surrounding. Embarking on the nature – nurture controversy,
personal characteristics are a summation of natural habits, likes, dislikes, inclinations and
repulsions, emotions, intelligence and motives which is embedded in a child’s nature which

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gives formulates to specific behavior or other under a certain circumstance. These behavior is
just a synthetized ‘fragment’ of the massive pool of psychological characteristics that remains
hidden inside a student’s personality. Hence, a typical exhibition of an annoying behavior
cannot decipher the entire set of traits that exists covertly inside and the teacher’s negative
verbal expression towards the student is completely unjustified.
d).
Yes, the teacher’s labeling of a student would create a parallel process which is called
as the self-fulfilling prophesy. A self-fulfilling prophesy allows a negative belief or false
belief held strongly in form of a ‘delusion’ to come true which in fact, has nothing to do with
actual truth. It often comes as a protective mechanism to one’s self esteem and a teacher must
not ever use such a negative prophesy to disdainfully chide any of his student, no matter how
disruptive or annoying their behaviors are. This sort of criticism kills the self -confidence of a
young student from which he or she can never recover from.
Response to Question 2:
a).
Setting limits on behaviors and not on feelings is a key discipline management skill of
a professional teacher. Feelings are triggered by physiological and psychological outflow of
emotions and can be positive as well as negative. Overt behavior on the other hand - are the
observable set of responses seen in an organism in response to the ever changing stimuli in
the surrounding. A stimulus of greater intensity can produce a prominent behavior in an
organism but this must not be confused with inner feelings. A student in this instance, might
feel excited while answering an question and getting negatively reinforced by his teacher
would give him feelings of oppression, insecurity and low – confidence. Occluding free flow
of feelings in the students might result in anxiety, chaos and outburst on peers which can lead

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to more disruptive classroom behavior. In a class of older students, it can lead to a severe
teacher student confrontation and anti- social behaviors. In younger students, oppression of
feelings can lead to paranoia, insomnia, attention deficit disorders and performance issues.
Overall, it can lead to complex psycho social disorders like social withdrawal, exhibition of
violent behaviors and social isolation as well. That is why teachers must be able to control the
fine line between behaviors and feelings. This is where fine disciplinary control techniques
using verbal and non-verbal interventions, comes to day. In a nutshell, a good teacher must be
able to limit the ‘behavior’ without arousing any negative feelings in the concerned student.
b)
A teacher can react or respond to the exhibited behavior of a student but can never
comprehend the depth of feelings concealed within a student. Feelings are too abstract to be
assessed easily and labeled until it is done with introspection with one’s own self. A not so
feeling can even bring out a negative behavior, given a complex situation when a person is
required to guard himself by concealing his emotions. Hence, behaviors cannot be always
related to feelings anyway. There is very complex interplay between the formation of
intrinsic human feelings and how an individual cognizes it to express it through an act of
behavior. To understand the interplay, complex psychological tools needs to be used for an
intricate interpretation. Hence, it is almost impossible for a teacher to analyze a feeling
behind a student’s disruptive behavior and instead of assuming and scolding the student - a
teacher must intervene with a one on one counseling.
c)
By putting limits on student’s feelings, the teacher is limiting or restricting the
cognitive development of a student which can be way hazardous and deleterious to a

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student’s future. Symptoms of low self-esteem, low self- confidence can lead to self-
defeating behaviors and self-harming acts as well. Distortion of unexpressed emotions can
lead to mental impairment, anxiety and lead to an onset of childhood depression. Feelings
must be expressed no matter how bright or depressing they are or repressed feelings can give
way to greater forms of disruptive behavior. No matter what, a teacher should follow correct
hierarchy of interventions to check the disruptive classroom behavior and not attack any
student personally for having crossed a line. The interventions should be towards a student
centered discipline rather than a harsh teacher centered approach. First, non-verbal
interventions (Rubie-Davies et al., 2015) must be used to control the disruptive classroom
and if not managed with such an intervention – verbal interventions (Mayne, Mottonen &
Sharpe, 2015) starting from hints, then questing and then requesting followed by
consequences is the order that is to be followed. If the situation is still not handled correctly
or the disruptive problem persists – then ‘you have a choice’ can be used as an intervention.
But in execution of all these interventions – the ‘feelings’ of a student should never be
targeted. Per contraire, the feelings should be addressed correctly to correct a given disruptive
behavior. Discipline calls for a holistic maintenance of positive classroom behavior in terms
of behavior and learning but it does not puts a limit on self-expression or emotional
developments.
d)
Feelings, as explained above, are covert manifestations of inner conflicts, ongoing
emotional state, state of psyche, situational struggles and internal motives. Feelings in its very
nature, is intangible but the way, an individual processes it and reacts to it – leads to
formulation of tangible behaviors. Hence, feelings cannot be seen and should not be judged
anyway.

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Response to question 3:
The correct sequence is – a. hints then questions then requests/demands then consequences
Response to question 4:
The correct statement is – c. the teacher should call on the student first and then ask the
question
Response to Question 5:
d). Coercive
Response to Question 6:
a. non-verbal intervention
Response to Question 7:
b. verbal intervention
Response to Question 8:
c. consequences: using “you have a choice”
Response to Question 9:
b. 2, 3, 4, 6
Response to question 10:
d. use another “You have a choice”
Response to Question 11:
b. use the broken-record strategy: (i.e., “I understand, but you decided to… ” or “That’s not
the point, you decided to…”)

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Response to Question 12:
d. deliver the initial logical consequence
Response to Question 13:
d. shown to be effective at the elementary but not at the secondary level or with students who
exhibit chronic disruptive behavior
Response to Question 14:
Emotional control and behavioral control are two important aspects of self-
management. Emotional intelligence and intrapersonal skills are critical to conceive a
harmonic balance between the effectors and the receptors (the teachers and the students).
While the teacher can control his or her anger and act ‘logically’ to reinforce a positive
classroom behavior, the student on the other hand must learn to control his actions with all
round cognitive development towards a good influence in a classroom.
Response to Question 15:
Teacher behavior – of usage ‘I-messages”, interventions lessening and diffusing
confrontational situations, indirect non-verbal interventions like color cuing, attentive
techniques, planned ignoring, signal interference, allowing the student to express and take
responsibility contributes to an assertive behavior.
Self-control development, learning to take own responsibility, compliance with
discipline, compassion towards teacher’s behavior, self-consciousness and a resilient
intrapersonal conformity are important facets of student response that contributes towards an
assertive behavior rather than an aggressive one.

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References:
Maynes, N., Mottonen, A. L., & Sharpe, G. (2015). Dealing with Student Misbehaviour both
Verbally and Physically: A Comparison of Perceptions of Readiness to Address
Classroom Management Issues. Journal of Marketing and HR, 1, 16-24.
Rubie-Davies, C. M., Peterson, E. R., Sibley, C. G., & Rosenthal, R. (2015). A teacher
expectation intervention: Modelling the practices of high expectation
teachers. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 40, 72-85.