Secondary Classroom Management Pt. 2

In this article, the authors focus on the “winning of students hearts” as a central focus in order to successfully present content to a student. Engaging students’ personal interests in the classroom helps them want to be more engaged. This all starts with building personal relationships with each and every student. Classroom management and student relationship should go hand in hand and be the main focus in “managing” a classroom. As the author brings up, “One of the keys to effective classroom management is the development of a quality relationship between the teacher and the students in the classroom.” As we’ve been learning in our class this quarter, relationships are such an important part of forming classroom culture.

            Knowing your students will help you in all aspects of teaching. Coming up with lesson plans will be easier if you know how to differentiate instruction best for your students and how fast or slow to teach certain things. It is common knowledge that students learn best when they are in a safe a comfortable location. It is the teachers’ job to make sure that each student feels comfortable which starts with building relationships with them to understand their background and their daily struggles.

Another aspect from the article is that of recognizing negative attitude or actions as something that can be reframed in a positive and productive light rather than trying to eradicate it entirely. Students often have strong will and their own desires, as they should upon nearing adulthood and going out into the real world. This article talks about how to take this stubborn attitude and use it to your advantage. Appreciate students who are attempting to assert their independence and try to channel that attitude into a productive leadership position or by giving them a general assignment and letting them take the reigns on how they want to learn about something. Even this starts with building relationships with one’s students in order to know how to best equip them for their future.

Beaty-O’Ferrall, M.E., Green, A., & Hanna, F. (2010). Classroom Management Strategies for Difficult Students. Middle School Journal