You enter a classroom and it’s mayhem in there. Students are talking and shouting aimlessly and no one is listening to you, the teacher. This is an example of improper classroom management. Classroom management is the term which is used by the teachers to describe the process of ensuring that the classroom lessons are properly and smoothly conducted without any disturbance from students that may affect the performance of a class.
Schools around India often struggle to maintain discipline in classes. Some of the top boarding schools in India like the esteemed G.D. Goenka School in Rohtak, work tirelessly to make some of the best classroom management strategies to facilitate a disciplined environment and a wholesome growth for the students. Classroom strategies are very important as an inaccurate classroom management strategy may hamper the flow of classes and may also create situations where the courses cannot be completed. This is why classroom management requires in-depth information and research to function properly.
The following are some classroom management tips that are used by the good boarding schools in India –
Model yourself into the behaviour you want from students
Students not only learn the basics of education from their teachers but they also catch on some behavioural traits from teachers as well. That is why you should present yourself as an ideal model of your behavioural requirements from the students. Some of the behavioural traits that you should portray are-
- Maintaining eye contact
- Using polite language
- Avoiding using the phone in class
- Let people speak uninterrupted
Ask for student’s opinions for making rules
Kids tend to do stuff that they are told not to do. That is why you should make rules after discussing with them. This makes them feel in charge and there will be a better chance of them obeying the rules as they would have made it according to your help. This can also be a fun activity for the whole class. Ask your students questions like; When shouldn’t they use phones in class, what are acceptable noise level in a class. This may seem like a recipe for disaster but to be honest, you will notice shocking results for sure.
Carefully document the rules
Just like teachers provide printed curriculum to students, make sure you document the rules decided by you and students. You should distribute a copy of rules to every student along with the curriculum. Doing this, will make them think that their ideas are important. This will motivate them to follow these rules and you will see increased class participation as well.
1) Avoid punishments
Sometimes students need to be punished, but it’s always better not to do so. Teachers should address the behaviour of students personally and individually. These way students can open up a bit more to the teachers and you can solve their problems easily. This will also make them think that you care for them individually and they may respond to you a lot better as such behaviour promotes your image as a person who is kind and friendly.
2) Promote initiatives
The top boarding schools in Delhi always motivate students to take initiatives. Taking initiatives makes them learn better and builds up their confidence. It also boosts their holistic development. You should regularly conduct activities that require initiative from students. Always praise children who take initiatives as that will motivate other children to do so as well, this will result in a lot better class performance.
3) Rewards
There is no better motivator than a good reward. As a teacher you should always praise and reward students that have performed better than everyone else, this doesn’t mean you should get lenient towards that student. Giving away praise and reward motivates everyone to get into the limelight and you will get to see better results in future tests as students will be competing for the next reward. Apart from motivating other students, this can make individual students perform consistently well.
