Effective Classroom Management Strategies for South Sudanese Teachers is an Excellence Foundation for South Sudan (EFSS) presentation for a one-day workshop prepared by Emmanuel Bida Thomas

1. CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT
WORKSHOP
EXCELLENCE FOUNDATION FOR SOUTH SUDAN (EFSS)
NEW TEACHER ORIENTATION
PRESENTER: EMMANUEL BIDA

2. WORKSHOP GOALS
Our goal for this workshop is to investigate strategies
for planning, organizing, and structuring our
classrooms to maximize learner success.
We will examine effective classroom management
strategies and work towards implementation in order
to create an environment conducive to learner
learning and achievement.

3. Ben Franklin (and an
ancient Chinese proverb) said,
“Tell me and I will forget,
teach me and I will remember,
involve me and I will learn.”

4. Opening Activity
Take a moment and
think back to a
classroom environment
that you felt was the
most conducive to
learning.
What was it about that
classroom that
maximized your
learning?

5. FACTORS GOVERNING STUDENT LEARNING
Listed in rank order:
1. Classroom Management
2. Instructional/Learning process
3. Parental and home support
28. Classroom demographics

6. CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT
Classroom management refers to all of the things a teacher does to
organize learners, space, time, and materials so that learning can
take place.
Management skills are crucial and fundamental
A well-managed classroom has a set of procedures, routines, rules
and regulations that structure the classroom.
Effective teachers MANAGE their classrooms
Ineffective teachers DISCIPLINE their classrooms

7. Why Focus on Classroom Management?
Improves classroom climate
Creates shared ownership of the classroom
Develops students’ self-discipline
When students can predict the events throughout their school day, they are more likely to be
engaged and less likely to display problem behavior.
One way to increase predictability in a classroom is to establish routines, particularly early in
the school days

8. Classroom Management Strategies
Activity
What strategies have you found to be helpful and which you could pass on to
your colleagues?
Write down and share with us

9. Some Strategies
Establish rules and routines
Identify behaviour hotspots
Fair and consistent
Accommodate a variety of learning styles

10. Classroom Behaviour Plan
Rules
Routines
Consequences
Positive and Negative

11. Developing a Classroom Behaviour Plan –
Guidance for forming rules
Formulate your rules. Beside each rule explain the reason for it and what you hope to see your
pupils doing.
Rule Reason
What will you see
pupils doing? Consequence
1.
2.
3.
4.

12. Activity: In your groups…
Think of someone you knew/know who had a positive or
negative influence on your life, through their words and
actions.
(exclude family members)

13. Activity: In your groups…
Positive Influence Negative Influence
Thinking of this person –
1. how did the person interact with
you?
2. How did they speak to you?
3. How they did make you feel about
yourself and about them?
Thinking of this person –
1. how did the person interact with
you?
2. How did they speak to you?
3. How they did make you feel about
yourself and about them?

14. What “kind” of students can display
problematic behavior?
All students can display problematic behavior.
This is not a special education issue.
It is an education issue.

15. EFFECTIVE TEACHERS ARE READY
They have the room ready!
positive work environment that is work-oriented
They have the work ready!
desks, books, papers, assignments, and materials
They have themselves ready!
warm, positive attitude, and positive expectations

16. ROOM ARRANGEMENT ACTIVITY
As a group, develop a plan for
arranging your classroom.
1 teacher desk, 1 table, some
learner desks

17. PREPARING FOR THE FIRST DAYS OF SCHOOL
Organize files, arrange, decorate
Imagine royalty is coming!
There is a place for everything
We teach readiness by modeling readiness
Equip yourself with a plan
READINESS IS THE PRIMARY DETERMINANT OF
TEACHER EFFECTIVENESS

18. FIRST DAYS PLAN
Successful teachers have a plan ready
Plan out every minute of your day
Know the names of your learners
Carry your classroom rules and regulations.
List dismissal procedures
WHAT YOU DO ON THE FIRST DAYS OF SCHOOL WILL DETERMINE YOUR SUCCESS OR
FAILURE FOR THE REST OF THE SCHOOL YEAR

19. ESTABLISHING PROCEDURES
The first 2-3 weeks of school are critical
Introduce classroom procedures, rules and regulations the first
week
State your expectations
Employ procedures, rules and regulations that create consistency
Pin a flipchart or manilla of your procedures, rules and
regulations on the classroom wall.
Let the class appoint class monitors and assistants
Effective teachers spend the first two weeks teaching students to be in control of their
own actions in a consistent classroom environment

20. CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT IS NOT DISCIPLINE
Discipline plans have rules and regulations.
Classroom management plans have procedures
A procedure is a method or process for getting things done
Procedures simplify the task of succeeding at school
No learning takes place when you discipline
Learning takes place only when a learner is at work
DISCIPLINE concerns how students BEHAVE.
PROCEDURES concern how things ARE DONE.
DISCIPLINE HAS penalties and rewards.
PROCEDURES HAVE NO penalties or rewards.

24. Active Supervision
Move around
• Use proximity
Look around
(Scan)
• Quickly see through the
class
Interact with
students
• Give acknowledgement
• Give feedback

25. Active Supervision
Allows for provision of
immediate learning
assistance
Increases learner
engagement
Reduces unexpected
behavior; increases
expected behavior
Provides teacher with
knowledge of learners’
use of expectations
Allows for
encouragement of those
using expected
behavior
Allows for
prompts/pre-
corrections and timely
correction of
social/behavioral errors
Can preempt
escalations
Builds positive learner-
teacher relationships

26. Active Supervision
While
moving and
scanning,
address
unexpected
behavior
quickly and
calmly, using
the following
strategies:
ignore/attend/praise
redirect
re-teach
provide choice

27. Activity!
5 minutes discussion; 2-3 minutes of sharing by volunteers.
With your neighbor, discuss what you currently
do to ensure that your students are engaged
(e.g., practices to ensure that students are on
task, responding frequently, and producing
quality work matched to their ability)?

28. Understanding Function of Behavior
What does “function of behavior” mean?
◦ The why of a student’s behavior
◦ Behavior communicates an unmet need
Why should you think about it?
◦ To minimize inadvertent reward of the problem behavior
◦ Respond in a way that will reduce behavior
◦ Will help you better understand and prevent students’ behavior

29. Three Term Contingency (A-B-C)

30. Examples of Function in Schools
Obtain/Get Reinforcers
–I yell and others look at me
–I fight and others listen to me
–I wander and people talk to me
–I hit in order to get toys from other kids
Escape/Avoid Aversives
–I cry when work gets hard and the teacher tells me to take a time out
–I throw a book during math class and the teacher will send me out of class
–I stand against the wall in PE so my classmates do not throw the ball at me

31. IMPACT.
Teachers universally say they go into teaching to make a
difference.
You more than make a difference.
You ARE the difference.

32. BEST PRACTICE
Best Practice is a term used to describe “what works” in a particular situation or
environment
1. Research, or scientifically-based
2. Integrated research and professional wisdom
3. Teachers believe all students can learn
4. Clearly articulated goals
5. Conditions for learning are modified and differentiated
6. Relevant learning that is engaging for all learners
7. Positive, personalized relationships for all learners
Finding out about the students builds relationships, and is important in an effectively run classroom.

33. CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT
Classroom and individual mission statements
Classroom and individual measurable goals
Learner-created ground rules
Classroom data center
Learner assignments and homework
Learner-led lessons and groupwork
Quality tools and PDSA (Plan, Do, Study, Act)
Learning occurs only when learners are actively engaged and in control of their own learning.

34. Effective teachers do what the research
tells us is most effective.
Effective teachers use proven, research-
based practices.
Why would you do otherwise?

35. THE EFFECTIVE TEACHER
Uses effective practices focused on student achievement
Is an innovative planner and exceptional classroom manager
Is an adept critical thinker and competent problem solver
Represents the greatest asset of a school
THE First Days of School, pg. 28

36. STAND IN THE SHOES OF…. ACTIVITY
With your group, “stand in the shoes” of the person you have been
assigned and complete the following statements:
Within the educational setting,
1. My goals are……
2. The resources I bring to the educational process are…
3. The support I need from the school community is…..
4. I will feel invited and welcomed when…..

37. PARENT COMMUNICATION
Vital to student success, we appreciate their involvement
Let parents know they are an integral part of your academic “team”…..Student-Parent-Teacher
Team
Make them feel they are welcome in your classroom
Encourage them to get involved in the classroom and school
Respond to phone calls, notes from home as soon as possible

38. IMPORTANT POINTS TO REMEMBER
Prepare a plan
Welcome your learners, know their names, celebrate the school days with them
Establish procedures, rules and regulations that create consistency
State your expectations
You are the greatest asset to your school!

39. Classroom Management Practice Rating
1. I have arranged my classroom to minimize crowding and distraction Yes No
2. I have maximized structure and predictability in my classroom (e.g., explicit classroom routines, specific directions,
etc.).
Yes No
3. I have posted, taught, reviewed, and reinforced 3-5 positively stated expectations (or rules). Yes No
4. I provided more frequent acknowledgement for appropriate behaviors than inappropriate behaviors (See top of
page).
Yes No
5. I provided each student with multiple opportunities to respond and participate during instruction. Yes No
6. My instruction actively engaged students in observable ways (e.g., writing, verbalizing) Yes No
7. I actively supervised my classroom (e.g., moving, scanning) during instruction. Yes No
8. I ignored or provided quick, direct, explicit reprimands/redirections in response to inappropriate behavior. Yes No
9. I have multiple strategies/systems in place to acknowledge appropriate behavior (e.g., class point systems, praise,
etc.).
Yes No
10. In general, I have provided specific feedback in response to social and academic behavior errors and correct
responses.
Yes No
Overall classroom management score:
10-8 “yes” = “Super” 7-5 “yes” = “So-So” <5 “yes” = “Improvement Needed”
# Yes___

40. Closing Activity
Take 5 minutes of private reasoning time to reflect on the session of Classroom
Management
Write down...
3 Things I learned…
2 Things I want to pursue further…
1 Thing I will do immediately…
Share with your neighbor
We’ll hear a sampling of responses

41. CONCLUSION
In a well-managed classroom:
There exists a set of procedures and routines that structure the classroom
Learners are engaged in learning
Learners know what is expected of them
There is relatively little wasted time, confusion or disruption
The climate of the classroom is work-oriented, relaxed, pleasant, and welcoming
Teachers and their students are successful

42. One hundred years from now it will not matter
What kind of car I drove,
What kind of house I lived in,
How much I had in the bank,
Or what my clothes looked like.
But the world will be a better place because
I was important in the life of a child.
-Forest E. Witcraft

43. ANY QUESTIONS?