Boss” “Chief” “Sir” A manager by any other name still smells like a manager. (Opps!

That
does not quite sound right!) Managers handle people, events, materials and time. Teachers are
managers. This is the teacher’s first and most challenging role. Classroom management is
probably the most common cause for a first year teacher becoming frustrated and turning to a
new field of endeavor. It is also accounts for second, third and fourth-year teachers leaving
education. Classroom management is perhaps the least significant role of the teacher but it is
the role that allows teachers to teach. Being a manager stinks, but it is necessary to survive as
a teacher.

Routine, routine, routine- this is what makes teachers successful and allow teachers the
chance to teach. The quicker the routine is established, the quicker the teacher can do the task
they most enjoy- teaching. Most teachers have heard the adage: “Don’t smile until
Thanksgiving!” That may be a little extreme, but the idea is important. Teachers must begin
the year somewhat businesslike. This is the time to establish the needed routines. Every grade
level has different routines that will need to be established. There are some common threads:
entering the classroom, leaving the classroom, fire drill directions and conduct, when student
conversation is allowed, where books are expected to be, when students can leave their seat,
and student classroom conduct. Each teacher is different. Each teacher has to establish their
own individual routines that they feel comfortable enforcing. Beginning teachers have a
tendency to not establish routine. In which case, the students will establish routines. Once a
routine is established, it becomes very difficult to change. Experienced teachers have learned
this the hard way and will usually establish their classroom routines in the first few weeks.
No smiling until the routine is established!

How do you establish routines? There are probably as ways as there are teachers. However,
there are some common practices. The first few weeks of school are critical. It is during this
time that the routines, acceptable or not, are established. A teacher will greet the students at
the door on the first day and begin to set the pattern for students entering the classroom.
Teachers need to start the day or class in the same manner. For example, a set of directions on
the board for students to start a task, a quick quiz, a check that texts are open to a certain page
or simply children sitting quietly in their seats. (Quiet is always good to start the day).
Routines must start from day one. The teacher must be very watchful in these early weeks for
violations of routine. A student stands to sharpen a pencil during a class activity. The teacher
gently reminds the student that pencils are sharpened at such-and-such time. This not only
reminds that student but also reinforces routine to the entire class. The “old guard” refers to
this as the test. Students are testing the teacher. It is usually not a conscious act, although
there might be some teachers that disagree. The routine is being tested. Gentle reminders now
establish routine and avoid confrontations later. Vigilant efforts by the teacher in these first
few weeks are rewarded by established routines that avoid problems for the rest of the year.

We will examine the four realms of classroom management: materials, events, time and
people. These are grouped in order of management difficulty from easiest to most difficult.
Regardless of grade level, teachers are faced with management tasks. How well the teacher
deals with these tasks often determines how effective the teacher will be.

A Forest

There was a very large school district that was experiencing financial problems some years
ago. One of the desk jockeys at the district office estimated that they could save money by
reducing the copy paper available to each teacher. He wrote a short memo.
Teachers and all personnel

Due to the increased cost of paper, we ask everyone to conserve on paper.

Thank You,
Ass. Superintendent so-and-so

This was distributed to every district employee on a piece of 8½ x 11-copy paper.

As a teacher, there is a large bulk of materials that will need to be dealt with over the course
of the year. These include but are not limited to the following:

Report cards Office Notes

Parent Notes Progress Reports
Attendance Reports Record Keeping Reports
Lesson Plan Forms Lesson Plan Book
Attendance Book Seating Charts
Substitute Folders Student Folders
Student Note Textbook Forms
Library Overdue Notices School Newspapers
Activity Announcements “Post This” Notes
PTA Newsletter Fund Raiser Notes
Notes about notes Reports about reports

An entire forest has been cut to supply the paper used by a single school district. The paper
used is fantastic. This does not even include the worksheets, tests and reproduced reading
materials prepared by the teacher. It is not a mountain; it is a forest.

The key to success with materials is organization. Rarely are courses offered in
organizational skills during pre-service preparation. A teacher must be prepared to deal with
this “paper chase.” Some of the materials are expected and the teacher has time to prepare
before the anticipated date it will be due. Progress reports and report cards are usually
expected on a certain date. Teachers must be aware and prepared to turn in the required grade
reports on those days. Attendance is a daily task and the teacher should establish a routine to
take attendance and report or record it. Notes or reports or other materials that appear
unexpectedly interrupting class activities must be dealt now! The teacher needs to have
anticipated how to handle these interruptions. Perhaps put it aside until time presents itself.
The danger, of course, is forgetting about it. Irate PTA members are not fun. Use of student
aides can help in some cases. The key is to be organized and anticipate interruptions due to
notes, reports and material things.

Worksheets and tests and notes home to parents have to be duplicated and collated. In most
cases, the teacher is the one who has to take care of this mundane task. Time and energy and
availability of school machines must be taken into consideration. Prep time, if a teacher has
any, or after school or before school, if you don’t have meeting, are times that teachers use to
duplicate materials. This intersects somewhat with the time management section but
management is a interwoven activity.

Bee Invasion
Events happen. Some events might be anticipated. The superintendent or principal will be
evaluating your teaching on this day or that. Tuesday is a fire drill. The chorus will be out on
a particular day and that’s half the class. Most events are unanticipated. It’s fall and the
temperatures have escalated. It’s hot in the room and the windows are open. The bees invade
sending pangs of panic through the children just as a group of the principal’s colleagues stroll
into the classroom. The Fire Alarm sounds. Children swatting the air scream and charge the
visiting entourage. Many events are unexpected. Anticipation is the key to success in
management of events. Common sense and quick thinking are definite assets in cases of
event management. (My first year introduced me to the bee invasion!)

Every teacher has a book filled with tales of unexpected events. A sense of humor is
definitely an advantage in dealing with the unexpected. Panic or fear on the teacher’s part is
quickly conveyed to students. This could be dangerous. Take, for instance: A knock on the
classroom door distracts the flow of a great lesson. Standing at the door, an anxious assistant
principal stood. He looked at the students and called the teacher into the hall. “There’s a
bomb that’s going to explode in five minutes. The fire alarm will signal an evacuation. Get
them out quick and take them to the football stadium.” Having given that tidbit of
information, he left. Quick thinking and a sense of humor help. Not only is the lesson ruined
but also it is important to get students out of the building quickly and be accountable for each
and everyone. Stuff happens.

Unexpected fire alarms, the child that vomits, the power failure, the unexpected visitor, the
arrival of a new student, the appearance of a parent: these are events that a teacher needs to
anticipate and have some type of plan in mind. They may never happen but if they do the
teacher needs to be prepared.

Tick Tock

Management of time is crucial to teacher survival. Awareness of time

is needed to accomplish a planned activity. Too much time and the
plan is without a conclusion. Too little time and the teacher needs to
be ready with the next activity. Timing of lessons and time awareness
comes with experience. Pre-service teachers can attempt to practice
timing of lessons but only time in the actual situation will provide the
necessary abilities to manage time. This is a very strong argument for
teacher intern time. Student teaching is a chance for the pre-service
teacher to develop timing.

Time management also involves the use of prep time and before and after school times. There
is much to do in order to accomplish the needed tasks required of the teacher. Many teachers
find that this time is just not enough. Teachers may give homework to their students but this
creates greater pressure on the teacher to use home time to check that work. With experience,
teachers learn to utilize time in school more effectively but chances are that there will be still
things that will need to be completed at home.

Many schools expect that teachers be involved in non-curricular activities. Student athletics,
the school play, the Christmas pageant, the debate team competition, the PTA carnival, and
the list goes on and on. Teachers must manage their time effectively in order to have time
with their own families and friends. Teachers are in great demand for more than just the
classroom.
Good time management requires the use of the word “No!” Unfortunately, Teachers are too
often evaluated on extracurricular involvement. Beginning teachers are especially vulnerable
to such criticisms. There is no simple answer. Teachers need to balance their time and that
requires good time management skills.

Hey Teach

Of all the management issues, people management offers the greatest challenge to the modern
day teacher. There is a wide assortment of people that impact on the teacher and their
management skills. All the management issues mentioned are important but it is this issue
that provides the greatest of frustration to most teachers. Some of the people teachers interact
with include:

Students Students from other classrooms

Principals Superintendents
Other Administrators Counselors
Nurse Social Worker
Special Education Lunchroom Staff
Aides Secretaries
Janitors Other Teachers
Parents Community

Teachers are responsible for managing students. Some teachers refer to this as “control.” The
most common issue that is managed with students has to do with students adhering to the
routine established by the teacher or policy established by the school. “Disciplinary”
confrontations are usually minor if routine has been established and school policy is clearly
stated and observed by the teacher. There are numerous plans presented for teachers to
construct a model for their “discipline code.” The important aspect to any discipline policy is
simplicity, fairness and consistence.

In most cases, a simple look or the “teacher’s eye” will end any unwanted activity. The
“teacher’s stare” is used for a failed glance. Interruption of a lesson to chastise a student
usually is the least productive method. Confrontation is to be avoided where possible. Losing
face is a very poor diplomatic exercise. Diplomacy is important in dealing with people.
Students are people. Occasionally a teacher might refer to the students as animals or the
enemy. They are neither. The teacher is not their enemy. The teacher is neither friend nor
enemy. The teacher is the teacher. The teacher can be friendly but cannot be their pals. This is
a common mistake of the beginning teacher. Students respect teachers who respect them.
This is an excellent footing to establish a discipline policy in a classroom- mutual respect for
everyone.

Teachers need to know the characteristics of the age level that they deal with on a day in, day
out basis. Each age level has its own difficulties and needs. Effective and experienced
teachers are aware of these foibles of their students. Understanding the individual and the age
level helps in developing a rapport with a class of students. The effective manager uses this to
build a positive working relationship to accomplish the goal- learning. Teachers specialize
into: Preschool, Primary, Intermediate, Upper Grades and High School Teachers.

Today’s classroom seems to have more students that carry baggage of social, family and
personal problems than in the years past. Teachers are expected to deal with students who
carry this added weight. Anger, fear, socially maladjustment, low esteem, suspicion- are just
a few outside factors that affect teacher-student relationships. These students may lash out
unexpectedly at another student or the teacher. These are not personal attacks. These are
children who do not know how to express their feelings. The teacher must be aware that the
child is not attacking them personally. It is a manifestation of an inner conflict. The teacher
must be able to manage this situation. Sometimes the teacher notes the problem before it
becomes a nightly news item. The teacher will need to seek support staff assistance if it’s
available. Notify the principal, seek help from another teacher, and talk to the parents- the
teacher will need to act. Other times the situation explodes unexpectedly. The teacher’s
reaction is very important. Calm, cool, and non-threatening action is needed. The student
needs to be isolated. He will need a cooling off time. This can be a most difficult situation for
a teacher to manage. Even experience does not always help.

Managing people is the most difficult task to toss aside as the teacher drives home to the
family. Teachers need to develop techniques to put aside classroom or school issues. Stress is
magnified a hundred fold when difficult issues cannot be set aside. Stress in teachers is
common and most of it can be recognized as classroom management related issues. Perhaps a
fifth management factor that might be added is stress management.

Issues

Inclusion, Technology, multiculturalism, alternative scheduling, standardized testing,

standards, outcomes, integrated curriculum- many are good issues but they strongly effect
the teacher’s classroom management plans. Education is a boiling pot of change. Teachers
are often left out of the decision making and planning stages of new issues or practices in
education. They are brought in at the implementation phase. Often they are told- here you go,
implement it. Managing new programs adds an entire new aspect to classroom management.
Future postings will need to address the effect of these issues.

In Conclusion

Classroom management is the least important aspect of teaching but it is the foundation
needed to teach. Failure to address classroom management issues leads to frustration,
ineffectiveness and failure. Pre-service programs in teacher education programs rarely
address these vital issues. Methods courses supposedly incorporate some classroom
management skills but rarely enough. In this writer’s experience at teaching on the college
level, there has been little attempt to address the issue of teacher survival. Pre-service
teachers are told to plan a good lesson and everything will be all right. Surprise! Surprise!

Entry Filed under: Teachers. .