Classroom Management and Discipline

Many new teachers and even some experienced ones, find it extremely difficult to maintain discipline in their classrooms. There are a number of reasons why discipline in the classroom is such a challenge for teachers. The primary reasons being, if the teacher is unprepared for her class or if her lecture is not interesting enough or if the children in her classroom are problem creators. There are a number of steps which a teacher can take for improving discipline in the class. Here are a few of the most effective strategies.

Set Clear Standards and Expectations

A classroom management plan, is incomplete without clearly laying down the rules and regulations for the class. Making the students clear about what is the expected behavior and what is not, is equally important. Many times, there is indiscipline in the classroom, if the students do not know what is right and what is wrong behavior. So, setting certain expectations, in the beginning of the year itself, and making the students aware of it, is very important to create discipline in the class.

Plan Lectures in Advance

The primary reason why children get distracted in the class and tend to talk among themselves, misbehave or create indiscipline is when the lectures of the teachers are not interesting enough or are not easily understood by them. So, in order to avoid this, a teacher should plan the classroom lessons in such a way, that they have a clear objective, they generate interest in the students, they are taught in an easy manner and are followed by some assignments given to students to work upon. In the end, assessment by the teacher should be done to evaluate whether the subject has been well understood by the students. Starting the lesson plans with an interesting activity such as a puzzle or a case study for elder students and a song or play for younger ones, is a good way to hold their attention to what is being taught in the class.

Treat All Students Equally

It is very important that the teacher is fair to all his students. Same rules for punishments as well as rewards, should be applicable to all the students. A teacher should not be partial to some and against other students, as this might result in the unfairly treated students breaking the rules of the classroom and creating indiscipline.

Handle Indiscipline

If a student is creating nuisance in the class, is continuously talking while a teacher is teaching, the teacher in such a scenario, should try to handle the student, without interrupting the entire class. A good way to do that is to go near the student and stand there. This unspoken communication strategy will work in most cases. A teacher should never ever shout at the student or confront him in front of the entire class, as this way the student will feel humiliated and will never listen to the teacher again in future. Another way to handle in-disciplined students is not to take the situation too seriously and try to diffuse it with a joke. A fun teacher is much more likely to be liked by the students than an uptight one.

Form Relationships

A very important part of successful classroom management is the relationship that is formed between the teacher and the students. A teacher who makes effort to create a trust between himself and the students, who tries to know about the student's life even beyond the classroom, who works as a support to his students and makes extra efforts for their well-being, will be respected by the students and will not face indiscipline problems in the classroom.

Besides the above mentioned strategies, it is very important for the teacher to be very consistent regarding the rules and behavior expectations. Ignoring misbehavior one day and punishing the students for the same the next day can confuse the students and create indiscipline. Also, starting with a positive frame of mind everyday, with a belief that today the class will be disciplined, contribute to successful classroom management.