Elementary Classroom Management: Lessons from Research and Practice

Weinstein, Elementary Classroom Management highlights philosophies and actual management practices of five real teachers. These teachers work in different subjects and in diverse classroom settings. Their stories provide real-life illustrations of the concepts and principles derived from research.

Table of Contents:
CONTENTS Preface Part I: Introduction Chapter 1 Managing Classrooms to Nurture Students, Build Self-Discipline, and Promote Learning Definition, Framework, and Guiding Principles Lessons from Research and Practice Courtney Bell: Kindergarten Randy Cueto: First and Second Grade Garnetta Chain: Third Grade Barbara Broggi: Fourth Grade Ken Kowalski: Fifth Grade What Do the Students Say? Concluding Comments Summary Activities for Skill Building and Reflection For Further Reading Organizational Resources Part II: Establishing an Environment for Learning Chapter 2 Designing the Physical Environment Six Functions of the Classroom Setting Security and Shelter Social Contact Symbolic Identification Task Instrumentality Pleasure Growth The Teacher as Environmental Designer Think about the Activities the Room Will Accommodate Think about Whether the Students in Your Classroom Have Special Needs That Require Environmental Modifications Think about the Needs of Other Adults in the Classroom Involve Students in Environmental Decisions Try the New Arrangement, Evaluate, and Redesign, Concluding Comments Summary Activities for Skill Building and Reflection For Further Reading Organizational Resources Chapter 3 Developing Positive Teacher-Student Relationships Why Is Showing Care Important? Ways of Showing Care and Respect for Students Be Welcoming Learn about Students' Lives Be Sensitive to Children's Concerns Establish and Enforce Clear Expectations for BehaviorBe Fair Use Humor Be a Real Person (as Well as a Teacher) Promote Autonomy by Sharing Responsibility Reduce the Use of Extrinsic Conrol Be Inclusive Search for Students' Strengths Develop Communication Skills Ask Students How They Feel about the Classroom Environment Be Careful about Touching Concluding Comments Summary Activities for Skill Building and Reflection For Further Reading Chapter 4Fostering Positive Peer Relationships Building Caring Relationships among Students Model and Recognise Prosocial Behavior Provide Opportunities for Students to Get to Know One Another Hold Class Meetings Use Cooperative Learning Groups Teach Social-Emotional Skills Curb Peer Harassment and Bullying Be Alert for Instances of Cyber-Bullying Be Alert for Student-to-Student Sexual Harassment Concluding Comments Summary Activities for Skill Building and Reflection For Further Reading Organisational Resources Chapter 5Establishing Expectations for Behavior Research on Effective Classroom Management Defining Expectations for Behavior Planning Norms for General Conduct Planning Routines for Specific Situations The First Few Days of School: Teaching Students About Expectations Teaching Norms for General Conduct Teaching Routines for Specific Situations Concluding Comments Summary Activities for Skill Building and Reflection For Further Reading Chapter 6Knowing Your Students and Their Special Needs The Developing Elementary Child Erikson's Theory of Psychosocial Development Attachment Theory English Language Learners Children with Disabilities and ADHD Learning Disabilities Hearing Loss Emotional Disturbance and Behavioral Disorders Autism Spectrum Disorders Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder General Strategies for Helping Children with Disabilities and ADHD Children Who Are Troubled Substance Abuse Abuse and Neglect Children Living in Poverty Children Who are Gifted and Talented Concluding Comments Summary Activities for Skill Building and Reflection For Further Reading Organizational Resources Chapter 7Working with Families Challenges to Family-Teacher Cooperation Teacher Reluctance to Involve Families in Schooling Parent Reluctance to Become Involved in Schooling Fostering Collaboration between Families and Schools Helping Families to Fulfill Their Basic Obligations Communicating with Families Family Involvement in School Family Involvement in Learning Activities at Home Concluding Comments Summary Activities for Skill Building and Reflection For Further Reading Organisational Resources Chapter 8Making the Most of Classroom Time How Much Time Is There, Anyway? Increasing Opportunity to Learn Maintaining Activity Flow Minimizing Transition Time Holding Students Accountable Managing Pull-outs as Efficiently as Possible Concluding Comments Summary Activities for Skill Building and Reflection For Further Reading Organizational Resources Part III: Organising and Managing Instruction Chapter 9Enhancing Students' Motivation to Learn Motivation: What Is Realistic? What Is Appropriate? An Expectancy X Value Framework Increasing Expectations of Success Provide Opportunities for Success Teach Students to Set Reasonable Goals and Assess Their Own Performance Help Students Recognize the Relationship between Effort and Outcome Provide Informative Feedback Provide Special Motivational Support to Discouraged Students Enhancing the Value of the Task Relate Lessons to Students' Own Lives Provide Opportunities for Choice Model Interest in Learning and Express Enthusiasm for the Material Include Novelty/Variety Elements Provide Opportunities for Students to Respond Actively Allow Students to Create Finished Products Provide Opportunities for Students to Interact with Peers Provide Extrinsic Rewards (with Caution Motivating Underachieving and Disaffected Students Concluding Comments Summary Activities for Skill Building and Reflection For Further Reading Chapter 10Managing Independent Work, Recitations, and Discussions Independent Work: What, Why, and How? Designing and Implementing Effective Independent Work Recitations and Discussions: What, Why, and How? Implementing Effective Recitations Implementing Effective Discussions Concluding Comments Summary Activities for Skill Building and Reflection For Further Reading Chapter 11Managing Small-Group Work The Challenges of Group Work Designing and Implementing Effective Group Work Decide on the Type of Group to Use Decide on the Size of the Group Decide on Group Composition Structure Cooperative Tasks for Positive Interdependence Ensure Individual Accountability Teach Students to Cooperate Monitor Learning, Involvement, and Cooperative Behavior Think about What to Do If a Student Doesn't Want to Be in a Group Concluding Comments Summary Activities for Skill Building and Reflection For Further Reading Organizational Resources Part IV: Protecting and Restoring Order Chapter 12Responding Effectively to Inappropriate Behavior Principles for Dealing with Inappropriate Behavior Dealing with Minor Misbehavior Nonverbal Interventions Verbal Interventions Deliberate Non-Intervention Dealing with More Serious Misbehavior Selecting Penalties Imposing Penalties and Preserving Relationships Being Consistent Penalising the Group for Individual Misbehavior Dealing with Chronic Misbehavior Resolving Conflicts through Problem Solving Using a Behavioral Learning Approach Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports (PBIS) and Functional Behavioral Assessment Dealing with Thorny Problems Tattling Cheating Stealing Profanity Defiance Sexually Related Behavior Failure to Do Homework When Discipline Violates Students' Constitutional Rights Concluding Comments Summary Activities for Skill Building and Reflection For Further Reading Organisational Resources Chapter 13Preventing and Responding to Violence Strategies for Preventing Violence Build Supportive School Communities Be Alert to Signs of Hate Know the Early Warning Signs of Potential for Violence Be Observant in “Unowned” Spaces Be Attentive to Whispers, Rumors, and Threats De-Escalate Potentially Explosive Situations Responding to Violence Know Your School's Policies and Emergency Plans Coping with Aggressive Behavior Responding Effectively to Physical Fights Concluding Comments Summary Activities for Skill Building and Reflection For Further Reading Organisational Resources References Name Index Subject Index

About the Author :
Carol S. Weinstein has recently retired from her position as Professor of Education at Rutgers Graduate School of Education, where she was Associate Dean of Teacher Education and Chair of the Department of Learning and Teaching. She received her doctorate from Harvard Graduate School of Education in 1975. A former public school teacher, she has authored dozens of journal articles and book chapters on topics ranging from the physical design of classrooms to prospective teachers' beliefs about classroom management. Her most recent work has focused on “culturally responsive classroom management,” and she served as the guest editor for a special issue of Theory Into Practice on “Managing Classrooms in a Diverse Society.” With Carolyn Evertson, she co-edited the first Handbook of Classroom Management: Research, Practice, and Contemporary Issues (to be published by Erlbaum, 2006). She has also written a companion volume to this text on managing secondary classrooms (McGraw-Hill). In July 2000, she received a Contributing Researcher Award from the American Federation of Teachers for "Bridging the Gap between Research and Practice in Effective Classroom Management." Her special interests are classroom organization and management, violence prevention, and teacher education. Molly Romano works in the department of Teaching, Learning, and Sociocultural Studies at the University of Arizona. Dr. Romano received a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and a master’s and doctoral degree in Teaching and Teacher Education, all from the University of Arizona. Before her work at the university, Dr. Romano was an elementary classroom teacher for 10 years. During this time, she worked as a cooperating teacher for several student teachers and as a beginning teacher mentor. Dr. Romano has conducted research on “bumpy moments” (a term she coined to describe episodes during the practice of teaching that require additional reflection before acting) with both practicing and preservice teachers. This led to an interest in the successes and struggles of teachers, particularly during thefirst year of practice. Dr. Romano found that many of the “bumpy moments” and struggles of teaching identified,for both preservice and practicing teachers, were concerns about classroom management. Currently, Dr. Romano is serving as project director for an NSF grant for the preparation of math and science teachers.