Becoming an Effective Classroom Manager

Over the years, classroom management remains one of the greatest educational concerns of teachers, administrators, and parents. This practical resource for developing and upgrading personal classroom management skills and systems addresses that concern and will prove to be an invaluable guide for preservice and practicing educators. Utilizing a balanced approach based on both scholarship and experience, Becoming an Effective Classroom Manager provides a discussion of models of management, a summary of effectiveness research and related management techniques, as well as coverage of routine and more complex managerial concerns and procedures. Steere's approach is multi-faceted, interweaving three areas of concern: prevention of disciplinary problems, dealing/coping with disciplinary problems, and development of techniques for insuring that problems do not recur. The book is filled with suggestions and techniques that have been successfully utilized in public school classrooms. The author argues that institutions of higher learning must produce teachers who are equally adept and confident in their teaching methods, management skills, and their subject matter. His work will help teachers become not only better managers, but more effective teachers as well.

Table of Contents:
Preface Acknowledgements Part 1. Introduction and Management Models 1. A Portrayal of School Discipline 2. Classroom Management Approaches Measures of force Analyzing the models Creating your own classroom management system Management models counseling Ginott's congruent communication Maslow's hierarchy of needs values and morality transactional analysis Dreikurs's mistaken goal model Glasser's reality therapy contingency management Canter's assertive behavior Jones's management training Part II. Relationship of Research to Classroom Management 3. Research Relating to the Improvement of Instruction and Classroom Management Introduction Research summaries expectations, attitudes, and emphasis consequences instructional methods monitoring seatwork time allocations managerial concerns accountability location factor rules testing and grading feedback time on task 4. The Use of Research to Improve Instruction: Time on Task Introduction Terms Unengaged Categories Procedures Approaches to increasing time on task 5. The Use of Research to Improve Instruction: Getting Ready to Manage Students Introduction Pre-instructional organization Establishing rules and procedures Student Accountability Part III. Additional Managerial Concerns, Methods, and Resources 6. Routine Managerial Concerns and Methods Body language and vocal cues Force Life space and touching Firmness versus roughness, sarcasm, and criticism Low-profile control Rules Consequences Hierarchical consequences Punishment Transitions Desist techniques Seatwork assistance 7. Special Managerial Concerns, Methods, and Resources Controlling bodily functions Crying Fighting and aggressive behavior Rudeness towards teacher Tattling Squabbles Excuses Corporal punishment Stealing and cheating Isolation Cultural differences Human resources Part IV. Appendices A. Time Expenditures: Lunch count and dismissal B. "Funny Money" Management System C. "How am I ever going to control this class?" D. Classroom Auction: A Bonus for Students and Teacher E. Signs of Drug Use F. Contract Sample G. Award Certificate H. Signal Card I. List of Reinforces J. Behavior Blossom K. Conduct Countdown L. Learnball M. Other Managerial Techniques Discouraging slowness of work Discouraging forgotten assignments Decreasing transition time Discouraging out-of-seat behavior Token system for using profile face Reward for less noise Signaling for quiet time Beads as positive reinforces Comments on secondary students' papers Improving dismissals Jug rewarding system Handling visitors Eliminating pencil sharpening Bulletin board for reinforcing behavior Hourglass for dismissing students Student monitors Signal systems Clothespin to check roll Passport for reinforcement Daily report cards Different rules for different activities References Index

About the Author :
Bob Steere is Professor of Education at Missouri Southern State College.

Review :
"There is a wealth of intellectually important information in this book. The author synthesizes a large body of classroom management literature into practical, workable suggestions for the classroom teacher. Often, texts on classroom management are either too much like recipe books without research to back up suggestions, or they are too theoretical without applications apparent to teachers. This text combines the two." — Brenda H. Manning, University of Georgia "The author writes to inform, not impress." — Lee H. Stoner, Indiana University