How to Succeed in Classroom Management

Many first-year teachers feel fairly competent in their content areas and comfortable in instructional techniques. It’s classroom management that has them concerned.

I came across a nice article offering classroom management suggestions for new teachers as I was surfing the ERIC (Education Resources Information Center) website. It’s called, “For the Uninitiated: How to Succeed in Classroom Management.”

As part of the Novice Teacher Induction Program (NTIP) implemented at all universities in The Texas State University System, Sam Houston State University faculty members work with novice teachers in four public school districts. They serve as mentors—observing, advising, encouraging, celebrating, and commiserating with the teachers. In addition, teachers participate in seminars that provide opportunities for sharing experiences and discussion.

During each seminar, novice teachers write their concerns or questions on exit slips. This feedback helps to determine topics for future seminars. In the first year that Sam Houston State University conducted its NTIP, nearly 1,200 slips were collected. Of these, more than 50 percent cited two aspects of classroom management as the most problematic: procedures and behavior management.

Even though educator preparation programs typically provide instruction in classroom management, more often than not, students fail to comprehend the complexities until they are solely responsible for a classroom. This article examines procedures and behavior management and offers suggestions that have proven effective.

I’ve also included it here on BeyondBehaviors.Com in PDF format, For the Uninitiated: How to Succeed in Classroom Management.pdf.