The single biggest concern that I hear from educators focuses on classroom management. I hear this request often enough that it deserved another posting. I would like to offer a comparison of classroom management to 2 real-life events; visiting a Doctor and car repair.
A visit to a Doctor usually happens for a reason, fever, nausea, pain, or…I’ll stop there☺. A visit to the doctor usually begins with a set of routine checks followed by a conversation about “symptoms”. After tests and collaboration, the Doctor will offer a diagnosis along with a recommended remedy to cure the cause of the problem. Most visits will end with a statement, “if symptoms don’t improve, please reschedule a visit.” When vehicles begin to “act up” or even worse, stop all together, it validates a trip to a mechanic. For those of us who try to do everything ourselves, we make a trip to the local auto parts store☺. This trip begins again with a conversation about symptoms and diagnostic tests. Once a potential “cause” is identified, the cause of the problem is repaired and symptoms stop. In both cases, the approach is the same:
1. Look for trends and potential causes 2. Research symptoms to identify causes 3. Work to resolve the cause of the problem 4. Check for resolution and repeat if necessary
In classrooms, educators strive to resolve the problem by using a reactive approach. The most common reactive approach is to simply “remove the problem”! We often confront the student and then remove them from the class. Occasionally, we call parents or have students take an action to prove what they did was “wrong”. The problem with this approach is that it only works for the students that are afraid of the punishment. Usually, these are the “good students”. Imagine if a Doctor used the same approach. One would leave the office visit missing limbs, organs, or even worse, an entire section of a body. Imagine visiting the Doctor for a migraine.
The point of this post is for educators to consider managing a classroom using a proactive approach by using the following steps:
1. Look for trends and potential causes 2. Research symptoms to identify causes 3. Work to resolve the cause of the problem 4. Check for resolution and repeat if necessary
I realize that this process is ongoing and can be challenging. This approach t is NOT as easy as removing the problem altogether. The teacher can feel vulnerable due to the fact that there is no ONE solution. The critical point is that once the cause of the problem is addressed, the problem will always vanish, well, at least temporarily. Don’t misunderstand me, it is important to have rules, procedures, and measures of accountability but these items alone will never address the real causes of classroom management. It is most important for teachers working with classrooms of “non-committed learners” to consider this approach. Non-committed learners aka, “at risk” (I don’t like this label because all humans are at risk) rarely respond to threat or fear. That is why they are labeled “at risk”.
In closing, consider seek to find the causes of your classroom management concerns by collaborating with colleagues, consultants, friends, or administrators in order to create a diagnosis and treatment. This approach will be longer lasting and create an opportunity for your students to be successful learners.
