According to Rebecca Alber in her article "Ten Tips for Classroom Management", if students "are engaged, they are managed." I agree with this statement. However for this to take place there must be rules and guidelines put in place by the teacher to govern the use of the classroom and the use of the tools and machines in the classroom as well. Both the teacher and students must take ownership of the classroom.
As an Educator for the past 27 years, to make management of the classroom easy I am of the opinion that the teacher must first build a positive and safe learning community. This can be done by first building good relationships: teacher-students, student-student, thus creating a classroom community with a friendly environment. I also take the time out to get to know their names and to call them by their names when asking questions or asking them to do a task and to commend them when they do and say things correctly.
I usually greet the students at the classroom door, inviting them in with a smile and involve them in designing and laying out of the classroom (visual arts lab). They are then exposed to the rules which govern the classroom, their expectations ans consequences of the rules if the expectations are not adhered too. I also ask if they have any additional rules they would like to add, and would discuss and add them if they will help in the management of the class. Doing this helps tremendously in having fewer behavioural problems. It also means that they knowing what is expected of them will be ready and eager to learn and will be focused on the tasks at hand. To conclude one can therefore say that the most important element of classroom management is the TEACHER'S PRESENCE.
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