The Keys to Classroom Management

by Robert J. Marzano and Jana S. Marzano

Today, we know more about teaching than we ever have before. Research has shown
us that teachers' actions in their classrooms have twice the impact on student achievement as
do school policies regarding curriculum, assessment, staff collegiality, and community
involvement. We also know that one of the classroom teacher's most important jobs is
managing the classroom effectively.
Of all the variables, classroom management has the largest effect on student
achievement. This makes intuitive sense-students cannot learn in a chaotic, poorly managed
classroom. It is very important that there is a balance between teacher actions that provide
clear consequences for unacceptable behavior and teacher actions that recognize and reward
acceptable behavior. For example, beginning the school year with a positive emphasis on
management; arranging the room in a way conducive to effective management; and
identifying and implementing rules and operating procedures.
Research has shown that the quality of teacher-student relationships is the keystone
for all other aspects of classroom management. Further, research has shown that teachers who
had high-quality relationships with their students had fewer discipline problems and rule
violations than those who did not have high-quality relationships.
What are the characteristics of effective teacher-student relationships? Let's first
consider what they are not. Effective teacher-student relationships have nothing to do with
the teacher's personality or even with whether the students view the teacher as a friend.
Rather, the most effective teacher-student relationships are characterized by three specific
teacher behaviors:

Exhibiting appropriate levels of dominance

Exhibiting appropriate levels of cooperation

Being aware of high-needs students.

1. Appropriate Levels of Dominance

Teachers can exhibit appropriate dominance by establishing these three principles:

Clear behavior expectations

Clear learning goals

Exhibiting assertive behavior

A. Establish Clear Expectations and Consequences

Teachers can establish clear expectations for behavior in two ways: by establishing
clear rules and procedures, and by providing consequences for student behavior. Past research
has stressed the importance of establishing rules and procedures for general classroom
behavior, group work, seat work, transitions and interruptions, use of materials and
equipment, and beginning and ending the period or the day. Ideally, the class should establish
these rules and procedures through discussion and mutual consent by teacher and students.
Along with well-designed and clearly communicated rules and procedures, the teacher
must acknowledge students' behavior, reinforcing acceptable behavior and providing negative
consequences for unacceptable behavior.

Teachers can build effective relationships through these strategies:

Using a wide variety of verbal and physical reactions to students'

misbehavior, such as moving closer to offending students and using a physical cue,
such as a finger to the lips, to point out inappropriate behavior.

Cuing the class about expected behaviors through prearranged signals,

such as raising a hand to indicate that all students should take their seats.

Providing tangible recognition of appropriate behavior-with tokens or

rewards, for example.

Employing group contingency policies that hold the entire group

responsible for behavioral expectations.

Employing home contingency techniques that involve rewards and

sanctions at home.
B. Establish Clear Learning Goals

Teachers can also exhibit appropriate levels of dominance by providing clarity about
the content and expectations of an upcoming instructional unit. Important teacher actions to
achieve this end include:

Establishing and communicating learning goals at the beginning of a

unit of instruction.

Providing feedback on those goals.

Continually and systematically re-visiting the goals.

Providing summative feedback regarding the goals.

C. Exhibit Assertive Behavior

Teachers can also communicate appropriate levels of dominance by exhibiting
assertive behavior. Assertive behavior differs significantly from both passive behavior and
aggressive behavior.
Tips to using assertive body language:

Maintain an erect posture, facing the offending student but keeping

enough distance so as not to appear threatening and matching the facial expression
with the content of the message being presented to students.

Use an appropriate tone of voice, speaking clearly and deliberately in a

pitch that is slightly but not greatly elevated from normal classroom speech, avoiding
any display of emotions in the voice.

Persist until students respond with the appropriate behavior. Do not

ignore inappropriate behavior; do not be diverted by a student denying, arguing, or

blaming, but listen to legitimate explanations.

2. Appropriate Levels of Cooperation

Cooperation is characterized by a concern for the needs and opinions of others.

Although not the antithesis of dominance, cooperation certainly occupies a different realm.
Whereas dominance focuses on the teacher as the driving force in the classroom, cooperation
focuses on the students and teacher functioning as a team. The interaction of these two
dynamics-dominance and cooperation-is a central force in effective teacher-student
relationships. Several strategies can foster appropriate levels of cooperation:

Provide flexible learning goals

Take a personal interest in students

Use Equitable and Positive Classroom Behaviors

A. Provide Flexible Learning Goals

Just as teachers can communicate appropriate levels of dominance by providing

clear learning goals, they can also convey appropriate levels of cooperation by providing
flexible learning goals. Giving students the opportunity to set their own objectives at the
beginning of a unit or asking students what they would like to learn conveys a sense of
cooperation. Giving students this kind of choice, in addition to increasing their understanding
of the topic, conveys the message that the teacher cares about and tries to accommodate
students' interests.
B. Take a Personal Interest in Students

Probably the most obvious way to communicate appropriate levels of cooperation is

to take a personal interest in each student in the class. All students appreciate personal
attention from the teacher. Although busy teachers-particularly those at the secondary leveldo not have the time for extensive interaction with all students, some teacher actions can
communicate personal interest and concern without taking up much time.
Teachers can practices these steps to show interest:

Talk informally with students before, during, and after class about their

interests.

Greet students outside of school-for instance, at extracurricular events

or at the store.

them.

Single out a few students each day in the lunchroom and talk with

Be aware of and comment on important events in students' lives, such

as participation in sports, drama, or other extracurricular activities.

Compliment students on important achievements in and outside of

Meet students at the door as they come into class; greet each one by

school.

name.
C. Use Equitable and Positive Classroom Behaviors

Programs like Teacher Expectations and Student Achievement emphasize the importance of
the subtle ways in which teachers can communicate their interest in students. This program
recommends many practical strategies that emphasize equitable and positive classroom
interactions with all students. Teachers should, for example,

Make eye contact with each student. Teachers can make eye contact by

scanning the entire room as they speak and by freely moving about all sections of the
room.

Deliberately move toward and stand close to each student during the

class period. Make sure that the seating arrangement allows the teacher and students
clear and easy ways to move around the room.

Attribute the ownership of ideas to the students who initiated them. For

instance, in a discussion a teacher might say, "Cecilia just added to Aida's idea by
saying that . . . "

Allow and encourage all students to participate in class discussions and

interactions. Make sure to call on students who do not commonly participate, not just
those who respond most frequently.

Provide appropriate wait time for all students to respond to questions,

regardless of their past performance or your perception of their abilities.

3. Awareness of High-Needs Students

Classroom teachers meet daily with a broad cross-section of students. In general, 1222% of all students in school suffer from mental, emotional, or behavioral disorders, and
relatively few receive mental health services. The Association of School Counselors notes
that 18 percent of students have special needs and require extraordinary interventions and
treatments

that

go

beyond

the

typical

resources

available

to

the

classroom.

Although the classroom teacher is certainly not in a position to directly address such severe
problems, teachers with effective classroom management skills are aware of high-needs
students and have a repertoire of specific techniques for meeting some of their needs.
Marzano summarizes the five categories of high-needs students and suggests classroom
strategies for each category and subcategory.

Passive students fall into two subcategories: those who fear

relationships and those who fear failure. Teachers can build strong relationships with
these students by refraining from criticism, rewarding small successes, and creating a
classroom climate in which students feel safe from aggressive people.

The category of aggressive students comprises three subcategories:

hostile, oppositional, and covert. Hostile students often have poor anger control, low
capacity for empathy, and an inability to see the consequences of their actions.
Oppositional students exhibit milder forms of behavior problems, but they
consistently resist following rules, argue with adults, use harsh language, and tend to
annoy others. Students in the covert subcategory may be quite pleasant at times, but
they are often nearby when trouble starts and they never quite do what authority
figures ask of them. Strategies for helping aggressive students include creating
behavior contracts and providing immediate rewards and consequences. Most of all,
teachers must keep in mind that aggressive students, although they may appear highly
resistant to behavior change, are still children who are experiencing a significant
amount of fear and pain.

Students with attention problems fall into two categories: hyperactive

and inattentive. These students may respond well when teachers contract with them to
manage behaviors; teach them basic concentration, study, and thinking skills; help
them divide tasks into manageable parts; reward their successes; and assign them a
peer tutor.

Students in the perfectionist category are driven to succeed at

unattainable levels. They are self-critical, have low self-esteem, and feel inferior.
Teachers can often help these students by encouraging them to develop more realistic
standards, helping them to accept mistakes, and giving them opportunities to tutor
other students.

Socially inept students have difficulty making and keeping friends.

They may stand too close and touch others in annoying ways, talk too much, and
misread others' comments. Teachers can help these students by counseling them about
social behaviors.
School may be the only place where many students who face extreme challenges can
get their needs addressed. The reality of today's schools often demands that classroom
teachers address these severe issues, even though this task is not always considered a part of
their regular job.
Studies have found that the most effective classroom managers did not treat all
students the same; they tended to employ different strategies with different types of students.
An awareness of the five general categories of high-needs students and appropriate actions
for each can help teachers build strong relationships with diverse students.

Don't Leave Relationships to Chance

Teacher-student relationships provide an essential foundation for effective classroom

management-and classroom management is a key to high student achievement. Teacherstudent relationships should not be left to chance or dictated by the personalities of those
involved. Instead, by using strategies supported by research, teachers can influence the
dynamics of their classrooms and build strong teacher-student relationships that will support
student learning.

http://www.schoolimprovement.com/classroom-management-keys/

Articolul The Keys to Classroom Management prezint importana managementului

clasei de elevi, cheia eficienei acestuia fiind calitatea relaiei profesor-elev. Una din
ndatoririle profesorului referitor la clasa de elevi este managerierea ct mai eficient a clasei
deoarece managementul clasei are un efect important asupra rezultatelor elevilor.
De ce este important relaia profesor-elev? Cercetrile au artat c acei elevi care au
avut relaii de nalt calitate cu profesorii lor au avut mai puine probleme de disciplin i au
nclcat mai puine reguli dect acei elevi care nu au avut relaii la fel de bune cu profesorul
lor.
Eficiena relaiei profesor-elev nu are legtur cu personalitatea profesorului sau cu
faptul c elevii i vd profesorul ca pe un prieten. De fapt, cele mai eficiente rela ii profesorelev sunt caracterizate de trei componente specifice cadrelor didactice :
1-expunerea nivelului de autoritate
2-expunerea nivelului de cooperare
3-relaionarea i interaciunea cu elevii cu necesiti speciale

1.Profesorii ii expun nivelul de autoritate prin stabilirea a dou principii :

A) stabilirea cerinelor de comportament i a consecinelor . Profesorii indic ce
cerine de comportament al elevilor doresc prin stabilirea de reguli i proceduri clare, precum
i expunnd consecinele unui comportament neadecvat, administrnd uneori i pedepse.
Totodat, profesorul recunoate i recompenseaz comportamentul adecvat.
B)

stabilirea obiectivelor de nvmnt. Profesorii stabilesc i comunic

obiectivele de nvare la nceputul unui nou capitol, ofer feed-back cu privire la aceste
obiective, revizuiete continuu i sistematic obiectivele.

C)

manifestarea comportamentului asertiv. Profesorul evideniaz acest

comportament prin folosirea unui ton uor mai ridicat dect cel normal n mod deliberat
evitnd orice fel de manifestare a emoiei in glas. De asemenea, comportamentul asertiv este
evideniat i prin adoptarea de ctre profesor a unei poziii rigide i drepte cu faa ctre elevul
vinovat, expresia feei fiind conform cu mesajul verbal prezentat. Comportamentul asertiv
pn cnd elevii ncep s prezinte un comportament adecvat clasei.
2.Expunerea nivelelor de cooperare
Cooperarea se caracterizeaz printr-o preocupare pentru nevoile i opiniile celorlali.
Dac expunerea nivelului de autoritate se referea la poziia profesorului ca lider al
clasei, cooperarea se concentreaz asupra profesorului ca echip. Mai multe strategii pot
stimula mai multe nivele adecvate de cooperare.
A) furnizarea de scopuri flexibile de nvare. La nceputul unui nou capitol
profesorul ofer elevilor posibilitatea de a-i expune propriile opinii i preri. Acest lucru le
transmite elevilor mesajul c profesorului este interesat de ei i le nelege interesele.
B) interacioneaz mai mult cu elevii! n acest caz, profesorul i arat preocuparea
pentru hobby-urile si pasiunile elevilor si. El discut cu elevii nainte, n timpul sau dup
orele de coal despre pasiunile lor, ce le place sa fac n timpul liber, ce sport prefer, etc.
De asemenea, el i felicit pe elevi pentru rezultatele bune obinute n diferite activiti, n
timpul pauzelor rezerv cteva minute discuiei cu un grup de elevi.
C) utilizarea unui comportament just i pozitiv n clas. Profesorul ar trebui n
timpul unei prelegeri s fac contact vizual cu fiecare elev i s se plimbe relaxat prin clas.
De asemenea, toi elevii ar trebui sa participe la dezbaterile din clas fiind ncurajai de
profesor s participe mai ales cei timizi. Elevului trebuie s i se ofere timpul necesar de a
rspunde la ntrebri, indiferent de performanele sale anterioare sau percepia profesorului
despre el.
3.Relaionarea i interaciunea cu elevii cu necesiti speciale
Profesorii se ntlnesc zilnic cu o gam variat de elevi. Conform lui Robert J.
Marzano, 12-22% din elevi sufer de afeciuni psihice, emoionale sau au tulburri de
comportament. Dei problemele lor depesc atribuiile profesorilor, aceia care sunt buni
manageri ai clasei reuesc sa interacioneze cu aceti copii cu necesiti i s construiasc

relaii puternice. Robert J. Marzano d exemple de cinci categorii de elevi cu astfel de

probleme: elevii agresivi, elevii pasivi, elevii cu probleme de atenie, perfecionitii, elevii
care au probleme de socializare. n cazul elevilor agresivi profesorii le indic consecinele
aciunilor lor i le ofer recompense cnd fac lucruri bune, deoarece aceti copii, cu toate c
au o atitudine agresiv, experimenteaz un nivel nalt de fric i durere sufleteasc.
Elevii pasivi sunt mprii n dou categorii: cei care se tem de relaionare i cei care
se tem de eec. n cazul lor, profesorii pot constituii relaii bune dac le ofer recompense
pentru micile lor succese, dac n clas creaz o atmosfer de protecie i mai ales dac nu i
critic.
Elevii cu probleme de atenie se mpart n hiperactivii i neatenii. Aici profesorii
predau tehnici de concentrare i de studiu, i ajut pe acetia s i mpart sarcinile colare n
pri uor de gestionat, le recompenseaz succesele.
Perfecionitii sunt cei care doresc s ating un scop irealizabil. Ei fiind autocritici, cu
stim de sine sczut sunt ncurajai de profesori s ating standarde mai realiste i s i
accepte greelile.
Ultima categorie este a elevilor care nu pot socializa i de aceea au un comportament
ce i deranjeaz pe ceilali. n acest caz, profesorii consiliaz i explic regulile de conduit i
socializare cu ceilali.
Relaia profesor-elev reprezint baza managementului de clas eficient iar
managementul clasei are un efect foarte mare asupra rezultatelor elevului.Asfel, utiliznd
strategii confirmate de cercetarile n domeniu profesorii pot influena dinamica clasei i pot
crea relaii de durat cu elevii lor, rezultate ce se vd reflectate n procesul de nvare.

CALITILE UNUI PROFESOR BUN

1. Un profesor bun cunoate foarte bine coninuturile, tehnicile i vocabularul specific
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

disciplinei pe care o pred

Este o persoana echilibrat psihic i o persoana moral
Are o pregtire pedagogic bun
Cunoate bine psihologia copilului i tnrului
Are capaciti bine dezvoltate de comunicare i relaionare
Abiliti empatice
Organizeaz informaia pe care o transmite din punct de vedere calitativ i cantitativ i

o face ct mai accesibil elevilor

8. Adapteaz discursul nivelului de nelegere al elevilor
9. Pred ntr-un mod creativ
10. Are capacitatea de a chestiona i aprecia corect valoarea rspunsurilor
11. i respect elevii
12. Are afeciune fa de elevi dar autoritar cnd este nevoie
13. Are spiritul observaiei i sim critic
14. Este un ghid pentru elevii si
15. Este un mentor pentru elevii si
16. Are adaptabilitate la cerinele elevilor
17. Este nelegtor
18. Are caliti organizatorice
19. Ascult prerea elevilor n legtur cu materia predat
20. Are un dezvoltat sim estetic

____________________

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