As to now I have had the opportunity to observe a few teachers in different KLAs. I am very positively surprised about their excellent classroom management skills. The crucial importance of creating and maintaining a “quality learning environment” for improved students’ achievement has been corroborated by research and represents one of the three dimensions that form the basis of the model for pedagogy in NSW schools, besides “Intellectual Quality” and “Significance” (New South Wales Department of Education and Training, 2003).
The teachers I have observed so far had a very good rapport with their students and behaved very professionally in critical situations, for example in situations where students forgot to bring along their workbooks or disrupted the classes. Those incidents did not remain unnoticed and unsanctioned by the teacher, which is proof of the teacher’s consistency and crucial for effective classroom management (New South Wales Department of Education and Training, 2003). However, rather than putting the students down in front of the classroom the teacher, without making a big fuss, briefly mentioned to the student that he/she wanted to have a word with him after the lesson. (New South Wales Department of Education and Training, 2003). Before the teacher made a decision about the actual consequences the student would have to face, she asked the student to explain the reasons and enquired about any issues the student needed help with. By doing so the teacher tried to find out about the actual cause of the symptoms. By doing so, she took an important step towards effectively managing the student’s disruptive behaviour on a long-term basis rather than just alleviating the symptoms for the moment (Edwards & Watts, 2004). Depending on the answer of the student and the gravity of the incident, the teacher either pronounced a warning or informed the student about the consequences he would have to face, such as staying in for lunch, for example.
References:
Edwards, C. & Watts, V. (2004). Discipline Problems and Their Causes. In Classroom Discipline & Management: An Australasian Perspective, (pp3-17). John Wiley & Sons: New York.
New South Wales Department of Education and Training (2003). Quality Teaching in Public Schools: Discussion Paper, Retrieved from
http://www.curriculumsupport.education.nsw.gov.au/qualityteach/assets/pdf/qt%20dis%20pap.%20pdf
That is what you shouldn't do. Don't undermine your authority and sovereignty as a teacher! If possible try to solve the problem yourself before referring to the principal.
