Course Contents

Unit 1—Learning Theories and Classroom Management o Why a course on Classroom Management? o How does a teacher’s personal philosophy about teaching and learning affect his or her beliefs about classroom management? o What happens in a well-managed classroom? o Classroom Observations and Data Collection (students spend 6 hours in a classroom including class and out-of-class hours) o What are the features of Classroom Management? (physical environment, social environment) o What challenges must teachers negotiate in the management of a classroom? o How do classroom discipline and management differ? o What kind of classroom environment do I want? o What do I need to think about in designing the effective classroom environment? o Identifying resources for learning o Using displays and visuals for enhancing the learning environment in the classroom o Seating arrangements for different kinds of learning experiences Physical facilities to enhance the learning environment o Building the social environment Unit 2-- Curriculum and Classroom Management How can my curriculum support the classroom management? In what ways can the teacher create a plan for teaching and learning that is consistent with her/his philosophy? o Planning, motivation, teaching and assessing the curriculum o Differentiation of instruction o Multi-grade classrooms o Over-crowded classrooms Unit 3—Routines, Schedules and Time Management in Diverse Classrooms o What are classroom ‘routines’ and ‘structures’ and how do they help in the management of classroom time? o How do you create structures and routines in a multi-grade context? o How can routines and structures help me deal with special needs and situations? o How might routines and structures be used to teach specific subject content like Math, Science or Literacy? o How might routines and structures be used to promote cooperation and collaborative learning? Unit 4—Creating Shared Values and Community • What is community inside and outside the classroom and school? What is community participation and involvement? • What are typical practices of community participation? • How can I manage involvement of the community in my classroom? • What routines and structures need to be put in place? • In what ways might community involvement be different in multi-grade classroom? • How can I create an “ethic of care” in my classroom? • diverse classrooms as caring, democratic communities • respectful relations between teacher and students, students and students • How can a caring classroom help me build responsible actions and personal accountability? • What happens when behavior breaks down? • How do I deal with unexpected events? Unit 5—Planning the Classroom Environment I Would Like • How can I use what I have learned to create the classroom I want? o Peer critique and review of final projects o Summary and closure

Course Synopsis

One of the foremost reasons cited for teacher burnout is the challenge of classroom management. This comes as little surprise since classrooms are crowded, busy places in which students of diverse backgrounds and learning styles must be organized, directed and actively involved in learning. Many events need to occur simultaneously, the course of these events is often unpredictable and teachers must react often and immediately to evolving problems and needs. Teaching in such settings requires a highly developed ability to manage people, space, time and activity. A program of study that aims to prepare prospective teachers must, therefore, equip them with knowledge and strategies for become effective managers of classrooms. In its narrowest sense, classroom management is defined in terms of ‘disciplining’ and ‘controlling’ students. This course, however, places the goal of ‘student learning’ at the heart of classroom management. That is, it views the best-managed classrooms as ones where each learner is effectively engaged in constructing knowledge. To this end, teachers must manage teaching content, plan lessons, develop responsive instructional strategies, differentiate instruction, create predictable structures and routines and connect learning to the real world outside the classroom. It also views the best-managed classrooms as learning communities with shared values of respect and caring. In this course, prospective teachers will be encouraged to explore their own beliefs about teaching and learning to arrive at a philosophy of classroom management that places ‘learning’ as an ultimate goal. Prospective teachers will be given the chance to explore curricular concerns of ‘what to teach’ and ‘how to teach it’ and view lesson planning as the consequence of these decisions. They will also study research and best practices on differentiation of instruction, classroom structures, routines, procedures and community-building.

Course Learning Outcomes

After completing this course, prospective teachers will be able to: 1. define classroom management as a means to maximizing student learning. 2. identify key features of a well-managed classroom. 3. plan lessons, activities and assignments to maximize student learning. 4. differentiate instruction according to student needs, interests and levels. 5. design and practice predictable classroom routines and structures to minimize disruptions 6. plan for a culture of caring and community in the classroom