Student Responsibilities For Establishing An Effective Classroom Learning Environment

From November 2009 archived blog

by Mickey Wircenski

When we think of classroom management the first thing that usually comes to mind is that the teacher is the guiding force in the classroom.  Often overlooked is the other side of the issue: the responsibility of students to contribute to the effective functioning of the classroom. Larson (1998) stated:

Unlike the older, legalistic …models with their heavy-handed authoritarian emphasis on rules and punishment, a modern code of discipline should be developed “bottom up” with collaborative input from students, teachers, support staff, and parents, and reviewed frequently for modification (p.285).

Working with students to develop this “bottom up” classroom operation requires effort and commitment on the part of CTE teachers.  Marzano (2003) suggested the following action steps to assist them in implementing this model.  The result will be seen in the development of personal relationships with students that go beyond those needed for purely instructional purposes:

• Conduct classroom meetings that allow for student input
• Involve students in establishing rules, consequences, and rewards for the classroom
• Utilize self analysis journaling so that students can articulate their perspective on a disciplinary incident and examine their responsibility in the matter (e.g., how students contributed too the incident, how students can stop the incident from occurring again, agreements students are willing to make as a result of the incident)
• Consistently teach, model and reinforce the problem solving model so that students use these steps when a situation arises
  •  Analyze the situation at hand
  •  Identify a variety of different ways that you can respond to this situation
  •  Think about the consequences for each of the options
  •  Select the action that has the potential for the most positive consequences for you and others

The action steps mentioned above will take time and effort on the part of CTE teachers.  Teachers may even encounter resentment or expressions of frustration from the students.  However, these strategies can be extremely successful for teachers who want to help students make a significant contribution to the classroom management effort.

Resources

• Larson, J. (1998).  Managing student aggression in high schools: Implications for practice. Psychology in the Schools, 35 (3), 283-295.
• Marzano, R.(2003).  Classroom Management that Works.  Alexandria, VA:  Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Involving students in establishing and maintaining an efficient classroom not only helps to implement an effective classroom learning environment, but also assists students by teaching them the important life skills of self-discipline, social skills, and responsibility. The development of these critical skills has been shown through research to increasing competence in specific academic areas, increasing classroom participation, and reducing behavioral problems.