Jacob Kounin- Classroom Management

Jacob Kounin- Classroom Management

Classroom management is the orchestration of classroom life: planning curriculum, organizing procedures and resources, arranging the environment to maximise efficiency, monitoring student progress and anticipating potential problems, stated by Lemlech (1979). Teachers who have this ability to coordinate their classroom in such a way that there is a balance between acceptable behaviour, efficient learning and successful teaching are known as effective classroom managers. Good quality teachers do not inherently start off with that quality but they learn it by using classroom management strategies that in turn assist them in the teaching and learning enterprise. Kounin’s principle teachings of withitness, overlappingness, smoothness, slowdowns and student accountability are extremely important preventative measures of misbehaviour from students. It is important to also look at pre-requisites a successful teacher should acquire in order to be a professional and thriving teacher who has control over their classroom. Although these preventative measures work most of the time it is very important to consider corrective strategies for when things do not go according to plan in student behaviours. By having an appreciation of classroom management strategies such as Kounin’s principle teachings, the classroom teacher is at an advantage in the teaching and learning enterprise.
Sue Cowley (2003) drew conclusions about the foundations an effective teacher should possess and hence be an effective classroom manger. These basic foundations developed resulted from her own teaching experiences and watching other teachers at work. Cowley states; be definite, be aware, be calm and consistent, give the students structure, be positive, be interested, be flexible and persistent. Being definite in teaching is knowing what you expect from your students. Knowing and being sure what you want gives off a confident vibe to the students. Having that certainty about knowing what you expect...

Similar Essays