The classroom management system is vital in maintaining a supportive learning environment. The teacher should develop rules that are clear for each student, encouraging positive behavior. In the case of Adam, Mrs. Jones made a few mistakes that can negatively affect the students’ behavior in the future. Failure to set regulations may result in unfair punishment and demotivate the student to behave well in the classroom.
The first mistake is Mrs. Jones’ deviation from the established rules. As can be seen in paragraph 1, some students receive a warning first, but sometimes they get a tally immediately after the misconduct. Classroom rules should be clear and specific for all (Eggen & Kauchak, 2020, p. 512). Mrs. Jones’s regulations do not provide students with an understanding of when they will get a tally or warning.
The second mistake is not letting Adam to express his opinion. In paragraph 3 of the case, it is obvious that the teacher gives Adam a tally after Sanchia’s complaint, without witnessing the incident. A teacher should allow students to express their point of view before punishing them (Mahvar et al., 2018, p. 107). Adam could have avoided getting a tally if Mrs. Jones had listened to him.
The penalty should be individual and specific to the student. Teacher’s loud interventions are destructive to the classroom atmosphere and reduce students’ sense of safety (Okonofua et al., 2016, p. 5221). Mrs. Jones gave the tally in front of other students, as described in paragraphs 4 and 5. Mrs. Jones should listen to both sides and make an appropriate decision after the class without grabbing the attention of other students during the lesson.
The teacher, as the personification of morality and fairness, should teach students to admit their mistakes. Mrs. Jones, as follows from paragraphs 15 – 19, does not acknowledge her mistake and does not remove the penalty. Such behavior creates a sense of injustice among students (Yildirim et al., 2016, p. 3). In the future, Adam may misbehave, because regardless of his demeanor, he can get a tally.
The teacher plays an essential role in students’ moral development, and classroom management strategies are inextricably linked to the classroom atmosphere. In this case study, several teacher’s mistakes can be traced, which can lead to destabilization of student behavior and negatively affect a safe classroom environment. The use of punishments should be transparent, understandable for all participants, and applied only after listening to all parties.
References
Eggen, P., & Kauchak, D. (2019). Classroom Management: Developing Self-Regulated Learners. In Using Educational Psychology in Teaching (11th Edition) (11th ed., pp. 496–545). Pearson.
Mahvar, T., Ashghali Farahani, M., & Aryankhesal, A. (2018). Conflict management strategies in coping with students’ disruptive behaviors in the classroom: Systematized review. Journal of advances in medical education & professionalism, 6(3), 102–114.
Okonofua, J. A., Paunesku, D., & Walton, G. M. (2016). Brief intervention to encourage empathic discipline cuts suspension rates in half among adolescents. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 113(19), 5221–5226. Web.
Yildirim, I., Akan, D., & Yalcin, S. (2016). Teacher Behavior Unwanted According to Student’s Perceptions. International Education Studies, 9(11), 1–12. Web.