Strategies

for
Effective
Classroorm Management in

the Secondary Setting

PAUL PEDOTA

Abstract: Over the years, researchers have written many

books and articles about the lack of discipline or lack of
respect students have toward their teachers. This image is
enhanced by the daily accounts in movies, newspapers, television, and radio or in speaking to students, their teachers, or
parents. In this article, the author provides working strategies
that can be used by new and veteran teachers that will provide
educators with procedures to maximize classroom instruction
by incorporating effective classroom management techniques
into their daily routines.

the entire period (Omstein and Lasley 2004); and are

consistent in classroom management techniques with ".
.. a healthy balance between rewards and punishment"
(Miller, Ferguson, and Simpson 1998, 56).
Establishing, explaining, reviewing, and modifying
(as needed) rules, routines, and procedures that are
cearly understood to handle the daily recurring activities as well as developing procedures for unpredictable
events that may occur, will help you to devote the
maximum amount of time available for instruction and
enhance classroom management (Marshall 2001).
The following is based on my beliefs, my personality, and thirty-seven years of experience as an educator.
Individuals should use this article as a guide and not
as a complete list of strategies or techniques that can
be used for effective classroom management. Your personality and philosophy of education will dictate those
ideas you will or will not use in dealing with developing, setting up, and using an effective strategy to ensure
maximum instruction with few classroom discipline
problems.

Keywords: classroom management, effective teachers, secondary setting, strategies

veryone concedes that there is a severe shortage
of qualified teachers in the United States and that
one of the most frequent reasons cited in the literature
regarding the problem of staffing and retaining qualified individuals is the lack of student discipline (Macdonald 1999; Tye and O'Brien 2002). In speaking to
new and veteran teachers who have left the profession
primarily due to discipline problems in the classroom,
many have commented that although they felt that
during the preteaching training period sufficient time
was spent on classroom management, they were not
truly prepared for the realities of the classroom, which
contributed to feelings of frustration, anger, and helplessness (Miech and Elder 1996).
In reviewing the research, one can see that effective
teachers-those who have fewer discipline problems in
the classroom-spend a good deal of time on planning
(Brown 1998); take into account diversity as well as the
preference of individual learning styles (Daniels, Bizar,
and Zemelman 2001; Dunn and Dunn 1993; Sleeter
and Grant 2003); provide activities that get students
to begin work immediately and ensure there is a sufficient amount of work that will have students working

First Things First

As a teacher, ensuring that all students can learn in
a safe environment is your prime objective. Before you
can begin to teach, you must devote time to preparing
your classroom and developing procedures that will
help you maximize instruction in a positive climate,
such as the following:
Seating Plans
Permanent seating arrangements will help you to

learn students' names quickly, take attendance, and

perform any other administrative task while students
are involved in some instructional activity. The use of

Paul Pedota is a former principalin a New York City secondary school and is currently
the director of alternative certificationprograms at St. John's University, New York.
Copyright 2007 HeldrefPublications
163

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The Clearing House

March/April 2007

Physical Surroundings

be able to handle most situations that may infringe

on the use of instructional time. Developing a written
syllabus or contract that includes the subject material,
subject class requirements, and class and individual
code of conduct helps all to understand their responsibilities (Brophy 1986; Curwin and Mendler 1988).
The following provides some examples of what
should be included in a code of conduct:

The room should be arranged to ensure that all

students can see well, there are no obstructions, the
lighting is adequate, and if and when students move
around, they do not interfere with other students. Your
desk should be positioned so that you can monitor the
activities of all students as well as not interfere with
movement within the class.

Student attendance: The importance of daily class attendance must be emphasized. Students should know
what are considered legitimate reasons for being
absent, procedures to follow when absent as well as
when returning from an absence, and the impact recurring absences will have on grades.

a Delaney book or seating chart can help to make this

task a simple one. In addition, you should think about
how your seating arrangements can be modified to
support different types of instruction, such as whole
group instruction, small group instruction, or students
working individually.

Housekeeping Procedures
Procedures for the storing of equipment and other
material, the distribution and collection of student
material, keeping the chalkboard dean, the location of
the wastepaper basket, using the pencil sharpener, and
so on, must also be developed.

Student lateness and dismissal: Students must understand the importance for being on time for class. Being
late causes students to not only interrupt instruction
for others, but also causes them to miss work. In addition, procedures for dismissal should be in place at the
end of the instructional period and students should be
reminded that only you dismiss the class.

Displays
The classroom should be a showcase for student
work, as well as posters, magazine covers, charts, maps,
and pictures. It is important to let students know that
their work is important as well as let others know what
students are learning. Your material, as well as student
work, should be changed, at least every month or when
you begin a new unit. This will allow for all students
to have the opportunity to have their work displayed,
which will give them a sense of ownership. School and
class rules should also be posted as a reminder to students of the code of behavioL
Instruction
Plan for a variety of instructional experiences and
keep students actively involved. You will find that by
avoiding the sameness of daily classes, you will help
prevent discipline problems. One way that this can be
accomplished is by allowing students to be active participants in learning rather than passive listeners.
Setting Classroom Standards for Behavior
and Work
Students, just like adults, prefer to be in an environment that is structured and predictable. In school,
where students have individual teachers who hold different beliefs as to how to handle certain situations, it
is important that you make your expectations perfectly
clear. To this end, it is extremely important that procedures are in place that are consistent with schoolwide
policy and that both students and their parents know
what is expected in terms of behavior and class work. If
rules are firm, fair, and followed consistently, you will

Classroom intemrptions:Procedures should be developed

to handle classroom interruptions-such as intercom
announcements, visitors, and fire drills. In all of these
situations, students must know that you alone give
direction on student actions.
Students leaving classroom: What are the procedures
for leaving the room? Are you going to use a sign-out
book, issue a pass, write the names of students on the
chalkboard, or restrict the pass at certain times?
Student work: You should make students aware of the
subject manner to be studied; instructional objectives
you hope that students will obtain; skills that will be
developed; their responsibility regarding class work,
homework, or any other assignments; the number and
types of tests; and a review of how you will arrive at a
grade for each student.
Recognizing students in class: Students should not shout
out questions, answers, or comments without first
being recognized by you. Moving around the room as
you call on volunteers as well as nonvolunteers will
ensure that all students are on task as you build a climate for learning.
Instruction: Policies should also be developed to take
into account how students should act and interact with
each other during different types of instruction. For
example, when working in groups what is the expected
behavior of students? How is this behavior different
from behavior exhibited during other types of instruc-

Vol. 80, No. 4

Effective Classroom Management

tion? If during group work students are speaking to

one another, how do you control the volume?
Recognition of accomplishments: It is important to see the
glass as half full not half empty, that is, try to accentuate the positive over the negative. To establish a positive classroom environment, students must feel that
you recognize their accomplishments.
Inappropriatebehavior: Ignoring inappropriate behavior
until it reaches a point that you have no choice but to
give a harsh punishment should be avoided. In deciding on the appropriate course to be taken, you must
ensure that you are reacting to what took place and not
the individual.
It is imperative to realize that once classroom rules
and procedures have been developed, the worst thing
that you can do is act hastily, not enforce a rule, or
enforce it sporadically. In addition, you may not have
thought of everything and may have to revise, modify,
add, or disregard a rule. Do not be afraid to talk to a
colleague or school official if you are having a problem or to change something if what you had originally
planned is not working.
You must model the behavior that you expect from
your students. You must avoid the use of insulting,
abusive, or threatening language. Although it may be
hard at times, you must learn to control your temper.
Your words and/or actions can upset others and may
even instigate physical actions, which can cause harm
to the student, other students, or adults. To get respect,
you must earn it, and by setting a good example and
by treating others as you would like to be treated, this
can be accomplished.
Communication
Communication can be verbal and nonverbal and
just as in everyday life, poor communication can cause
unnecessary problems. Table 1 displays some simple
"Dos" and "Do nots" in using communication effidentiy and effectively.
If you must reprimand students, use a normal tone
of voice, look at the student, do not use gestures such

165

as pointing your finger, and do not insist on the last

word (Kerr and Nelson 2002).
Good communication skills and being a good listener, as well as a good speaker, can help in preventing
problems in the classroom. When students feel that
they are welcomed into a nonthreatening environment
where learning is encouraged, they usually come ready,
willing, and able to learn.
Strategies to Help Manage Your Classroom
By now you should be asking yourself, how can
I build an environment in my classroom where
there is trust and mutual respect among all, as well
as have rules that are firm, fair, consistent, and followed? Table 2 outlines ten rules to help manage a
classroom.
Combining structure and fairness with dear expectations in a caring, nonthreatening environment are
the major elements of good teaching and effective
classroom management. Students who believe that you
really care about them as individuals, that is, academiTABLE 2. Top Ten List for Classroom Management
10. Develop a philosophy of "we" rather than "I" and use
a personal approach in working with your students.
9. Class rules should be reasonable, fair, equitable, and
used in a consistent manner.
8. Your actions, words, and deeds should model the
behavior that you expect from your students.
7. Remember self-esteem is as important for adolescences
as it is for you-avoid sarcasm or actions that belittle
an individual in front of classmates.
6. Be proactive. Move around the room and keep your
eyes moving.
5. Before you speak, get everyone's attention and say
what you mean and mean what you say.
4. Keep parents informed. Parent involvement will
support your role as a teacher.
3. Always give students hope-make them feel that they
can accomplish anything.
2. Treat your students as you yourself would like to be
treated.
1. Be yourself. Do not be an imitation of someone else.
Success will follow if you allow your own personality
to show.

TABLE 1. Dos and Do Nots in Communication

DO

DO NOT

Think before you speak

Speak only when you have everyone's
attention
Give students the opportunity to ask questions
Be specific in your statements, directions,
questions, and so on

Say you will do something you cannot do

Speak to individuals and not pay attention
to the class
Be close minded
Take silence as knowing

166

The Clearing House

cally, socially, and emotionally, will gain status and

recognition and a sense of self-worth and belonging
(Dreikurs, Grunwald, and Pepper 1971; Glasser 1990)
as well as establish your authority and credibility.
Conclusion
By following these simple strategies, you can have an
orderly dassroom environment that will improve students' learning outcomes while providing for an atmosphere that is structured and consistent and shows that
you are serious about teaching and learning. Motivating, challenging, and engaging students as you strive for
high expectations will not only help to improve student
behavior in school and academic accomplishments but
will also provide the key for students to understand
how to act in a moral and ethical way in society.
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Daniels, H., M. Bizar, and S. Zemelman. 2001. Rethinking high school:

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Secondary Setting
SOURCE: The Clearing House 80 no4 Mr/Ap 2007
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