All of the following statements about a positive classroom climate are true except

Effective teachers create and sustain a supportive and safe learning environment for their pupils. When teachers are effective managers of the classroom, it is almost certain that the discipline of the school as a whole is good. Effective classroom management takes into consideration the following:

Create a culture of trust and mutual respect

When the teacher is fair, he/she will listen to the pupils and is genuinely caring. When communication is encouraging and affirmative, pupils are free to participate spontaneously and are less inhibited and fearful of making mistakes. When a teacher establishes positive contact with pupils and is also seen as a person with feelings and genuine interest in his/her pupil, teacher-pupil rapport is enhanced.

When pupils feel accepted and valued as members of the school community, he/she will learn to respect one other, hence are less likely to misbehave.

Pupils know when the teachers believe and trust them. Teachers must believe that all pupils want to learn and that no pupil wants to misbehave. When pupils do wrong, the teacher must believe that the pupils can change for the better.

Inculcate habits of self-discipline and sense of responsibility

When pupils are taught the skills of managing their emotions, they are better able to communicate their feelings, give feedback and resolve conflicts. As they develop good habits such as perseverance, learn to delay gratification and deal with problems, they learn responsible behaviour. When they are able to make good decisions, they are less likely to engage in squabbles and fights.

Convey clear expectations and enforce consequences

It is important that the teacher conveys clear expectations of class rules and routines to pupils. This is best done at the beginning of the year. If the rules are developed jointly by the teachers and pupils, it increases the sense of commitment among pupils and pupils are more likely to abide by these rules. However, such rules may need to be reviewed periodically. Pupils should be able to voice their opinions and be involved in the review.

It is better to have a few, rather than too many rules. Display the rules conspicuously and consider how the rules are to be enforced. You have a right to be in control of your classroom, but do not become obsessed with control.

Consequences for undesirable behaviour should be enforced in a fair, firm and consistent manner. Effective teachers are quick to detect minor misbehaviours and prevent their eruption into disruptive acts or deterioration into entrenched habits.

Where the disruptions are minor, do not stop the lessons and leave the rest of the class with nothing to do. Pupils may misbehave out of boredom.

Organise seating arrangement

Know your pupils. If you have two or three pupils who sit next to each other and frequently disrupt lessons, rearrange their seating arrangement. Sometimes this can be done subtly. For group work, ensure that these pupils are in different groups. As you assign the groups to different areas of the room, you create further distance between them.

Be attentive to what is going on in the classroom

Eye contact is your most powerful tool in maintaining classroom control. Probably 80% of potential classroom misbehaviour can be “nipped in the bud” through timely, direct eye contact. Keep your eyes moving to scan the entire room. You don’t have to establish direct eye contact with every pupil every minute, but rather focus on clusters of four or five pupils at a time. Remember to have eye contact with pupils at the back of the class. Your potential troublemakers are likely to be seated there.

Continuously monitor what is happening in your class. Some researchers refer to this as “having eyes at back of your head.” Always know what is going on in your classroom. Avoid having your back to the class. For example, when working in a small group, sit so you are facing the rest of the class. It is also difficult to monitor the class if you are sitting at your desk. It is generally advisable to move around the room as you teach. Effective and skilful teachers has an aura of self-confidence. He/She is sensitive to students' needs and motivation (based on verbal and non-verbal cues) and can stimulate, direct, and pace interaction with the class. He/She also knows whether or not the class is following the material and uses examples, details, analogies, metaphors, and variety in modes of explanation to make material not only understandable but memorable.

Maximise pupils’ attention and participation

To maximise pupils' attention, it is important to deliver interesting, fast-paced and organised learning experiences. Pupils who are motivated and actively engaged are less likely to disrupt the lesson. However, even the best and well-prepared teacher will occasionally encounter disciplinary problems in the classroom, but these are less frequent and less severe.

Maintain your lesson momentum and provide for smooth transition from one activity to another. Make sure that every pupil is constantly engaged in learning. The momentum can be broken when audio-visual equipment is not ready or when other teaching aids are misplaced. At other times the lesson may be disrupted because the teacher has to reprimand a pupil.

When the momentum is broken the, class moves from being 95% or 100% on task to 0%. The teacher then has the additional challenge of recapturing the pupils’ attention.

Use effective teaching strategies

Good lesson plans -

 Effective teachers organise lessons with clear objectives, appropriate introductions and a good summary. These help pupils focus their attention, retain key points and link the lesson with prior knowledge. In addition, getting ready teaching resources maximises the use of curriculum time and minimises opportunities for misbehaviour.

Understanding pupils’ learning process - Effective teachers are able to break up complex learning materials into manageable “chunks” to facilitate learning. They select teaching methods and set tasks that are appropriate to varying pupil abilities and help them to construct meaning out of what they learn and extend their existing knowledge. Effective teachers are also flexible and know that what works for one class may not work for another.

Effective communication - Effective teachers communicate clearly. They use appropriate language and effective multi-media aids that facilitate understanding and retention. They check for pupil understanding through skilful questioning. They elicit pupils’ co-operation, as well as motivate them to set goals and persevere in achieving these goals.

Activity-based lessons - Effective teachers structure their lessons such that pupils’ minds are always engaged through active participation in the assigned tasks. They ensure smooth transition from one stage of a lesson to another and pre-empt the potential for misbehaviour. They are able to sense the mood of the class and are sufficiently flexible to use alternative teaching strategies to make necessary adjustments.

Feedback and self-evaluation - Effective teachers seek feedback from pupils, colleagues and supervisors and reflect on the effectiveness of their lessons. Feedback from pupils would indicate to teachers whether the pupils have really learnt. Practical feedback - both affirmative and corrective - on teaching techniques, and classroom organisation and management from colleagues and supervisors can help teachers to improve.

Provide opportunities for appropriate behaviour, praise & feedback

Pupils need to have their little successes recognised and rewarded. When teachers rely less on punitive action, and more on the use of appropriate reinforcers, they promote positive behaviours.

When discussing a pupil’s misbehaviour, make it clear that it is the behaviour, not the pupil, that is unacceptable. Be firm, yet compassionate. Praise what they do well and encourage improvement and effort.

Find acceptable means for pupils to receive the attention and approval they often seek through misbehaviour. Provide opportunities for them to earn the spotlight through appropriate behaviour.

Reinforce positive behaviour. Many pupils go through school being ignored, as long as they do not “step out of line.”  They may not be the best pupils, but neither do they cause problems. Such pupils usually receive little of the teacher’s time or attention. Find ways to show recognition and appreciation to these pupils. Reward appropriate behaviour, do not ignore it. “Catch the pupil being good.” This involves a different kind of attitude and a more positive outlook.

Use praise effectively. Verbal praise can be effective in encouraging positive behaviour. Praise should be specific rather than general. Instead of “good work,” offer specific information on what you liked about the pupil’s work e.g. “Your use of colours in this picture was unique.” Be aware that public praise does not work for everyone. It may backfire when used with some adolescents; they’ll be teased by their peers (“Aw, teacher’s pet!”). However, such pupils will appreciate private encouragement.

Rewards must be varied to be effective. The same reward loses its ability to motivate if used repeatedly.

Understand the causes of disciplinary problems and acquire techniques to deal with themTeachers need to look beyond the misbehaviour to the underlying causes. Often the causes are due to ineffective organisation of classroom routine and teaching, peer relationships, and attitudes of teachers, pupils and parents. When teachers have an understanding of such causes and are skilful in handling misdemeanours, pupil behaviour improves.

The teacher should focus on the behaviour and not the intention behind a perceived misdemeanour. Emphasising on the why of an act arouses a defensive posture whereas pinpointing the inappropriateness of it helps pupils to develop more socially appropriate behaviour.

While the focus is on the misbehaviour, it is important to understand the emotional problems that the child may be facing whether at home or with their friends. The teacher can try to understand and help the pupil cope with his/her emotions without condoning his/her misbehavior.

Understanding the developmental needs of children and teenagers will also help the teacher to reach out to them and teach them the value of discipline. Children and teenagers need to feel that someone is in charge and will define limits for them.

Have a sense of humourMake efforts to inject fun and humour into the classroom. It could take the form of a quiz, a riddle or the occasional joke. When used appropriately, humour allows pupils to see the human and fun side of the teacher. Relationships with pupils can be greatly enhanced through this approach.

A good sense of humour is contagious and definitely works towards building a good rapport with pupils.

Students as Leaders

Good discipline requires teamwork which includes seeking the cooperation of pupils. Teachers should have a close working relationship especially with the class committees, prefects and student council members. They are the sensors of the discipline climate in the school and can provide useful feedback and help to reinforce school discipline. These student leaders are in a good position to help instill a school spirit. Hence it is important to seek their support.

Make full use of meetings with them to discuss an individual pupil’s problem or problems pertaining to the whole class. These pupils’ understanding of the problems can lead to joint solutions that bring about change. The key element is the involvement of peers in generating solutions to problems.
When conducting such meetings:

	Draw up an agenda before the meeting. Any pupil can ask for an item to be included in the agenda but limit the number of items on the agenda to facilitate more thorough discussions.
	Establish ground rules such as turn-taking, refraining from name-calling and showing commitment to solving the problems.
	Do not allow insults, blame and “put-downs”. Instead, encourage them to listen to all ideas and express their feelings.
	Focus on the behaviours that cause the problem and not the persons e.g. What can be done about graffiti on furniture?
	Focus on the present and the future. Do not dwell on the past.
	Work on a plan of change from the suggested solutions.
	Agree to monitor and review the plan at a later date.
	Encourage active participation by recognising efforts.

Create leadership opportunities for as many pupils as possible. Pupils who are in leadership roles are more likely to identify with the school. Other student leaders can include career representatives in each class. They will take charge of disseminating information pertaining to career and higher education. They can help plan a school-based Career Day, play host to speakers or be involved in the production of a career newsletter.

With the emphasis on IT-based lessons, schools can have IT representatives in every class. The computer knowledge of our pupils can be put to good use. Class representatives can also help plan the Community Involvement Programme. Involving the pupils meaningfully creates opportunities for growth and learning. When they are actively engaged in activities, there is also less time for mischief.

Role ModelsEffective teachers are good role models for their pupils. Just as teachers have certain expectation of pupils, pupils also have expectations of teachers. Studies have indicated the following aspects of teacher behaviour which are viewed as important by pupils:

	fair in making decisions that affect pupils;
	neat and properly attired;
	courteous;
	showing respect to pupils as individuals;
	sincere and open;
	maintaining good relationships with pupils even after punishment; and
	actively listening to pupils.

Pupil Well-Being & Development Department 2014

Adapted from MOE Discipline Resource Kit

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