Classroom Management Strategies Deirdre Russell-Bowie For further information see MMADD about the Arts: An introduction to Primary Arts Education by Deirdre Russell-Bowie, published by Pearson Education Australia

CREATIVE Classroom Management Children Rewards, Rules and Routines Environment Attitudes Time and resource Management Interactive Activities Variety Effective Communication

CREATIVE Classroom Management Children Know your children well. WHO to sit them next to (and who NOT to sit them next to) WHAT their interests and prior learning experiences are WHERE they come from (home and cultural background) WHY they act as they do HOW they learn (Learning styles, intelligences, etc) WHAT methods of positive reinforcement work best with them WHAT their preferred intelligences and learning styles are.

Rewards Rules Routines Set clear expectations Use positive reinforcement (powerful tool) Rules Set out rules, consequences and rewards at start of lesson Let children help make up rules Let them see WHY the rules are in place Routines Insist on quiet BEFORE you give instructions Give clear explanations Set up routines and follow them

CREATIVE Classroom Management Environment Physical Well organised Tidy, attractive Warm/cool Emotional Positive Encouraging Healthy Accepting

CREATIVE Classroom Management Attitudes Caught and not taught Positive and inspiring Teacher should be good role model Respecting differences Teachers’ attitudes influence children’s attitudes Actions speak louder than words Children will be enthusiastic, if YOU are enthusiastic!

Time and resource management Well-paced lesson Relate to children’s attention span Monitor for boredom and misunderstanding Have activity for early finishers Have all resources prepared and ready BEFORE the lesson Plan distribution and collection of resources carefully

Interactive Activities Less teacher talk, more child-centred learning experiences Children learn through a variety of experiences Children have one or more preferred ways of learning / multiple intelligences I hear and I forget I see and I remember I DO and I understand

Children remember: 10% of what they READ 20% of what they HEAR 30% of what they SEE 50% of what they HEAR and SEE 70% of what they SAY and WRITE 90% of what they SAY AS they DO

Variety Watch a children’s TV show and note the incredible variety Teachers compete with TV, computer games, movies, SMS texting, etc to make an impact in children’s lives Use variations in voice Faster, slower Higher, lower Use variations in body movements to create interest Aim to cover all eight multiple intelligences so ALL children can learn through their preferred intelligence.

CREATIVE Classroom Management Effective Communication Plan carefully what and how you want to communicate information Use body language, gestures, attitudes, visual aids as well as words Instructions should be clear, concise and simple Avoid chorus answers Give clear, simple explanations Repeat / reinforce explanations and instructions Check understanding: questions, visual scanning Show examples / demonstrate skills/tasks Use positive language

CREATIVE Classroom Management Children Rewards, Rules and Routines Environment Attitudes Time and resource Management Interactive Activities Variety Effective Communication