1. Classroom Management Techniques
Jacob S. Kounin
Classroom Management Techniques

2. Who is Kounin? Kounin is a classroom behaviourist theorist
Best known for his two studies done in 1970
He wrote the book, "Discipline and Group Management in Classrooms"
Kounin worked to combine both discipline and learning in the classroom
Kounin believed that organization and planning are key to engaging students
This relationship is characterized by proactive teacher behaviour along with student involvement in learning

3. Rationale
Focuses on preventative discipline: using techniques and strategies to prevent misbehaviours from occurring.

4. Case Study: Give suggestions of what proactive discipline is
Examples of proactive discipline (what does it look like in the classroom?)

5. Achieving Classroom Management Through Preventative Discipline
Key Ideas:
Ripple Effect
“Withitness”
Overlapping
Movement Management
Smoothness
Momentum
Group Focus and Accountability

6. Strategy 1: Ripple Effect
By correcting the misbehaviour of one student it can positively influence the behaviour of another

7. Strategy 2: ‘Withitness’
Awareness of what is going on in all parts of the classroom
Teachers have eyes on the back of their heads!
Classroom layout benefits the teachers ability to see all students at all times

8. Strategy 3: Overlapping
When teachers can effectively tend to two or more events simultaneously
Students are more likely to stay on task if they know that the teacher is aware of what they are doing (body language)

9. Strategy 4: Movement Management
Smoothness:
Smooth transitions between activities
Momentum:
Appropriate pace and progression through a lesson
Group Focus and Accountability:
Keep the whole class involved and interested

10. When Managing the Classroom, Try to AVOID :
Dangling:
Teacher leaves a topic and introduces new, unrelated material
Flip-flop:
like dangling, except that the teacher inserts left-over materials from a previous lesson

11. Avoid…
Thrust:
teacher forgets to give clear instructions at the appropriate time of a lesson.
Teacher must then re-explain the instructions to each student on an individual level
Stimulus-bound:
Teacher is distracted by an outside stimulus and draws the class’s attention to it

12. Classroom Applications
Be aware of what is happening around the classroom.
Intervene before misbehaviours escalate.
Use routines, explanations and smooth transitions to gain the attention of the students.
Keep all students involved through constant supervision and accountability.
Reduce off task behaviour and boredom by creating challenges, extending tasks, providing progress and adding variety.
Be able to attend to more than one event at the same time.
Note: Classroom management is most effective when these applications are applied at the beginning of the school year.

13. References
Kounin 1970
Jacob Kounin
Kounin, Jacob from WikEd
Learning Environment Article from The Premiere Website for Health and Physical
Education
Maine Education Association
The Kounin Model from Approaches to Discipline
West Dunbartonshire Council