For many passionate, knowledgeable, and creative educators, classroom management is the missing element that prevents them from being wholly effective. A chaotic or unruly environment is not conducive to student learning. To address this challenge, teachers and administrators must collaborate and communicate, forming strong partnerships to set and enforce classroom management policies.
Discipline and classroom management have been at the forefront of my mind as I have switched from the role of classroom teacher to administrator. Over the summer, I taught school one day and returned the next day as the summer school principal. One experience that caused me to reflect a great deal occurred on my first day as principal. A student I had taught previously came to me in tears because his teacher had sent him to my office for behaving inappropriately.
The student apologized and asked what he could do to make it up to me and the teacher. He expressed his embarrassment for having misbehaved and kept his head on the desk for a good 10 minutes. I spoke with him firmly, sent him back to class, and patted myself on the back for a job well done as a new principal. He had never expressed such remorse as my student. Maybe I was better suited for administration, I began to think.
With great confidence, I asked the teacher at the end of the day if the student had been on his best behavior upon his return. The teacher said, “No, he came back and acted exactly the same way he was acting before I sent him to you.”
Stunned, I realized the student had manipulated me. I wondered, How routine is this type of production for many students? The student puts on a performance for the administrator who sends the seemingly “reformed” student back to class. When he misbehaves again, the teacher has learned that sending the student to the office proves ineffective, so he doesn't bother sending the student again. The administrator, because she doesn't see the student in the office again, thinks that the problem has been resolved.
For me as an administrator, this anecdote illustrates the need for strong communication between teachers and administrators on matters concerning discipline. I think that my recent classroom experience will also be beneficial in my new role.
Guiding and mentoring teachers in preventing classroom disruptions and supporting teachers in their decision making will prove invaluable to our team's success. Also, setting clear expectations and outlining the consequences for violations of classroom and school norms and policies is extremely important. Finally, I believe that consistent and equitable enforcement of policies is a critical element for success.
