Classroom Management: Principals Help Teachers Develop Essential Skills

Almost everybody agrees that strong classroom management skills are essential for successful teaching, but many teacher education programs don't provide courses to help future teachers develop those skills. So what is a principal to do with a new teacher who has great potential but needs help with classroom management?

Reflection is key. “Teachers need to be more introspective about their teaching style -- what works, what doesn't, and what needs to be tweaked,” said Laurence Anderson. Principal Mary L. Russo agreed. Teachers need to hold a mirror up to their practice in three areas -- classroom organization, lesson preparation, and classroom routines. Russo offered the following questions a principal might ask after a tour of a teacher’s classroom:

Classroom organization. Is the setup of the room easy to manage? Are materials easily accessible? Are desk arrangements and seating plan conducive to strong classroom management? Are areas set aside for group and individual work creating problems?

Lesson preparation. Are all materials required for the lesson ready for use? Do the students understand the learning objectives? Does the lesson include a plan for students who finish the assigned work early? Has the teacher thought about how she/he will transition students from one activity to the next?

Classroom routines. Are there clear expectations for student behavior posted and visible to all students? Has the teacher explicitly taught students routines, such as how to sit on the rug, when to transition to a center, how to ask questions?

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