Managing

Classroom Behavior
and Discipline
Jim Walters, M.A.
and Shelly Frei
 Table of Contents
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Chapter 1: Examine Your Classroom

Management Practices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Classroom Management vs. Classroom
Discipline. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Examine Your Current Practices. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Taking the Time to Reflect. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Establishing Strategies That Inspire Student
Academic Success . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Teacher Conduct . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Chapter 1 Reflection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Chapter 2: Providing a Positive Learning

Environment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
The Emotional and Physical Environments. . . . . . . . 34
Connecting the Constructed Environment to
Instructional Lessons. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
How to Help Children Feel Good About
Themselves. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Consider the Affective Filter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
What Are Your Expectations?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
How Do You Create a Peaceful Classroom? . . . . . . . 45
Chapter 2 Reflection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Chapter 3: Preparing Your Classroom for Success. . . . . 51

Establishing Initial Expectations in Planning
Standards of Conduct. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Establishing Standards of Conduct. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Classroom Rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Logical and Natural Consequences for
Student Behavior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Getting Students’ Attention With Signals. . . . . . . . . 61
Effective Room Arrangements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Chapter 3 Reflection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72


 Managing Classroom Behavior and Discipline

Work to Get Buy-In From the Students

Teachers are constantly pressured to meet the ris-
ing demands of content standards and pacing charts.
Therefore, they are often tempted to rush through their
content in the attempt to reach all of the goals. When
students are confused or do not understand, the teacher
may not even be aware of it until final assessments are
made. This is frustrating for students and for teach-
ers. The frustration can lead to behavioral problems.
Therefore, a teacher’s lessons will run more smoothly if
he/she can find ways to get students to connect with the
lesson from the beginning. For this reason, the teacher
needs to work to get buy-in from them.
“Students engage in learning when they recognize a con-
nection between what they know and the learning experi-
ence” (Diaz-Rico & Weed, 2002, p. 124). At the beginning
of each lesson, the teacher will need to assess a student’s
prior knowledge, or what he/she already knows about
the coming subject. This not only guides the teacher’s
instruction, but it also facilitates the students accessing
their own knowledge. The teacher then provides any
background knowledge needed. When there is very little
prior knowledge, the teacher uses scaffolding techniques
to help students build schemas, “that is, construct a
framework of concepts that show the relationships of old
and new learning and how they are connected” (Diaz-
Rico & Weed, 2002, p. 125). This whole process allows
students to connect what they already know with what
they are going to learn for true learning associations.
During lessons, teachers can preplan opportunities to
give the students as much choice as possible. When
they are finished with a task, the teacher can provide
avenues to plan what they will work on next. When pos-
sible, the teacher can put a list of activities on the board
so that the students know what’s expected for the day.

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 Providing a Positive Learning Environment

Another way to create this buy-in experience is to give

students a purpose for everything they will be learning.
Ineffective teachers keep the assignment a mystery until
they announce that it has to be done and only teach
according to the textbook (Wong & Wong, 1998), rather
than creating dynamic learning experiences surrounding
the content standards with all the resources available.
Teachers easily tell students what they need to learn but
not always why they need to learn it.
When a teacher actively pursues positive results regard-
ing student success, odds increase that this will be the
result (Wong & Wong, 1998). If a teacher is striving to
achieve a positive room environment, then it is vital
that the teacher celebrates with students when they have
achieved it. Keeping open discussion on good attitudes
(both teacher and students), praise when deserved, and
positive reinforcement all around can work wonders.
Keep in mind that simple praise can become counter-
productive and is not enough to create a positive learn-
ing environment. The end result comes from a teacher
who prepares purposefully, praises deserving students,
positively reinforces at key moments, and maintains an
upbeat attitude through the tedious parts of each school
day. This teacher demonstrates to students the value of
such things as effort, hard work, kindness, and depend-
ability above and beyond simply desiring correct and
neat work.

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 Managing Classroom Behavior and Discipline

Sample Daily Contract

Student’s Name: __________________________________________________________

Class: ____________________________________________________________________

Date: ____________________________________________________________________

Yes No Notes

Redirections during
the day

Turned in all
homework

Finished all
classwork

Successful day at
recess

When _____________________ earns _______ positive contracts, this will happen:

_________________________________________________________________________

When _____________________ earns _______ negative contracts this will happen:

_________________________________________________________________________

Teacher’s Signature: __________________________________________

Parent’s Signature: __________________________________________

Student’s Signature: __________________________________________

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 Students With Behavior Needs

Daily Work Goals for the Week

Student’s Name: _____________________________ Week of: _______________

Language Social
Math Science Other Comments
Arts Studies
Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

When ________ earns _______ positive contracts, this will happen: ___________
________________________________________________________________________

When ________ earns _______ negative contracts this will happen: ___________
________________________________________________________________________

Teacher’s Signature: __________________________________________

Parent’s Signature: __________________________________________

Student’s Signature: __________________________________________

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