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Unit five of the ITTT course is all about classroom management. Classroom management describes how the teacher manages his or her students. From my reading of the text, a classroom can best be managed by ensuring three relationships are acknowledged, realized and moderated through changing situations. First is the interaction between teacher and student. Second is the interaction between student and student. Third is how the physical space of the classroom influences the interactions of teachers and students.
Some examples of ways in which teachers must be aware of their interactions with students is how the teacher uses their voice, eye contact, gestures and position in the classroom to best maintain order and smooth running lesson. Oftentimes, this includes the proper balance of teacher talk time and student talk time, rapport building, the general communication of concepts, instructions and explanations as well as the discipline of students. Everything from the modulation of tone to the way in which a teacher uses eye contact, hand gestures and body positioning in relation to students can effect the way in which students feel, behave and respond. When in doubt, keep language simple, reduce teacher talk time and involve all students equally.
A teacher must also be aware of how students behave together to maximize learning potential. Switching up seating arrangements and making sure to vary the type of work--single person, pairs, groups and whole-class--can all effect how the children learn and behave. A teacher must be aware of individual student personalities and how they play off others to best maximize lesson effectiveness. Pairing strong and weak students or making sure that even shy students participate can help better manage the classroom. A teacher must also be aware of conflict between students and act accordingly when they arise.
Oftentimes the size, space, and furniture of the classroom will effect the way in which teachers interact with students and the way in which students interact with each other. Creating the right seating arrangement for a class or activity can positively or negatively effect classroom discipline, focus, engagement and behavior. For instance, a circle arrangement wouldn't be practical for a small classroom with many people. Also, students seated in groups at tables may increase interaction between students, but can also decrease attentiveness to the teacher and can create cliques. Properly using the space given will mitigate many learning and behavioral problems that can arise in a classroom.
