Summary and reflection of the reading: "Rethinking classroom management"

According to Natalia Maldonado and Pilar Olivares, when talking about classroom management we should talk about teaching and learning management, and when talking about behavior management we should talk about behavior for learning.

The main aim of teaching and learning management is to provide the students with a successful teaching and learning experience and, in order to achieve this, organizational management (dealing with discipline), curriculum management (organizing and developing lessons which take into account the aims, objectives, contents and competencies required) - and social issues (proper social relations established between peers, which can favor learning experiences) should be taken into account, as often each area directly affects the other ones.

As far as I have seen, organizational management does not work if curriculum management or social issues are not coped with properly. At the school center I am in, the English teacher I am working with makes a perfect curriculum management, as she gives all lessons in English and makes pupils participate and understand what she is saying, which results in an effective organizational management, scarcely needing to call the attention of children presenting disruptive behavior. I believe taking into account all these issues as interrelated parts of teaching and learning management is essential for me and my future practice.

In regards to creating an effective organizational management, rights and duties must be clear and explicit, being rules created out of a process of negotiation. These work better when describing desired behaviors, when followed by the whole community and when teachers do not see this negotiation as a waste of time, being consistent in its application and the process is interactive. Also, establishing routines for the students to take an active role in problem-solving is key, especially to prevent conflictive situation from taking place, reminding them of the importance that following this rules plays in creating an ordered environment which fosters learning.

When talking about curriculum management, it is the school’s job to develop it according to its context and their students’ needs. This means enabling pupils to think deeply and critically on the activities, giving them the chance to become creative and enabling all of them to respond positively to challenges and responsibilities. In order to achieve this, lessons must be appealing, including meaningful tasks aimed at the age group, at the time extra differentiated support is given to all learners, so as to prevent some of them from being excluded of our lessons. Knowing most retention information rates belong to practicing, discussion and are followed by the presence of audiovisual media, followed by reading and listening, lessons should include cooperative and individual learning, being the most effective kind of learning that of including the most effective retention rates. Work group increases pupils’ self-esteem, improving oral skills and promoting social skills, while individual learning develops self-discipline.

 Moving on to social issues, students must be given an active role in their learning process, where the affective side must be taken into account. They must take a safe learning in the classroom, being accepted by what they are. Respect should take place both from students to the teacher and from the teacher towards the students. Optimism and good expectations help.