by Catherine Tyler-Cochran

"Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it" (Proverbs 22:6, NIV).

Diverse cultures and value systems in churches make educating children a daunting task. Given the complexity of the students, how can a teacher create an environment that promotes learning?

According to a recent study, classroom management is the most important factor contributing to student learning. Effective teaching practices cannot be reduced to a simple formula. However, with some practical strategies, the teacher can implement techniques to create a learning environment where children thrive.

• With proper classroom management children:
• experience a pleasant and safe environment.
• understand what is required of them.
• become engaged in learning.

Effective classroom management refers to the techniques a teacher employs to organize materials, space, students and time so that learning can take place. Successful teachers not only teach well—they manage their classrooms.

Organizing Materials
Consider the resources needed for each activity. Whether you engage the children in an original activity or one culled from a resource, it is important to plan what you’ll need. Will each child have supplies, or will children share? If they share, how will this take place? Will you distribute materials after explaining the directions, or will they be on hand before the activity begins?

Explain how to use the supplies before distributing them. With my own first graders, I teach a mini-lesson at the beginning of the year on how to use glue. We practice putting a dot of glue on paper, a line of glue on paper, and a blob of glue on paper. This saves time on future projects—and helps avoid some sticky messes! Once students are familiar with the supplies and how to use them, have them ready before children arrive, saving valuable class time for the lesson.

Designate student helpers. If supplies must be handed out during class, designating student helpers will save time. Most children love these special assignments, and you’ll have more time to explain the activity or begin the lesson.

Organizing Space
Make sure the room layout complements the lesson’s activities. Will children work in small or large groups? Will they sit in chairs or on the floor—in a circle, or in rows?

Consider the room size in comparison with the number of children. If the room is small and the class is large, you may want to lead more collaborative group activities. These activities often require fewer materials, but the noise level can be greater than with other activities.

Think about the available furniture. Groups work well at small tables or on the floor. Is there sufficient space around tables for all the children? If not, improvise. Clipboards make great table tops. Distribute some to children, and allow a group to work together on the floor.

Become part of the class. For full-class discussions or demonstrations, the class might sit in a large circle with the instructor in the middle or as part of the circle.

Circulate during group work. Walk around to make eye contact with individual students to maintain their attention. Offer encouragement, pose a question, praise good effort.

Organizing Students
Establish routines. A pleasant classroom environment enhances the experience for you—and for the children. You are responsible for setting those ground rules concerning what takes place in the classroom and how it will happen. Without rules to follow, children will make their own!

Find a fun way to get the class’s attention. For example, one method that works well with younger children is to clap a pattern, and have the children repeat it. Or use color-coded signs to indicate that "it’s time to look and listen." Older children may respond better to a simple gesture that they imitate to show that they are listening and responding to the teacher’s request for quiet.

Explain directions in language that children will understand. Clarify each step, and then have a volunteer repeat it. Children become more engaged when they understand the activity. Inform them what they can do when they complete an activity. As with rules, if children are not given instructions, they will determine their own agenda!

Make sure children know what to do if they finish early. You might say, "When you’re done, gather in the Bible story corner, and share your work with each other." This allows each child to work at his or her own pace, while early-finishers have specific activities to occupy them as others complete their work.

Most importantly, praise and encourage the children. Focus on accomplishments, and highlight any exceptional efforts by the students.

Organizing Time
Begin class on time. Time is valuable, so the lesson and any materials should be ready before students arrive. Arrive early and enthusiastically greet children as they enter the classroom.

Over-plan. It’s always better to have too much planned than not enough. If class ends before all work is finished, the children will return the following week with a greater appetite for learning.

Keep an eye on the clock. With five or ten minutes remaining in class, plan for a "wrap-up" in which you give the students an opportunity to summarize what they’ve learned (or share what they’ve made) before they begin the clean-up process. Plan for clean-up the same way you planned to distribute supplies: designate a child or several children to gather supplies; other children to gather anything that may have fallen on the floor; and others to push in chairs or complete remaining tasks.

Effective classroom management techniques help teachers promote learning and establish a safe and enjoyable environment for children. Over the next few months we’ll explore how to:

• develop an effective management plan
• prepare the classroom before children arrive
• establish clear expectations and consequences, and
• integrate these components to maximize learning.
  

Where should the teacher start? Classroom management begins before students step inside the room. Next month, we’ll examine how to develop a successful classroom management plan.