Effective teaching and learning in every classroom (be it in a government school, a private school, a college or a university) largely depends on one factor: Successful “classroom management.” Many a times, teachers take this lightly, thinking they can manage their classroom easily, but it’s only when things go wrong during a lesson that they become concerned and wonder, “Why wasn’t I able to manage my class well?”

Classroom management essentially comprises  everything that a teacher does in the classroom—from the time she enters it till she exits it—to achieve the objectives of her lesson plan. It includes the teacher’s pedagogical knowledge, the topic which is being taught in the class, the nature of the activities planned, resource materials, attitude and rapport with the students, and, last but not the least, class control. A good classroom is said to be one where the students show an enthusiastic and positive approach towards learning while exhibiting discipline and self control, and the teacher needs to play a pivotal role in cultivating such an environment, mainly through effective classroom management.

The behaviour of students is the first thing that comes to mind when discussing classroom management. But to be able to understand the dynamics of our classrooms better, it’s important to make a 360-degree analysis of this expression and see which factors can potentially affect it. L.A. Froyen and A.M. Iverson have discussed three major elements in their book Schoolwide and Classroom Management: The Reflective Educator Leader that can either disrupt or appease one’s class. They are content management of the course, conduct management of the pupils and covenant management of the classroom as a social system.

Content management indicates planning and delivering the lessons in a way that they elicit students’ prior understanding and broadens their current knowledge bank, especially without making them memorise the subject matter. It is best done when the teacher designs fun activities to make the topic interesting and gives students ownership of their learning. Time management and student empowerment are crucial here while the teacher’s role is reduced to facilitate the process only.

The significance of content management can be gauged by a student in a secondary girl’s school  Malir Safia’s statement. She says casually, “My teacher just sits around and repeats the same topic over and over again. The girls in the front row pretend to listen while we, at the back, silently play with our mobile phones.”

This account shows that even though the classroom seems quiet and organised, it cannot be categorised as ‘productive’ because there is no learning taking place there. It’s completely teacher-centred where the students are passive and detached.In contrast, wouldn’t this classroom be considerably more creative, if the teacher there chooses a new topic, integrates it with a move-around-the-classroom-activity and uses questioning techniques to engage her pupils? An enthusiastic body language would also help her connect with the students better.

Another important ingredient is good conduct management which involves managing discipline inside and outside the class as well as reinforcing appropriate student behaviour. Teachers can use a number of approaches to curb disobedience such as establishing classroom rules (after consulting the students), being assertive when giving instructions, using rewards and punishments for agreeable and unacceptable actions, shuffling students to avoid groups formation and maintaining a steady eye contact. However, it’s advisable if teachers avoid giving harsh punishments, which are least effective and can result in further stubbornness on the student’s part.

Mrs M. Ali, a college teacher, reflects on her experience of dealing with troublesome students. “I’ve learnt that the more you try to stop such students from misbehaving, the more they’ll try to irritate you. The best way is to engage them in an activity and entrust them with responsibilities. This usually works. However, at times you need to ignore the student, too, especially when he/she is becoming rebellious. You need to diffuse the situation and not create one. Deal with the pupil afterwards by politely asking the reason for such an attitude. I’ve found that disruptive teenage students don’t usually enjoy what’s happening in the class and want to do things differently. Value their views and give them the space to do things their way.”

The third and the most essential classroom element is covenant management. It focuses on developing and enhancing the problem-solving skills of students to maintain discipline through dexterously managing their interpersonal relationships. It’s about grooming their personality and inculcating in them life skills such as team work and flexibility.

Many teachers deliver their lessons without paying much attention to their students’ social skills. For example, if two students are arguing over a trifle matter in the classroom, our traditional teacher is most likely to scold them and in some cases, change their seating arrangements. In covenant management, the teacher intervenes, listens to the argument and then encourages the students to find a solution amiably.

Teachers can help students achieve many milestones in their lives. But in order for them to do that they must take a step back and think of what they’re doing in their classrooms and how.