In a teaching world where using extrinsic rewards has become a mainstream classroom management staple, it is important to remember that strong classroom management is not just about tossing out rewards to students who are following the rules. When training practicum students, student interns and new teachers (regardless of subject matter), it is important to help those who are new to education understand how vital it is to be pro-active in classroom management beyond these extrinsic rewards.
Preplanning the classroom environment, thinking through the pacing of each lesson, having the ability to create smooth transitions, and having a passionate delivery of the content being presented are skills that cannot be ignored. All too often, teachers refer to using a “bag of tricks” when dealing with problem students, but if we as teachers remember that when students are engaged in the learning process problem behaviors are minimized and sometimes even eliminated. New and veteran teachers alike would benefit from this article: Classroom Management: More Than A Bag of Tricks
Review by Bridget James, Western Division Representative, © National Association for Music Education
