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COURSE TITLE:

CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT THAT WORKS

NO. OF CREDITS:

2 QUARTER CREDITS
[semester equivalent = 1.33 credits]

WA CLOCK HRS:
OREGON PDUs:
PENNSYLVANIA ACT 48:

20
20
20

INSTRUCTOR:

Mary Ann Johnson
maryajohnson-advisor@comcast.net

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

When you want to know what to do or gain some new insights in the area of classroom management, you need to trust the source of the information. In the case of this course, the resource is both authoritative and reality-based. It clarifies both what to do, and how to do it, with ample examples and action steps. It reduces the stress that can result from seat-of-the-pants decision-making by revealing research-proven, humane and effective strategies.

The study guide questions help direct your focus and insights as you read the book. While the book is chock full of information, it is not one to read as a stand-alone, but the process of reading and reflecting on the ideas is a very satisfying learning experience. It would be worth reading for beginners as well as well-seasoned teachers, who are looking for finesse and validation for their already successful skills. A major premise of this book is that there is more time for effective classroom instruction when classroom management is smooth-running.

The authors are all outstanding contributors to the world of teaching expertise in practice. Robert Marzano is probably the foremost author of teacher training materials based on research in best practices has produced a practical and trustworthy collection of ideas and insights for teachers of any level of experience looking for wisdom and effectiveness in classroom management.
Additional cost for required textbook is approximately $21-$26 depending on purchase source.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: Upon completion of this course, participants will have:

Learned the best practices based on over 100 studies.
Learned ways to get off to a strong start.
Learned how to present rules and procedures.
Learned how to handle relationships for positive and disciplinary responses.
Learned how to encourage student responsibility for self-management and self-control.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
Completion of all specified assignments is required for issuance of hours or credit. The Heritage Institute does not award partial credit.

HOURS EARNED:
Completing the basic assignments (Section A. Information Acquisition) for this course automatically earns participants their choice of CEUs (Continuing Education Units), Washington State Clock Hours, Oregon PDUs, or Pennsylvania ACT 48 Hours. The Heritage Institute offers CEUs and is an approved provider of Washington State Clock Hours, Oregon PDUs, and Pennsylvania ACT 48 Hours.

UNIVERSITY QUARTER CREDIT INFORMATION

REQUIREMENTS FOR UNIVERSITY QUARTER CREDIT
Continuing Education Quarter credits are awarded by Antioch University Seattle (AUS). AUS requires 75% or better for credit at the 400 level and 85% or better to issue credit at the 500 level. These criteria refer both to the amount and quality of work submitted.

Completion of Information Acquisition assignments 30%
Completion of Learning Application assignments 40%
Completion of Integration Paper assignment 30%

CREDIT/NO CREDIT (No Letter Grades or Numeric Equivalents on Transcripts)
Antioch University Seattle (AUS) Continuing Education Quarter credit is offered on a Credit/No Credit basis; neither letter grades nor numeric equivalents are on a transcript. 400 level credit is equal to a "C" or better, 500 level credit is equal to a "B" or better. This information is on the back of the transcript.

AUS Continuing Education quarter credits may or may not be accepted into degree programs. Prior to registering, determine with your district personnel, department head, or state education office the acceptability of these credits for your purpose.

ADDITIONAL COURSE INFORMATION

REQUIRED TEXT

Classroom Management That Works: Research-Based Strategies for Every Teacher by Robert J. Marzano, with Jana S. Marzano and Debra J. Pickering, ASCD, 2003 ISBN 0-87120-793-1

None. All reading is online.

MATERIALS FEE

• Text is currently available from Amazon.com for approximately $16.

ASSIGNMENTS REQUIRED FOR HOURS OR UNIVERSITY QUARTER CREDIT

A. INFORMATION ACQUISITION

Assignments done in a course forum will show responses from all educators who have or are taking the course independently. Feel free to read and respond to others' comments.
Group participants can only view and respond to their group members in the Forum.

Assignment #1: COURSE FORUM.

From Chapter 1: “The Critical Role of Classroom Management”

On page 4, the following statement is made: “…a strong case can be made that effective instructional strategies and good classroom curriculum design are built on the foundation of effective classroom management.” Explain why many feel classroom management is the “foundation” on which curriculum and instruction are built. How do effective instructional strategies and good curriculum design, in turn, influence classroom management?

COURSE FORUM:

Briefly introduce yourself and explain your interest in the topic. Enter your introduction in the Group Forum.

Assignment #2: Classroom Management & You.

From Chapter 1: This chapter offers an answer to the question, “Are good classroom managers born or made?” Apparently, teachers can learn to be good classroom managers, even when only given information about techniques. What type of training have you received in classroom management and what was most effective?

What areas of classroom management would be of most interest to you?

Assignment #3: Rules & Procedure.

From Chapter 2: “Rules and Procedure” A strong case is made for involving students in establishing rules and procedures. To what extent do you or others involve students? What might be some pitfalls to avoid when involving students?

Assignment #4: Action Step 1.

From Chapter 2: Action Step 1 includes a discussion of six areas for which rules and procedures might be established. Rate yourself on how well you feel you address each of these areas. In your school which areas are most problematic? Is there an area where you need to build further interventions? Which areas do you feel are the hardest to control?

Assignment #5: Disciplinary Intervention.

From Chapter 3: “Disciplinary Intervention”

Examine Figure 3.1. Read the explanation on pages 28-29. Do any of these surprise you? Why do you think an approach to discipline that includes a combination of recognition and reward in conjunction with consequences for inappropriate behavior seems to have the most positive effect on students’ behavior?

Assignment #6: Consequences.

From Chapter 3: In Figures 3.4 and 3.5, parents and students were asked to rank both negative and positive consequences according to their beliefs about the effectiveness of each. Notice the consequences that parents ranked as No. 1 and that students ranked as No. 2 in each of the figures. What does this suggest to classroom teachers?

Assignment #7: Some techniques.

From Chapter 3: Action Step 1 explains five categories of techniques teachers use to acknowledge and reinforce positive behavior and to acknowledge and provide negative consequences for unacceptable behavior. For each category, reflect on how effectively you or others use these techniques. In addition, try to remember specific teachers from your past who were particularly skilled at any of these techniques.

Assignment #8: Teacher-Student Relationships.

From Chapter 4: “Teacher-Student Relationships” Action Steps 1 and 2 make specific recommendations for establishing both dominance and cooperation in your relationship with students. Reflect on how these recommendations describe you as a teacher, or describe other teachers with whom you are familiar.

Assignment #9: Mental Set.

From Chapter 5: “Mental Set” Marzano states that “withitness” can be taught. Looking at the action steps for “withitness,” what qualities constitute “withitness?”

Why do you think it is difficult for teachers to learn how to be “withit” and “emotionally objective” in the classroom? The action steps in this chapter make very specific recommendations for developing emotional objectivity. As you read them, reflect on the extent to which you and others engage in these behaviors.

Assignment #10: Student Responsibility.

From Chapter 6: “The Student’s Responsibility for Management” Some teachers report that when they use the types of strategies described in Action Steps 2 and 3, they typically use them early in the year. Which of the Action Steps seemed helpful to continue a focus on student responsibility through the year?

Assignment #11: A Good Start.

From Chapter 7: “Getting Off to a Good Start” Action Step 1 stresses the importance of arranging and decorating your classroom in a way that supports a positive living environment. If you have seen examples of unique and effective classroom arrangements, or have demonstrated them yourself, describe how they seemed to promote a positive learning environment to get off to a good start. Describe the best methods you have used during those first days of school.

Assignment #12: Time.

From Chapter 7: Time is precious. When teachers feel the pressure of making sure they are teaching all that is required, they may not accept the advice in Action Step 3, which is to spend a good deal of time teaching and reinforcing classroom management. How would you explain to them reasons for spending time in this way? Provide an example of how you reinforce classroom management.

Assignment #13: COURSE FORUM.

COURSE FORUM:

In summary, what ideas or insights from the research information and/or action steps were of greatest interest and value to you?

What surprises were there, and what validations were there for your own classroom management practices?

What was an especially worthwhile idea or insight you found from the information from this book?

Write your response in the Group Forum. If others have already written comments, please respond to the one(s) that caught your attention.

ADDITIONAL ASSIGNMENTS REQUIRED FOR UNIVERSITY QUARTER CREDIT

B. LEARNING APPLICATION

In this section, you will apply your learning to your professional situation. This course assumes that most participants are classroom teachers who have access to students. If you do not have a classroom available to you, please contact the instructor for course modifications. Assignments done in a course forum will show responses from all educators who have or are taking the course independently. Feel free to read and respond to others' comments. Group participants can only view and respond to their group members in the Forum.

Assignment #14: Lesson Development.

Assignment #14: (Required for 400 and 500 Level)
Assignment #14-A:

Adapt a lesson reflecting what you’ve learned in this course.
Implement your lesson with students.
Write a 250-500 word commentary on what worked well and what could be improved.
Include any student feedback on your lesson.
Share what you’ve learned with other teachers taking our courses by adding your Lesson to The Heritage Institute Lesson Library here.
For a sample lesson plan template click here.
Submit your modified lesson to your instructor via the online response box or file upload.

Assignment #14-B:

Adapt a lesson reflecting what you’ve learned in this course. (Do not implement it.)
Share your learning with other teachers by contributing your Lesson to The Heritage Institute Lesson Library here.
For a sample lesson plan template click here.
Write a 500+ word article about a noteworthy teaching success you’ve had with one or more students.
Please refer to the guidelines on our blog What Works: Teaching at its Best prior to writing your article.
When you submit your article to your instructor, please also email a copy to Yvonne Hall THI blog curator and media specialist.
Indicate whether or not you are OK with having your article considered for publishing on our website.
Submit your lesson to your instructor via the response box or file upload.

Assignment #15: (500 Level ONLY)

In addition to the 400 level assignments, complete one (1) of the following assignment options:

Option A) Create a PowerPoint presentation for a group of colleagues. Focus on key ideas and inspiring innovations to augment current practices.

Option B) Compare and contrast this book with another related book or online research of articles. For online research be sure to include URLs.

C. INTEGRATION PAPER

Assignment #16: (Required for 400 and 500 level)

SELF REFLECTION & INTEGRATION PAPER
(Please do not write this paper until you've completed all of your other assignments)

Write a 400-500 word Integration Paper answering these 5 questions:

What did you learn vs. what you expected to learn from this course?
What aspects of the course were most helpful and why?
What further knowledge and skills in this general area do you feel you need?
How, when and where will you use what you have learned?
How and with what other school or community members might you share what you learned?

INSTRUCTOR COMMENTS ON YOUR WORK:

Instructors will comment on each assignment. If you do not hear from the instructor within a few days of posting your assignment, please get in touch with them immediately.

QUALIFICATIONS FOR TEACHING THIS COURSE:

Mary Ann Johnson, M.Ed Adm. has worked with students of all levels, from alternative high school to gifted classes. She has also been a junior high vice principal and is now working with teachers for continuing education in classes, distance learning and building leadership groups. She is a teacher emeritus who has led seminars for educators which focus on developing a quality learner environment for students and for teachers. Her courses are research-based and resonate with user-friendly and energizing content.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT THAT WORKS

Bender, William N., 20 Disciplinary Strategies for Working With Challenging Students, pb, 246 pages, Learning Sciences International, 2006. The author says, “Classroom discipline isn’t just about how strict or relaxed a teacher is.” In this book he provides three tiers of strategies; whole class and whole school preventive strategies; immediate strategies to deal with disciplinary problems that could otherwise lead to further disruptions; and individually-targeted strategies for serious behavior problems. His list of twenty strategies is practical and relevant to the changing times. He uses widely respected research to see what really works. Since the information can be applied at many grade levels, the author suggests using the book to individualize by dipping into the book for the specific situations relevant to your school/classroom culture. The publisher has provided a webinar for this book by the author. (Webinar 10: 102-482-907)

Fuller, Ethlyn Davis, A Teaching Heart: A Notebook for Managing Classroom, Experiencing Cultural Diversity for Effective Teaching and Developing Confident Parenting Skills,122 pages, Xlibris, 2008. At first I was afraid this book would be too homespun for a serious approach, but in surveying the excerpts, I have come to the conclusion this book would greatly help teachers who are working with diverse and , sometimes, adversarial cultures. The tone and skills suggested would greatly benefit both a frustrated teacher and a dysfunctional classroom. The content is basically a great reminder, in everyday language, of what constitutes effective teaching, classroom management, and motivation theory. There are a few suggestions that would not suit every style or school culture, but for the most part, it would give a lift to a teacher whose classroom is in need of a facelift! The author has taught at Cambridge.

Harris, Bryan and Goldberg, Cassandra, 75 Quick & Easy Solutions to Common Classroom Disruptions, pb, 81 pages, Eye on Education, 2012. Each page of this practical field book deals with some of the five major problems caused by student disruptions: blurting out; side talking; rude or disrespectful behavior; zoning out; or giving up too easily. At the top of each page the name of an intervention strategy to deal with one to all of the five above problems. In addition to a set of 75 ideas, there are tips and variations for each of the strategies as well, and an index with a summary of which ideas are suggested for each of the five major focuses. Really helpful if you don’t have a lot of time, but enjoy new approaches and novel ways to stay on top of your game.

Payne, Ruby, A Framework for Understanding Poverty: A Cognitive Approach, 5^th Edition, pb, 237 pages, aha!process Inc., 2013. This book includes many other insights besides ways to deal with discipline. Its focus is working with students who are coming to school from a culture that for two generations or more did not have family members who completed much formal schooling. These under-resourced students may, therefore, have culturally-based inappropriate responses to the middle class culture of schools. Not only will this book help you understand how to develop the academic skills, but will answer for you some of the surprising behaviors that could be expected and dealt with, as the teacher translates life in the middle class world with its “hidden rules” of school (and eventually, the world of work.) This approach helps a teacher avoid feeling like a personal failure when the problem with some student behaviors are really cultural-based.

Wong, Harry K. and Won, Rosemary T. and 4 others, The Classroom Management Book, pb, 320 pages, Harry K. Wong Publications, 2014. This book is a good companion to The First Days of School also by the Wongs. The Classroom Management Book is full of very important ideas for setting up a school year and creating routines and structures for a positive classroom environment. It is considered a great help by beginning teachers, but it is not recommended for high school staff. The content is focused on the elementary classroom and would be especially useful as a summer read, when the planning begins for a new school year.