a multi-faceted theory of classroom management

based on 4 key concepts Identifying & addressing mistaken goals of

misbehaviour Being democratic rather than autocratic/

permissive teachers Using logical consequences rather than

punishment Awareness of the difference between praise

and encouragement

Key Concept 1: Mistaken goals Attention seeking (more dominant in young

children) Power seeking (behaviours include

disobedience, talking back, or overt resistance)

Revenge (behaviours include stealing, kicking, and intentionally hurting others)

Feelings of inadequacy (helplessness or inferiority)

Key Concept 2: Being democratic VS autocratic or permissive Treating students as individuals & with

respect Modelling respect at all times Treating students with dignity, firmness &

kindness Allowing students to help make important

class decisions Using instructional methods that meet

individual students’ learning needs & interests

Key Concept 3: Logical consequences VS punishment Simple, specific classroom rules must first

exist, after which a sequence of logical consequences can be laid down

Use punishment ONLY when all logical consequences have been exhausted

Possibility of students devising their OWN classroom rules & logical consequences

Key Concept 4: Praise VS encouragement More encouragement to boost confidence &

self esteem Encouragement keeps students on task &

minimizes disruption Less praise to reduce students’ dependency

on it Praise may have a discouraging effect in the

long run: a decrease in the amt of praise may lead to a decrease in self-worth

Advantages Promotes respect & communication among

teachers & students Students take responsibility for their own

actions Concept of logical consequences when used

consistently, provide a fair & basic element Complements good teaching (caring classroom

community, student-centered instructions, student-teacher collaboration)

Potential for contributing to the safe schools movt.

Disadvantages Difficulty at times in identifying &

understanding reasons for misbehaviour Inability to always respond properly to

misbehaviour and provide logical consequences

Inappropriate for tackling more serious problems

Teachers who are inherently autocratic or permissive might have difficulty adopting democratic perspectives