Jacob S. Kounin Classroom Management Techniques

Who is Kounin? Kounin is a classroom behaviourist theorist Best known for his two studies done in 1970He wrote the book, "Discipline and Group Management in Classrooms" Kounin worked to combine both discipline and learning in the classroomKounin believed that organization and planning are key to engaging studentsThis relationship is characterized by proactive teacher behaviour along with student involvement in learning

RationaleFocuses on preventative discipline: using techniques and strategies to prevent misbehaviours from occurring.

Case Study:Give suggestions of what proactive discipline is

Examples of proactive discipline (what does it look like in the classroom?)

Achieving Classroom Management Through Preventative DisciplineKey Ideas: Ripple EffectWithitnessOverlappingMovement Management

SmoothnessMomentumGroup Focus and Accountability

Strategy 1: Ripple EffectBy correcting the misbehaviour of one student it can positively influence the behaviour of another

Strategy 2: WithitnessAwareness of what is going on in all parts of the classroom

Teachers have eyes on the back of their heads!Classroom layout benefits the teachers ability to see all students at all times

Strategy 3: OverlappingWhen teachers can effectively tend to two or more events simultaneously Students are more likely to stay on task if they know that the teacher is aware of what they are doing (body language)

Strategy 4: Movement Management Smoothness:

Smooth transitions between activitiesMomentum:

Appropriate pace and progression through a lessonGroup Focus and Accountability:

Keep the whole class involved and interested

When Managing the Classroom, Try to AVOIDDangling:

Teacher leaves a topic and introduces new, unrelated material

Flip-flop:

like dangling, except that the teacher inserts left-over materials from a previous lesson

AvoidThrust:

teacher forgets to give clear instructions at the appropriate time of a lesson.Teacher must then re-explain the instructions to each student on an individual levelStimulus-bound:

Teacher is distracted by an outside stimulus and draws the classs attention to it

Classroom ApplicationsBe aware of what is happening around the classroom.Intervene before misbehaviours escalate.Use routines, explanations and smooth transitions to gain the attention of the students.Keep all students involved through constant supervision and accountability.Reduce off task behaviour and boredom by creating challenges, extending tasks, providing progress and adding variety.Be able to attend to more than one event at the same time.

Note: Classroom management is most effective when these applications are applied at the beginning of the school year.

References

Kounin 1970http://www.educ.uvic.ca/epls/faculty/rowles/kounin1.htm

Jacob Kouninhttp://scied.gsu.edu/Hassard/mos/10.2.html

Kounin, Jacob from WikEdhttp://wik.ed.uiuc.edu/index.php/Kounin,_Jacob

Learning Environment Article from The Premiere Website for Health and PhysicalEducation http://www.pecentral.org/climate/april99article.html

Maine Education Associationhttp://www.maine.nea.org/index.htm

The Kounin Model from Approaches to Disciplinehttp://www.solwebs.net/sgfl/teaching/discplan/koun1.htm

West Dunbartonshire Councilhttp://www.wdcweb.info/home/