Classroom Management Skills in Fostering Academic Achievements - Coursework Example

Running head: room management room Management Skills and Academic Achievements Introduction Academic achievements are related to the learning occurred both inside and outside of the classroom. Proper learning will occur in a classroom only if the teacher was able to manage the activities inside the classroom in a fruitful manner. Some teachers may have good teaching skills, but they may lack good classroom management skills. Because of their inability in managing the classroom properly, they may not be able to communicate effectively with the students. Patience, temperament, consistency and determination are necessary for managing a class effectively. It is not necessary that all the teachers may possess all these skills. Absence of above skills may result in improper communication between the teacher and the student and the academic achievements of the students may be affected. This paper briefly analyses the importance of classroom management skills in promoting academic achievement. Classroom Management Skills and Academic Achievements “Get stressed out and start snapping at your pupils and you will find classroom management harder than ever” (Skills Needed for Effective Classroom Management, 2007). Relationship building with the students is an important factor in effective classroom management. In order to build relationships with the students, the teacher should have the patience to know more from the students. Moreover the teacher should provide enough attention to the needs of the students in order build the rapport. The students will exhibit interest in listening the classes of only those teachers whom they like. Effective listening is important in the learning process. Only effective learning will bring any academic achievements. Lisa Rodriguez, Ph.D. (n. d) has mentioned that students can feel disconnected and disoriented in a new class. In her opinion, returning students might feel self-conscious about their age and out of place returning to school while younger students might bring emotional remnants of negative high school experiences with them to their first college classroom (Rodriguez, Ph.D. n. d). Making a connection between the teacher and student is important under the above circumstances. The teacher should be able to guide the students based on their diverse needs, then only the students will develop relationships with the teachers. Adam Waxler (2006) has mentioned that the key to classroom management is keeping students actively involved in the entire lesson (Waxler 2006). The teacher’s job is not lecturing alone. If the students’ attention stayed away from what the teacher is doing in the classroom, effective learning may not take place. It is not necessary that the students are learning effectively even if they don’t make any noises or disturbances in the class. Students who are grasping the topic will actively involved in the classroom activities. Others will keep a passive silence. Good behaviours in the classroom alone may not ensure academic achievements for a student. Effective learning is the central task which should be promoted in the class by the teacher in order to ensure academic success for students. Dr. Kizlik, (2010) has argued that frequent use of punishment is associated with poor classroom management and generally should be avoided (Dr. Kizlik, 2010). Some teachers have the misconception that the punishment is the only solution for managing a class effectively. Punishments should be used judiciously and occasionally rather than frequently. Frequent punishments may bring negative results than the positive ones. Along with punishments, rewards can also promote effective classroom management. When the students are sure of either a punishment or a reward, they will exhibit more attention in the class. Prevention of cheating is another way to improve the classroom management and the academic achievements. Some students use false means to score high in examinations and many teachers have the tendency to keep a blind eye towards such things. Better marks or grades will always make the students, parents and the teachers happier and poor grades always point a finger towards the efficiency of the teachers. Under such circumstances, teachers may not bother much about the false means used by the students in achieving higher grades. But such habits always destroy the chances of real academic achievements. A student can cheat the teacher, but he cannot cheat himself. When real problems arise in professional and personal lives in future, cheaters will stand clueless whereas the true champion students solve such problems with ease. Only efficient teachers would be able to motivate the students properly to achieve achievements of flying colours in their academic life. Efficiency of the teachers should not be limited in classroom management alone. The teacher should be able to persuade the students to think deeply about the topic. Only the critical thinking from the part of the students would result in substantial academic achievements. For example, former Indian president and world famous nuclear scientist Abdul Kalam has mentioned an ancient Greek teachers saying "Give me a child for seven years; afterwards, let God or devil take the child. They cannot change the child”, in his website. In his opinion, true education is the acquisition of enlightened feelings and enlightened powers to understand daily events and to understand the permanent truth by linking citizen, to his environment, human and planetary (Abdulkalam.com, 2010). Whatever a child learns during his/her childhood may stick in his/her memory till the death. In fact, the early learning and motivations may have an everlasting effect on children. Teachers should be able to take classes keeping all the above visions in their mind in order to make the students capable of meeting the challenges in their future personal and professional life. Conclusions Academic achievements of as students have direct relationship with the quality of classroom management by the teacher. If the teacher fails to manage the classroom effectively and efficiently, the scope for outstanding academic achievements might be weakened. The teacher should devise specific strategies to address the needs of diverse students and no students should feel that they were left behind by the teacher. The reinforcements occurred during the school days may follow the student until his/her death and hence the teachers should try to implant positive reinforcements in the minds of the students. Rewards, punishments etc can be used judiciously to motivate the student as part of the effective classroom management. The teacher should focus more on the needs of the student rather than his personal needs inside the classrooms. References 1. Abdulkalam.com, (2010), Address and interaction with the Teachers of Government and Private Schools of Kerala, Kochi Jan 29, 2010, Retrieved on 17 June 2010 from http://www.abdulkalam.com/kalam/jsp/display_content.jsp?menuid=28&menuname=Speeches%20/%20Lectures&linkid=68&linkname=Recent&content=1469&columnno=0&starts=0&menu_image=- 2. Dr. Kizlik Robert, (2010), Classroom Management, Management of Student Conduct, Effective Praise Guidelines, and a Few Things to Know About ESOL Thrown in for Good Measure, Retrieved on 17 June 2010 from http://www.adprima.com/managing.htm 3. Rodriguez Lisa, Ph.D. (n. d), Classroom Management Retrieved on 17 June 2010 from http://www.4faculty.org/includes/108r2.jsp 4. Skills Needed for Effective Classroom Management, (2007), Retrieved on 17 June 2010 from http://www.classroommanagement101.com/blog/skills-needed-for-effective-classroom-management 5. Waxler Adam (2006), Effective Classroom Management, Retrieved on 17 June 2010 from http://www.cbseguess.com/articles/effective_classroom_management.php Read More