Managing classroom disruptions

Tshwarelo Hosia | Monday January 22, 2024 09:02

Some are expected day-to-day challenges, which are largely falling within the teacher’s sphere of influence while others, could be major, unprecedented and unanticipated emergencies, which, predominantly fall outside the teacher’s jurisdiction. COVID-19 and the two big world wars are classical examples of unexpected emergencies, which literally pounced like a thief of the night and choked and paralysed education systems across the world.

Fortunately, it is a rarity to experience the latter distractions, which have the power to blow away a whole system. Many common problems, which have rendered the system of education ineffective, require classroom management skills - some very basic tools, often forgotten or taken lightly. The challenges can be addressed through behavioural changes. Therefore the task at hand is to run an awareness campaign while seeking to offer solutions to day-to-day challenges classroom practitioners face.

This is urgent because our system of education is not thriving at all on account of behavioural problems whose solutions do not require rocket science. When asked to prescribe a dose for our vulnerable and underachieving education system, Professor Japp Kuiper offered a simple and unadorned panacea. “Calm down, calm the waters and return to the basics”. This is a very powerful instruction, which if given attention could change the trajectory of our education system. Seven years later, the system is still trying to raise its head above the water. It is clearly evident that any system can ignore at its own perils its basic golden ground rules of engagement.

The centrality of a sound classroom management plan can only suggest how paramount the teacher factor on matters of classroom instruction is. This is to say, in spite of technological innovations, sweeping across the teaching profession, teaching will never cease to be a human enterprise. If the school principal factor is the reason for disparity of achievement levels between schools in the same locality, then the teacher factor is the reason class A towers above class B in the same block and school and under the auspices of the same administration.

Classroom management is as important as seeking ways and means of raising the rigour of classroom instruction. Unashamedly and unapologetically, this column is putting its head on the block by offering a simple and unadorned panacea to a complex problem bedevilling teaching and learning. The solution is that every classroom space should have a list of simple mutually agreed education and training ground rules. The rules should be developed through a participatory democratic process. Students should be part of the process because a teacher cannot present himself/herself as the sole proprietor of the teaching and learning process. It is a shared responsibility. The rules of the game must be clear and unambiguous. To demonstrate commitment to the ‘classroom constitution’ or code of conduct, it must be written and placed in strategic points in the classroom walls. Rules should among others cover critical areas like commitment to the learning and training programme, time management, mutual respect, engagement and the use of technology, especially mobile phones.

A particular emphasis is placed on technology because while laptops are now permissible in the classroom, cellphones have also illegally found their way into the classroom. And cell phones have proven to be a powerful distraction because they are deployed to do extra curricular assignments, which are certainly not advancing the cause of teaching and learning. So if you ask me how many classrooms have clearly written rules which are religiously enforced and respected, I would say there is still a long way. Indeed some urgent behavioural change can save the situation. Even where rules exist and they are written, enforcement is wanting. Accompanying the rules should be clear and enforceable consequences for transgressions. For order and discipline to reign supreme, there should never be any unexpected consequences for non-compliance. Students should know and anticipate the nature of punishment meted to students who come late or bring unwanted gadgets into the classroom teaching theatre. There should be no discrimination in the application of rules creating an impression of the existence of preferential treatment for some sacred cows in schools. Rules are for every one and must be universally applied without any fear or favour.

Above all, for teachers, an atmosphere of mutual respect should reign supreme. Every student has a story to tell and share with the class and no single student should be underrated. Every student has some hidden or visible comparative advantage and it is the primary duty of the teacher to unearth such talents. Some are good in the core curricular matters while others express themselves better outside the confines of a classroom. No student effort, no matter how small, should go unnoticed. Teacher-student rapport creates an enabling environment for all students to thrive and prosper. Teachers must emphasise the fact that there is no wrong answer. Every answer is a response to a question that has not been asked. The teacher must find the right question making the response relevant. If a student says 5 multiply by 2 is 7, this means the student has mastered addition and is yet to transition to the realm of multiplication. Instead of saying wrong the teacher should ask what five plus two is. This is an eye-opening question and the learning experience will be etched forever in the mind of students. All in all, teachers can help students bring themselves to the classroom by the principled and professional approaches while also lacing their efforts with the human element. Circumstances, which require humanitarian interventions, must be addressed with great care without necessarily compromising the dignity of beneficiaries. A tragedy of students must be treated the same way as a tragedy involving a teacher or a school principal. Pain does not make any class distinctions. It is universally felt.