Classroom Management
By Lou Anne Dibble

The idea of writing an article on classroom management seems overwhelming to me. Books can be--and have been--written on it. Where in the world does one begin, and what right to I have to start?

Since I started teaching in 1965, I've certainly had some experience with children. My first class was the worst. I was too nice, and the class got completely out of control. It took me two months to discover methods of getting back the control of that class. Fortunately, time has erased much of the pain of that time, the "childbirth" of learning to teach. The product of that painful time, however, continues to grow, and has resulted in me always having "the best class in the whole school." I am happy to share what I have learned with you so you might try what fits with you to see if it works in your situations. I would love to get any feedback as well as any questions you might have.

One of the things I learned was that a reputation can save a lot of effort in establishing standards. When my first class was finally running smoothly, a fourth-grade teacher had a nervous breakdown, and a substitute would not stay for more than two days while she was gone. After we watched those children run down the steps and shout during a fire drill, one of my students said to me, "You wouldn't allow that, would you, Mrs. Dibble?"

"Oh, no," I replied. At the same time, I was figuring that I would probably get that class the next year since I was the new teacher. How in the world would I handle them? Sure enough, I got them. The first day, I had them write a letter telling me what they expected in the fifth grade. I was utterly surprised that they told me such things that they would be good and they looked forward to learning a lot! I had not one day of trouble from those kids.

I tell you this to assure you that although you may have to struggle to put a management scenerio in place if you've been having problems, once it is running smoothly, you will not have to work so hard the next year.

That led to another lesson, one I had really been introduced to while interning. Several of us were observing at a particular elementary school. At this school, some of the teachers were exchanging students-- one taught math while the other taught reading. I sat with one group and watched them talking, passing notes, and drawing instead of listening and participating in the lesson. Then I followed those same students to the other classroom. It was as if a magic wand had been waved at them. They were completely different. They sat up, they listened, they participated. Was it the subject? I don't think so. The two teachers had entirely different tolerance levels and expectations. It was not the students; it was the teacher.

Children, like water, will seek the lowest level. On the other hand, they will rise to expectations. It is a child's "job" while growing up to test the boundaries. When they can't find them, they will search further. Just as parents do, we, as teachers, teach children how to behave in class. It's not what we say, it's how we behave. I was in a store a few weeks ago and witnessed a dad shopping with his child. The child found some things he wanted and the dad accepted them, until he told the child to put one down. The child complained, but went to another shelf while his dad paid for his selections. After completing his purchases, he called for the child, who brought him another toy he wanted. The man said no, he had already paid for his products and he'd already gotten the boy some toys. The boy had a tantrum. "I want it! I want it!" The father looked at me, next in line, and asked if he could just buy one more item. I, brazenly (we teachers sometimes continue to be teachers outside of the classroom) asked him, "Are you really going to buy him another toy after that behavior?"

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The father answered, "Well, he wants it."

He had just taught his child how to get what he wants: yell and scream and plead. We teachers often teach children how to behave in class: we tell them to be quiet or to walk in a line or whatever, and when they don't, we allow them to continue or we just yell at them, but do nothing when they continue the same behavior. We have taught them that it's okay to talk or to play in line. During my first few weeks of teaching, I had taught my class that they didn't have to mind me, that I would not follow through with consequences, and that they could talk me into or out of things.

A third lesson I learned was that children, like dogs, will learn to behave and do their best work because it makes them feel good (the "intrinsic reward'), but many will seldom get to that stage if they don't know what that feels like.

I felt that childen should not get rewarded for getting good grades or having good behavior. After all, isnt' that what they're supposed to do? I was horrified when a child told me he was going to get to go on a helicopter ride if he got good grades. This was a child who did not do his work and who was falling behind. His parents took him on a long trip and I gave them work to do while he was gone. When he got back, he was actually ahead of the class. When I asked questions, he could answer them. I saw his eyes light up when he knew things with which the other children were struggling. From that time on, he did all of his work. He liked that feeling. However, he may not have ever experienced it if he had not been bribed (read "rewarded") to get his work done.


We do not expect a dog to raise his paw when we say, "shake" without training him first with a piece of treat each time as we first lift up his paw, then later as he lifts his own, and finally as he raises it and puts it in our waiting hand. Still later he will happily "shake" as we scratch his head without the treat and even later he will do it just because that's what's done when someone says "shake."

Why should a child be any different? We need to SHOW them what we want (lifting the paw first) and reward them (some respond to a lesser reward, some have already learned the habit of doing what is expected) until their actions become habits and they are pleased with their own results whether we reward them or not.

Some people do things because they are going toward a goal. They respond to rewards. Others do it because they are avoiding unpleasant consequences. Children are the same. It has been my experience that a good management plan will incorporate both.

Lou Anne Dibble: Graduate of Cal Berkeley; former substitute teacher; "at risk" counselor and "human development" teacher; Currently teaches classes for those with Phobias, panic attacks and OCD