…is multi-dimensional.
Hello and welcome to the 98th edition of our weekly newsletter, Things in Education.
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In today’s edition, we write about classroom management. Usually, classroom management is thought of as discipline and punishments to manage (or sometimes prevent) students’ disruptive behaviour in the classroom. However, classroom management encompasses teacher behaviours, student behaviours, teacher-student relationships and students’ socio-emotional development. Keeping all these aspects in mind, we share a broad theoretical framework of classroom management, developed by researchers Wolfgang and Glickman.
What is classroom management?
Classroom management can be thought of as having two main aspects: instructional and behavioural.
Behavioural classroom management refers to the strategies, techniques and practices that teachers use to establish and maintain a positive and respectful classroom environment. It involves creating a system of rules, routines, and procedures to promote desirable behaviour and minimise disruptive behaviour.
However, classroom management is not just about managing students’ behaviour—it is also about planning lessons in a way that lead to motivation, attention and learning. Instructional classroom management refers to the strategies, techniques and practices that teachers use to structure and deliver content, organise learning activities, and engage students effectively in the learning process. It focuses on creating a well-organised, purposeful and stimulating environment that maximises learning outcomes.
Theoretical Framework: The Classroom Management Continuum
The following is a theoretical framework that organises three broad classroom management approaches along a continuum.
The Interventionist Approach to Classroom Management
The interventionist approach is about reacting to student behaviour with clear consequences. When a student acts out or disrupts the class, the teacher steps in to correct it. This strategy is built on the idea that consequences—positive or negative—can shape behaviour. Students not only learn from their own experiences but also from observing how their classmates are rewarded or disciplined.
For example, imagine a classroom in a government school in Delhi where students frequently shout out answers without raising their hands. A teacher using the interventionist approach might first issue a warning and, if the behaviour continues, take away some free time or assign extra work. This sends a message to the rest of the class about the importance of following rules.
Logical consequences, such as these, can work as well as rewards or punishments to encourage better behaviour. These consequences should be directly related to the misbehaviour. For instance, if a student forgets to bring their books repeatedly, they might lose points on participation rather than face a general punishment. The goal is to help students understand the connection between their actions and the outcome.
However, this approach isn’t without challenges. A teacher might spend so much time reacting to bad behaviour that they lose focus on teaching. Picture a teacher in a crowded classroom, constantly dealing with disruptions while trying to explain a maths problem—eventually, the teaching takes a backseat.
The Non-Interventionist Approach to Classroom Management
The non-interventionist approach is all about preventing problems before they arise. Instead of reacting to misbehaviour, this approach focuses on proactive strategies—setting clear rules, encouraging positive behaviour, building warm relationships, using positive reinforcement, giving effective praise, and establishing routines and procedures.
For example, in a school in Chennai, a teacher starts the day by reminding students of agreed-upon class rules, such as raising hands to speak and respecting others. She praises specific positive actions, like “I appreciate how Riya is waiting her turn to speak,” while maintaining a consistent morning routine where students quietly settle in with a short reading task. Additionally, when a student struggles to follow the rules, the teacher gently reminds them of the expected behaviour and rewards improvement with a sticker on their individual behaviour chart. This combination of clear expectations, positive reinforcement, and structured routines helps create a calm, productive environment where students feel supported and motivated to behave well.
This approach, too, isn’t without its challenges, as it requires nuanced planning and a clear understanding of both the pedagogical requirements and students’ behaviours in order to anticipate various issues that may arise during a lesson. For example, a discussion-based class requires very clear processes and routines to be established, while also keeping in mind that such a class is bound to get noisy, regardless of the routines. Similarly, an activity-based class requires different, well-planned routines, keeping the need for physical safety of students in mind.
The Interactionalist Approach to Classroom Management
The interactionalist approach combines elements of both interventionist and noninterventionist strategies, focusing on understanding individual student behaviours while fostering a collaborative classroom environment. Teachers address misbehaviour through logical consequences, such as one-on-one conversations with specific students, improvement plans, and self-evaluation, while also proactively creating a positive environment with clear rules and routines.
For example, in a middle school in Pune, a teacher notices that a student often disrupts group activities. Instead of punishing the student outright, the teacher meets with them privately to discuss the behaviour, understand their perspective, and co-create a behaviour improvement plan. At the same time, the teacher praises the student’s positive contributions to the group and reinforces the rules during class discussions, helping the student internalise better behaviours. Additionally, the teacher ensures the classroom has structured routines, such as regular peer feedback sessions, allowing students to reflect on their actions and make improvements without constant intervention. This balanced approach not only addresses misbehaviour effectively but also builds trust and supports students in developing self-discipline and accountability.
The interactionalist approach to classroom management has been shown to foster better student outcomes compared to purely interventionist or noninterventionist methods. According to Lanoue (2009), interactionalist beliefs can be effectively trained in teachers, enabling them to balance proactive strategies with logical consequences tailored to individual student needs.
Summary
In a classroom in Delhi, a teacher notices a student frequently talking loudly during lessons, distracting others. Using the interventionist approach, the teacher reacts by issuing a warning: “If you don’t stop talking, you will lose your break time.”
In a school in Bengaluru, a teacher in a similar situation adopts the non-interventionist approach. Before the lesson begins, the teacher reminds the class about the rules, such as “Raise your hand to speak.” Throughout the session, the teacher praises students who follow the rules, saying, “I love how quietly Aditi is sitting and listening.”
In a classroom in Pune, another teacher handles the same situation using the interactionalist approach. The teacher begins the class with a structured routine to minimise distractions. Throughout the class, she praises students who follow the rules. When the student in question distracts the class by talking loudly, the teacher pauses the lesson and asks the student to stay back for a private conversation after class. During the discussion, the teacher tries to understand the reasons behind the behaviour and works with the student to create a simple improvement plan, such as a goal to raise their hand instead of talking out of turn.
In the upcoming editions, we will go deeper into each classroom management approach as well as strategies within each approach.
What approach to classroom management do you adopt in your classroom? Reply to this email to let us know your tried-and-tested strategies.
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Edition: 4.05