Classroom management and keeping students disciplined presents as a very challenging task for educators. Unfortunately, the modern world seems to have made the situation more challenging than it used to be in the earlier days. Today, most kids find it quite a problem to stay focused in class and listen to what the teacher says. A teacher needs to get the students to focus and enthusiastic about learning. A teacher needs to come up with proper strategies on how to effectively run a classroom and get maximum attention from the students. Every teacher needs to devise appropriate ways of dealing with undisciplined students and consequently ensuring that the same disciplinary case does not occur again. There are various ways and techniques that a teacher can use to get students' attention in class as will be discussed below. There are multiple theories and philosophies by renowned theorists which teachers can learn from and get their classrooms inclined and focused. A properly managed classroom makes the work of the teacher simpler, and cases of indiscipline are very rare. This essay aims to discuss some of the classroom management techniques and ways to keep the classroom disciplined in conjunction with various theories and philosophies of classroom management.
In the modern day, it is essential for teachers to come up with strategies of classroom management and ways to ensure that the students uphold discipline. Classrooms without proper management often produce poor results and students from such classrooms often display bad habits. It is the responsibility of the teacher to ensure that every student stays focused and gets the opportunity to excel in his or her education ( Hardin, 2011) . Some students get involved with others things even as the teacher is in class. Some students have the mentality that school is only a waste of time and they get to influence others through their actions. It may become hectic to deal with a classroom where a teacher feels that no student is actually taking his or her lessons seriously.
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A teacher needs to be aware of the mentality of the average 21 st -century student and what catches their attention. The educator needs to know his or her students and explore each one's attitude, character, and hobbies which would help in devising proper ways to manage them. Every teacher should be aware of the influence of modern technology, computers, and the internet on kids. Most of all, a teacher must be fully aware that cases of discipline are likely to emerge from any classroom and that it is important to know how to deal with these matters. Some teachers, especially in the past, like to be hard on students, instilling fear in them so as to prevent cases of indiscipline. Other teachers are nice to their students, hoping that kindness and openness would appeal to the students and make them do the right things always ( Evertson & Weinstein, 2013) .
The personality of a teacher alone is not enough to uphold discipline and keep students focused in class. A teacher needs to come with a plan, a strategy which will influence the behavior of not one but all the students in the class and get them to concentrate and focus on learning. A well-managed classroom makes the work of the teacher quite easy. Every student is aware of his or her role in the class, and the teacher gets more connected to the students and finds it more comfortable to share his or her ideas with them. In such a classroom, the teacher organizes the class in such a way that everyone has a role to play. Various theories and philosophies designed by renowned personalities may be of great help to teachers regarding classroom management and discipline. A teacher needs to take a look at some of these theories in order to improve the state of his or her classroom.
The Kounin philosophy by Jacob Kounin coined in the mid-20 th century is one of the best philosophies of classroom management. Jacob worked as an educational psychologist at the Wayne State University in the late 1940s where he began to research on ways to create an effective classroom. Jacob believed that teachers need to, first of all, be attentive to every aspect of their classrooms. He also believed that effective teachers keep their students attentive throughout and actively involved in learning. Kounin realized that one action could be effective for all the students in a class. For instance, when a teacher sees a student doing other things in class while he or she is teaching, and tells the student t to stop, other students also get to concentrate on what the teacher says. He referred to this effect as the ‘ripple effect', where a correction of a behavior of one student influences the behavior of other students nearby. Kounin wrote various book on classroom management and how to uphold discipline in classrooms. The key lesson learned from Kounin's philosophy is that the key to a successful classroom is what a teacher does to completely prevent discipline and classroom management problems from repeat occurrences rather than the way a teacher handles forms of misbehavior when they occur. Kounin also described that other ways to effectively manage a classroom include good organizations and planning and being aware of what goes on in class ( Edwards & Watts, 2010) .
In his books, Kounin describes various ideas that help create an active classroom and upholds discipline. The first ideology is the ripple effect which says that a successful correction of one student's behavior will also correct the behavior of the other students in that class. Kounin also believed that assignments and tasks give students a feeling of progress and accomplishment. He also believed that teachers are role models of students and that most students are influenced by their teachers. Therefore, a teacher needs to show the students the importance of factors such as keeping time by handling his or her sessions within schedule. Teachers also need to be aware of all the things which take place in the class at every given time and be in a position to deal with them. For instance, if the students have the idea that their teacher is always aware of what goes on in class, they are most likely to restrain from misbehavior and get to be more focused.
Kounin designed a strategy of teaching and ensuring that every student gets involved in certain activities throughout the lesson. He came up with five approaches, that is, 'withitness,' overlapping, momentum, group focus, and smoothness. Withitness is a word coined by the philosopher which means a teacher is always aware of the things which happen in the classroom at all times. In overlapping, a teacher may create other programs for students who finish up their tasks faster than others so that they get something to work on as others still struggle with the current task. Smoothness refers to the simple ways of communication between the teacher and the students in order not to disrupt learning. For instance, language signs may be practiced to be used later in class during sessions without interrupting the flow of lessons. Group focus enhances learning by getting students together and making them share ideas and also create a sense of competitiveness. Momentum, on the other hand, refers to keeping lessons as short as possible to give the students the opportunity to work in groups and also actively consult the teacher.
Skinner's operant conditioning theory is another excellent classroom management philosophy. According to the theory, individuals’ response to stimuli that occur in the environment, influence their behavior. Skinner’s theory works to create effectiveness in classroom management by focusing the attention of students towards learning ( McLeod, 2007) . The principle of the theory is reinforcement which implies that the desired response should be continuously stirred or strengthened. A teacher may use reinforcement to keep his or her classroom focused and attentive all year. This is achieved reinforcements such as good grades, praise, rewards or just a simple feeling of accomplishment. Kids love to do tasks with the promise of rewards at the end. Most kids would wish to become top of their class and claim some of the prizes that come with the honor.
Skinner through his philosophy tries to explain that a positively reinforced behavior will always reoccur. Skinner emphasizes on the benefit of giving prizes, praises, good grades and gifts to students who perform well. This does not only help motivate the individual students with good grades but also ensures that other poor students also get to work hard as well. In such a class, everyone would aim to get to the top in order to acquire the same rewards. Other ways such as immediate feedback by teachers are also emphasized here as it encourages the students to research more and gain the feeling of accomplishment which is favorable for learning.
The choice theory, coined by William Glasser, simply states that all that people do is behave. Glasser suggests that all forms of behavior are chosen, and people are driven genetically to satisfy five needs name; love and belonging, survival, power, fun and freedom. He further claims that of the five requirements, the most important is love and belonging. In a classroom, every student should feel welcomed and connected with every other member of the class. According to Glasser, the teacher is the manager of the class, and his responsibility is to guide students and make them understand that hard work and obedience constitute to a positive influence on their lives. Teachers need to develop positive relationships with their students and create active learning experiences that bring success. Teachers should also design classroom activities in ways that ensure that students' needs are satisfied ( Glasser & Meagher, 2014) .
A collective of the skills provided by these philosophers may prove to be quite helpful in classroom management and also keep students disciplined. Teachers need to assess themselves first and strategize on how to manage their students effectively. A teacher needs to be aware of the nature and behavior of each student as well as all the things which take place in the classroom at all times. Establishing a positive behavior with the students and ensure that only the undisciplined ones get to be punished rather than punishing the whole class. Teachers also need to learn and improve on how to praise their students. Praise is a powerful tool when it comes to upholding a positive attitude in class. Creating a safe learning environment and ensuring that every student has a sense of belonging also helps improve the condition of a classroom. A teacher must ensure that every student respects each other and cases of disrespect must be properly dealt with ( Manning & Bucher, 2013) .
Consequently, in order to effectively manage a classroom, and keep cases of indiscipline at bay, a teacher may come up with rules for the class. Simple rules and regulations may help shape the classroom and keep students in check and attentive in class. Other forms of creating effectiveness in class include having expectations and creating objectives. Making parents aware of the class rules is a good way of ensuring that the students do not break them. A teacher is expected to be as firm and consistent as possible. Students must be aware of the consequences of going against the class rules, and every student should be treated similarly when they break the rules. A teacher must carry himself or herself in a very professional way in order to have authority over the students in the class ( Evertson & Weinstein, 2013) .
Classroom management is not an easy task, and teachers need to equip themselves with the necessary techniques to properly manage their classrooms and uphold discipline. Undisciplined students are often associated with bad behavior and habits and poor results. A teacher needs to guide students and ensure that the classroom is focused for the class to become successful. There are various techniques which educators may apply in class to uphold discipline and also manage the class properly. The Kounin theory by Jacob Kounin emphasizes on paying attention to all the aspects of the class and ensuring that every student is actively involved in the classroom. Skinner, on the other hand, believed that learning in class can be improved through reinforcements in the form of praises and rewards. According to Glasser, the key to a good and a properly managed classroom is ensuring that every student has a feeling of belonging and connected with every other member of the class.
References
Edwards, C. H., & Watts, V. J. (2010). Classroom discipline & management. Routledge.
Evertson, C. M., & Weinstein, C. S. (Eds.). (2013). Handbook of classroom management: Research, practice, and contemporary issues . Routledge.
Glasser, M. D., & Meagher, J. (2014). Choice theory . Harper Collins Publishers.
Hardin, C. J. (2011). Effective classroom management: Models and strategies for today's classrooms . Pearson Higher Ed.
Manning, M. L., & Bucher, K. T. (2013). Classroom management: Models, applications, and cases . Pearson.
McLeod, S. A. (2007). BF Skinner: Operant conditioning. Retrieved September 9 , 2009.
Wolfgang, C. H. (2008). Solving discipline and classroom management problems: Methods and models for today's teachers . Wiley.
