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ABSTRACT
The paper discussed teacher
personality as a major determining factor for effective classroom management.
Personality refers to unique enduring qualities of an individual which
determine his adjustment to environmental challenges.
Teacher personality
characteristics that influence his managerial efficiency in the classroom
include temperament, organization, discipline intelligence, communication
effectiveness and sensitivity. The paper defined classroom management as skills
employed by the teacher to get students organized, maintain discipline and
create a safe and conducive learning atmosphere. The paper identified the
importance of classroom management as achieving effective teaching, fewer behaviour
problems and efficient use of time.
Various ways of managing the
classroom effectively were highlighted; set rules, have expectations, be firm
and consistent, be organized, lead by examples etc. the paper was concluded and
the following recommendations were made thus, teachers should ensure that they
dress neatly and appear decently before the students prepare well for their
lessons, maintain discipline, speak clearly and audibly.
INTRODUCTION
The aim of teaching is to bring
about behaviour change in the learner and this requires an effective management
and control of the teaching – learning environment and processes. Classroom
management and control are skills which are central to effective teaching and
can be acquired through professional training and experience. It is also
greatly linked to the teacher personality traits.
Classroom management is a crucial variable in the
practice of teaching because it supports the proper execution of curriculum
development, creates conducive learning atmosphere, maintains discipline in
class and ensures that classroom lessons run smoothly despite disruptive
behaviour by students. This paper therefore links the effectiveness of these
managerial skills to teacher personality which accounts for the teacher’s uniqueness,
charisma, abilities, interest, motivation, discipline etc. the personality is
what draws students in, makes you worth listening to and gives them a compelling
reason to want to behave. A stiff, boring and spiritless teacher no matter how
committed he will be in following classroom management plan is likely still
going to struggle with behaviour.
Linsin (2012) observed that the magic in effective
classroom management is about your likability, your rapport your consistency,
your trustworthiness and more that gives you the leverage you need to transform
your class.
However, this paper also
identifies that teacher personality traits requires a professional blend for
the achievement of optimum classroom managerial effectiveness. This involves
the use of appropriate teaching procedure, understanding developmental
challenges of the students, use of appropriate disciplinary approaches, setting
measurable objectives and planning towards achieving them, use of adequate
instructional materials and other professional competences.
Effective
Classroom Management
Zane (2012) explains effective
classroom management as ensuring your classroom lessons run smoothly,
establishing rules, motivating students to participate, maintaining discipline,
and creating a safe learning environment in which students can succeed, are all
factor that contribute to effective classroom management.
Classroom management refers to
the wide variety of skills and techniques that teachers use to keep students
organized, orderly, focused, attentive, on task and academically productive
during a class. When classroom management strategies are executed effectively
teachers minimize the behaviours that impede learning for both individual
students and groups of students while maximizing the behaviour that facilitate
or enhance learning. Generally speaking, effective teachers tend to display
strong classroom management skills, while the hall mark of the inexperienced or
less effective teacher is a disorderly classroom filled with students who are not
working or paying attention.
While a limited or more
traditional interpretation of effective classroom management may focus
largelyon “compliance”- rules and strategies that teachers may use to make sure
students are sitting on their seats, following directions, listening
attentively, etc. more encompassing or up-dates view of classroom management
extends to everything that teachers may do to facilitate or improve student
learning. Which will include such factors as behaviour (a positive attitude,
happy facial expressions, encouraging statements, the respectful and fair
treatment of students etc), environment ( for example, a welcoming, well–lit
classroom filled with intellectually stimulating learning materials organized
to support specific learning activities), expectations (the quality of work
that teachers expect students to produce, the ways the teacher expects students
to behave toward other students, the agreements that teachers make with
students) or activities (the kinds of learning experiences that teachers design
to engage students interests, passion and intellectual curiosity). Given that
poorly designed lessons, uninteresting learning materials or unclear
expectations, for examples, could contribute to greater student’s disinterest,
increased behavioural problems or unruly and disorganized classes, classroom
management cannot be easily separated from all the other decision that teachers
make Cini (2016) identified that effective classroom management involves
classroom design, rules, Discipline, scheduling,
organization, instructional technique and communication.
Classroom
Design
Although often over looked, the
first element of classroom management is intentional design. The desk should be
arranged in other to create adequate spaces for free movement in the classroom.
This will allow the teacher to come in contact with students early. All
unnecessary and distracting items be removed.
Rules
Develop rules that foster respect, caring and
community in your classroom.
Importance
of Classroom Management Classroom
Management
This important to the whole
education process because it offers students an ideal learning environment,
helps prevent teacher burnout and makes students and teachers feel safer and
happier, it involves more than just discipline and rules. It also entails
organization, routines with which students come to feel comfortable. Ministry
of Education, Guyana (2015) discipline always comes to mind at the mention of
classroom management, but the crucial component of teaching is much more.
Classroom management creates a set of expectations used in an organized
classroom environment. It includes routines, rules and consequences. Effective
classroom management paves the way for the teacher to engage the students in
learning.
Effective
Teaching
A disorganized classroom without
routines and expectations makes it difficult for the teacher to do his job.
Students don’t know what to do so they might get of task or cause disruptions.
When the teacher is constantly redirecting students or handling behavior
problems, he loses crucial teaching time. Classroom management helps create an
organized classroom environment that’s conducive to teaching.
Efficient
Use of Time
Classroom management also
involves taking time to create routines and procedures before school starts. This
saves time in the long run, because the teacher spends less time giving
instructions, directives, arranging and re-arranging.
Consistency
A teacher with strong classroom
management skills creates consistency for his students. The students know what
to expect everyday when it comes to the routine activities. Thus even in your
absence they know what to do because they are already in tune with how the
classroom runs. The students will still fare better when you’re gone if you
have set expectations for everyday tasks. Thus they would be able to help
whoever substitutes you in your absence.
Fewer
Behaviour Problems
The main goal for classroom
management is to reduce misbehavior in the classroom. Effective classroom management
gives the students little time to misbehave. Because the expectations are
clearly explained, the students know what they need to do. Transitions in
particular are difficult to control when a teacher has strong management
skills. The expectations for behaviours that are part of a classroom management
plan give students boundaries as well as consequences.
Kratochwill, DeRoos and Blair
(2016) identified that effective classroom management: Establishes and sustains
an orderly environment in the classroom. Increase meaningful academic leaning
and facilitates social and emotional growth. Decreases negative behaviours and
increases time spent academically engaged.
How to
Manage a Classroom Effectively
What a teacher can do to maintain
discipline and management in the classroom.
1.
Have Rules:
It is important to have basic set
of rules for student to follow. These regulations will help maintain classroom
management and discipline. These rules do not have to be anything advanced;
they can be as simple as making sure that all students adhere to time.
2.
Have Expectation:
If your students know what you
want from them, they are more likely to exhibit the type of behavior you want.
3.
Make Students Aware of the Rules:
Every school has its own
disciplinary rules that students should be expected to follow. Make sure that
the students are aware of the rules and the consequences.
4.
Be Firm and Consistent:
When you make your rules to
manage your classroom, make sure that they are realistic and void of any
inconsistencies. Approach the rules in a positive manner.
5.
Be Professional:
An effectively managed classroom
is conducted with professionalism and adequate structure.
6.
Keep the Class Interested:
Students who are interested in
the material that what is going on in the class will be less likely to cause
any disruption, as their attention will be focused on their lesson.
7.
Practice fairness:
As a teacher you need to the fair
and make sure that you.
8.
Practice humor:
Creating a positive environment
where there is laughter and happiness is key into keep students interested and
engage in their work, and more likely to comply with any rules.
9.
Do not Threaten:
Threatening student can weaken a
teacher’s credibility in a classroom. Be careful when you use threats, if any,
instead, try to practice reinforcement.
10. Lead by Example:
If one of your rules is to have
students show up to class on time every day. If you are regularly late, then
you are setting a bad example for your students.
11. Give Students Opportunities:
By student’s opportunities to act
in the class, shows them – you have confidence in their abilities, they will
feel like the overall management and flow of the classroom is up to them to
uphold as well.
Teacher
Personality Traits and Classroom Management
Personality
Personality refers to the
uniqueness of a person in terms of his attributes, qualities, capabilities,
weaknesses, emotionality, physical qualities etc. Mangal, (2014) puts it
personality is all that a person is, it is the totality of one’s behavior
towards oneself as well as others. It includes everything about the person, his
physical, emotional, social, mental and spiritual make-up. All port cited in
Mangal (2014) defines personality as dynamic organization within the individual
of those psycho-physical systems that determine his unique adjustment to his
environment. Eysenck also quote in Mangal (2014) sees personality as the more
or less stable and enduring organization of a person’s character, temperament,
intellect, and physique, which determines his unique adjustment to the
environment.
The effectiveness of managing a
classroom greatly depends on the personality of the teacher which determines
the teacher’s level of
organization, charisma and unique adjustment to
classroom processes. Teachers may have the same professional qualities but they
differ in their personality characteristics which makes their approach to
classroom management also different. Thus the following can be considered as
personality characteristics of the teacher that influence his managerial effectiveness
in the classroom.
1.
Physical appearance (dressing)
2.
Intelligence
3.
Discipline
4.
Communication
effectiveness/presentation
5.
Temperament
6.
Organization
7.
Teacher/pupil/student
relationship
8.
Sensitively
1.
Physical Appearance of the Teacher:
It is often said you are
addressed the way you dress. Dressing well is an importance personality trait
which attracts respect and value for a teacher. If a teacher appears good
neatly dressed and well kept. The students will have a positive view of the
teacher and full of expectations. Their positive view of the teacher keeps the
students naturally focused and expectant with that level of respect the class
comes to order.
2.
Intelligence level of the teacher:
Students naturally have great
respect for intelligent teachers. An intelligent teacher is one who displays a
strong grip of the subject matter, one who shows great mastery of content and
has intelligent answers to student’s questions. He gives several concrete
examples and clear illustrations in class, his presentation does not raise
unnecessary controversies and arguments. So his class is always attentive and
orderly.
3.
Discipline
Discipline is simply the quality
of self-control in an individual. Social learning theories posit that children
learn by observation and imitation children imitate the behavior of the teacher
they observe. Thus the teacher has to be exemplary. Teacher can maintain
discipline in class through the following ways (Egwu, 2013)
a. Treat
students: With respect no matter the age of your students, treat them with
respect. As you do that your students will treat you with respect as well.
b. Get to
know the students: Show interest in your students by getting to know them. Make sure you
know their names and bring them close to yourself.
c. Use
positive rewards: Teacher should reinforce good behaviour by giving rewards, the reward
can be in form of praise, clapping, gifts etc.
d. Be
fair and consistent: Apply discipline evenly across board, avoid any form of favoritism.
e. Don’t
humiliate or demean student: Is you used to address a student’s misbehavior, don’t do so in a way
that humiliates the student or openly disgracing the student in the class.
Address the offence and still protect his dignity. When students are
embarrassed before their peers they tend to rather develop negative behavior.
f. Don’t
get into arguments with students: Remain neutral with students. If a student is trying to make you argue
with him, don’t rise to the bait. Instead maintain a firm yet clam stance. If
the student continues to try arguing with you, say “we will discuss this after
class”. This closes down the conflict momentarily.
g. Make
rules together and indicate consequences: Let the
students be involved in making rules that govern the class. This will make
students to keep the rules at will they will also tend to keep one another in
check.
4.
Effective Communication:
Communication is the process of
passing on information from a person to another through verbal and non-verbal
approaches. The major personality qualities involved in this process are voice
quality, gesticulations, maintaining focus, fluency and eloquence, confidence
and comportment, simplicity, speed and sequence of speech. The voice of the
teacher controls students’ attention. Teachers with good voice quality (loud,
clear and audible) are more likely to have less attention problems than
teachers with poor or low voice quality. Apart from the voice, self confidence,
compartment, eloquence, simplicity in the choice of words maintaining
ideological focus without derailing during presentations in the classroom are
personality qualities which promote communication effectiveness, attract
attention and maintain order in the classroom.
5.
Teacher Temperament:
For decades, scholars have
debated about the diversity normally referred to as “super traits’ or
“Temperament”. Three of these temperament dimensions are genetically based.
(Grey, 1991). In 1990, Eysenck concluded that extroversion (E), neurotism (N),
and psychotism (P) are the genetic basis of individuals behaviour. The three
components measure the degree to which a person is cooperative and sociable (E)
fearfully avoids (N), and is hostile or aggressive (P) (Valencic, Macroskey,
Richmond, 2005).
In psychology temperament refers
to the characteristics and aspects of personality that we are both with. For
that reason, they are similar to traits in that they are both innate and enduring.
Temperament according to dictionary.com (2016) is the combination of mental,
physical and emotional traits of a person natural disposition. Unusual personal
attitude or nature as manifested by peculiarities of feeling, temper and
action. Teaching requires a huge amount of tolerance and patience. A teacher
who is highly temperamental may not have the expected level of tolerance and
patience to cope with the varying characteristics of children. Linsin (2011)
supports that teachers who are highly temperamental are impatient quick to
anger pessimistic irritable and overly sensitive. He explained that impatient
teachers take fast, act and move fast. They tend to either look at the other
way in the face of misbehavior or react emotionally to it. They rush through
lessons, gloss over instructions, and out of necessity have lower expectations
for students. This produces a restless, excitable classroom that is primed to
cause trouble.
Being quick to anger can undo
weeks of rapport building with your students when you yell, scold, use sarcasm
or otherwise lose your cool, you distance yourself from your students and undermine
their trust and respect of you, you become less approachable less likeable, and
less influential-all critical keys of creating a well –behaved classroom.
Temperament can result to
pessimism. This yield negative thoughts feelings and attitudes about students
it negatively the building of relationship with students.
6.
Teacher Organization
Teacher organization refers simply
to adequate preparedness or getting set for the accomplishment of task in the
classroom. Organization as a personality trait which involves the act of proper
planning and working according to plan. Efficient organization allows a teacher
to spend more learning time with students. Have a way of handling routines,
collecting students work, handing out materials, posting assignments, keeping
the class on track etc.
An organized teacher plans his
classroom activities carefully before the start of day. A teacher with such a
personality trait is likely to have well organized and effectively managed
classroom.
7.
Teacher - Pupil Relationship:
The teacher-students’
relationship is very important for children. Children spend approximately 5 to
7 hours a day with a teacher for almost 10 months. The communication between
teacher and students serves as a connection between the two, which provides a
better atmosphere for a classroom environment. it is not possible for a teacher
to understand every problem for every child in his or her classroom; however,
the closer the pupil is to the teacher the better understanding he gains about
the child’s problems. Jones (1995) found out that academic achievement and
student behaviour are influenced by the quality of the teacher and student
relationship. The more positively the teacher connects with his students, he
gains better control over them. This can lead to obedience of rules in the
classroom and less problem behaviour, which makes classroom management easier
and more effective on the other hand, a teacher who does not have the
personality of being close to his student or has a poor rapport is not likely
to have the much deserved control which will ease effective management of the
classroom.
8.
Sensitivity:
Effectiveness classroom
management also requires the personality of high sensitivity, being sensitive
means having a high degree of awareness and responsiveness to changes
challenges, needs and demands of students in your classroom. It is the quality
a teacher has in understanding students behaviour, feelings, orientations,
capabilities (strength and weakness) and knowing how to respond adequately when
the need arises. Being quickly sensitive to whatever may cause infraction or
bring about indiscipline in class is an advantage to effective classroom
management.
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