Positive Classroom Management Strategy: Scanning

Teachers can maintain a positive classroom environment by constantly monitoring group behavior and intervening at the first sign of trouble. The instructor should scan the classroom frequently for any early signs of potential behavior problems (eg. a student looking out of the window during a lecture; a talkative student who has left his seat without permission; a group that has begun to chat among themselves when they should be working independently on their assignment).

The teacher’s response in this situation is crucial for positive classroom management. The teacher should gently and proactively take action to correct the behavior before it escalates into a problem. An instructor teaching a group lesson may use eye contact and tone of voice to recapture the attention of an off-task student.

In another situation, the teacher might quietly send an out-of-seat student back to his desk with a gesture or quiet word. The instructor may also use teacher proximity to silence a chatty, off-task group by approaching them and checking in with one of the group’s members about the progress that she has made on her assignment.

What are some positive classroom management strategies that you use?

From Professional Learning Board’s online continuing education course for teachers: Positive Behavior Intervention Strategies