How can administration support first-year teachers in providing effective classroom management techniques?

The administration wants teachers to provide quality performance. However, first-year teachers suffer from stress and loneliness due to changes in lifestyle and career transitions, and therefore they need support and guidance. The administration should provide support and assistance to the first-year teachers to help them overcome the common problems and achieve the needs and expectations. Note that administrators play a significant role in student achievement. But then, the administrators and students have an indirect relationship, it means that the administrators should work with teachers and provide them with professional development, hence support student learning. Thus the administrators should provide first-year teachers with quality instruction, as well as resources and mentoring to promote their classroom management.

Administrators should understand that first-year teachers view them as friend and supporter. Therefore, administrators should provide support and assistance and make it an ongoing program so that the first year teachers can gain effective teaching strategies. The following are ways in which administrators should use in supporting first-year teachers to meet the expectations.

• Prepare teachers for professional development

            First, administrators can support first-year teachers by providing professional development. Note that first-year teachers find it difficult to manage classroom disruptive behaviors (Oliver & Reschly, 2007). What happens is that these teachers become more reactive or in other words, they fail to follow the predetermined principles.  Rather than creating a positive learning environment, they use behaviors such as suspending students from class. To prevent these problems, administrators should create a preparation program where teachers gain knowledge and skills in managing the classroom (Oliver & Reschly, 2007). They will become competent and efficient and they will use the appropriate preventive and corrective behaviors. 

• Innovative configuration

 Another way administrators can support first-year teachers is by communicating the components of practice and the degree of implementation (Mitchel et al. 2017). The tool will help teachers in that as they enter into the classroom, they will use the appropriate innovation practice for change. In other words, in managing the classroom, the teacher will follow an operational pattern (Mitchel et al. 2017). Thus, the administrators should create a supportive environment where teachers will get the opportunity to develop teaching skills.

• Instructional approaches

            First-year teachers need effective instructional strategies. Note that administrators expect teachers to interact with all types of students including poor and minority students. They are expected to deal with behavioral difficulties and improve students' academic achievement.  For teachers to achieve this goal, they need instructional approaches (Tygret, 2018).  Effective instructions will help the teacher address classroom behavioral problem, create a positive school and classroom environment, increase students' engagement toward learning, and encourage appropriate behaviors.  In addition to instructional materials, administrators should provide teachers with field experience (Tygret, 2018).  For first-year teachers to effectively manage the classroom, they need to participate in field experience. There should be strong coordination between the new teachers and experienced teachers. The purpose of coordination is to help the teachers increase management skills. The experienced teachers should also provide feedback and support as a strategy to strengthen their professional development (Tygret, 2018). Rather than focusing on basic level of classroom only, teachers need to go beyond their comfort zone and participate in the outside environment to increase the competency

• Address the challenges in managing classroom behaviors

 Note that first-year teachers use inappropriate tactics such as negative reinforcement trap which affects learning. For teachers to stop using negative reinforcement, they need classroom-management strategies (Farmer et al. 2014). Thus, administrators should provide teachers with the critical content and as they gain a deeper understanding of the connection, they will focus on things that are important and avoid things that are not relevant. Another point is that administrators should help teachers solve classroom problems by providing them with the case method of instruction. Case method teaching means that students are connected to the real world and they act as the decision-makers in solving problems (Farmer et al. 2014). Teachers should ensure collaborative learning which will enhance problem-solving. Teachers will benefit from this method of teaching in that they will focus on real-life situations in managing the behavioral problem.

• School-wide behavioral support

            This means that administrators should ensure that resources to support first-year teachers in classroom management should come from the school systems (Caldarella et al. 2011). It is the role of the school system to address student behavioral needs. Note that students' antisocial behaviors should be managed with continued intervention. Therefore, there is a need for a school-wide effort that aims at teaching students prosocial behaviors. When the school system creates a safe and positive environment for learning, teachers will find it easier to manage behaviors at the classroom-level (Caldarella et al. 2011). Thus, the school should be at the forefront to implement preventive measures and draft behavior plans. It should also collaborate with teachers in evaluating the best practices (Wienen et al. 2019). Thus, school administrators should not only act as facilitators and supervisor but they should also practice instructional leadership. It is important to note that administrators should create a direct relationship with teachers to increase their competence and strategies for classroom management.

Conclusion

            Classroom management is an important aspect that creates a strong teacher-student bond.  However, teachers experience challenges in achieving effective classroom management. First-year teachers agree that classroom management is the greatest concern since there is little emphasis on the issue. However, the literature has stated that teachers need preparation and professional development to effectively manage the classroom and create a positive educational environment. Therefore, the administration should establish teacher preparation programs that contain information based on classroom management. In the preparation program, teachers will learn about the comprehensive approach toward classroom management such as behavioral management, and active supervision, monitoring student behaviors and more. Administrators should also provide teachers with professional development for them to gain skills and knowledge, and resource and support.

 

 

 

References

 

Oliver, R. M., & Reschly, D. J. (2007). Effective Classroom Management: Teacher Preparation

and Professional Development. TQ Connection Issue Paper. National comprehensive

center for teacher quality.

 

Mitchell, B. S., Hirn, R. G., & Lewis, T. J. (2017). Enhancing effective classroom management

in schools: Structures for changing teacher behavior. Teacher Education and Special

Education, 40(2), 140-153.

 

Tygret, J. A. (2018). The preparation and education of first-year teachers: A case study. The

Qualitative Report, 23(3), 710.

 

Farmer, T. W., Reinke, W. M., & Brooks, D. S. (2014). Managing classrooms and challenging

behavior: Theoretical considerations and critical issues.

 

Caldarella, P., Shatzer, R. H., Gray, K. M., Young, K. R., & Young, E. L. (2011). The effects of

school-wide positive behavior support on middle school climate and student

outcomes. RMLE online, 35(4), 1-14.

 

Wienen, A. W., Reijnders, I., van Aggelen, M. H., Bos, E. H., Batstra, L., & de Jonge, P. (2019).

The relative impact of school‐wide positive behavior support on teachers’ perceptions of

student behavior across schools, teachers, and students. Psychology in the

Schools, 56(2), 232-241.