UNIT 2: CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT

1.0 Organisation of the Unit………………………………………………………… 1

1.1 Introduction…………………………………………………………….…. 1

1.2 Aims …………………………………………………………………………2

1.3 Objectives/Expected Outcomes………………………………………………2

1.4 Key Concepts……………………………………………………………........3

1.5 Content……………………………………………………………………….4

1.5.1 Preparation for teaching…………………………………………….4

1.5.1.1 Curriculum……………………………………………………………5

1.5.1.2 The Nature of the Curriculum in

Zimbabwe………….............................5

1.5.1.3 The Role of the teacher in the

Curriculum……………………………..5

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1.5.1.4 The role of other

stakeholders…………………………………………6

1.5.2 Syllabus……………………………………………………………..

1.5.2.1 Syllabus Interpretation………………………………………………

1.5.2.2 Why interpret the

syllabus?...................................................

.................

1.5.3 Scheming…………………………………………………………………..

1.5.3.1 Rationale…………………………………………………………

1.5.3.2 Factors to consider

1.5.3.2.1 Pupils

1.5.3.2.2 School Calendar

1.5.3.2.3 Time table

1.5.3.2.4 Order

1.5.3.2.5 Seasonal changes

1.5.3.2.6 Scheme format

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1.5.4 Lesson Planning

1.5.4.1 Rationale

1.5.4.2 Factors to consider

1.5.4.3 Approaches to teaching and

learning

1.5.4.4 Planning format

1.5.5 Lesson Presentation

1.5.5.1 Steps to follow

1.5.5.2 Characteristic of an effective lesson

1.5.6 Types of lessons

1.5.6.1 Teacher Centred

1.5.6.2 Child Centred

1.5.7 Evaluation

1.5.7.1 Rationale

1.5.7.2 Types of evaluation

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1.5.8 Classroom Organisation

1.5.8.1 Grouping

1.5.8.2 Types of groups

1.5.8.3 Managing groups

1.5.9 Class Discipline and Control

1.5.9.1 Class rules and regulations

1.5.9.2 Causes of deviant behavior

1.5.9.3 Types of deviant behavior

1.5.9.4 Behaviour modification

1.5.10 Record Keeping

1.5.10.1 Rationale

1.5.10.2 Types of records

1.6 Summary

1.7 Conclusion

1.8 Assignment

1.9 References

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1.11 Further Reading

1.12 Glossary

1.0 ORGANISATION OF THE UNIT

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In this Unit we present an introduction to Classroom Management

which is meant to give you an overview of the issues you will

meet in this Unit. This is followed by a statement of the Aims

and Objectives and Definitions of the key concepts covered. You

will be exposed to the content of the Unit which includes the

following main themes:

Preparation for Teaching

Classroom Organisation

Class discipline and control

Record Keeping

At the end of some sections of this Unit, we set out some

activities which you are required to complete before proceeding.

These exercises are meant to assist you to check on your

understanding of the concepts. They will also assist us to check

on your progress so that we can assist you where necessary.

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Towards the end of the Unit, we give you a summary to assist you

recall/reinforce and further enhance your understanding of the

key elements you have learnt in this Unit.

At the end you will find a list of the references cited in this

Unit. Further, we give a list of resource materials relevant to

Classroom Management .You are strongly advised to read these

materials as they are meant to further enrich your knowledge

base. The Glossary of Terms is meant to assist you in

consolidating your understanding of the key terms used throughout

this Unit.

1.1 Introduction

Classroom Management is a key element to the teaching and

learning process. It is important that you as a classroom

practitioner are conversant with issues related to classroom. In

this Unit, we present information on preparation for teaching,

record keeping, classroom organisation, class discipline and

control. Understanding of these concepts will increase your

teaching competence.

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1.2 Aim

This Unit aims to equip you with the necessary knowledge and

skills to enable you to become a competent classroom manager.

1.3 Objectives:

After completing this Unit, you should be able to :

1.3.1: describe the role of the teacher in curriculum

development, implementation, syllabus interpretation

lesson planning, and evaluation.

1.3.2 examine different types of grouping and their impact in

the teaching and learning processes.

1.3.3 illustrate ways of managing the different types of

behaviour in the classroom

1.3.4 explain the importance of record keeping

1.3.5 give reasons for and maintaining up to date records

1.4 Key Concepts

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Below are some definitions and explanations of the key

concepts you will meet in this Unit.

1.4.1 Classroom management refers to the way a teacher

manages the human and material resources in the classroom

to achieve learning

1.4.2 Classroom Organisation is the way a teacher arranges

the classroom environment to so as to enable effective

teaching and learning

1.4.3 Curriculum refers to all that is learnt in a

particular course or programme in its broadest sense. It

covers both learning that is planned and intended and

learning that is unplanned and unintended.

1.4.4 Deviant behavior refers to non conformity to a set of

norms , values and beliefs of a given society such as a

school.

1.4.5 Discipline refers to conformity to acceptable ways of

life in a particular society.

1.4.6 Evaluation is a measure to which set targets have

been accomplished in order to plan for the future .

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1.4.7 Group refers to a number of people who share some

common characteristics

1.4.8 Lesson Planning is the process of outlining

specified and time framed which guide the teacher and the

learners .This is normally drawn from a scheme.

1.4.9 Scheming is a step by step arrangement of subject

matter to be taught and learnt as drawn from the

syllabus .

1.4.10 Syllabus is an outline of selected materials drawn

from the curriculum documents which pupils should learn.

1.5 Content

1.5.1 Preparation for Teaching

1.5.1.1 Curriculum

A curriculum is the total structure of knowledge, skills, and

educational experiences that make up any one educational system or

its component parts.

1.5.1.2 Curriculum planning

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Curriculum planning is the global term we apply to any systematic

process intended to develop this structure. Curriculum planning is

usually carried out by the curriculum development team and

includes:

• decisions on the structure as a whole;

• the formulation of aims and objectives;

• decisions on the content to be included;

• the teaching strategy and methods to be used;

• media choice;

• assessment techniques; and

• evaluation.

Discussion: 1 . What are your experiences of curriculum planning? How would they define these terms?

1.5.1. Instructional development

Instructional development, also known as ‘instructional design’, is

a process of designing instruction that usually includes the stage

of curriculum design and development. Development is a process of

several phases: the initial phase is needs analysis, followed by

programme identification, then design of the overall curriculum for

the programme, and then by course design and development. Several

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courses will be designed as part of the curriculum for any given

programme.

You may have wondered where and how the material learnt in

schools comes. We have seen it necessary to bring it to your

attention that curriculum plays a very important role in the

teaching and learning situation. As explained in the section on

Key Concepts, curriculum refers to a refined and prescribed

course of studies which students must fulfill in order to pass.

The Report on the Presidential Commission of Inquiry into

Education and Training (1999) says that the curriculum is the

aggregate of all that we impart to our learners through the total

experiences of the school system, in a deliberate design to

achieve educational goals.

Farrant (1980) defines curriculum as all that is taught in a

school including the timetabled subjects and those aspects that

exercise an influence in the lives of the children. A complete

description of the curriculum has at least three distinct

components:

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(1) What is studied, the content or subject matter of

instruction

(2) How the study and teaching are done, the method of

instruction

(3) When the various subjects are presented, the order of

presentation.

You can clearly see that the curriculum represents the distilled

thinking of society on what it wants to achieve through

education. The curriculum tends to mirror society itself,

reflecting its aims, values and priorities. This includes what

society would want to pass on to its youth as values, knowledge,

skills and information. At this stage , you will appreciate that

the appropriateness of a curriculum should be based on the extent

to which it meets individual attributes, the economy, the needs

of society and the challenges of the future.

1.5.1.2 The Nature of the Curriculum in Zimbabwe

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As you continue to interrogate the literature and examine some

best practices in this area, you will realize that the nature of

any curriculum is determined by the National development agenda

and the educational goals set. In Zimbabwe, decisions on what is

taught are based on national policies, the demands of society,

the nature and characteristics of the learners, their stage of

development and their interests .

The current Government practice in Zimbabwe is that government

through the Curriculum Development Unit in the Ministry of

Education, Sport, Arts and Culture, in consultation with the

relevant stakeholders develops detailed syllabi. Schools then

select subject areas from the official curriculum. The Zimbabwe

School Examinations Council (ZIMSEC) as the qualifications

awarding body sets examinations for various levels on the

qualifications framework based on the official curriculum.

1.5.1.2 The role of the teacher in the curriculum

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We have examined the nature of the curriculum in Zimbabwe and the

various players that determine and influence its development. It

is clear that among these important groups of stakeholders, the

teacher is critical. As a teacher you should now look at the role

you are expected to play in the whole curriculum process. First,

do you think you have a role to play in curriculum design,

development and implementation? If this is so, what roles might

these be?

Nacino-Brown, et al.(1982):3 outline the teacher’s role in the

curriculum as follows:

The curriculum is not so much that which is found in

the printed guide

(Syllabus) as what the teacher makes of it in the

classroom. It is the teacher’s n adaptation to

meaningful learning experiences that really counts.

The teacher should use the syllabus as a framework and must feel

free to express his/her

teaching methods in the way that can best make him/ her

successful in the classroom.

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It should now be clear to you that teachers are critical people

as they make the curriculum design achieve what it is designed to

achieve. As a teacher , you you should be knowledgeable,

imaginative and creative to make the syllables relevant and

stimulating. One of your most critical roles is Curriculum

implementation. You remain a critical link as you further inform

the whole process by providing the necessary feedback to the

designers, policy makers and Ministry representatives. In this

way the gaps and challenges in syllabus design and implementation

are addressed.

1.5.1.4 The role of other stakeholders

You might have realized that there are various stakeholders who

contribute in no small measure to curriculum content. We have

the teacher associations such as ZIMTA, PTUZ, TUZ and various

pressure groups such Catholic Commission for Justice and PEACE

(CCJP), Jairos Jiri etc who play major roles in curriculum

development and implementation. ZIMTA has influenced the

inclusion of HIV and AIDS education in the school curriculum.

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The CCJP revisited the teaching of sex education and political

economy in school.

1.5.2 The Syllabus

Teachers do not teach what they think is important but they

derive the knowledge, skills and values to impart to the

learners from sources that have been systematic documents

are called syllabi. Macauley et al (1990) defines the

syllabus as a selection of what children should learn and

also specifies the content. In support, Aggraval (2000),

states that the syllabus is made up of fire major concepts.

(a) Preamble/Introduction – Justifies the inclusion of the

subject in the curriculum.

(b) Aims/Goals/Objectives – Present the longer term

aspirations, skills and competencies that should be

acquired, while objectives focus on learning outcomes in

each lesson.

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(c) Content/Subject matter – answers the question what is

to be learned or taught.

(d) Methodology/Learning Activities – are tied to the

content and answers the question how learning or teaching

should take place.

(e) Evaluation – is an attempt to ascertain the value or

worth of any activity. We hope you have conceptualized

what a syllabus is. In the following section we

introduce you to syllabus interpretation.

1.5.2.1 Syllabus Interpretation

Mnkandla (1996) states that, syllabus interpretation is concerned

with decoding, explanations and application of the syllabus

materials to classroom situation. The word ‘decoding’ means

giving meaning to the syllabus. So when you are interpreting the

syllabus, you will be giving meaning to the contents by breaking

down topics into teachable units. In order to adequately prepare

to teach, you need a thorough understanding of the subject

syllabus. This requires an in-depth study and/or analysis of the

syllabus documents as well as the wide variety of teaching18

approaches learnt in college. While there are general principles

on syllabus interpretation, each syllabus has its own specific

demands and requirements. You should be able to analyse each

topic and break it down into its constituent parts in order to

evolve coherent schemes of work.

Why interpret the syllabus?

The following are some of the reasons for interpreting the

syllabus.

a) To bring meaning to the contents of the syllabus. The

concepts are broadly presented and so there is

need to unpack them.

b) To prepare in advance what pupils will learn.

c) To give the teacher a chance to familiarize with the

concepts s/he is going to teach.

d) To enable the teacher to research more about the concepts to

be taught. The syllabus just gives and outline of what

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pupils should learn. The teacher needs to read so as to

fill up the gaps.

e) To help the teacher to note which materials need to be

collected or made in advance?

Now that syllabus interpretation has been dwelt on, it is

important that we focus on scheming because it is an important

aspect in classroom management.

CHECK YOUR PROGRESS ACTIVITY 1:

Explain with clear examples your role as a teacher in curriculum development

and implementation.

1.5.3 Scheming

Gwarinda (2000:29) explains the scheme of work as ‘—the logical

and sequential or step by step arrangement of subject matter to

be taught and learned drawn from the syllabus” Gwarinda (2000)

further says the scheme of work show how teacher intend to cover

the syllabus during the term. You can realize that the scheme is20

derived from the syllabus. In the scheme of work the

concepts/content to be covered are identified in more detail than

in the syllabus. It directs the teacher throughout the term on

what is to be covered and how it is to be covered.

1.5.3.1 Rationale

Scheming can be regarded as the teachers’ first contact with the

curriculum. The syllabus was not drawn up by the teacher but by

the CDU. The teacher has to interpret the syllabus so as to

bring the concepts to the learner. Since the syllabus is linked

to examinations, the teachers’ scheme of work should directly

based on the syllabus. As teachers we should never under

estimate the importance of examinations in the eyes of the

parents, society and the learners.

Parents want their children to pass the examinations so, if the

pupils are to pass examinations the teacher has to draw up

schemes of work that address and relate to the relevant

assessment scheme/specification grid.

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Scheming has a process to be followed as shown below:

a) Formatting and stating broad aims on the topic to be

covered.

b) Breaking down each topic into teachable lesson units.

c) Allocating adequate time to each topic.

d) Identification of relevant source materials.

e) Selecting and/or making suitable teaching/learning

activities, materials and media for each unit.

Now, we focus on factors to consider when you scheme.

1.5.3.2 Factors to Consider

You will realise that for effective scheming to take place, the

following are some of the factors that you need to take into

account:

1.5.3.2.1 Pupils

A pupil is a very important constituent of the scheme of work.

The scheme has to be determined by the age of the pupils, their

ability, interests and needs. So the scheme should be tailor

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made to meet these concerns, (Kochhar, 1996). The broad topics

on the syllabus should be broken down into units that can be

grasped by the pupils.

In order to meet the needs and interests of the individual

learners, the scheme needs to have a variety of learning

activities. However, the variety of activities should be

directed towards achieving the same goal.

1.5.3.2.2 The School Calendar

The school calendar spells out the activities to be done by the

school during the term or year. It tells you of the different

sporting activities to be done, staff meeting and workshops,

consultation days and when examinations are to be written.

Hence, you need to subtract these days and come up with the

actual teaching and learning days in the term.

1.5.3.2.3 Timetable

The timetable is very important because it shows you the amount

of time allocated to each subject. This knowledge enables you to

scheme the right amount of work so as to avoid a situation

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whereby you run short of what to teach or find yourself with too

much work to cover when the term year has ended.

1.5.3.2.4 Order

The way you sequence your topics in the scheme of work is very

important, (Kasambira, 1972). This point concurs with Kochlar

(1996) who indicates that when scheming you need to present your

work in a logical order. Topics that links must follow each

other to create continuity. For example – In Mathematics – we

have addition followed by subtraction, multiplication followed by

division and so on. These topics are related and it is easy for

pupils to understand them.

1.5.3.2.5 Seasonal changes in the year.

You also need to take into account the seasons of the year. Some

topics are easily understood when taught in summer while others

in winters. So you need to find out which topics. Can be taught

and learned effectively during the different seasons of the year.

This allows you to use the environment in the teaching and

learning process. Linking learning with the environment helps to

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make pupils realize the relevance of concepts they are learning.

For example topics like ‘seed germination’ can be taught during

the rain season when ploughing and seeding are in progress.

1.5.3.2.6 Scheme Format

You need to bear in mind that there is no one

particular scheme format. The format you use may depend

on preferences of individual teachers, heads of schools

and education officers, (Gwarinda, 1997).

Week

Ending

Aims Toipc

and

Content

Methods

and

Activiti

es

Media SOM Evaluat

ion

a) Week ending:- for accountability, purposes, dates of the

respective Fridays must be entered (e.g. 20/06/12).

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b) Aims:- these are long term outcomes or targets coached in

general terms reflecting value goals or benefits, e.g what

benefits do you as a teacher intend to bring to the child by

teaching him/her the material for the week). You then

translate the goals of instruction into a framework for an

instructional programme.

Examples:

i. To develop an understanding of addition of three digit

numbers.

ii. To develop expand children’s knowledge of aspects of

hygiene in the home.

c) Topic: The Topic is the general subject heading of the

week, e.g. addition of fractions etc

d) Content: This is the unit obtained from the breakdown of

the Topic e.g

Topic – Transport and Communication

Content – (i) road transport, (ii) Air transport (iii) Sea

transport.

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Note that content units must be logically sequenced and

their number usually equal to the number of lessons the

subject is given on the timetable.

e) Methods and Activities

(i) Methods: How you as a teacher are going to approach

the units in broad terms. There must be sufficient

variety in the methods employed to ensure effectiveness

of instructional process.

(ii) Activities: These are children’s activities stated

briefly and broadly for example – group experiments,

field trip, dramatisation etc.

f) Media – any materials or apparatus used to facilitate the

achievement of aims and must be related to the methods and

activities. If demonstrations are going to be used for

example, then apparatus suitable for demonstration must be

listed.

g) SOM: The first source of materials to be cited is the

official syllabus. This legitimizes the content and after27

that textbooks and other sources can then be cited including

page numbers. Examples of S.O.M. can be textbooks, teacher

guides, magazines etc.

h) Evaluation: Schemes of work as the framework for

instructional delivery must be evaluated. Formative

evaluation involving an examination of instructional methods

and media is used to get evidence for needed revision and

refinement of instruction. This is critical for both your

professional growth as you introspect your instructional

practice and the enhancement of pupils learning. Self

criticism should involve indicating partial or total failure

in your efforts to realize the aims of the week and the

reasons thereof. Reasons for failure could range from

volume of subject matter, sequencing of content, methods,

lack of pre-instructional knowledge, lack or unsuitability

of media or because of content carried over from the

previous week.

CHECK YOUR PROGRESS ACTIVITY 2:

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Critically analyse the factors that you need to consider when scheming.

1.5.4 Lesson Planning

Coombs (1995:9) states that, “If we do not know where we are

going, we certainly will not get there. To succeed, we must

plan”. This is also true in teaching .It is unlikely that that

you will succeed in your career / teaching if you do not plan the

lessons you teach on a daily basis.

Kasambira (1992;17) defines a lesson plan as a “ short carefully

developed and written outline to help the teacher to achieve the

objectives of a specific topic ,skill or idea. From this

statement you can see that a lesson plan guides the teacher on

how to achieve set objectives.

Gwarinda (2000) states that a lesson plan is the immediate

translation of a scheme of work into action. In other words, it

is a process of specifying outlining specified and time-framed

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work which guides the teachers and learners on activities to be

performed.

1.5.4.1 Rationale

There are various reasons why teachers plan their work. The

following are some of them :

(1) It keeps the teacher focused.

(2) It enables the teacher and pupils to prepare adequate

teaching and learning materials.

(3) It enhances order

(4) Adequate planning and preparation minimises indiscipline.

(5) Planning promotes continuity of learning in the absence of a

teacher.

You may also note that the planning process must be conducted by

means of a systems approach in which the plan must follow a step

by step process, beginning with an analysis of needs and goals

and ending with an evaluated system of instruction. Decisions in

each of the individual steps is based on empirical evidence. Each

step leads to decisions which become’ inputs’ to the next step.

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1.5.4.2 Factors to Consider

In the paragraphs above, you have looked at the definitions and

the reasons why teachers need to plan their work before teaching.

It is essential that we look at the factors that influence and

guide the process of lesson planning. Below we list the factors

which we consider critical to effective planning. It is important

that you comprehend these factors. They are:

(1) Learners :Teachers need to take cognisance of the

pupils’ grade levels so that they plan relevant and

appropriate materials. Knowledge of the socio –cultural

background of the learners is essential .It enables the

teacher to give correct examples. The general class

performance needs to be considered to avoid the delivery of

irrelevant data.

Pupils’ ages as well as their individual needs are

important characteristics which guide the way the teacher

presents his /her work.

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(2) Resources are a vital component of lesson planning.

Teachers need to check on the quality and suitability of the

teaching materials they are using in the classroom.

(3) Enabling learning environment.

As a teacher you should be sensitive to the comfort and

welfare of the pupils by creating an enabling environment

for learning. You need to consider weather conditions in

planning outdoor activities for the pupils as some of these

will not be suitable during unfavourable weather conditions.

(4) Time and Time Tabling

After you have considerd the characteristics of your pupils

and the resources available, you need to look at the

timetable and the lesson duration. These are important

factors as they indicate the amount of time allocated per

subject. This knowledge enables you to plan the right amount

of work for your pupils. This will help you avoid a

situation where you either give pupils too much work to do

or too little work for the time allocated.

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(5) Planning Format

Planning follows a general format. However you would do well

to be aware of the fact that there may be variations in the

format because of the specific requirements of some

subjects.

Generally, a plan starts with an introduction, proceeds to

lesson development, followed by a conclusion and an

evaluation. There are important factors to consider. These

include coherence, connectivity and logical sequencing of

the objectives, the content/subject matter , activities and

the media to be used.

1.5.4.3 Approaches to teaching and learning.

1.5.4.3.1 Pupil centered/ child centred learning:

This is an approach to education that focuses on the needs of the

pupils rather than on those of others involved in the educational

process such as teachers and administrators. This entails putting

the interests of the learner first and is in sharp contrast to

teacher centered approaches which are guided by those of the33

teacher. You can see that the child centred approach focuses on

the pupil’ needs abilities, interests and learning styles. In

this scenario, the teacher’s role becomes that of a facilitator

of learning. The approach acknowledges that pupils are central to

the learning process. They are required to be active, responsible

participants in their own learning.

Theorists like John Dewey, Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky whose

collective works focused on pupils learn were primarily

responsible for the move to learner centered approaches. This

calls for reversing the traditional teacher –centred

understanding of the learning process and putting pupils at the

centre of the learning process.

Pupil-centred approaches allow pupils to actively participate in

discovery learning processes from an autonomous viewpoint. They

become active participants in the learning process. You will

appreciate that with the use of valuable learning skills,

students are capable of achieving life-long learning goals which

can further enhance student motivation in the classroom. Learning

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thus becomes constructive in the sense that the pupil/ learner is

in full control of his or her learning.

Advantages of Pupil-Centred Learning.

(1) Strengthens pupil motivation

(2) Promotes peer communication

(3) Reduces disruptive behavior

(4) Builds student – teacher relationships

(5) Promotes discovery/ active learning

(6) Responsibility for one’s own learning

It is important that you understand that to create a learner –

centered environment you need to pay attention to the following

aspects of learning, what the child is curious about learning and

teaching strategies to accommodate individual needs.

Pupils ’social needs include collaboration, communication and

peer approval. In short we could say that in order to create a

pupil-centered learning environment, you will need to be open,

dynamic, trusting, respectful and promote children’s subjective

as well as objective learning styles. 35

1.5.4.3.1 Teacher Centered Approach

You have examined the characteristics of the pupil –centered

approach to learning .We have also allude to teacher centered

approaches. In the paragraphs that follow below we look teacher

centered approaches. These basically have the teacher at the

centre in an active role and pupils in a passive and receptive

role .Traditionally ,teachers direct the learning process and

students assume a receptive role in the learning process. This is

best illustrated in tertiary education through the lecture method

of teaching. The teacher- centred learning recognizes that

children require the setting of achievable expectations and that

they must have a solid foundation before they can learn a new

concept. An example of this situation is that in order to learn

multiplication properly, a student must understand repeated

addition and grouping. This process cannot be discovered by most

students without the direction of the teacher. You need to

realize that in teacher-centred learning , students work to

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achieve curricular objectives in order to become critical

thinkers.

1.5.5 Lesson Presentation

We hope you are still enjoying the study of classroom management.

Our focus is now on classroom management. This should be

interesting news to you. Lesson presentation is a process of

imparting knowledge to learners through various methods and

activities. You should ensure that the methods you are going to

employ tally with the set objectives, media, lesson content as

well as the lesson activities. All these aspects should be in

line with the grade level syllabus demands. In every lesson

presentation, there are steps to follow. Below we give you the

steps as follows;

1.5.5.1 introduction

1.5.5.2 lesson development

1.5.5.3 group work

1.5.5.4 written work

1.5.5.5 conclusion

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We shall give you brief explanations to each step so as to

enhance your understanding.

1.5.5.1 Introduction

The Dictionary.com Unabridged [2011] defines an introduction as

an ‘act of presenting a …idea …’ We view an introduction as an

initial stage of presenting information.

The lesson introduction should be motivational and goal directed.

It should also suit your class i,e their age, their capabilities

as well as their needs. It should be precise to the point. A good

lesson introduction sholud not take more than five minutes. We

find this information useful to you. We now move on to lesson

development.

1.5.5.2 Lesson development

We know you will find this stage very much interesting. This is a

teaching stage. It is whereby you demonstrate your knowledge of

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the content through lesson delivery. We urge to be creative at

this stage so as to keep your class motivated and focused. Like

in the lesson introduction, the lesson objectives, media,

activities and methods should match your learners’ capabilities,

age, beliefs, needs as well as their socio- cultural backgrounds.

Adequate knowledge of these aspects will enhance an ideal lesson.

This is why Bredekamp and Copple [1997] cited in Fallari [2011;

5] emphasize that, ‘ good teaching is built on a solid

understanding of developmental theories which include universal

expectations and awareness of individual differences.’ When

teaching, you may discover that some pupils do not participate in

traditional music and dance due to their cultural and religious

beliefs. Do not force them. Your task is to find out why they are

behaving in that manner. This will enable you to employ better

approaches in future. We assure you that this will help you

conduct ideal lessons.

You should demonstrate what you expect your learners to achieve

by the end of the lesson. For examples, during the early days of

the first term you can demonstrate the shaping of letters to your

39

grade one class on the chalkboard. After that allow your class to

imitate you practicing on the ground using sticks or their

fingers. You may also ask to tell you what the lesson was all

about. This will help you measure their level of comprehension

thereby assisting you conduct an ideal lesson. Interesting!

Don’t you think so? Let’s find out what the next stage has for

us.

1.5.5.3 Groupwork

The Wikipedia Dictionary defines groupwork as a form of

cooperative learning which caters for individual

differences .This is a childcentred stage which creates an

opportunity for learners to discover their potentials as they are

actively involved .We would like to inform you that groupwork

depends on the nature of the lesson. This is not break time for

the teacher. In order for you to present an ideal lesson, you

40

should monitoryour class. This may help you identify intelligent,

weak, needy and abused learners.Such findings shall help you

address key aspects that enhance or hinder ideal

lessons .Weinsten and Carol [ 2007:264] explain the benefits of

groupwork to the learner when they say, ‘ one reasons for the

benefits is that cooperative learning allows students to take an

active role in their learning – to ask questions, to allocate

turns for speaking….’

1.5.5.4 Written work

We suggest that the term written work be substituted by the

evaluative exercise. The reason why we have suggested this term

is that not all lesson activities are written .Learners. may be

asked to respond to given tasks orally or through practical. For

example, Grade one learners to name given objects. After this

there is a conclusion..

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1.5.5.5 Conclusion

This is a stage of summing up the lesson. You should conclude a

lesson in a motivating manner. You may conclude by a song, rhyme

or poem that is relevant to the lesson. Find an interesting way

of concluding your lesson .You may also ask a few questions

related to the topic. NEVER conclude a lesson by giving a written

exercise. Like the introduction, a conclusion should be brief to

the point. In the next stage, we focus on the characteristics of

an Ideal Lesson Presentation.

1.5.6 Characteristics of an ideal lesson presentation

We shall discuss some of the characteristics of an ideal lesson

presentation. These are as follows

preparedness/ readiness

motivation

confidence

voice projection, and

knowledgeability on – syllabus content

-

lesson content

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- methodologies

- learners’ capabilities

- learners’ socio- cultural and

- learners’ needs and,

- the teaching and learning

Environment

1.5.6.1 Preparedness/ Readiness

We continue to give you information on the chararacteristics of

an ideal lesson presentation. We shall begin by focusing on

Preparedness or Readiness. You need to prepare to teach and this

should be thoroughly done. You should be intrinsically motivated

so as to adequately prepare for the lesson to be taught. Lack of

interest towards your work will contribute to poorly conducted

43

lessons. Your lesson plan should always be up to date so that you

remain focused during the lesson. We emphasize that you should

always have relevant and adequate media for all your

lessons .Adherence to given time is also important. Non-

adherence to the timetable will result in hapharzadly conducted

lessons. Create time that would enable you to check, mark and

discuss homework with your class .Prepare your class for the

activities to follow .Carefully arrange your classroom eg

furniture and displays for the next lesson activity. An ideal

lesson can be conducted if the necessary preparations are done.

Our next discussion shall focus on confidence as another

characteristic of an ideal lesson presentation.

1.5.6.2 Confidence

We would like to share with you how important confidence is in

enhancing an ideal lesson. Confidence is built on a number of

issues such as adequate lesson preparation, up to date records

and knowledge of your class. In most cases teachers loose

44

confidence and fail to conduct lessons effectively due to

inadequate preparation. When you are confident you will be able

to think of your lessons steps clearly and objectively. We hope

this is clear. We now move on to the aspect of voice projection

as a contributing factor to an ideal lesson presentation.

1.5.6.3 Voice projection

We find it necessary to share with you information on voice

projection.Good voice projection enhances an ideal lesson

delivery. You should be audible enough to be heard by every

learner in the classroom. Do not shout Do not whisper. Your voice

should not irritate or frighten your learners. They should be

comfortable and always willing to listen to you. We hope you are

still able to follow. The next aspect is on knowledgeability.

1.5.6.4 Knowledgeability

In this section we now explain aspects on knowledgeability in

detail

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1.5.6.4.1 Syllabus Content

In your lesson delivery it should be evident that the

objectives, activities,methods and media in your lesson plan are

in line with the syllabus content. We encourage you to revisit

information on syllabus interpretation. Your ability to

comprehend and apply syllabus will enhance an ideal lesson

presentation.

1.5.6.4.2 Learners’ capabilities

An ideal lesson presentation is also influenced by the knowledge

of your learners ability levels .It is therefore important to

study them so that you employ teaching strategies, media and

activities that suit them. The next stage focuses on the

learners’ socio-cultural, beliefs and needs.

1.5.6.4.3 Learners’ socio-cultural background, beliefs and needs

46

At times overlook factors that hinder effective lesson delivery

such as learners’ beliefs’ needs and their socio-cultural

backgrounds. In order to conduct an ideal lesson you as a teacher

should know your class. You may find that some pupils may not

participate fully or may not participate at all in music,

physical education and religious lessons due to their socio-

cultural backgrounds and beliefs. Some of them may lack materials

to use at school due to poverty or negligent parents In order to

conduct an ideal lesson you should be able to identify such

factors .An ideal lesson is also influenced by a conducive

teaching and learning environment.

1.5.6.4.4 The environment

The environment plays an important role on lesson

presentation .As a teacher you should be aware of factors that

constitute a conducive teaching and learning environment. Other

factors that constitute a conducive teaching and learning

environment are the physical environment. The furniture should be

well arranged to allow free movement. The teacher should be

approachable. You should also provide adequate and relevant

47

media. We feel we need a break now. Don’t you think so? After

this short activity, work on the task that we have given you

below.

ACTIVITY

Justify in five ways why lesson planning is important to the

teacher. :

1.5.7 CLASSROOM MANGEMENT

You will realize that your class…

1.5.8 CLASS DISCIPLINE AND CONTROL

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1.5.8.1 Class rules and regulations

It is important for us to expose you to the concepts of

discipline and control. You will realize that for teaching

and learning to effectively take place, there must be

discipline in the classroom. Discipline generally refers to

behavior in accordance with rules of conduct set. A class

should have rules that govern the operatives of the pupils.

A rule is a regulation that is designed to control or govern

conduct.

The pupils who fail to adhere to the set, rules become

indisciplined or exhibit deviant behaviour. Deviant

behaviour means failure to conform with rules, norms and

values of an organisation. You therefore need to control

your pupils so as to combat deviant behaviour and establish

discipline. To be successful in combating deviant behaviour

it is prudent for you to know some of the types of deviant

49

behaviour. You should also know some of the causes of

deviant behavior.

1.5.8.3 Types of deviant behavior

There are several types of deviant behaviour that pupils

exhibit. You are exposed to some of them in this section.

You will realize that some of the common types are bullying,

cheating, stealing, fighting , noise making, late coming,

hiding books and failure to finish assignments.

Offences such as dishonesty, sexual offenses (e.g possession

of pornography literature, abortion, etc), disobedience,

during abuse, wickedness, strike, rudeness and breaking

boundaries are also common amongst the pupils. These types

of deviant behavior are obviously triggered by a variety of

causes. We now look at some of these causes.

1.5.8.2 Causes of deviant behaviour

(a) The child’s personality

It has been argued that heredity is influential in moulding

the child’s personality. Children from families with a

50

history of violence will also be violent. Those from

families of thieves will also be thieves. This myth is

debatable and scholars have not yet agreed on this

implication.

(c) Peer group influence

A child may easily be influenced by his/her peers to

misbehave as they are out playing. Think of several examples

of misbehavior that came as a result of influence of peers.

You must have realized that stealing and violence are part

of these examples.

(d) The teachers influence

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Quite often you find teachers who display undesirable

behaviour in front of the children. Some of teachers are

arrogant and inconsistent with what they preach to the

children. Basically the teacher is a role model to the

children. Children copy everything that the teacher does.

Therefore the teacher’s behavior should be exemplary

otherwise he or she has the potential to cause serious

indiscipline in the classroom. Teachers who are disorderly

and fail to formulate rules for their classes are a

potential disaster.

(f) The school’s influence

The climate of the school also influences the behavior of

the children. A school that is not controlled and has a

laissez- faire type of leadership will produce pupils who

lack the necessary guidance and direction. In such a

school deviant behavior tends to be rampant.

Behaviour Modification

52

We have looked at some of the causes of devinant behavior.We now

introduce you to some of the ways a teacher can modify pupils’

behavior

The Satiation Principle

Kasambira ( ) believes that if a child is always

eating during lessons the teacher should allow him/her to

continue chewing throughout the day until he or she is tired

of it. The next day the child will refrain from this type of

behaviour.

(1) Rewarding

You would do well to reward children who behave well. You

can do this in several ways through positive comments. If a

child is notorious for misbehaving and one day he/ she

behaves well you need to praise that behaviour. You could

53

also ask the whole class to clap hands for such a pupil to

reinforce the positive action.

(2) Punishment

Unacceptable behavior by a pupil deserves punishment. Such

punishment for misbehavior can take several forms. As a

teacher you should note that corporal punishment is

discouraged in the school system. In meting out punishment

you should endeavour to match the form of punishment to the

type and gravity of the offence. In doing this consider the

age of the pupil. Note that you should not punish the whole

not punish the whole class for an offence committed by an

individual. Remember a teacher should not administer punish

in anger.

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PROGRESS ACTIVITY: 4

Discuss some types of deviant behavior. How can such behavior be

modified in the classroom situation?

1.5.9 Record Keeping

1.5.9.1 Rationale

Record keeping involves the organization and management of data

in the school system. It entails data such as marks, grades and

other relevant details. Records help you to assess and evaluate

your pupils, the teaching and learning process. You must be aware

that to get maximum benefit from records you should:

1.5.9.1 record the work accurately from the original

source

1.5.9.2 hold positive/ objective opinions on students that

do that do not make them

overconfident

1.5.9.3 be economic with space but give maximum possible

information

55

1.5.9.4 be up- to- date. Soon after administering and marking

the exercise, recording should be done.

1.5.9.5 Avail records to parents and other stakeholders for

feedback

1.5.9.6 evaluate records periodically as per institution

requirements

Farrant [1980] describes records as communication devices.

Aggarwal [1992] is of the opinion that records are about

compilation of different judgements, held from time to time

during the course of study of a pupil.

Clearly, the implication is that records in the classroom

situation are tools that are used to understand pupils in order

to facilitate better planning and learning experiences.

Characteristics of good records are as follows;

1.5.9.7 validity – information must come from original sources

and should not be distorted

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1.5.9.8 comprehensiveness – as much as possible comprehensive

information about the student should be gathered and

recorded

1.5.9.9 accuracy - accurate information about pupils

culminates in sound and purposeful teaching and

reporting

Check your progress: Activity 5

Define a record in your own words and discuss the

characteristics of a good record .

You should also be conversant with the purpose of records. Here,

Gronuland (1985) believes that the prime purpose of record

keeping is to improve learning and instruction and to help to

monitor the progress of individual learners. Records provide

information to you and your pupils as well as to other

stakeholders. Records show that we have taken statutory

responsibility/ accountability such as delivering the national

curriculum and monitoring learners’ progress.

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1.5.9.2 Types of Records

You may by now be aware that quite a number of records are used

in the primary school situation. You will need to familiarize

yourself with each and every one of the following types of

records that you will be required to keep up to date at all

times.

These are:

(1) Attendance register

(2) Class inventory

(3) Co-curricular record

(4) Community involvement record

(5) Extension record

(6) Progress record

(7) Reading record

(8) Remedial record

(9) Social or Individual record

(10)Test record

1.5.9.2(1) The Attendance register

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This register is a record that you will use to the regularity of

attendance in class by your pupils .It will help you check on

those pupils who absent on any given day. You may then

investigate to find out the possible causes of such absences.

Ozigi (1994) explains that a register the teacher to monitor the

attendance pattern of pupils whose behaviour or academic progress

is a cause for concern. This will lead you as the class teacher

to find out the reasons for the child’s continued irregular

attendance at school. The register should indicate where

applicable the reasons for withdrawing a pupil and at the same

time record the new entrants.

1.5.9.2(2) Class inventory record

This is a record which gives which gives a detailed list of all

the items found in a classroom. These include such things as

desks, chairs, chalkboard rubbers and cleaners, cupboards, dust

pans and brooms and similar items ordinarily kept in the

59

classroom. Below we give an example of how such a record can be

designed.

ITEM QUANTITY STATUS DATE LAST

CHECKED

SIGNATURE &

DATE

Teacher’s

Desk

1 Slightly

broken

drawers

20

September

2012

Pupils’Desk

s

35 11 in poor

condition,

the rest in

good

condition.

20

September

2012

Chairs 37 20 in poor

shape, the

rest,

satisfactor

y.

20

September

2012

Benches Where

applicable

Cupboards 2 good 20

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condition,

I without

locks.

September

2012

Chalkboard

rubbers

2 1 used up,

the other

fairly new

20

September

2012

Brooms, etc 1, 1 with

broken

handle

20

September

2012

With this kind of record, you are informed of the resources

available in the classroom and what needs to be procured or

replaced. Looking at the scenario depicted above, you will

appreciate why you need to take good care of the available items

and maintain them in a usable condition. The school head will

find this record useful when sending items for repair or

procuring needed replacements.

1.5.9.2(3) Co-curricular records

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This is an important record which you must always make available.

Its availability enables you as a learner teacher to answer to

the curriculum demands that you develop into a full person by

going through a balanced education. The requirement for this

record guarantees that student teachers like you fully

participate in sporting, cultural and other recreational

activities in the capacity of trainer or leader.

1.5.9.2 (4) Community involvement record

This is a record that you as a student teacher will need to keep.

I t stresses the need for students teachers and pupils to be

valuable assets in the community in which they live, work and

study. It is your task to identify community based projects

current or proposed in the community. Such projects could focus

on establishment of herbal gardens and orchards, gulley

reclamation and filling in potholes and dongas. It can also be in

the form of adult literacy education for the locals. To succeed,

it is critical that you carefully plan how you will carry out

these projects. After you have started, you will need to carry

out a formative evaluation so that you are kept on course.

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1.5.9.2(5) Extension record

1.5.9.2(6) Progress record

This is a record of marks and grades attained in set targets

attained by pupils in set targets in different learning domains.

It shows the academic achievements and progress made by the

pupils. Entries of marks obtained in tests, revision exercises

and selected activities can be made weekly, fortnightly, monthly

or termly. According to Oguninyi(1994), the record of marks

should be based on the pupil’s performance upon completing a

concept, a unit or a topic. You need to develop the art of

setting good test items. These will help you identify problem

areas that your pupils experience so that you can attend to them

effectively.

1.5.9.2. (7) Reading record

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1.5.9.2. (8) Remedial record

This record is used to follow up impediments to progress in

learning noted by the teacher. Farrant (1995) defines the

remedial record as one that diagnostically shows pupils who need

specific and immediate help in given subject areas. It challenges

the teacher to re-plan and justify their methods so as to

eliminate learning flows. You need to note that this record

should state the name of the pupil requiring immediate help; the

weaknesses identified proposed media and remedial strategy. You

should have a good remedial programme so you are able to

identify, support and track pupils who need help. You need to

note, however, that remediation is not necessarily a one off

event as you may need to repeat the exercise all over again.

1.5.9.2. (9) Social or Individual record

As a teacher who aspires to be effective, you will appreciate the

need to compile and maintain an updated individual social record

for each of the pupils under your care. This record is critical

in that it shows the history or social background of individual64

pupils’ .The record gives details of an individual pupil such as

the size of the family, the pupil’s birth rank, occupation and

level of education of the parents or guardians and the marital

status of the parents as well as the type of family.

Disciplinary information is tracked by the teacher and often by

the school office as well. For examplel whenever pupil is the

Head or Deputy heads’ office for disciplinary reasons a record

should be is kept. This information will be available to class

teachers so that a clear picture of a child’s behavior in subject

classes as well as main lessons is readily available.

Parent conferences and the work with children with special

needs are well documented. You can also document any meetings or

conferences you have with the pupils’ parents or guardians and

ask them to sign the documentation. The documentation includes a

written list of what the school will do for the child and what

the school expects the parents to do.

Carefully analysed, these aspects can assist you in accounting

for the possible causes of pupils’ behaviour and performance.

65

1.5.9.2. (10) Test record

The purpose of a test is to enable you as a teacher to determine

the level of knowledge, skill and concept acquisition your pupils

have attained. It is critical that you keep an accurate and up to

date record of pupils achievement.

Aggrarwal(1992) and Mills (1991) contend that a test record book

is compiled for different subjects/ topics/concepts meant to test

pupils regularly. As a teacher, your test record should show the

subject, the date the test was administered; test objectives test

items or content and the teacher’s comments.

1.5.9.2.(11) Home work record

The homework chart in each classroom is a particularly effective

method of record keeping. It is effective for pupils and

teachers alike. You may find this a quicker and more reliable way

of checking on homework given and the frequency of such

exercises.

1.5.9.3. (12) School Reports

66

The written reports that go home to parents should be clear,

professional, and complete. The quality of your record keeping

will be evident in the thoroughness of the reports. All reports

should be read and edited for tone and style in addition to being

proofread for obvious spelling and grammatical errors.

Activity 6

1. What type of record keeping does your school expect teachers to keep in the classroom (e.g. late comers, absences, work in progress)? Do these expectations vary by grade?

2. Describe how these records are kept.

3. How are new teachers instructed in these expectations at your school?

All teachers, new and experienced and those like yourself who are

learning the tricks of the trade can always benefit from more

conversation around record keeping. It needs to be simple and

user friendly so that it does not become tedious and burdensome.

This will help you in your effort to build a clear picture of the

child’s progress and development.

67

It is advisable that you share with other fellow students the

various techniques that are used for tracking student progress in

their schools. This sharing will be of mutual benefit as it will

further enrich your experiences.The more you can discuss with

mentors and other experienced teachers their record keeping and

tracking of student performance We reiterate what we have said

above that good record keeping results in good end of year report

and allows you to identify and react to pupils’ concerns early

on.

1.6 Summary1.7 Conclusion

1.8 Assignment

1.8.4 Assignment 4

What is working particularly well at your school with regard to classroom record

keeping?

68

Is there something you would change if you could with regard to classroom record

keeping at your school? What is it, and what changes would you make?

1.9 References:

Aggarwal, J.C.(1992) School Administration, New Delhi: Arya Book

Depot.

Cohen, L., Manion,L., Morrison,R. and Wise, D.(2010) A Guideto Teaching Practice, Revised 5th edn. London: Routledge Falmer.

Blandford, S. (1998) Managing Discipline in schools. New York:Routledge.

Dreykurs, R.,Grunwald , B.B., Pepper, F.C. (1982) Maintaining

Sanity in the Classroom 2nd edn. New York: HarperCollins.

Farrant, J.S.(1995) Principles and Practices of Education,

London, Longman Private Limited.

Gronlund, N.E. (1985) Measurement and Evaluation in Teaching 5th

edn. New York, Macmillan Publishing Co. Inc.

Kyriacou, C. (1997) Effective Teaching in Schools, 2nd edn.

Cheltenham: Nelson Thornes.

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Kyriacou, C.(2007) Essential Teaching Skills, 3rd edn. Cheltenham:

Nelson Thornes.

Ogunniyi, O.A. (1994) Educational Measurement and Evaluation,

Lagos, Longman.

Mnkandhla, A.V. (1996) Porfessional Studies, Bulawayo:

Religious and Commercial Printers.

Nacino-Brown, R. et al.(1982) Curriculum and Instruction ,

Oxford: Heinemann Educational Publishers.

1.10 Further Reading

1.11 Glossary

70