Classroom Management Matters

Book excerpt: "We can do better, but expectation alone is not enough. We need answers and examples like the ones Gianna and Brook provide with great insight from research and practice and great compassion for teachers and students. My hope is that this book will become a touchstone for all of us." -Carmen Farina, Chancellor of New York City Schools "Positive, supportive relationships with children help them develop socially and emotionally and help you to effectively manage your classroom," writes Gianna Cassetta. She shows you an approach to creating that environment that can actually be planned for, taught, and supported from the first day of school-or anytime you want to reset your classroom community. Gianna has been a teacher and leader, and the classroom management strategy she shares in Classroom Management Matters shifts you away from professionally draining rewards-and-consequences systems that threaten children rather than connect with them. Instead of tips and techniques Gianna presents a plan for explicitly teaching children how to be effective learners and accountable members of the classroom. You'll quickly learn to: know your students better and understand the causes of individuals' misbehavior assess children's development along a provided social-emotional continuum-just like any other skill you teach teach these self-management skills to support a positive classroom and academic growth set and maintain boundaries with students respond to disruption with effective teaching language. With reflection questions, classroom examples, and summaries of supporting studies from researcher Brook Sawyer, Classroom Management Matters helps you be a learning leader in the classroom instead of an authority. "I'll show you detailed strategies that prevent and minimize your difficulties with students," writes Gianna, "so you can focus on constructive action that will have a lasting, positive impact."