The college instructor must be a combination of subject expert, motivational speaker, classroom manager, and coach. This article introduces the essential elements of managing a classroom for optimal learning.

Ten Tips for Effective Classroom Management

1. Plan Your Class Sessions. As the manager of the classroom, it is your responsibility to guide students from point A (the first day of class) to point B (the end of the course). Depending on your class size, this may included up to forty individuals. This is no easy task. You must have a game plan in place. This includes planning out in advance what lectures, learning modules, labs, demonstrations, will be needed in order to accomplish this goal.

A helpful tool to use is a lesson planning calendar. Templates for these are available free from Microsoft.com. You can import these files into MS Word or MS Excel and edit them to suit your purpose.

2. Establish Your Ground Rules Early. Just as adults need to be aware of the rules of the workplace, students need to know what boundaries are in effect in the classroom. Establishing and distributing a collection of these ground rules serve to remind students of the expectations of your class. Since career college students are employment oriented, these ground rules are more effective if they mimic similar rules found in the workplace.

I’ve seen some instructors post these in the room, include them in a class syllabus or outline, and distribute them in handout form.

3. Begin Class On Time. There is no better way to communicate who is in charge in the classroom than this. Too often I see instructors waiting until all students are in their seats before beginning the class session. In my opinion, this reinforces the negative behavior of tardiness. Beginning and ending class on time is an outgrowth of successful planning. In this manner, you will be modeling what behavior is desirable.

Plan a participation exercise (a three question pop quiz) that can be completed in the first three to five minutes of class. Those who are on time will receive the points while those who are tardy will not. Planning an activity of this sort will immediately communicate the message that beginning class on time is a priority and most students will adjust their behavior accordingly.

4. Initiate Each Session With a Recap of Prior Learning. Students will naturally forget some of the material learned in the previous session. This is normal for most adults. By planning a mini-review of the latest material, you encourage recall of the material and thereby make it more significant. The more significant information is to the student, the more likely they are to retain it for a longer period of time. This process of reviewing prior learning is called a “set.” It sets the stage, so to speak, for what comes next.

5. Collect Homework at the Beginning of Class. Collecting homework and projects at the beginning of class reinforces the positive behavior set up in your ground rules. Assuming one of your ground rules is the complete assignments on time, you will be positively reinforcing this desirable employment related behavior. It also eliminates the habit of students working to complete the assignment during your lecture or lab session.

6. Establish Work Pairs/Groups and Use Them Frequently. This practice is vital in the classroom employing cooperative and collaborative learning techniques. It anchors the learning firmly in place because it actively involves students in the learning process.

Let’s say you are lecturing on the three types of business forms: sole proprietorship, partnership, and corporation. After a brief overview of the forms, divide teams of three into groups and have them brainstorm a list of two or three examples of each type of business. Ask one student to be the recorder and write record the list. One student will guide the discussion and the remaining member will present the list to the class.

'...You must model the behavior, attitude and professionalism you wish to see in your students.'

7. Model the Behavior You Expect From Your Students. There is no more effective teacher than the one who embodies the result desired. Ken Blanchard states that in order for a subordinate to do a good job, they must know what a good job looks like. Mohatma Ghandi said, “You must become the change you wish to see in the world.” In this manner, you must model the behavior, attitude, and professionalism you wish to see in your students. If you wish students to maintain their professional appearance then never give them an opportunity to point out that you are not within the established appearance guidelines. Similarly, as we stated in the suggestion above, if you wish your students to be more punctual, by starting and ending class on time you will communicate the importance of effective time management.

8. Be Supportive of Administration. As the Instructor, you greatly influence the student’s opinion and attitude toward the institution and its administration. If your comments in class conflict with administration’s guidelines, you will foster discontent.

Even if you disagree with the administration over issues that effect students, be supportive of the fact that the administration is acting with the best of intentions.

In the past, I have used this type of opportunity to examine, as an in class activity, how work related issues affect us as team members. Students will face similar issues on the job. A professional manner of engaging in dialogue about sensitive issues will serve as a model for their future behavior.

9. Always Hold Students to a High Standard. In education, standards exist in many forms. A few examples are grading standards, uniform or professional appearance standards, attendance guidelines, and professional behavior standards.

By supporting these standards, you model the importance boundaries. Standards exist in order to measure student progress and achievement. You encourage students to hold themselves to a higher standard as a mature adult learner.

10. Give Students a Reason to Return. Today’s adult learners walk out of your classroom and are immediately confronted with a large number of factors that compete for their attention. Family issues, economic concerns, social engagements, and much more detract them from focusing on their education. You have no control over these factors. What you can control is the dynamic content of your classroom. The more engaged students are in your class, the more likely they are to return for the following session. Link this return with the promise of more engaging activity and you will soon develop the reputation as the instructor of choice in your institution.