The latest most fashionable
word in education is "constructivism," Constructivism is a view of
learning theory based on the belief that knowledge is constructed by learners
through an active, mental process of development. This method of teaching
promotes critical thinking and creates active and motivated learners. In this
writing I am going to present how constructivist approach can be used for
classroom management.
1. In constructivist classrooms, learners
are active participants and take responsibilities for their own learning. So,
involve student to make classroom rules and procedure. Rules and procedures
prevent problem from occurring. Rules need to reflect a balance between
providing students the necessary freedom to explore and learn and providing
safe environment.
2. Constructivist teachers strive to
provide a developmentally appropriate educational experience
Knowing that young children have short
attention spans and restricted vocabularies, you can frequently vary
instructional activities by using appropriate wordings. Knowing that some
adolescents may be experiencing growing pains as they enter puberty helps you
to understand the importance of allowing these students to get up and move
around from time to time. Peers are very important for adolescents, so
reprimand in private to avoid embarrassment.
3. Classrooms are communities where
students collaborate to resolve issues
Classroom
meeting: This provides
an opportunity for students to participate in democratic procedures, cooperate,
and develop mutual respect and responsible honesty.
Conflicts
resolution approaches: This
involves a step-by-step process for guiding individuals towards a mutually agreeable
solution to a problem. Before that students are taught communication skills, as
this is important for successful classroom interaction and problem solving
approaches to classroom management. Communication skills involve two basic
skills.
Active
listening: This involves
trying to understand what another person is thinking and feeling by listening
and watching that person carefully. The listener then paraphrases that
understanding so that the speaker can verify its accuracy. Active listening
helps to create a warm and friendly atmosphere.
I-Message: This involves a three-part communication
that can be used to confront another person. Begins with non-judgmental description
of behaviour, followed by a statement of the effect of that behaviour for other
people and finally a statement about the feeling associated with the behaviour
and its effects.
Examples: When you are late to class, it interrupts our lesson and I feel frustrated.
An area of classroom can be designated as
a conflict resolution area, or a time or time limit can be used.
