Effective classroom management creates safe and supportive learning environments for all students. This practice resource is part of a suite of observation tools that complement the Australian Education Research Organisation (AERO)’s foundational classroom management resources. These observation tools are designed for experienced teachers and school leaders to use with AERO’s practice guide, Supporting a Colleague with Refining their Classroom Management Practice.
With your colleague, you can use this tool to identify specific aspects of the practice they demonstrate, take notes on what you observe and use these to help identify strengths and areas for refinement.
Before the observation
It’s important you take time before an observation to prepare well. This is essential to clarify objectives and gather relevant, accurate and useful information to support your colleague in identifying strengths and refining their practice. Preparation will also help you become familiar with this tool’s format and content so it’s easier to use during the observation.
Before using this tool
- Read AERO’s practice guide, Supporting a Colleague with Refining their Classroom Management Practice.
- Follow step 1 – Build and maintain a collaborative relationship.
- Follow step 2 – Decide on a specific practice or skill to observe and prepare for the observation.
Before observing
- Read AERO’s Students Exiting the Classroom practice guide to familiarise yourself with the steps.
- Read the information in this observation tool.
- Discuss with your colleague what will be observed, how long the observation will be and how evidence will be collected.
During the observation
Observe your colleague and tick the boxes for any actions observed. To support the feedback discussion, objectively record what your colleague says and does at key moments, as well as how students respond.
The teacher wraps up the final learning task
The teacher:
- clearly communicates the behaviour expectations and amount of time for finishing the learning task
- allows enough time for students to wrap up the final learning task
- provides regular incremental reminders of what students need to complete
- has a clear end to the learning task.
The teacher gains all students’ attention
The teacher:
- gains all students’ attention by using a countdown, call and response, visual cue or gesture
- deliberately pauses
- scans all students
- acknowledges students meeting behaviour expectations and praises students exceeding behaviour expectations specific to them
- responds to disengaged and disruptive behaviours:
- using non-verbal corrections
- using verbal corrections (if required)
- giving a choice to correct their behaviour or receive a consequence (if required)
- implementing the consequence (if required), ensuring it is related to and correcting the behaviour
- acknowledging students when they correct their behaviour.
The teacher reminds all students of the expectations for preparing to leave the classroom
The teacher:
- clearly communicates the expectations for finishing the lesson, including:
- what students should do to pack away and tidy up
- what they need to prepare to take with them how long they have
- where they should be when they’ve finished preparing to leave
- deliberately pauses
- scans to ensure students understand and are following instructions.
The teacher monitors and reinforces the behaviour expectations while students prepare to leave the classroom
The teacher:
- positions themself to see all students
- deliberately pauses
- scans
- circulates the classroom to:
- support students requiring clarification of an instruction or extra assistance
- acknowledge students meeting expectations and praise students exceeding expectations specific to them
- responds to disengaged and disruptive behaviours:
- using non-verbal corrections
- using verbal corrections (if required)
- giving a choice to correct their behaviour or receive a consequence (if required)
- implementing the consequence (if required), ensuring it is related to and correcting the behaviour
- acknowledging students when they correct their behaviour.
The teacher positions themself to see all students as they leave the classroom
The teacher:
- stands where they’re able to see students leaving the classroom, ensuring they:
- avoid having blind spots
- can scan and see all students inside and outside the classroom as they leave.
The teacher gains all students’ attention
The teacher:
- gains all students’ attention using a countdown, call and response, or visual cue or gesture
- deliberately pauses
- scans to ensure students are looking and listening
- acknowledges students meeting expectations and praises students exceeding expectations specific to them
- responds to disengaged and disruptive behaviours:
- using non-verbal corrections
- using verbal corrections (if required)
- giving a choice to correct their behaviour or receive a consequence (if required)
- implementing the consequence (if required), ensuring it is related to and correcting the behaviour
- acknowledging students when they correct their behaviour.
The teacher reminds all students of the expectations for leaving the classroom
The teacher:
- reminds students of the expectations for leaving the classroom, including:
- what they need to take with them what they need to complete or bring next time
- how they should leave the room
- checks for understanding.
The teacher dismisses students and monitors and reinforces the behaviour expectations as they leave, including outside the classroom
The teacher:
- dismisses the students in a way that works best for their context
- scans as students leave, in the classroom and outside
- interacts positively with students as they leave
- acknowledges and praises students’ effort for the lesson and gives reminders to individual students for homework or the next lesson
- acknowledges students meeting behaviour expectations and praises students exceeding behaviour expectations specific to them
- positively frames verbal corrections
- responds to behaviours that don’t meet expectations
- acknowledges students when they correct their behaviour.
After the observation
Follow step 3 – Conduct a feedback session in our practice guide, Supporting a Colleague with Refining their Classroom Management Practice.
Before the feedback session
You may want to document:
- What did they do well that you can praise?
- What have they refined since your previous feedback session (if relevant)?
Before or during the feedback session
You may want to document:
- What is their next priority to focus on?
- Is it a single step of a practice, a specific skill or an element of a skill?
- Within the practice step or skill, what specifically needs refinement? What evidence is there to support this?
During the feedback session
Model for your colleague, then support them to plan and rehearse the practice step, skill or skill element they will focus on refining. You may want to document:
- When will they next use the refined skill or step of a classroom management practice?
- What key elements of the refined skill or step will they make sure they include?
- How will they know if they’ve been successful in refining their practice?
- When is a suitable time to re-observe the refined step or skill?
Keywords: student engagement, disruption, disruptive behaviour