At this point in the school year, I always wonder if I am an effective teacher when it comes to classroom management. Even though I have written pages and pages about it, I still worry that my own classroom is not as well-managed as it should be and could be. Like other teachers, I want to make sure that every student becomes a self-disciplined success story. With that lofty goal in mind, I spend time each year when a grading period ends to review my efforts at making sure that my classroom management procedures and policies are as effective as I would like for them to be.


With that in mind, you may also want to take a mid-year moment to examine your own classroom management effectiveness. While there are many different approaches to solve discipline problems, some are simply more effective than others. As you take this quiz, ask yourself which of the answer choices would be the most effective way to handle a problem that you and your students may be experiencing.

1. Students take too long to get their materials arranged for a test.

a.         Remind them to hurry.

b.         Start the test and let the slow ones catch up.
c.         Tell them they can have one minute to get ready and then
            time them by pointedly watching the clock.

2. A student is lost in a daydream instead of finishing a reading assignment.

a.         Tell the student that if he or she doesn’t get to work, there
             will be more to do for homework.
b.         Stay at your desk and wait to see how long it takes the
             dreamer to get back to work.
c.         Move to stand near the student.

3. Students jokingly insult each other while waiting for class to begin.

a.         Ignore the horseplay. Class hasn’t started yet.

b.         Remind students of the procedure for starting class and the
            class rule about showing respect for others.
c.         Tell students to stop and to get to work at once.

4. A student always finishes assignments in a rush and then wants to spend the rest of class doing absolutely nothing.

 a.         As long as no one else is being bothered, there is no real  
             problem.
b.          Design instruction so that one assignment will flow into
             the next. Students can use a checklist to keep on track.
c.         Give the student more work to do.

5. A few students show up day after day without completed homework assignments.

a.         Tell them that they are going to fail the class and that you 
             are going to call home.
b.         Ask them to write out the reason and then work with them
            to figure out a solution. Take a positive approach.
c.         Stop giving homework assignments. Focus on class time 
            learning instead.

6. Students ball up papers and toss them at the wastebasket while

you are giving directions about an assignment.

a.         Shake your head, frown, and move near them.
b.         Stop what you are saying and reprimand them.
c.         Finish your directions. Go to the students and quietly ask
            them about the class rule they violated.

7.  A student is constantly disorganized. A book bag full of

crumpled papers functions as a locker.

a.         Keep the student after class and straighten out the mess
            together. Work out a weekly organization goal.
b.         Call home and talk to a parent about helping the student
            get organized.
c.         Assign binder buddies to help the student find materials.

8. Students chat while you are explaining the homework assignment.

a.         Ignore it.

b.         Stop and wait for them to pay attention. Call them to order

            if needed.

c.         Tell them to stop talking and start paying attention.

9. A student lacks a textbook, pen, or paper.

a.         Share materials from the class storehouse.

b.         Don’t allow student to complete the work in class. He or
             she can do it at home. This will help all students remember
             to bring materials next time.
c.         Allow student to borrow from classmates.

10. Students talk back rudely when you have reprimanded them.

a.         Send them to the office.

b.         Reprimand them privately.
c.         Ignore it.

11. Students turn in sloppy or inaccurate work.

a.         Refuse to take it.

b.         Take it but give a lecture about work habits.
c.         Require that they redo the work whenever practical.

12. Students are tardy to class without a good reason.

a.         Enforce your rules regarding tardiness to class.

b.         Refuse to let them in.
c.         Meet them at the door and ask why they are tardy.

13. Some students ignore you when you call for the class to quiet down to work.

a.         Keep asking until they listen to you.

b.         Raise your voice until no one can ignore you.
c.         Give the signal that they recognize as a sign that they need
            to get quiet.

14. A student seems to take forever to dawdle over any assignment in class—tests, quizzes, and other written work.

a.         Give the student a timer to self-manage tasks.

b.         Call home to find out any reasons for the problem.
c.         Talk to the student to find out the reasons for the slow pace
            and to find ways to help the student stay focused and 
            productive.

15. One student refuses to work with the rest of the students in a group.

a.         Make sure that everyone knows the reason for the
            assignment, has an appropriate role in the group, and has
            been taught teamwork skills.
b.         Ignore the situation as long as you can so that students can
            work it out for themselves.
c.         Take care to assign students to groups where they will be
            able to work with friends

Answers:

1. c      6. a      11. c

2. c      7. a      12. a

3. b      8. b      13. c

4. b      9. a      14. c

5. b      10. b    15. a