A 2007 study by Daniel Reschy and Regina Oliver of Vanderbilt University states that classroom management is needed for effective teaching and learning. Classroom management takes effort to create, but the benefits produce a classroom atmosphere with clear expectations, smooth transitions between activities and few behavior problems. The person most responsible for creating this atmosphere is the teacher.
Each teacher's classroom management system varies. In "What Works in Schools," authors Robert Marzano, Jana Marzano and Debra Pickering state that the most important role of a classroom teacher as "classroom manager" is to effectively juggle several activities. "Managing" means knowing how and when to use appropriate classroom strategies. For example, the teacher must know when and how to use various instructional delivery methods such as whole-group sessions or smaller-group sessions, which makes it easier for the teacher to facilitate the various student learning styles.
Classroom management has a positive effect on teaching because it is arguably the foundation of having substantial student achievement, according to Reschy and Oliver. Students who are participants in a functioning classroom management plan are able accomplish a goal together and function effectively as a group. Students learn better when distractions are at a minimum, routines are followed and transitions between activities are smooth and coherent.
Off-task behavior and extraneous interruptions can impede teaching and learning. Michael Linsin, author of "Dream Class" and "The Classroom Management Secret," claims that proactive teachers seek strategies that better align students with their classroom management plan. He further purports that proactive teachers use helpful resources such as seeking advice from the principal, school counselors or colleagues. They may suggest conducting parent conferences, placing students on behavior plans and adjusting classroom routines or recommend strategies for unmotivated students.
Classroom discipline primarily involves establishing rules and punishment. Failure to follow rules may result in a parent conference, having students serve detention or revoking privileges. Classroom management creates a relationship so that the class functions effectively as a single unit achieve a goal, according to Geoff Petty, author of teacher training texts. Teachers promote desired behavior by utilizing a reward system that may include giving students extra credit on assignments, allowing more time during recess or giving extra computer time, according to Lucinda Wilson and Deborah Corpus of the National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality. Further, they find that teachers who have an effective classroom management plan retool their classrooms by using techniques to avoid power struggles and handle defiant or unmotivated students.