Elementary Classroom Management: Lessons from Research and Practice

Written in a lively, engaging, conversational style that teacher education students appreciate, Elementary Classroom Management combines what research has to say about effective classroom management with knowledge culled from practice. The text is scholarly and research-based, yet realistic and practical. The text shows how four masterful teachers (grades 1, 3, 4 and 5/6) in very different school settings create classrooms that are orderly and productive, yet humane and caring. By integrating into discussions of research-based management principles, both the thinking and the actual management practices of four real elementary teachers, readers come to "know" these teachers and their classrooms. We hear about the classes they teach and about the physical constraints of their rooms, hear them reflect on their rules and routines, and watch as they teach those rules and routines to students. We listen as they talk about motivating students and building community and as they discuss appropriate ways to deal with misbehavior. Well-organized and more comprehensive than many classroom management texts, Elementary Classroom Management includes chapters on building safer, more caring classrooms; working with families; using time effectively; motivation; working with troubled students and students with special needs; and violence prevention. It also addresses the managerial challenges involved in a variety of instructional formats, such as seatwork, recitations and discussions, and groupwork. The third edition features updated and expanded coverage. The revision stresses the need to build caring, supportive relationships with and among students. It responds to current concerns about students' alienation, isolation, apathy, and lack of motivation so that prospective and beginning teachers see that classroom management is not simply about rules, rewards, and consequences, but also about building connections with students and creating safer, more caring classrooms.

Carol S. Weinstein is currently Professor of Education at Rutgers Graduate School of Education, where she was Associate Dean of Teacher Education and Chair of the Department of Learning and Teaching. She received her doctorate from Harvard Graduate School of Education in 1975. A former public school teacher, she has authored dozens of journal articles and book chapters on topics ranging from the physical design of classrooms to prospective teachers' beliefs about classroom management. She has also co-authored (with Andrew J. Mignano)a companion volume on managing elementary classrooms (McGraw-Hill). In July 2000, she received a Contributing Researcher Award from the American Federation of Teachers for "Bridging the Gap between Research and Practice in Effective Classroom Management." Her special interests are classroom organization and management, violence prevention, and teacher education.

Andrew J. Mignano Jr. is currently the principal of the Laura Donovan School in Freehold Township, New Jersey. He received his bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Rutgers College in 1974 and his master’s degree in educational psychology from Kean College in 1981. During his 15 years as a teacher, he taught at all levels from kindergarten to fifth grade, including one year teaching special education. His tenure as a principal has been characterized by the implementation of new programs in early literacy, technology integration and world languages. A firm believer in professional development and teacher preparation, Mr. Mignano has worked closely with the Rutgers Office of Teacher Education. As a staff developer, he has conducted workshops on the topics of writing workshops, early literacy, brain based learning, classroom management and cooperative learning.