Effectivenesshas always been defined as doing the right thing to achieve the most intendedresults. Harry K. Wong and Rosemary T.
Wong emphasize the importance ofeffectiveness to produce student achievement and learning. To Wong, it is thecharacteristics of an effective teacher, being a good classroom manager andshowing effective practices, that make effectiveness come true. Their book, TheClassroom Management Book (2014), concludes that it is only the teacher whomakes difference in students’ learning, ” The more effective the teacher, themore effective the practices, the more students will learn”, page 2.
Accordingto Wong, Effective teachingis identifiable, teachable, and implementable. Effectiveness is identified when aresult is produced, “Teacherswho are effective produce student’slearning, growth, and achievement”, Wong. Effectiveness is teachable when skilled and trained teachers impacttheir students. Effectiveness is implemented when teachers implement skillsthey gained from the professional development programs in their classroom.
(Harry & RosemaryWong,Teachers.netGazette, January 2011.). Inhis book, Classroom Management That works (2003), Robert J. Marzano focuses onthe important role of the effective teacher that is responsible for creatingeffective classroom management.
He believes that a solid classroom managementplan would require an effective teacher and would provide an interestingteaching and learning environment. “Effective teachers appear to beeffective with students of all achievement levels regardless of the levels ofheterogeneity in their classes”, Marzano, page1. According to Wong, effective meansproducing a result. To produce a result, the teacher must know his/herintentions and know what he/she expects the kids to learn. Wong believe that nomatter what grade level we teach, what subject we teach and what kind of schoolenvironment we teach in, every single management plan begins exactly the sameway. It begins with welcoming students on the first day of school and every dayof the school year.
Wong believe that classroom management is not aboutdiscipline but it is about organization and consistency, ” Classroom managementis not discipline, they are not synonymous terms”, page 8. Procedures make theclass comfortable and secure because they all know what is going to happen.Discipline has to do with behavior and procedure has to do with doing. Aneffective teacher manages a classroom and the ineffective teacher disciplines aclassroom. Wong’s four Stages of teacherdevelopment can measure the effectiveness of the teacher.Fantasy: the teacher actually believesthat classroom is going to go perfectly on the first day of school.
Survival:teachers believe that teaching is having fun and game and students give them ahard time. Mastery: teachers know how to handle a classroom and they know howto manage the students. Impact: teachers see the students use the life skillsthey taught them in their future careers, influenced by their teacher. According to R.
Marzano, the effectiveteacher has 3 major roles. First, teachers use the instructional strategieswisely. They are highly skilled and know when it is the best time to usecooperative learning, and graphic organizers.
Second, teachers are aware of theclassroom curriculum design. They respond to the needs of their studentscollectively and individually and articulate the proper sequence of the lessonand design the most appropriate learning activities, videos, and power-pointpresentations. Third, teachers are very good classroom managers.
Effectiveteachers can prevent all discipline problems by keeping students interested inlearning through the use of exciting classroom materials and activities, page4. No doubt that both researchers agreethat the most important factor directly affecting the student is the teacher.Though they used different methods in their researches.
Marzano uses meta-analysisin his experiments he applies quantitative methods in his research focusing oncollecting measurable data using questionnaires and surveys then analyzing itnumerically. He collects data in terms of quantity and frequency. Whereas Harryand Rosemary Wong use qualitative methods in their analysis to provide deepinformation about the attitudes, beliefs, motives and behavior of students. Theyrely on the qualities of entities and on processes and meanings that are notnumerically measurable. They interact extensively with people being studied. Knowing how classroom management isassociated with the effective teacher encouraged me to define management in myclass. My philosophy about classroom management is not far from the researchersresults..
. I believe in the impact of the first day of school and I amconsistent as a fair manager throughout the academic year. I explainconsequences and let the students make their choice. I encourage my students toseek learning and enduring understanding.
I articulate the proper sequence ofthe lesson and design activities that keep my students interested all the time.I intend to do all of this in my class, to a certain extent, but I never knewthat this is called Classroom Management Plan. Hence after reading Wong’squalitative methods, I gained new thinking about how understanding reasons ofdifferent behaviors would lead to effective teaching and learning. I alsogained knowledge form Marzano’s quantitative methods about factors that lead toeffectiveness. So, I think I need to sit and ask myselfhow far am I from Wong’s and Marzano’s classroom management plan and how can Iachieve creating my own organized management plan. I think I should start byIdentifying the common practices among us, recognize the ones that I lack andorder them according to priorities.
I will learn and practice hard to masterall of the requirements that enable me to be an effective teacher. I will usethe authors’ findings, Ideas and classroom management procedures and managementto build up a solid classroom management plan. I learned from my reading that Ihave to keep improving myself for the sake of my students and its never toolate for an action plan. I am willing to be in the Impact stagebecause this is what I want out of my life. I am a responsible teacher and Ihave to get out Mastery if I am still there. I will not give up and become avictim and will do whatever it takes to reach the Impact stage.- I will invest in myself so that Iincrease my value to others.
– I will learn and grow as aprofessional.(reading and attending conferences.)- I will work cooperatively withcolleagues and family for the benefit of the children. – I will not be a miserable teacher.
– I will become an effective teacher.- I will set up my classroom withprocedures.- I will pass the responsibility to mystudents by explaining the consequences. Adding to my reading, I think I need toget involved with more practical sessions that may translate what I read tofacts and reality. Teacher development program and observing effectiveclassrooms in different schools would be a great support.