Journal of Behavioral Education, Vol. 5, No. 1, 1995, pp. 109-112
BOOK REVIEW Classroom Management for Secondary Teachers (3 ed.) By C. N. Evertson, E. T. Emmer, B. S. Clements, & M. E. Worsham. Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon. 1994. This is an introductory text, prescribing classroom management procedures for teachers of secondary grade levels in regular education. Although the authors indicate no specific purpose, the book appears to be intended for students and novice teachers with minimal classroom experience. Throughout, the focus is on environmental, organizational, and procedural strategies to manage groups of students rather than individuals, and much of the material appears to reflect traditional educational practices. Very few references appear in the text, and many of those that do are dated. The material is divided into nine chapters. Chapter 1 provides a detailed set of guidelines for physically arranging the classroom with the goal of minimizing distractions, making the most efficient use of available space, and arranging materials so that they are obtainable without disrupting the flow of classroom activities. In addition, several models are discussed for determining the most appropriate arrangement for student seating based on the type of instruction that will occur. The second chapter reviews the importance of establishing clear expectations for student behavior and developing classroom rules and procedures. The emphasis is on the development of specific protocols of student behavior in the context of different types of instructional activities (e.g., teacher led instruction, seatwork, and group work). Suggestions are also provided for managing routine classroom operations such as transitions between classes, attendance checks, and procedures for dealing with students who were absent on the previous day and students who are tardy. Chapter 3 outlines procedures for monitoring student performance and providing feedback, with particular emphasis on involving students in recording and reviewing grades. Chapter 4 iterates the information covered in the previous three chapters, and provides detailed guidelines on intro109
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ducing students to the classroom during the first two days of school. The emphasis is on setting a tone for the year, communicating expectations to students, and establishing a routine for the classroom. Chapter 5 begins with basic guidelines for planning and organizing sequences of classroom activities to make the most efficient use of instructional time. Procedures for managing group activities are discussed based on the work of Kounin (1970) (one of the few references cited in the book). These procedures stress the importance of continuous monitoring so that the teacher can quickly interrupt minor problems before they develop into a major disruptions. Examples are provided of simple interventions that do not interfere with the ongoing activities or disrupt other students (e.g., eye contact, redirection, quietly telling the student to stop). Strategies are provided to assist teachers in maintaining pacing, momentum of instruction, and maintaining the attention of a group of students. In Chapter 6, the series of studies by Kounin are referenced once again as the authors outline characteristics of teachers who are able to maintain high levels of cooperative student behavior. They suggest that successful teachers are able to maintain an awareness of classroom events and behaviors, use rules and procedures consistently, respond to inappropriate behaviors promptly before they spread, and encourage appropriate behavior. Examples are provided to show the appropriate implementation of each of these characteristics of good teachers. The second part of the chapter discusses ways to manage inappropriate behavior. Lack of involvement in learning activities, prolonged inattention or work avoidance, and obvious violations of classroom procedures are provided as examples of inappropriate behavior. Methods of managing inappropriate behavior include redirecting, prompting appropriate behavior, reminding students of correct procedures, asking students to stop inappropriate behavior, and sending disruptive students to a time-out desk. The chapter concludes with very general guidelines on the use of activities and objects as rewards, with an emphasis on group contingencies. In Chapter 7, the authors describe a set of communication skills as strategies to change student behavior. The strategies are based on a number of sources, including Glasser's Reality Therapy and Gordon's Teacher Effectiveness Training. Short sections are devoted to discussing and giving examples of constructive assertiveness, empathic responding, and problem solving. Several vignettes are included, providing both "good" and "bad" examples of each procedure. Additional activities are provided to help the reader practice each of these skills, along with two assertiveness assessment scales for teachers to rate their own behavior. Chapter 8, "Managing Problem Behaviors," reviews a number of previously mentioned procedures in slightly more detail. Interventions are categorized as "minor interventions"
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(providing nonverbal cues, redirection, allowing choices), "moderate interventions" (withholding privileges or desired activities, isolating or removing the student, or mandating/providing fines, penalties, and detention) and "more extensive interventions" (individual contract with the student, conference with a parent, check or demerit system, and problem solving). Interestingly the criterion for categorizing interventions appears to be the amount of teacher time required, although this is not stated by the authors. The chapter concludes with a brief discussion of Reality Therapy (Glasser, 1975) and discusses additional interventions for a number of common behavior problems in secondary school classrooms. The final chapter of the book provides a cursory overview of the problems associated with teaching classes composed of students with a wide range of ability levels and classes composed entirely of students with low levels of ability. The book concludes with a brief description of the characteristics of different groups of students with special needs (emotionally disturbed, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, hearing impaired, blind and visually impaired, and students with limited English proficiency). A number of special considerations for planning and adapting instruction are described (e.g., peer tutoring, small group instruction, frequent monitoring, and feedback). In the beginning of the book, the authors state that much of the content is based on extensive research that they and others have conducted. However, with only a few exceptions, no references are provided to indicate the source of the information. Options are listed as being effective alternatives without empirical justification. The authors have compiled a wide array of procedures and strategies from a number of sources in what appears to be an effort to provide readers with a variety of options from which to choose. Doing so in such a small volume has sacrificed quality and specificity. Although the authors sometimes indicate a few advantages and disadvantages of alternative interventions, they frequently do not provide an explanation of the underlying principles on which the procedures are based. Additionally, they do not provide adequate information to assist the reader in determining which intervention would be most appropriate in a given situation. In many cases, the indicated interventions appear to be based more on standard practice in secondary schools than on specific student needs (as in an example of the selection of time-out based on the topography of a behavior rather than on an identified function). In general, the material on managing problem behavior appears adequate for handling only very mild problems that might interfere with the smooth operation of a classroom. A strength of this book is the extensive practical information on planning and setting up the classroom environment. Despite its problems, Class-
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room Management for Secondary Teachers could be useful in preparing new
teachers to set up classrooms for the first time. The information on establishing classroom procedures is clearly written and should assist the novice teacher in anticipating common difficulties and avoiding some problems through preventative planning and organization. Numerous checklists and examples at the end of each chapter should prove particularly useful. However, the addition of specific objectives at the beginning of each chapter would have provided additional clarification.
REFERENCES Glasser, W. (1975). Reality therapy: A new approach to psychiatry. New York: Harper & Row. Gordon, T. (1974). Teacher effectiveness training. New York: Peter H. Wyden. Kounin, J. S. (1970). Discipline and group management in classrooms. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston. Jesse W. Johnson Northern Illinois University
