Classroom management very challenging in this school, even for my mentor because it takes a lot of time to settle students and have them focused on what is to be taught in the lesson. It is identified as a concern by beginning teachers, and achieving a calm working environment can be a challenge (VDEECD, 2013). It was a very different learning environment compared to the other professional experiences I did, which were in private, all-girls schools. This prompted me to revisit my lecture notes on EDC2100 – Managing Supportive Learning Environment, together with my previous teaching experiences, it made it easy for me to take control of the class by the end of the final week of the practical.
I would like to share a link to Rebecca Alber who is an instructor at UCLA’s Graduate School of Education, a literacy specialist, and consulting online editor at Edutopia. Her online article is on
“Five Quick Classroom Management Tips for Novice Teachers“.
This is the area most identified as a concern by beginning teachers. There is no doubt that conscientious preparation of challenging, purposeful, and relevant materials is the best aide in ensuring a productive classroom. Equally important is open and transparent communication of the goals of the learning activity and the measures of success.
Obviously, however, you will meet a wide range of personalities, skill sets, and life stories in each of your classrooms. Achieving a calm working environment can be a challenge.
Noel Kibai 