A Model for Online Support in Classroom Management: Perceptions of Beginning Teachers

Classroom management is a challenge for beginning teachers. To address this challenge, a model to provide support for beginning teachers was developed, consisting of a one-day workshop on classroom management, followed with online support extending over eight weeks. Specific classroom management strategies included (a) developing a foundation based on relationships; (b) preventing disruptions with procedures and routines; (c) responding to disruptions and rule violations; (d) providing inclusion for students with special needs; and (e) resolving extreme or continuing conflicts. Participants in the study were beginning teachers at both the elementary and secondary levels. After completing the classroom management workshop, teachers reviewed online video clips of strategies they had learned, applied the strategies in their respective classrooms, and engaged in online discussions of the results obtained. Researchers conducted a qualitative assessment of the discussion entries posted by the new teachers to determine the strategies employed, emerging themes, and the results obtained. Participants successfully employed classroom management strategies and reported generally positive results. Additional research is needed with a larger number of participating teachers