Can classroom management be learned through simulation?

An interesting method for future teachers prior to practicums

When we think of classroom management, we often think of discipline and severity. That's not entirely wrong, but it's a very small field of expertise. Above all, class management requires the ability to lead your group so that everyone works towards the goals set by the teacher. However, this does not come naturally. All future teachers must learn to put this into practice as part of their training. Of course, they can do it in the classroom, but as these two trainers and researchers from the University of Mons explain, simulation (microteaching) is a very interesting strategy.

Indeed, by asking peer students to play the role of pupils, the student can then organize classroom management strategies in a safer context. For one thing, it's easier to name the learners, since they're people you've known for a while. What's more, mistakes are less "penalizing" than in a training course, and they end up learning more and knowing what to do in a real classroom.

The researchers give the example of instructions such as: "You have a few minutes to complete this exercise. But this is vague. A few minutes can mean 2 for some and 10 for others. In this way, future teachers become more precise in their requests.

The simulation is a good example of what needs to be practiced, such as non-punitive strategies for reframing behavior. Most of them don't even know how to deal with deviations. They can learn from this and realize that they need to have plans.

Running time: 13min40

Image: uniliderpromocion from Pixabay

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