Academic Integrity and Classroom Management: Classroom Management and Managing Controversy

Successful teaching often depends on classroom management skills that help an instructor deal effectively with a range of student behaviors and also handle the “hot moments” that may arise in classroom discussions of controversial issues. The sites below provide guidelines and methods for managing the classroom in a variety of circumstances.

Classroom Management
Teaching Controversial Issues

Classroom Management:
“Classroom Management,” Lisa Rodriguez, Ph.D.
This article discusses a wide range of student classroom behaviors from the annoying to the disruptive and suggests “preventive strategies and practical solutions.”
Link: http://www.4faculty.org/includes/108r2.jsp

Scenes from a Classroom: Managing Conflict (University of Minnesota, Center for Teaching and Learning Services).
An online video workshop with ten scenarios of difficult moments between student and instructor followed by advice from teaching consultants for ways each situation might be handled.
Link: http://www1.umn.edu/ohr/teachlearn/tutorials/conflict/

Managing Classroom Conflict (University of North Carolina, Center for Teaching and Learning).
Discusses student behaviors that create conflict between student and teacher, such as a student’s negative or controversial comments, and provides strategies for prevention and conflict management.
Link: http://ctl.unc.edu/fyc22.html

Creating Ground Rules for Discussion Sections (University of Berkeley, Teaching Guide for Graduate Student Instructors).
Presents several methods for establishing discussion ground rules co-operatively with students. This website also contains links to numerous topics in classroom management and teaching techniques.
Link: http://gsi.berkeley.edu/resources/discussion/index.html

“Scheduled course work (class activities, tests, projects) in ways which encouraged students to stay up-to-date in their work,” Michael Theall, Youngstown State University. (IDEA Center Note #3).
Discusses the importance of organizing a course so that students can develop time management skills that will help them plan and carry out coursework effectively.
Link: http://www.idea.ksu.edu/podidea/index.html

Pedagogy Resources—Classroom Management (University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Teaching and Learning Center).
Contains links to several PDF documents on such classroom issues as planning a session’s schedule, alleviating problems with attendance, running discussions, and encouraging student participation.
Link: http://tlc.unlv.edu/pedagogy/classroom_management.htm

Orientation to College Teaching (San Francisco State University).
A comprehensive and detailed series of modules designed to introduce the new university level instructor to all aspects of college teaching from course design to course implementation, classroom management, teaching and learning styles, and much more.
Link: http://oct.sfsu.edu/

A Handbook for Student Management Teams, Edward Nuhfer (Idaho State University, Center for Teaching and Learning).
The complete manual for using Student Management Teams (STMs), a classroom strategy in which a team of students from the class meets regularly throughout the semester both with and without the professor “to discuss how teaching and learning might be improved and to define positive actions that will help reap immediate and long-term benefits.”
Link: http://www.isu.edu/ctl/facultydev/webhandbook/smt.htm

Teaching Controversial Issues:
“Managing Hot Moments in the Classroom,” Lee Warren (Harvard University, Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning).
Strategies for turning “hot moments” in the classroom into learning opportunities for students.
Link: http://isites.harvard.edu/icb/icb.do?keyword=k1985&panel=icb.pagecontent79829%3Ar%241%3Fname%3Ddefault.html
&pageid=icb.page29699&pageContentId=icb.pagecontent79829&state=maximize&view=view.do&viewParam_name
=default2.html#a_icb_pagecontent79829

Teaching Controversial Issues (Flinders University, Adelaide, AU, Teaching for Learning Website).
This site presents specific strategies for teaching controversial issues.
Link: http://www.flinders.edu.au/teach/t4l/inclusive/controversial.php

Teaching and Learning in a Time of Crisis (Western Kentucky University, Faculty Center for Excellence in Teaching).
Although this booklet was prepared following 9/11, it contains material useful for dealing with any controversial or sensitive issue in the classroom.
Link: http://www.wku.edu/teaching/booklets/crisis.html

Arizona State University Intergroup Relations Center.
Under IRC Handouts are links to downloadable PDF files on such classroom management topics as conflict de-escalation strategies, discussion ground rules, and guidelines for constructive dialogue.
Link: http://www.asu.edu/provost/intergroup/resources/media.html

See also on this website
Civility/Incivility in the College Classroom
Dealing with Difficult Students.