47 Introduction

When you think about your school days, what are your fond memories? Maybe the teacher who taught so well; the teacher who connected deeply making you love the subject that you did not even think of; those study halls; those fun club activities; and of course, your school friends! Did you ever think, “how do the teachers make this all happen?” How was this teaching and learning possible, given the array of subjects you learn at school, the variety of topics you cover in each subject, and the need to teach diverse students with different learning abilities and needs?  How did the teachers make their teaching effective?

Many of you will agree that if you are to teach effectively and for students to learn, you may need to have a plan to deliver your class. But keep in mind that you may have the best content-wise lesson plan for your class, and you may even have the best resources to deliver your instruction. However, if you want to be a successful teacher, you need to create an atmosphere for teaching and learning. Hence, to create an atmosphere for learning, a classroom management plan serves as a prerequisite for effective teaching and learning (Allen, 1996).

In this chapter, you will learn the significance of classroom management, briefly study classroom management models, learn the characteristics of effective classroom management, and draft your own classroom management plan to be reflective of and consistent with your teaching philosophy.