Effective Classroom Management: An Air Traffic Control Analogy
Abstract
Teachers address a wide range of student behavior by teaching expectations and routines and by responding proactively and constructively to misbehavior, while simultaneously holding all students, including those with emotional or behavioral disorders, to high academic standards. It can be a challenge for educators to effectively communicate their expectations to students and provide the structure that some will need in order to function in the classroom. Using the job of an air traffic controller as an analogy may help teachers clearly communicate the strategies they will employ in the instructional environment and help students with and without disabilities remain academically engaged in meaningful learning activities. Empirically supported critical features of effective classroom management include strategies that maximize structure and predictability and fit nicely within the analogy. This article describes these strategies.