Classroom Management and Discipline for a Diverse Student Population Research Paper

Classroom Management and Discipline for a Diverse Student Population - Research Paper Example Three diversities of learner needs have been considered. These diversities are in the areas of learner achievement levels, socio-cultural background of learners and health needs of learners. Reasons why it is important for the teacher to ensure that there is an environment to cater for diversities in all the three areas of learner needs have been elaborated. Again, the research suggests specific approaches to be used by teachers to ensure accommodation and adaptation for differences in all three areas of learner diversity. The research closes by examining how the teacher can also cater for different learner behaviours to foster discipline in the class. Three theories have been reviewed and corresponded to how they can solve three persistent classroom related undisciplined behaviours that a teacher encounters on a regular basis. The behaviours looked at are absenteeism, inattentiveness in class and bullying. Having the managerial skills to tackle all forms of learner behaviour is very important to ensure that the classroom lives up to a desired learning atmosphere and that all learners leave the classroom each day with fulfilled dreams of going to school. Overview Day in an out, the face of teaching as a profession keeps changing; becoming more and challenging to meet the changing learning needs of students. Years past, learning was seen as the responsibility of the student. The teacher was therefore seen as a conveyer of information for the student to learn – by whatever means the student could make himself understand what the teacher teaches. Because of this, teachers went about teaching in a whole-class approach, leaving the responsibility of understanding lessons to the student. In that era, examinations were put in place to test which students learnt what the teacher taught and which students did not learn. Today, that is no more. The teacher is now seen as part of the child’s learning process with the responsibility of ensuring that his teach ing meets the learning needs of the student. Today, the teacher is seen as a facilitator who is to ensure that the student understands his teaching – by whatever means the teacher could make himself understood. Examination has therefore become a test of which teacher could meet learning needs of students. In order to meet the individual needs of the classroom population, teachers are putting away whole-class teaching approaches for diversity approached. Teachers are now required to adopt diversity approach to meet the learning needs of all learners in the classroom. According to Crawley (2006), A â€Å"diversity approach aims to recognize, value and manage difference to enable all learners to contribute and realize their full potential.† It is the aim of this research paper therefore, to investigate into various learning theories to find out how they support the concept of diversity approach in classroom situations. This will be done by delving into what diversity is, areas of classroom experiences the teacher is likely to meet diversity and the importance of catering for diversity in the classroom. There shall then be analyzes of best practices for effective classroom management to minimize disruptive behavior and increase learning in the diverse