Teachers' Developing Definitions of Classroom Management and Their Use of Children's Literature to Support Practice

• In Event: Enhancing Teacher Skills in Classroom Management

Abstract

This paper explores the beliefs and actions of teachers during their preparation program and after their completion of four years of teaching in urban high-need schools in order to understand their evolving definitions of classroom management and their use of children’s literature as a vehicle for teaching social-emotional skills necessary for students’ self-management. The findings underscore the importance of responsive classroom management as an empowering tool for teachers and students. It highlights ways that teachers’ understandings of classroom management continue to develop during and following their teacher preparation program. Additionally, the findings illustrate ways that teachers use children’s literature to explicitly support classroom management.

Authors

• Kim S. Barker, Augusta University

• Nancy Jo Schafer, Georgia State University