Deck 11: Creating and Maintaining a Productive Classroom Environment

Question 1

What is the main difference between beginning and expert teachers in their responses to student misbehaviour?

A)the perception of where the problem lies.
B)time management skills.
C)frustration tolerance.
D)the need to control the situation.

Answer 1

the perception of where the problem lies.

Question 2

Accroding to Canadian research on self-regulated learning which of the following is considered critical to the development of intrinsic motivation and self-regulated learning?

A)high academic expectations.
B)a nurturing home environment.
C)a student-led curriculum.
D)a good student-teacher relationship.

Answer 2

a good student-teacher relationship.

Question 3

Three of the following are suggested strategies for establishing rules and procedures.Which one is not?

A)have procedures in place for non-routine events.
B)allow sufficient time to get to know students before establishing rules.
C)include students in decision-making.
D)clearly communicate consequences for non-compliance.

Answer 3

allow sufficient time to get to know students before establishing rules.

Question 4

Which one of the following is the most accurate representation of LeMare and Sohbat's (2002) findings regarding student perceptions of teacher characteristics that are related to help seeking?

A)students will ask teachers who know them beyond their academics for assistance.
B)students will ask their peers for help before they will ask a teacher.
C)students prefer to ask female teachers for help
D)students will ask teachers who praise them for assistance.

Question 5

One strategy for maintaining a productive classroom environment is to keep students busy and engaged at all times.Three of the following practices reflect this strategy.Which one does not?

A)Ms.Spears makes sure that all the equipment that students need for their science lab is ready for them before they arrive.
B)Mr.Barnard keeps his art lesson moving along at a steady pace.
C)Ms.Carroll takes time out from her math lesson to help Sam with a difficult concept until he thoroughly understands it.
D)Mr.Dunbar plans several simple activities for his students on their first day of kindergarten.

Question 6

Which one of the following issues is usually most important to consider when a student behaves in an unacceptable fashion in the classroom?

A)why the student has decided to behave that way
B)how much the behaviour disrupts learning
C)whether the student has been a chronic behaviour problem
D)what the misbehaving student's mood is

Question 7

Ms.Giesbrecht, a sixth grade teacher, is explaining an assignment.She notices two students passing notes to one another.While continuing to discuss the assignment, she moves toward the students and confiscates the written notes.Then she walks back to the front of the class without discontinuing her lecture and asks Mark, who is daydreaming, to answer a question.This scenario best illustrates:

A)negative reinforcement.
B)withitness.
C)scaffolding.
D)planning for transitions.

Question 8

Three of the following strategies may help promote a sense of community in the classroom.Which strategy is least likely to promote this sense of community?

A)Encourage prosocial behaviour.
B)Provide opportunities for students to tutor one another on difficult subject matter.
C)Incorporate students' ideas into classroom discussions.
D)Publicly praise students who show high academic achievement.

Question 9

Students are especially likely to misbehave during transitions from one activity to another.Which one of the following high school teachers is handling a transition in a recommended fashion?

A)Mr.Anderson has his geography students come into the classroom and sit quietly until everyone is seated and ready to work.
B)Ms.Bechard asks a student to erase the chalkboard at the beginning of class.
C)Mr.Crosby's students know that as soon as they get to class, they should copy the outline and key concepts written on the chalkboard.
D)Five minutes before the end of each class period, Ms.Dumez has her students put away their notebooks and other materials and wait quietly for the bell to ring.

Question 10

Which one of the following strategies is consistent with how teacher planning contributes to effective classroom management?

A)Have a general idea of what you want to do each day, but do not plan specific activities ahead of time.
B)Plan exactly what you want to do each day and stick to your plan.
C)Plan the day's activities carefully, but be flexible if student questions or concerns arise.
D)At the beginning of each day, find out what students' interests are and spontaneously develop activities that capitalize on those interests.

Question 11

Which one of the following examples is most consistent with the definition in the textbook of a misbehaviour?

A)Ashley is chewing gum in art class.
B)Brian is doodling in the margins of his notebook as he takes notes on a lecture.
C)Sydney has forgotten to bring her lunch today and must borrow a dollar from a friend to buy a hot lunch.
D)Murray is using a rubber band as a slingshot during music.

Question 12

From the perspective of the textbook, which one of the following classrooms clearly reflects effective classroom management?

A)While Mr.Alton works with a reading group, most of his other students are doing their assigned seatwork, although a handful of them are giggling in the corner about something that happened in the lunchroom earlier.
B)Ms.Berg's students are busily working on their math assignments in groups of three or four students each.The classroom gets a bit noisy at times when a group disagrees about how to do a problem.
C)While Ms.Carter sits at her desk in the front of the classroom, her students are doing assignments independently at their desks.She overlooks the whispering, note passing, and mindless doodling that is occurring as long as the classroom is quiet.
D)In his physical education class, Mr.Dupuis works with the students who seem truly interested in learning the long jump.Those students who do not want to try the jump are allowed to sit on the sidelines and talk quietly among themselves.

Question 13

From a classroom management standpoint, the most suitable physical arrangement of a classroom is one that:

A)minimizes distractions and facilitates teacher-student interactions.
B)has as little furniture as possible so that students can move about in an unrestricted fashion.
C)is structured and orderly enough to communicate the message that the teacher must ultimately be in control of what happens in the classroom.
D)allows students to feel as relaxed as possible.

Question 14

Four students are talking in the cafeteria about their new teachers.From the perspective of the textbook, which student is describing the most effective classroom climate?

A)Adele says, "My teacher is really cool.He pretty much lets us do our own thing.He doesn't pressure us if we don't feel like paying attention.In fact, one chick was crying in the corner the other day, and he didn't say a word to her."
B)Brandon says, "My teacher is a little scary at times.When Harry came in late one day, she looked over her reading glasses at him until he crawled into his seat, and she suggested that if he was late again, he might as well not show up."
C)Chelsey says, "My teacher makes class really fun.He tells lots of jokes to make us laugh.If we don't get anything done one day, we just try to do twice as much the next day."
D)Darren says, "Marianne came in late yesterday looking really upset.My teacher stopped for a minute to talk quietly with her but didn't give her too much static about being late for class."

Question 15

Which one of the following examples is consistent with what the textbook means by giving students a sense of control?

A)Jason can turn his homework in whenever he wants, even if he waits until the last day of school to turn all his assignments in.
B)Kendra asks her teacher for help whenever she finds a word she does not know the meaning of, or whenever she runs into a problem she has not seen before.
C)Lonnie knows that he can demonstrate his mastery of an instructional objective in his social studies class in either of two ways-by taking an exam or completing a project.
D)In art class, Marie only needs to work on her art project on days when she feels particularly creative.

Question 16

Which one of the following examples is most consistent with educators' views of an effective classroom climate?

A)In Ms.Puzio's fifth grade classroom, students work quietly at their desks on independent assignments she has tailored to match their individual needs and skill levels.
B)Mr.Kane's fifth graders are free to do whatever they want as long as they pass weekly classroom quizzes and are relatively quiet.
C)Ms.Skrynski encourages her fifth graders to express their opinions about various topics, even though such opinions may differ from her own.
D)Mr.Evans begins the school year telling students in his fifth grade class exactly what to expect in terms of assignments and tests and reminds them how important it is for them to do well on these assessments.

Question 17

Our students are most likely to follow classroom rules if they understand the reasons behind the rules.Below are four possible ways we might help students learn why we establish certain rules for classroom behaviour.Which one is most consistent with recommendations offered in the textbook?

A)If students are capable of deductive reasoning, explain the logic behind each rule and procedure.
B)Have students discuss problems that arise in the classroom and develop possible ways of solving them.
C)Describe what a classroom with no rules and procedures would be like.
D)Let the class operate without rules for the first week or two.

Question 18

Which of the following is considered to be a situation in which students are likely to misbehave?

A)unstructured time.
B)right before lunch.
C)transitions.
D)structured time.

Question 19

Ms.Paquette, a fifth grade teacher, wants all her students to be able to see her easily.She has read that the students nearest the teacher are more likely to pay attention and learn in class.Therefore, she arranges her classroom at the beginning of the year putting her desk in the center of the room and the students' desks in three concentric circles around hers.Identify the biggest problem with Ms.Paquette's arrangement.

A)Students in the second and third rows will be unlikely to pay attention.
B)Students will be confused by the irregularity of the classroom arrangement and feel anxious as a result.
C)Students will be facing other students as well as her.
D)Ms.Paquette will not be able to see the entire class from where she is seated.

Question 20

In which one of the following situations would it be best to ignore a student's misbehaviour?

A)Fritz and Irene are throwing paper airplanes across the room at each other.
B)Jim keeps pulling Jackie's hair while she is trying to work at her desk.
C)Harriet gets up to sharpen her pencil at least once every ten minutes.
D)Sheila asks a classmate to clarify an assignment and then returns to her work.

Question 21

A sense of school community is defined by educators as:

A)a common set of rules shared by classrooms throughout the school building.
B)the joining of two or more classes on a daily basis, with the teachers of those classes team-teaching a subject area.
C)a shared understanding that teachers and students are all working together to promote learning.
D)a system in which students have increasing involvement in school decision making as they advance through the grade levels.

Question 22

Consider what you have learned about creating and maintaining a productive classroom environment.Describe three characteristics you may observe in students who have special educational needs.Then for each one, suggest classroom strategies that will help ensure a productive classroom environment.

Question 23

Stanley pokes his pencil point in Sharon's arm.The teacher gives him a stern look, and Stanley quickly puts his pencil back in his desk.The teacher's behaviour is an example of:

A)vicarious punishment.
B)cueing.
C)ignoring.
D)positive behavioural support.

Question 24

Which of the following teachers is likely to be the most effective at a parent-teacher conference?

A)Ms.Cormier always schedules the meetings on her lunch hour
B)Ms.Lo begins and ends meetings by mentioning a positive comment about the student.
C)Mr.Savage keeps a very strict agenda.
D)Mr.Tessier asks parents to lead the meeting.

Question 25

These four teachers work in heterogeneous classrooms.Which one provides the best example of effective classroom management in diverse classrooms?

A)Ms.Black uses a token economy to reward all students equally
B)Mr.Conrod always lets students direct activities based on their unique interests.
C)Mr.Drapeau monitors what students are doing and modifies when necessary.
D)Ms.Klein follows her strict lesson plan for every class.

Question 26

Cueing is an appropriate means of dealing with misbehaviour in the classroom when:

A)the behaviour interferes with learning but is not serious in nature.
B)the behaviour is already being punished by a natural consequence.
C)the misbehaving student has a history of defiance and disobedience.
D)you want to set an "example" from which other students can learn.

Question 27

It is the first day of class, and you want to start off the school year on the right foot.Describe five different strategies that the textbook recommends for establishing a productive classroom-one in which students are working consistently toward achieving your instructional objectives.Describe each of these strategies in a short paragraph, being specific and concrete as to what you might do.

Question 28

The textbook recommends that when a teacher talks with a student about a chronic pattern of misbehaviour, he or she should do so in private rather than in front of classmates.Why?

A)Students need to know that a teacher will devote as much time to misbehaviour as necessary.
B)The teacher's remarks will be easier for the student to hear clearly.
C)Calling attention to the behaviour in front of classmates may be reinforcing.
D)The behaviour may be typical for the student's age group.

Question 29

Three of the following are examples of self-regulation as social cognitive theorists describe it.Which one is not a good example of self-regulation?

A)A student tries hard to earn the reinforcer his teacher has told him he will get for good behaviour.
B)A student reminds herself in a whisper that she should raise her hand before speaking in class.
C)A student thinks, "I paid better attention in class today.I'm going to reward myself by watching television when I get home from school."
D)A student keeps track of the number of times he has gone to the pencil sharpener in a single day.

Question 30

The author of the textbook recommends that teachers coordinate their efforts with people in the community at large.Which one of the following examples most clearly illustrates the spirit of her recommendation?

A)Ms.Ambrose asks students to use their new vocabulary words when they have conversations at home with their parents.
B)Mr.Byers spends one Saturday a month in the local university library keeping up to date on the latest educational research.
C)Ms.Cho brings a newspaper article to class that describes recent advances in genetic engineering.
D)Mr.Delaney consults with a parole officer about how they might work together to keep several at-risk students in school.

Question 31

In three of the following situations, ignoring a student's misbehaviour might be the best approach to take.In which situation would ignoring not be advisable?

A)Anita has whispered a juicy (and apparently hilarious) piece of gossip to her friend, who in turn is passing it along to two others.
B)Rick breaks a beaker and seems very remorseful that he has done so; he vows to be more careful in the future.
C)Michelle is usually very attentive in class, but today when the teacher asks her a question, it is clear that she has not been listening.
D)An entire class seems to be on a "sugar high" the day after Halloween.

Question 32

Mr.Jacobs is speaking privately with Alicia, who has obviously been having trouble paying attention in class over the past two weeks.Three of the following strategies are appropriate things for Mr.Jacobs to do.Which strategy is not recommended for a private conference with a student?

A)Mr.Jacobs should communicate an openness to hearing what Alicia has to say.
B)Mr.Jacobs might explain that he feels hurt that she does not find class interesting.
C)Mr.Jacobs can give Alicia a choice regarding how the problem might best be solved.
D)Mr.Jacobs should remind Alicia that he is ultimately in charge of the classroom.

Question 33

Three of the following are classroom strategies for working with students who have specific academic difficulties.Which one is not?

A)closely monitor students during independent work.
B)make behavioural expectations clear.
C)use behavioural cues for appropriate behaviour.
D)provide students with additional rules.

Question 34

Three of the following are recommended strategies for getting students' parents involved in school activities.Which one is not recommended?

A)Visit students' families at home if such visits are welcome.
B)Invite parents to share their unique talents with your students.
C)Ask that visits to class be limited primarily to immediate family members.
D)Offer resources for parents at the school.

Question 35

When are most parents likely to get involved in school activities?

A)when more than one of their children attends the school.
B)when one parent does not work outside the home.
C)when parents feel that the school staff is genuine in their desire to have parents participate.
D)when parents are highly focused on academics.

Question 36

Which one of the following best illustrates collective self-efficacy of teachers?

A)The teachers at West Middle School confer weekly about students who they believe are at risk for academic failure, and they are confident that, by working together, they can help these students be successful at school.
B)The teachers at South Elementary School have coordinated what they do at each grade level so that at any particular grade, students master the knowledge and skills they will need in the following grade.
C)The English teachers at East High School have agreed on how they will teach the required freshman English class.That way, students will have a similar classroom experience no matter which teacher they have for the course.
D)A third-grade teacher and a fourth-grade teacher at North Elementary School have combined their two classes into one large class.Sometimes they team-teach the entire group.At other times they divide the class into two smaller groups, one of which is ready for more advanced work than the other.

Question 37

The classroom management strategy that is probably most important for students from diverse ethnic backgrounds is:

A)demonstrating withitness.
B)creating a supportive classroom climate.
C)setting limits.
D)planning effectively for transitions.

Question 38

As teachers, we should keep in regular contact with parents about how their children are performing and progressing in our classrooms.Describe four different strategies that you might use to open and/or maintain lines of communication with your students' parents.

Question 39

Teachers should confer with parents about a student's misbehaviour:

A)any time the student shows disregard for the feelings of fellow students.
B)only when the misbehaviour is in clear violation of the law.
C)whenever the student shows no interest in improving his or her behaviour.
D)when a collaborative effort is likely to help bring about a behaviour change.