From Challenging Behaviors to Caring Classroom Communities: Reimagining the Teacher's Role in Classroom Management

Abstract

This dissertation project addresses the lack of a clear set of classroom-management strategies in research literature, specifically regarding early childhood teachers' immediate or "in-the-moment" responses to children's challenging behaviors. A case study of three teachers was used to draw out five themes, each of which contributes to implications for professional development supports: 1) A teacher's belief about children's moral growth can influence his/her responses to challenging behavior; 2) A teacher's knowledge of his/her students and of his/her relationships with them can influence behavioral situations; 3) A teacher modeling caring and kind responses to behavior can help build classroom community; 4) A teacher modeling discussion, deliberation, and listening during and in response to challenging behavior can help build classroom community; 5) Flexible student mobility and placement options can support children with challenging behaviors. These themes exemplify the teachers' pedagogical approaches to children exhibiting challenging behaviors. By studying the teacher's role in the classroom, alternative strategies to classroom management and discipline can create caring classroom communities wherein all children, regardless of their behavior, have a sense of belongingness.