The Laissez-Faire Approach To Classroom Management?

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Recommended: Classroom management approaches and their description

Hawkeye Pierce, the television character portrayed by Alan Alda on M*A*S*H, once said, "I 'm a great teacher. I take no attendance, I encourage cheating, and I tolerate no discipline in my classroom!!!"

Few music educators, though, would advocate this laissez-faire approach to classroom management. In fact, classroom discipline has been cited as the primary burn-out factor among practicing teachers. Among American public school teachers who have left the profession, 17.9% cited student discipline as a source of their dissatisfaction (NCES, 1997).

The problems seem to be getting worse. In the 1940 's, school teachers listed gum chewing and talking in line as major discipline concerns. Today, schools are threatened by guns, violence, terrorism,
Alfie Kohn (1993) believes that "punishment teaches about the use of power, not about how or why to behave properly" (p. 231). He cites research that shows increases in negative behaviors when punishments are applied.
An "Eclectic" Approach
Comprehensive classroom management (CCM) has emerged as a middle-ground between laissez-faire and control-centered philosophies. This eclectic approach forces teachers to examine the total classroom environment: prevention methods, establishment of positive relationships, alteration of unproductive student behavior, and meeting the psychological and academic needs of the student (Jones and Jones, 1995).
CCM recognizes that all students will not respond to all environments or interventions in the same way. Therefore, anyone who adopts a single program, fad, or philosophy is probably not reaching a large group of students. Just as students have different learning style, students will have unique responses to classroom management approaches. Therefore, the teacher must develop an approach which best meets the needs of their
Preparation elements may include short- and long-term lesson plans, organization of the environment, procurement of instructional materials, and anticipating student progress or problems. VanDerveer (1989) also cites teacher musicality --she defines musicality as the knowledge of the music elements of harmony, rhythm, history, balance, and style -- as an important element of effective preparation. Is it enough to simply have the knowledge? VanDerveer 's assertion seems to be in error. In performance-based courses such as band or choir, the key to teacher musicality is the synthesis and delivery of those elements into an expressive, meaningful, and worthwhile performance outcome. Good lesson planning and preparation should already account for musical readiness in relation to teaching the instructional unit. Simply knowing information about history or harmony does not necessarily equate with successful teaching. Delivery and structure will have a significant impact on student retention, motivation, and

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