Alfie Kohn’s perspective to classroom management encourages teachers to include students in a co-constructive process. This has shown to have effects on general well-being, effects on behavior and values, and effects on academic achievement.
When a student is recognized in a role, they are more likely to take ownership and buy in to the tasks. This team approach instills accountability in students, and sets them up for academic success.
The teacher is less of a dictator, and more of a facilitator. This is a less demanding role in many ways, and sets up the teacher and students for overall increased well-being.
At the TrekNorth school in Bemidji, I observed the music teacher use these ideas in her own classroom. She assigned roles to the students such as attendance secretary, riser crew, and section leaders. These roles showed students they were needed in class which resulted in increased attendance. When preparing their music for their concert, she opened conversation with the students about what they wanted to improve on. This was a much more efficient and effective way for improvement to be made in their sound.
I can use ideas from Alfie Kohn’s perspective in my own classroom, to create a managed classroom and set my students up for academic success.
https://www.alfiekohn.org/article/choices-children/
Miss Johnson's Music Class 