Classroom Management for Beginning Primary Teachers

By Myint Swe Khine, Quek Choon Lang, Angela F. L. Wong, & A. Lourdusamy (2003), Prentice Hall, Pearson Education Asia, ISBN 981-244-516-1, 143 pages.

In today’s school environment, beginning teachers require numerous skills and one of the most important is classroom management. This is because effective instruction cannot take place if pupils are inattentive and not on task. Mastering the basics of pupil management, however, is not particularly easy as the classroom is a complex and dynamic mini-community. The many ongoing interactions require teachers to think on their feet and be able to juggle many tasks at the same time.

This book is written by experienced academics who know the Singapore classroom well. It not only provides useful tips for establishing order and discipline in the classroom, but also gives pointers on creating a positive classroom environment.

Topics include attributes, knowledge and skills of effective teachers, teacher-centred and pupil-centred approaches to teaching, and reaching out to pupils. The book aptly closes with a chapter on the beginning teacher’s journey into the real world and it succeeds in creating awareness of the expectations and multi-tasking roles of a teacher in today?s school environment.

Generally, the book is well-organised, written in clear and simple language, and is easy to understand. The objectives of each chapter are listed clearly at the outset, and the bullet-point recommendations make for easy reference. The tables, charts and diagrams are especially useful.