Effective Class Management or "Burns and Stains"
Ken Smitherman, President, ACSI (retired 2009)
Over the past few years, we at ACSI have made a significant effort to emphasize what we consider the essential elements of an effective Christian school. Five elements have been articulated, with the first four often being the ones that get attention:
It really does not matter how faithful I have been in the first four essentials if I have failed at classroom management.
- Truth. Scripture is the revealed Word of God and is taught as truth, which is then integrated into the learning experience.
- Intellectual development. The Christian mind should be the best mind, enlightened by the mind of Christ and one that integrates God’s principles with academic pursuits.
- Christian educators. The Christian school must have a governing body, administration, faculty, and staff who are committed followers of Christ, teaching and leading from a biblically integrated perspective.
- Potential in Christ. Every learning experience aims to enable students to reach their full potential in Christ.
(Building on basics: Five essential elements of an effective Christian school, Colorado Springs, CO: ACSI, 2003)
I think it is fair to consider the four elements above as the essence of Christian schooling. The fifth, however, is too often considered the less-than-sacred price of doing business:
- Operational integrity. The school’s day-to-day operational practices are a consistent model of integrity, efficiency, and accountability.
Business and governance matters are obviously among the issues of operational integrity, but it also includes another element we believe must be present: fair and consistent classroom management.
Classroom management often determines whether or not a Christian school is effective. I will leave the matters of what determines effective classroom management to other writers in this publication and simply focus on the importance of effective classroom management—because the classroom is where it happens.
I often use the analogy of Starbucks coffee to make my point. As a coffee lover, I am willing to pay extra for good coffee. I buy that pound of whole-bean Starbucks and savor the aroma that fills my car as I drive away. That sack of whole beans could represent the first four essentials noted above—the very essence, in this case, of quality coffee. The experience gets even better as I grind the coffee and put it through the coffeemaker, enjoying the intensified aroma of that brewing coffee and anticipating the new energy and outlook on life that will result from drinking the rich, heavy, black liquid.
But stop! Before the coffee experience is complete, there is one more essential that must be in place—the cup. Regardless of how much I pay for the coffee, how fresh it is, or how pure the water is that goes through the coffeemaker, the coffee is ineffective without a cup.
I suggest the cup as a metaphor for operational integrity, and in this case specifically for classroom management. It really does not matter how faithful I have been in the first four essentials if I have failed at classroom management. Just as a failing coffee cup means burned body parts and stained clothes, so we can sum up students’ experience in a poorly managed class as a lot of “burns and stains.” God has called us to more than that. It is my prayer that every Christian school educator and leader will recognize the importance of classroom management and will pursue a successful “cup.”
President's Desk: Effective Classroom Management 7.3