Classroom Management: Teacher-Child-Peer Relationships

Most teachers spend little or none of their teaching time in concentrating solely on an individual student, whether for academic instruction or behavior management. The reality of the classroom demands that teachers instruct and manage students in groups. Moreover, research indicates that the most effective instruction typically occurs in small groups, with the teacher requiring both group and individual responses (Stevens & Rosenshine, 1981; Wallace & Kauffman, 1986). Although special education is concerned with individuals, the notion of individualization often has been misunderstood and misapplied to special education (Lloyd, 1984; Strain, Odom, & McConnell, 1984). In short, both instruction and behavior management in the classroom almost always involve a teacher, an exceptional child, and the child's peers. When a classroom management problem arises, all three-teacher, child, and peers-are very much in it together.