How did effective teachers manage their classrooms?
The research suggested that effective teachers organised and managed their classrooms well. They: • coordinated the instruction provided by classroom assistants who were always involved with pupils • managed time effectively, ensuring smooth, quick transitions between activities • were consistently well-prepared • planned lessons meticulously and had materials ready to hand, thus modelling good organisation to the pupils • used a variety of group structures across the day – whole class, small groups, pairs and individual work • had predictable patterns of activities, although their lessons did not necessarily stick rigidly to their lesson plans • provided pupils with lots of problem-solving strategies for what to do about a word they did not know • monitored pupils’ progress with reading • assisted pupils with book selections when needed and insisted pupils read their chosen books • gave their pupils sufficient time to read. Less effective teachers were not well organised: • classroom
