Democratic Classroom Management

The classroom reinforcing sustainable development should be the medium that provides learners with sustainability vision and values.

Transforming the vision of sustainable development to students will ignite their intrinsic motivation to set, autonomously, different learning goals for themselves. Reconstructing sustainable values within our students would support them with an intrinsic rubric or formula through which they can evaluate their thoughts, actions, and attitudes, not only inside the classroom but as well in their own lives. Visionary learners with sustainable development values would eventually become visionary leaders and change makers.

Sustainable development as defined by Brundtland Commission is the development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. (World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987, p 43). The outcome of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, entitled “The future we want” , develop a set of sustainable development goals (SDGs) that should be coherent with and integrated into the United Nations development agenda beyond 2015 ( United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, 2014).

Target seven of SDG4 (Target 4.7) states that: “By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including, among others, through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable development” (UNESCO, 2017). Therefore; Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) is responsible for transforming sustainable development knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values to all learners.

Main values for sustainable development that could be emphasized in classroom management are 1) equity, 2) fairness, 3) integrity, 4) collaboration, and 5) Democracy.

Classroom Management for Sustainable Development is the actions and strategies teachers use to set the sustainable values of the classroom through which rules, procedures, routines and even consequences’ chart would be established by both teachers and students .

Glasser, in his Choice Theory, suggests that almost all behavior is chosen, and we are driven by genetics to satisfy five basic needs: survival, love and belonging, power, freedom and fun (Glasser, 1999). In choice theory, the most important need is love and belonging because connectedness with others is required as a basis in satisfying all other needs. The Classroom environment with Sustainable Development values is safe environment where all students are equal and having same privileges. They all have the right to express their opinions and thoughts where decisions are made based on the whole class welfare.

To deal with students’ misbehavior after clarifying and specifying the Classroom values at the beginning of the school year, we adopt the following steps:

• Observe: Observe the student’s misbehavior. Analyze the student need behind the misbehavior and the values the student is trying to break with his/her inappropriate behavior.
• Self-Confession: Aside, let the student describe their current behavior and evaluate it based on the values learned. Discuss with the student the consequence of this behavior on him and on the classroom environment. Ask for or Suggest an alternative behavior for him/her to fulfill the need he/she is trying to do through the.
• Implement; have the student try the positive, pro-active behavior. Remind him/her they can succeed and have what they want/need, with appropriate action, follow-through, and correct behavior, and that they will be a great model for everyone.
• Choice; if the student refuses to try a positive behavior that they come up with, or that you suggest, offer a choice. You can do ABC, or you can do XYZ. Period. The choices must be logical and in harmony with the student’s misbehavior consequence on the classroom environment
• Follow up; Do not accept excuses for irresponsible behavior, address the student who made the wrong choice. Don’t protect the student from reasonable consequences. Students must realize that good governance is the only way for safe classroom environment. Students who break the values should be subjected to consequences reinforcing justice and fairness. The consequences should focus on the rehabilitation of the misbehaved student not only punishment.

Sustainable Development Goals will never be translated into actions unless educational systems take upon themselves the responsibility of reform within our students’ mindsets and attitudes.

References:

Glasser, W. (1999). Choice theory: A new psychology of personal freedom. New York: HarperPerennial.

UNESCO (2017). Education for Sustainable Development Goals: Learning Objectives..Paris. UNESCO

World Conference on Environment and Development (1987). Our common future. Oxford: Oxford University Press