- The Multigrade Classroom: A Resource Handbook for Small, Rural Schools (Classroom management and Discipline)

In multigrade instruction, children of at least a 2-year grade span and diverse ability levels are grouped in a single classroom and share experiences involving intellectual, academic, and social skills. "The Multigrade Classroom" is a seven-book series that provides an overview of current research on multigrade instruction, identifies key issues teachers face in a multigrade setting, and provides a set of resource guides for multigrade teachers. Book 3 discusses classroom management and discipline. Because of the different age levels in a multigrade classroom, clear consistent rules and procedures are even more critical than in a single-grade classroom. Three phases of classroom management are described: (1) planning before school begins (arranging the classroom, identifying expectations for behavior, planning consequences); (2) implementing plans at the beginning of the school year (teaching students to behave, considering students' concerns, being a role model); and (3) maintaining good discipline (monitoring and handling inappropriate behavior, organizing and conducting learning activities). The following aspects of organization are discussed in detail: organizing the classroom space and the materials in it, organizing teacher activities in the classroom, organizing student activities, and establishing classroom rules and procedures. Guidelines for planning classroom rules and procedures are offered in the form of questions for consideration.