The+Kounin+Model__

=**The Kounin Model** -- Link=

Jacob Kounin is referred to as a classroom management theorist, and is best known for two studies that he did in the 1970’s. His research began focusing on teachers’ use of discipline, but as his research continued, he found that discipline and learning went hand in hand. Kounin found that the key to successful classroom management wasn’t how the teacher handled the misbehavior after it occurred, but what they did to prevent behavior problems from occurring. He discovered that teachers could be proactive in their discipline strategies by being organized and prepared and keeping students engaged during the lesson. There are several key ideas to Kounin’s theory, which include the ripple effect, with-it-ness, overlapping, momentum, smoothness, and group focus.


 * The Ripple Effect**: If the teacher corrects one student, other students will watch and adjust their behavior.
 * One student in class is reading a magazine during a class activity, so the teacher corrects the student’s behavior. Other students in the class observe the student being corrected, so they put their distractions away and pay attention.


 * With-it-ness**: The teacher is aware of what is going on in class.
 * Awareness of strengths and weaknesses of the students, making eye contact, use of non-verbal techniques


 * Overlapping**: The teacher is able to be effective when more than one thing is going on at a time.
 * One student is done with an assignment and another is struggling.


 * Momentum:** The teacher is able to make the lesson flow smoothly with easy transitions, pace and progression is appropriate and content is rich and applicable.
 * The teacher makes sure that the work is not boring or overwhelming and avoids major distractions and confusing transitions.


 * Smoothness: ** The teacher is able to maintain the direction of a lesson without losing focus and had a clear means of communication with students.
 * Finds ways to avoid distractions in class and has a plan in place (bathroom breaks, class interruptions, classroom layout).


 * Group Focus: ** The teacher gets all students involved and participating.
 * Accountability
 * Making sure students are graded on their participation and contributions in group work.
 * Random drawing of a name to answer questions in class
 * Student-run discussion.

In order for a teacher to successfully implement this model, they must be well organized, encourage motivation and participation, communicate their expectations to their students, and hold students responsible for their actions.

Video: []