Child-Centered Classroom Management

Abstract

Teachers who are child centered focus on building empathy, responsibility, and prosocial behaviors in children. In child-centered classroom management, teachers intentionally communicate to children that they are fully accepted as they are and capable of directing their own behavior. Thus, children are allowed to find their own strengths, make choices for themselves, and accept the consequences of their choices. In this article, the authors present a rationale for elementary classroom teachers to become more child centered in their day-to-day interactions with students. A case vignette is included to illustrate child-centered classroom management.