21st Century
Classroom Leadership

Proactive Classroom Management
inviting respect, resourcefulness and responsibility

A staff development workshop
with coaching to support implementation and mastery.

Offered to administrators, principals, teachers and others who work with K-12 students.

Overview and Philosophy 
From school site to school site the words, vary but the problem is the same; instead of self-directed, internally motivated youngsters, we are seeing more and more students dependent on external motivation to control their behavior. We are raising a nation of youngsters who say, "Tell me what to do and tell me what you'll give me if I do it." or "Tell me what to do and tell me what will happen if I don't do it".

Traditional classroom management strategies aimed at "controlling behavior" are becoming less and less effective. Stickers, stars, awards and rewards often become frustrating attempts to hold 30 ping pong balls under water during the classroom period. Carrot-and-stick systems which rely on quick fixes to get kids "shaped up" actually undermine the responsible values that we are trying to teach. 1

We teach at a challenging and stressful time. We serve an increasingly diverse population. Students come to school with poorly developed social skills. Our funding is unsure, and our curriculum is questioned.

Meeting these challenges requires not just management, but leadership. 2 We are educating the adults of the 21st Century. We must prepare the next generation to enter a complex, rapidly changing world. This demands the ability to equip students with:

  • an abiding respect for themselves and others 
  • the ability to choose responses based on values rather than immediate feelings 
  • a clear sense of their capacity for influence and responsible behavior 
  • the ability to initiate appropriate action and follow through
21st Century Classroom Leadership empowers teachers to lead. A comprehensive, integrative framework of strategies invites responsibility, resourcefulness and respect. The training provides teachers with increased flexibility and initiative, congruent with their beliefs about student needs and the accommodation of individual and cultural differences.

This workshop develops the teacher's role as leader and guide, rather than "drill instructor" or "rescuer". It enables educators to create an environment that supports self-control and self-discipline. This integrative model:

  • is flexible rather than prescriptive 
  • meets individual differences for both teachers and students 
  • is collaborative and cooperative in approach 
  • moves beyond control to internal motivation 
  • provides a climate for decision making 
  • is based on the belief that each of us wants to be the best that we can be
Skills training that produces lasting change requires time for participants to reevaluate their thinking. The group discussions included in the design of this workshop affords teachers the opportunity to revisit their beliefs about students and about education. The supportive coaching provides participants with the time to align their leadership skills with the outcomes they want, both for their students and for themselves.
1 Alfie Kohn, Teaching Children to Care, The Role of the Schools, Phi Delta Kappan, March 1991
2 Stephen R. Covey, Principle-Centered Leadership, Summit Books, 1991

The Workshop 
21st Century Classroom Leadership is a unique approach to traditional management programs. It provides educators an opportunity to clarify their beliefs and thinking about classroom management, while becoming consciously competent about their current skills. In addition, the rational for each new skill forms the foundation for a multidimensional framework approach that provides options to meet various teaching styles as well as learning needs of students.

The goal of this workshop is to empower a school staff with strategies to create a learning environment that invites and develops intrinsic motivation in today's students.

Workshop Content
21st Century Classroom Leadership is a four-day course designed to provide teachers and administrators with research-based strategies that will enhance self-confidence and foster self-direction in K-12 students. The four days are scheduled with intervals to provide time for teachers to practice in their classrooms and to receive feedback.
Prevention Strategies (two sessions): By the end of this training and follow-up classroom visits, the participants will be able to build the relationships that are the foundation for cooperation and establish a productive classroom climate, utilizing ten "Prevention Strategies".
Intervention Techniques: By the end of this segment of the training and follow-up classroom support, the participants will be able to effectively manage classroom disruptions. They will be able to apply the "Principles of Positive Intervention" which are embedded in all five techniques that help shape students toward more appropriate behaviors.
Problem Solving Strategies By the end of the fourth session and follow-up classroom visit, the participants will be able to use problem solving strategies with individual students and with groups, inviting them to take responsibility and to become involved in creating constructive solutions. This is the essence of leadership.