ABSTRACT
This book is written from a practical perspective and does not advocate one single educational ideology. I try to provide knowledge that would enable teachers to make their own choices about the style of CM best for them. There is no one correct way and no tyranny of the should (how one should act, what one should believe, etc.). Many ways and different alternatives of managing classrooms are available to different types of teachers. Future teachers should on the one hand consider their personality makeup and their resources and, on the other hand, consider the objective characteristics of their classroom, its composition, its past achievements and pitfalls. The student-centered ideology of contemporary CM might appeal to many teachers and they can be effective in implementing it. Other teachers might wish to emphasize academic aspects of teaching and learning and would not wish to give center stage to students’ emotional well-being. Some teachers might prefer a competitive environment whereas others would prefer a cooperative classroom. Some teachers feel more comfortable in a fi rmly managed and disciplined classroom whereas others enjoy a more fl uid and constantly changing classroom society.
