July 24th, 2024 by Ashlee Taylor

Common classroom management styles and how to use them in your teaching

Table of Contents

How to use different classroom management styles

Every teacher has their own classroom management style. And that’s OK – it’s part of what makes every educator unique. But do you understand the theory behind different approaches? Knowing about the distinct styles can enable teachers to adapt how they teach to get the best out of their classes. It can also help teachers recognize their strengths and weaknesses and then work on improving certain areas.

There are four classroom management styles: authoritarian, authoritative, permissive, and indulgent. These have been adapted from notable developmental psychologist Diana Baumrind’s research into parenting styles in the 1960s. Baumrind’s work originally recognized three styles, with indulgent being added later. While Baumrind specifically studied parenting methods, her work is now also used to understand how teachers relate to their pupils.

Authoritarian classroom management style

What is an authoritarian classroom management style?

An authoritarian classroom management style involves a teacher having complete control of their classroom. With this style, pupils do not have a say in how they learn. Authoritarian teachers will also be more likely to discipline their students.

With authoritarian classroom management, teachers do not usually listen to the opinions of the children they are teaching. There’s no option for student-teacher feedback, and pupils must learn in a rigidly structured way.

Benefits of an authoritarian classroom management style

By setting clear rules and boundaries, teachers can command respect.

Giving pupils clear guidance about what’s expected can also reduce the risk of misunderstandings. With an authoritarian teacher, students know what they need to do – even if they might not like it.

Downsides of an authoritarian classroom management style

Teaching in one set way with no room for feedback means pupils with diverse needs can be left behind. There’s no room for differentiation with an authoritarian approach. This one-size-fits-all teaching style could benefit certain students but leave others floundering.

Another risk of an authoritarian management style is that it can make students afraid of their teacher. Pupils should feel comfortable raising concerns, but inflexibility and a lack of receptiveness can lead to struggling students feeling unable to ask for help.

The strict approach also makes it more difficult for teachers and students to form meaningful relationships. If teachers do not understand their pupils’ needs, they cannot always teach in the way that will work best for their classes. And if pupils do not like their teachers, they may be less able to learn. A University of Missouri study found that students are more likely to learn when they feel cared for and valued by their teachers. The lack of relationship-building in an authoritarian style means pupils are less likely to feel valued and, therefore, less likely to learn.

Authoritarian classroom management style examples

The authoritarian style does not allow any student autonomy, so the teacher decides all activities.

Examples of things an authoritarian teacher might do in a lesson include:

Delivering instructions in a lecture-like manner
Setting pupils work to do independently and in silence
Putting time limits on tasks to ensure lessons follow a carefully pre-planned structure – teachers can use Explain Everything timers to do this.
Having clear rules about when students can speak and when they cannot (e.g. all pupils must put their hand up to ask a question rather than walk up to their teacher)

Authoritative classroom management style

What is an authoritative classroom management style?

An authoritative classroom management style is when teachers control their classroom but encourage student involvement.

While authoritarian and authoritative are similar-sounding words, they’re distinct approaches. With authoritarianism, teachers have complete control and discourage student autonomy. In contrast, teachers stay in control with an authoritative approach while getting pupils actively involved in their learning.

With an authoritative approach, teachers lead by creating a structure that heroes student participation without letting pupils run riot. For instance, authoritative teachers may set aside time for collaborative group work, but this will always be with clearly defined rules. This helps students feel free to learn however they want while the teacher remains in charge.

Benefits of an authoritative classroom management style

An authoritative classroom management style strikes a good balance between highly controlled authoritarianism and a free-for-all permissive method. Authoritative teachers keep in charge of their classroom while giving students room to express themselves.

A core part of being an authoritative teacher involves recognizing that students are individuals. By understanding that each pupil has unique needs, authoritative teachers can better differentiate lessons to suit every learner. This caring approach can also help students to feel seen, leading to positive teacher-pupil relationships.

Downsides of an authoritative classroom management style

When conducted correctly, there are no obvious downsides to an authoritative classroom management style. But it can be a hard style to master.

If teachers try to be authoritative but do not give their students enough freedom, they can accidentally become rigid and authoritarian. On the contrary, if these same teachers don’t take charge, their classrooms can become out of control.

The main downside of an authoritative approach is that the balance can take time to achieve. However, once teachers have perfected their style, their pupils will reap the rewards.

Authoritative classroom management style examples

As authoritative teachers strike a balance between different styles, they can structure lessons in numerous ways.

Examples of how to approach activities authoritatively include:

Deploying classroom rules in collaboration with students – pupils feel less restricted by rules if they’ve contributed to their creation
Hosting debates, with the teacher being the facilitator who allows students to interrupt if they have something relevant to say
Using Explain Everything templates for interactive class activities – these can encourage student engagement while maintaining structure.

Permissive classroom management style

What is a permissive classroom management style?

A permissive classroom management style can also be described as a lack of management style. Permissive teachers do not have control over their students, leading to disorder.

In permissive classrooms, the students decide what happens in a lesson. Without clear guidelines or enforced discipline, pupils can quickly become unruly.

Permissive teachers do not build relationships with their students. This distanced approach means that permissive teachers are often described as disinterested. Teaching in this way can also be due to burnout.

Benefits of a permissive classroom management style

Some students will enjoy having complete control over how they learn and when. The lack of rules can be empowering for more mature pupils who are ready to take responsibility.

However, as permissive teaching involves limited input from teachers, the success of this method relies on who the pupils are. A well-behaved class may enjoy the hands-off approach, but it’s a risky strategy.

Downsides of a permissive classroom management style

In a permissive classroom, bad behavior is likely to go unchecked. This can quickly spiral out of control and create a disruptive learning environment where every pupil suffers.

As permissive teachers do not invest in building relationships with their classes, they do not notice when students are struggling. So, while independent learners may still hit their goals, any students with difficulties can fall further behind as they’re not given the level of support they need.

Permissive classroom management style examples

Permissive teachers let their pupils take control of the lesson.

This can look like:

Setting pupils a task but staying hands-off and not checking in on how they progress
Making most of a lesson independent learning time with minimal guidance
Instructing students to work in groups or pairs of their choosing

Indulgent classroom management style

What is an indulgent classroom management style?

An indulgent classroom management style is similar to a permissive approach because it gives pupils control. However, the main difference here is that indulgent teachers are doing it with the best intentions. Indulgent teachers think the method will help their students, even if this belief is misguided. This is distinct from the permissive style, which is usually carried out because the teacher lacks interest.

Indulgent teachers will typically be well-liked and encourage good student-teacher relationships. However, while these teachers try to understand their class and their needs, they still often lose control of the classroom.

Benefits of an indulgent classroom management style

Teachers who deploy an indulgent classroom management style usually do so because they want to please their pupils. Their desire to give students control is well-intentioned, and their classes can often see this and like the teacher as a result.

Being a well-liked teacher can have its advantages. Pupils can feel more comfortable confiding in an educator who they like, so indulgent teachers can sometimes get through to pupils who are hostile to other staff.

With a well-behaved class, an indulgent classroom can be an enjoyable one. Pupils can have the freedom to do what they want while knowing their teacher still cares about their needs.

Downsides of an indulgent classroom management style

Although indulgent teachers may be well-liked, they’re not respected. By trying to give every pupil what they want, they can end up with unruly classrooms. Without set rules and a lack of discipline, students may become disruptive. This can result in a disorderly atmosphere, which is not conducive to learning.

While indulgent teachers may try their best with lesson plans and have grand ideas of supporting each student, they struggle to control their classrooms. Clear boundaries are an important part of managing a class, but indulgent classroom management does not allow for asserting proper rules.

Indulgent classroom management style examples

As indulgent teachers have good intentions for their students, they may prepare engaging activities. However, these may not all go as planned due to the lack of structure.

Examples of things an indulgent teacher may do include:

Host interactive learning activities with minimal focus on structure
Allow pupils to work in the way that they want
Let students pick what they learn about, as well as how they learn about it

Finding the right classroom management style for your teaching

Some teachers will find different classroom management styles easier than others. Certain students will also respond better to particular styles.

Many educators consider the authoritative approach to be the most balanced, as it takes elements from different styles. However, as a teacher, you should still feel empowered to choose the style that works best for you and your class. There’s also no need to follow a defined style. While it’s useful to understand the four core approaches, there can be many nuanced ways of adapting each style.

To experiment with Explain Everything Whiteboard technology and learn how you can use it in your lessons (whatever management style you choose), sign up for your free account today.