"These Kids Are Out of Control"
Why We Must Reimagine "Classroom Management" for Equity
- H. Richard Milner IV - Vanderbilt University, USA
- Heather B. Cunningham - Chatham University, USA
- Lori Delale-O'Connor - University of Pittsburgh, USA, Child Trends, USA, University of Virginia, USA, Northwestern University
- Erika Gold Kestenberg - University of Pittsburgh, USA
Today’s classrooms reimagined
If you’re looking for a book on how to “control” your students, this isn’t it! Instead, this is a book on what classroom learning could be if we aspire to co-create more culturally responsive and equitable environments—environments that are safe, affirming, learner-centered, intellectually challenging, and engaging. If we create the kind of places where our students want to be . . .
A critically important resource for teachers and administrators alike, “These Kids Are Out of Control” details the specific practices, tools, beliefs, dispositions, and mindsets that are essential to better serving the complex needs of our diverse learners, especially our marginalized students. Gain expert insight on:
- What it means to be culturally responsive in today’s classroom environments, even in schools at large
- How to decide what to teach, understand the curriculum, build relationships in and outside of school, and assess student development and learning
- The four best practices for building a classroom culture that is both nurturing and rigorous, and where all students are seen, heard, and respected
- Alternatives to punitive disciplinary action that too often sustains the cradle-to-prison pipeline
Classroom “management” takes care of itself when you engage students, help them see links and alignment of the curriculum to their lives, build on and from student identity and culture, and recognize the many ways instructional practices can shift. “These Kids Are Out of Control” is your opportunity to get started right away!
Supplements
These Kids are Out of Control shines light on the importance of classroom management in urban schools while appropriately placing it in the full context of urban education. The authors expertly provide a firm research base upon which they offer evidence-based and practical strategies that can be incorporated by urban educators. They go into detail on how, why, and what these strategies look like to better prepare and support urban teachers in classroom management. As a teacher educator, I know I will definitely incorporate the strategies listed in this book to help my pre-service teachers understand how to better manage urban classrooms. Researchers and teacher educators alike will find this book useful for pushing forward the field of classroom management in urban schools while equipping teachers and administrators with the day-to-day skills needed to succeed."
“If you are an educator who wants to resist and dismantle the cradle-to-prison pipeline, this is your manifesto. Deeply researched, accessibly written, and powerfully applied, this book demonstrates not just why we need to make justice the goal of our classroom management practices; it also shows us how we get it done. Read this and you’ll know what to do to make our schools and classrooms more hopeful, critical, responsive, and equitable.”
"Today’s educators must meet the daily challenge of providing quality teaching for students from wide, diverse backgrounds, and personal histories. While research on managing classrooms has provided some guidance, significant gaps in our understanding remain, such as the lack of in depth theoretical and foundational knowledge about issues of race, culture, and inequity as they impact schooling. The authors have given us vital insights about these important factors. I believe this book is one of the most significant contributions to research on classroom management in years. It is a MUST read and belongs in every educator’s library."
"These Kids are Out of Control prepares educators, like no other text in the field, to engage in justice-oriented classroom management utilizing restorative, culturally responsive approaches to discipline. The authors’ use of practical, yet, powerful, vignettes provide real world illustrations of multi-context classroom scenarios that shift our mindsets about effective classroom management practices; moving away from ‘what is,’ to ‘what could be!’ This book is a timely and relevant contribution to the field of education and a must- read for anyone who currently teaches, or aspires to teach, in a diverse school setting."
“Children live in a more dynamic society than ever before, and their experiences are very complex. This book is a must read for educators in urban schools across the country because it addresses the social and emotional needs of students and provides practical – real solutions – to help build climates that positively support students’ learning. The book helps educators understand how to restore rather than punish students.”
“Important, timely, and necessary! Harsh discipline practices and oppressive classroom conditions continue to harm countless students; something different is needed. Milner and his team provide a powerful work that exemplifies theory-to practice at its best. Schools can be transformed by this work. This essential book challenges control and punishment in classroom management and offers culturally caring and sustaining ways to create supportive learning classrooms for all students.”
This is an excellent resource. I decided to use this as a text for undergrad students and felt they needed more backgroud/structure. This is a great book.