Rationale: Classroom management
A positive, orderly classroom environment helps students learn, but new teachers often cite classroom management as their primary problem in teaching. Teacher candidates will be better able to establish a classroom environment that makes learning possible if they are taught a coherent management approach, not a grab-bag of techniques.
Moreover, it does a considerable disservice to candidates when the curriculum fails to differentiate among graderanges addressing preschoolers to high school seniors. How much can a prospective high school mathematics teacher learn from a discussion about how to deal with a 3-year-old having a tantrum? Classroom management courses that mix elementary and secondary teacher candidates are not only unnecessary, they also prevent prospective teachers from receiving the most relevant training.
