NAPLAN Classroom Management Strategies 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A teacher consistently praises specific behaviours rather than giving generic praise. Which statement is an example of specific behaviour-focused praise?
- 'Great job today, everyone!'
- 'You're such a good student!'
- 'I noticed you re-read the question before answering — that shows careful thinking.' (Correct answer)
- 'Keep up the good work!'
Correct answer: 'I noticed you re-read the question before answering — that shows careful thinking.'
Specific praise names the exact behaviour, helping students understand what they did well and reinforcing its repetition.
Question 2: What is the main benefit of establishing classroom routines at the start of the school year?
- They eliminate the need for any behaviour management during the year
- They create predictable structures that reduce anxiety and free cognitive load for learning (Correct answer)
- They ensure all students achieve the same academic outcomes
- They replace the need for explicit teaching of content
Correct answer: They create predictable structures that reduce anxiety and free cognitive load for learning
Predictable routines reduce uncertainty, lower student anxiety, and allow both teachers and students to focus on learning rather than logistics.
Question 3: Which approach to rule-making is most likely to increase student buy-in?
- The teacher writes rules before school starts and posts them without discussion
- The teacher and students collaboratively develop a small set of positively framed rules (Correct answer)
- Students are given unlimited freedom to set their own rules without teacher input
- Rules are communicated only verbally and never displayed in writing
Correct answer: The teacher and students collaboratively develop a small set of positively framed rules
Co-creating rules with students increases their sense of ownership and commitment to following agreed expectations.
Question 4: A student with ADHD struggles to stay on task during long reading activities. Which adjustment supports this student within a whole-class setting?
- Excuse the student from reading activities altogether
- Break the task into smaller timed chunks and offer a movement break between segments (Correct answer)
- Seat the student away from peers so they cannot distract others
- Increase the length of the task to build tolerance
Correct answer: Break the task into smaller timed chunks and offer a movement break between segments
Breaking tasks into shorter chunks with built-in movement breaks aligns with the attentional and physical needs of students with ADHD.
Question 5: What does 'with-it-ness' mean in the context of classroom management?
- A teacher's ability to teach multiple subjects at once
- A teacher's awareness of what is happening across the entire classroom at all times (Correct answer)
- A teacher's use of current technology in lessons
- 'Keeping up' with the latest teaching trends
Correct answer: A teacher's awareness of what is happening across the entire classroom at all times
Coined by Kounin, 'with-it-ness' describes a teacher's ability to monitor all students simultaneously, which deters misbehaviour.
Question 6: Which response best exemplifies the 'least restrictive' principle when managing low-level disruption?
- Immediately remove the student from the classroom
- Make eye contact and give a subtle non-verbal cue before escalating to verbal correction (Correct answer)
- Stop the lesson and publicly address the student's behaviour
- Send a note home to parents after every incident
Correct answer: Make eye contact and give a subtle non-verbal cue before escalating to verbal correction
The least-restrictive principle means using the minimum intervention needed, such as a non-verbal signal, before escalating.
Question 7: A teacher uses a 'think-pair-share' strategy frequently. How does this support classroom management?
- It reduces the teacher's responsibility for lesson planning
- It actively engages all students, reducing off-task behaviour caused by passive listening (Correct answer)
- It allows the teacher to assess only high-achieving students
- It eliminates the need for written assessments
Correct answer: It actively engages all students, reducing off-task behaviour caused by passive listening
Think-pair-share keeps all students cognitively engaged, minimising boredom-driven disruption during whole-class discussions.
NAPLAN Classroom Management Strategies 3
A teacher consistently praises specific behaviours rather than giving generic praise.
Which statement is an example of specific behaviour-focused praise?