Section 2 A: Best Practices in Managing the Classroom to Improve
Student Commitment

Approach: Classroom management in College LBS programs is affected by a number of conditions which are beyond the direct control of those in the classroom. While some of these conditions are listed in the best practices it is recognized that often little can be done to change them. Where pressure can be brought to bear by the program administration, the practitioner and/or the literacy participants, the best practices point that out.

The best practices are listed in three sections; each is organized under the area or individual having the greatest control of those practices. These sections are:

• institution controlled,
• practitioner controlled
• shared control.

Within each section the best practices are grouped under headings describing their commonalities.

This review largely assumes that the learners are the recipients of the best practices, rather than participants in the development of them. This is not completely true, however, as will be shown when such things as internal program control, communication and classroom ambience are discussed.

A. Institutional

Note: ‘Institutional’ refers to the college, the referring agencies, and the funders. Institutional controlled policies, while they appear on the surface to be inflexible are not necessarily so. From the Ministry directives to the college directives, individual programs have sought and gained approval for creative changes. Thus, while an initial response to the following ‘best practices’ might be to say, “We can’t change that!” adoption of, or movement toward each has been achieved by creative programs in Ontario colleges