Selected Teachers' Perspectives On Classroom Management Post-Emergency Remote Teaching: A Grounded Theory

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted many aspects of education, including classroom management practices. Following the 2020-2021 school year, as students returned to in-classroom learning, their misbehavior increased (National Center for Education Statistics [NCES], 2022b), presenting novel challenges for teachers to address through their classroom management practices (Prothero, 2023). This study examined how selected elementary education teachers engaged in classroom management practices after emergency remote teaching (ERT) and how, if at all, they saw their students’ experiences during ERT affecting the teachers’ post-ERT classroom management practices. Using a Straussian grounded theory approach (Strauss & Corbin, 1998), I examined the perspectives of 11 elementary general education teachers from five school districts. Data were generated through individual interviews, document analysis, and focus group discussions. Results indicated that participants chose classwide and individual classroom management practices based on their students’ intensified self-regulation and social skills challenges. Each participant selected similar pre- and post-ERT classroom management practices but used them with increased focus and additional direct instruction for proportionately more students post-ERT. As the selected teachers spent more time managing students’ behavioral and emotional needs post-ERT, they experienced overwhelming levels of job-related stress. Implications of these results provide recommendations for school administrators, district leaders, and policymakers interested in supporting teachers navigating the tremendous challenges of classroom management post-ERT, and suggestions for future research to expand our understanding of teacher classroom management practices during a largely unexplored time in recent history.