Classroom Management in a Navajo Middle School

Classroom management presents a serious challenge in most schools, but especially in schools on a Navajo Reservation that have been traditionally academically low-performing schools. There appears to be a mismatch between the attitudes, skills, and behaviors Navajo children bring with them to school and the expectations schools have for their behavior. This becomes especially evident at the middle-school level as peer pressure reaches its zenith, often leading to off-task behavior that can impact instructional effectiveness and have long-term effects on student success in life. This article explores the cultural context of a Navajo middle school and the managerial interventions applied by faculty, staff, and administrators who employed a rigorous inquiry process to identify the specific challenges before jumping to solutions.