Situated practice: A reflection on person-centered classroom management

This article provides a situated perspective on the person-centered classroom management practices described in this issue, in order to highlight the special contribution these practices make to sustaining meaningful student engagement in classroom activity. Building on Paul Gump's efforts to conceptualize the classroom environment, the discussion focuses especially on understanding the programs of action embedded in activities as central elements in establishing and sustaining productive classroom order. Because these action systems are jointly constructed by teachers and students, person-centered practices have enormous power for engaging students in classroom events.