Philosophy of Classroom Management

Philosophy of Classroom Management Classroom Management is one of the key components in any educational setting. I believe that if students are in a safe environment, then learning can take place. Having the right environment for all students to learn is my major goal of implementing good classroom management‐‐without it the students would not be able to learn. Classroom management does not only mean punishing misbehavior, but rather it is a method of creating a positive classroom environment by using preventive tactics to misbehavior, interesting and engaging curriculums, and effectively including all students in the classroom so that their needs are met. I am committed to making my classroom a safe and challenging environment and engaging my students through the curriculum as well as getting to know them and interacting with them one‐on‐one. I believe that meeting the needs of my students is a very crucial part of my classroom. I want them to be comfortable with the other students, as well as me, so that there can be meaningful discussions and interactions. To help me realize my ideal classroom there are many theories and strategies from theorists that I will implement in my classroom that are the foundations of my philosophy of classroom management. The theorists that I harmonize with and appreciate the most are Rudolf Dreikurs, Jacob Kounin, Barbara Coloroso, and Fred Jones. My personality is an odd mixture of strict and easy going. I know how to have a good time, but I also expect rules to be followed. I grew up in the belief that rules are there to teach and protect you. Rules train and protect you by preparing you for the real world. Sooner or later all my students will enter the real world where, when rules are broken, there are profound consequences worse that detention. My personality meshes well with an open light‐hearted classroom where rules are made to be followed for everyone’s benefit. In sticking to my personality as much as I can I have formulated a classroom management plan that encompasses the strategies of these theorists and my own personal beliefs about classroom behavior. In order to be an effective teacher, I feel it is necessary to implement a specific behavioral plan with clear guidelines for the students. I believe that students need to be taught appropriate behavior and teacher expectations and the best way to do this is through modeling good behavior. In addition to modeling good behavior, classroom rules and their positive and negative consequences need to be visibly posted, in the classroom, and reviewed frequently. It is important to teach students life skills, such as respect and responsibility, in order to prepare them to make appropriate choices. When the teacher demonstrates these skills clearly, it shows students how to become directly involved in the management of their own behavior, thus promoting a positive and healthy classroom environment. I feel that the best way in implementing rules and guidelines for proper behavior is to follow Rudolf Dreikurs’s approach to a democratic classroom. Dreikurs advocates an approach to behavior management that involves teachers and students working together to make decisions about how the class will function. He was one of the first theorists to urge teachers to involve students mutually in deciding and formulating classroom rules and consequences (Charles, C., & Senter, Gail. 63‐64). I will allow my students to help make the classroom rules and consequences. This is a preventative measure that I feel that this will help the students become responsible for their own behavior. It is preventative because if the students make the rules they know what they are because they are a product of their minds not just some arbitrary rules needed to be learned and obeyed. This strategy will also help build classroom community based on mutual interest and agreement among students and between students and teachers. This is important to me because it lessens the inequality between teachers and students. I also feel that it is important for students to begin each day in my classroom with a clean slate. This gives the students a choice each and every day whether or not to misbehave, without having a past behavior infraction overshadow their decisions. One of the most important skills an effective teacher can posses is what theorist Jacob Kounin calls withitness. Withitness is a teacher’s ability to know and be aware of what is happening in all parts of the classroom at all times (Charles, C., & Senter, Gail. 58). This is a skill I am working hard to develop because it can be used as a preventative measure and it is a great way to monitor student behavior, especially when they think you are not looking. This will allow me to deal with budding behavior problems before they balloon into misbehavior. This is often thought of by students as the teacher having eyes in the back of their head. When a teacher is aware of what is going on in their classroom at all times misbehavior will be reduced. Students will know that even though the teacher is not looking they still know what is going on. This is an important skill to have because with just a quick scan of the room the teacher identify areas or groups of students that may cause potential problems and then quickly redirect the students to help them refrain from misbehaving and to help them get back on task. When teachers distance themselves and are not “with it”, the classroom can easily fall apart, and this is a measure that I will take to make sure my class is well behaved. I believe that students should be given the opportunity to make their own decisions. This belief of mine complements Barbara Coloroso’s theory of Inner Self‐Control. Coloroso believes that discipline works best when students have developed an inner sense of self‐control because classrooms are an ideal place for students to learn how to make responsible decisions (Charles, C., & Senter, Gail. 99‐100). In order for this theory to be successful, the teacher and students must work together which goes along with ideas of Dreikurs. Part of students making decisions is being held accountable for their actions. I will teach my students that for every decision made there is an outcome that they will be held responsible for, whether it is a good outcome or a bad outcome, because I believe that students should learn from their triumphs and from their mistakes. This is also part of the real world; everyone is held accountable for the outcomes of the decisions they make. Therefore, this will help prepare them for later life as well. The approach to behavior management that I support the most is Fred Jones’s discipline through active student involvement. His theory is that most discipline problems can be prevented by maintaining active student involvement during lessons and through limit setting (Charles, C., & Senter, Gail. 113). Jones’s approach really appeals to me because not only is it a theory for behavior management, it also promotes effective teaching. His approach specifically lays out how to become a more effective teacher. Jones proposes that teachers start every day with specific routines. This way, students know what is expected and are able to stay on task. Jones believes that nonverbal language is very important in the classroom and I agree. From experience as both a teacher and as a student I know that when a teacher is standing by my desk or walking around the room, I am less likely to misbehave and attempt to get away with different forms of mischief. Jones tells us that it is important to utilize our body language, facial expressions, gestures, eye contact, and physical proximity to retain control. By using your nonverbal language it is possible to continue teaching and helping the students learn while still keeping a firm hand on the reins of the classroom. Another belief I hold strongly is that students need to be actively learning and involved during lessons. Jones reasons that the ways in which lessons are presented can and will encourage good classroom behavior. With the Say, See, Do teaching method, which calls for frequent student output, the students are actively engaged and therefore their attention is held, leaving little time for misbehavior. If students do not create some type of output during the lesson, they are not really learning at their full potential. By having the students actively think about the information being presented and letting them produce many outputs through the lesson, students do more deep active thinking, which helps them learn the material while keeping them occupied and reducing misbehavior. Although classroom management is one of the hardest aspects of teaching, I believe that I am ready to see my behavior management plan in action. I believe that a fun classroom with defined rules, guidelines, specific punishments, and active learning is the best way to manage my classroom. If we want the world to be a good place, then we need to help make it so by educating our future leaders, and we also want those future leaders to behave well and follow the rules of society. Classroom Rules All classrooms have varying rules and procedures and all effectively managed classrooms that. Students need guidelines to know what is appropriate and inappropriate for behaviors such as when to speak and what is expected regarding general classroom behaviors. As preparation to combat inappropriate classroom behavior I have devised a list of rules that will be implemented in my classroom, as well as the consequences to the breaking of these rules. One of the most basic and fundamental rules I have is to respect other people’s property and be polite, kind, and courteous to everyone. This rule holds mutual responsibility between the students and the teacher. Students should treat other’s property and ideas the same way they want their property treated. With the understanding of mutual respect, there ideally would be no need for discipline because everyone would be respecting everyone else. Another rule of mine is derived from responsibility. All needed materials should be brought to class; this includes items such as a library book, pen/pencil, text book, workbook, and completed homework. These high school students are going through the process of becoming adults and responsibility is an issue the need to master. The most important rule for my classroom and me is that there will be no negative comments about the Spanish language or any culture we study because difference does not equal inferiority or superiority, only uniqueness. This rule is important to me because in today’s rapidly changing and diverse world, the chance that the students will have to work with a person from a different cultural background is increasing every day, and the students need to be prepared for this. One step to making the world a better place is start becoming accepting of other cultures and to become culturally literate. It is my goal to create a classroom an unbiased, multicultural learning environment in which diversity is celebrated not disdained. Through the execution of these rules deemed most important to my classroom and content, I hope to have a well managed and culturally accepting classroom where each student’s individuality is respected and celebrated. Classroom Rules and Procedures Be responsible and respectful to everyone, their ideas, and the content of this course. Rules 1. Respect other people’s property and be polite, kind, and courteous to everyone. 2. Bring all needed materials to class everyday as well as a reading book. 3. Be respectful to all speakers (teachers, students and guests). 4. Be respectful of the Spanish language and any culture we study. Difference does not equal inferiority or superiority, only uniqueness. 5. All other school rules will apply. See your student handbook for a complete list of school rules and consequences. Consequences for breaking rules When a rule is broken once: Teacher conferences with the student. When a rule is broken a 2nd time: Detention with me, notice to parent, student writes a note to parent, and completes a translation assignment during detention. When a rule is broken a 3rd time: Detention with me, parent is informed of previous inappropriate behaviors, and parent conference. Grading Scale 100‐90‐A Each… Test is worth 100 points‐ all tests= 30% of final grade Presentation is worth 100 points=30%of final grade Quiz is worth 50 points‐20% of final grade Homework‐10% of final grade 80‐89‐B 70‐79‐C 60‐69‐D 59 and below‐F Participation Your participation in class discussions will be evaluated using this scale for points towards your final grade for the semester: 5 = Student often contributes thoughtful comments and insights based on class materials; has been a catalyst for other student comments as well as teacher response; AND listens to the comments and insights of others with respect and attention. 4 = Student regularly contributes thoughtful comments and insights based on class materials; sometimes results in student as well as teacher response; AND listens to the comments and insights of others with respect and attention. 3 = Student sometimes contributes comments and insights based on class materials and, more often at teacher prompting; generally polite but could be more engaged in class discussions. 2 = Student seldom contributes comments and insights of her/his own will; comments not always relevant to materials or discussion at hand; needs to pay more attention to the contributions of the teacher and peers. 1 = Student rarely and reluctantly contributes to class discussions; comments minimal and/or disrespectful; often noticeably disinterested in teacher’s and peers' contributions to classroom discussion. 0 = Student never contributes to class discussions and/or has demonstrated frequent disrespectful behavior towards teacher and peers. Late Work/ Tardies/ Absences Late work: 10% counted off for each day late, unless excused. Late work will not be accepted more than 4 days late. Incomplete work will not be accepted. In case of excused absences: You have one extra day (a total of two per day absent) to make up work for each excused day absent. In case of unexcused absences: Work due on the day of an unexcused absence receives a grade of zero until it is turned in, and then will be subject to the late work policy. Tardies: following school procedures students who are tardy are expected to have a signed pass from the attendance office. Students who arrive late without a signed pass from the attendance office will need to go to the office and explain to the secretary why they were tardy and obtain a tardy slip. The rules and consequences for tardies can be found in your student handbook. Room Arrangement My ideal classroom arrangement reflects my teaching style and reflects an ideal learning environment for both my students and myself. My arrangement is consistent with the instructional goals and activities of in my classroom. The main activities will be teacher led presentations because I will be teaching a foreign language and the grammatical infrastructure that goes along with the foreign language. I will lecture and put notes on the blackboard and students will be expected to copy the notes and the examples we do as a class, so that they will be able to successfully complete subsequent worksheets, activities, homework and studying. I believe that this is one of the most effective ways of getting dense information across to the students. If the student doesn’t fully understand the concepts they have all the notes and many examples to try to work through until I can help them understand the concepts fully. This is also a good way to engage the class because we will be creating examples that are specific to each class and these examples will serve as a sort of pneumonic device to help them on quizzes and exams. The students will then keep these notes as well as any other worksheet that we do in their note book so all of the work we have done is there at their studying disposal. There are also two tables near the teacher’s desk for group work that can easily be monitored. High traffic areas are free of congestions such as around the back supplies cabinet, the bookshelves, the teacher’s desk, and the student computer desk as well. The teacher’s desk is positioned in the front corner of the classroom so that careful monitoring of the students can be done efficiently. As a teacher it is extremely important that every student is visible to the teacher at any given moment. For this reason I feel that the best place for me to be is in the diagonal front of the room where I can watch for moving lips and wandering eyes at an ease. I feel that the arrangement of my ideal classroom will functional and consistent with the educational goals and activities that will occur in my classroom. Procedures and Routines Emergency drills: Many schools have school wide procedures for emergency evacuations of the building and to safe locations. The most important factor with emergency procedures is that the students are moved away from harm in a quick, but organized fashion. Therefore, in case of an emergency I will have students line up, quickly and quietly, I will then count the students and lead them out of the building, having the last person turn off the lights and close the door. My students will be expected to walk quickly and quietly as we exit our room or travel to our safe location, depending on what type of drill it is. When we arrive at our safe location I will once again count the students to make sure all of them are accounted for. Turning in Student Work: I will have a tray located either on my desk or a designated spot in the room for students to turn in their work. Students will turn in work either right before they leave class or as soon as they get to class before the bell rings. This procedure will stop my students from getting up and moving around while other students are trying to complete their work. This is important because even though one student might be done, other students may not be finished. If there are distractions for those students that are not finished, they may lose focus and misbehavior may result. To avoid this, work is only turned in either first or last thing of the to be turned in during those two times only. I will explain to the students when work can be turned in and where the tray will be located. Beginning of the period: My students will be expected to be in their assigned seats and ready to begin class when the bell rings. Every day I will begin class by say this “hola clase, ¿ Cómo están? Hoy, vamos a _______” meaning “hello class, how are you all? Today, we are going to_________” I will then tell the students what to get out and look over before we review what we did the previous class. While I am saying all of this I will be taking attendance. We will then formally start the class by having a quick review of the previous lesson and then the students will put up the practice activities that were assigned, if any was assigned. Expectations for how work will look: When students hand in any assignment, quiz, exam it is to be completed in either pencil or black/blue ink. Colored in is unacceptable when turned in with an acceptable medium used the paper will be counted as a late paper and subjected to the late work procedure (above). All work handed in must be legible. Illegible handwriting will be counted off as a wrong answer. Students will be asked to always label their papers by placing their full name (first and last) in the upper left hand corner and the date directly below it. Absences: Each and every assignment is crucial to learning and understanding a foreign language, and when students are not present they fall behind and have a hard time catching back up and learning the missed material completely. For this reason, I will hold each student accountable to complete each missed assignment. I will keep a folder for each class labeled “absent” and I will write the names of the absent students on anything assigned and leave them in the folder for pickup upon return. It will be the students responsibility to collect the missed work from the folder. Absent work will be subjected to the absence policy above.