Kayla Brown

Classroom Management Philosophy Classroom management is the basis of a successful classroom, and it is fundamental in providing students with the best learning experience. As a B.Ed. student, my ideal classroom management philosophy is centered on providing a safe learning community, where all students are equally important. All students are individuals with their own strengths and weaknesses, and as a teacher it is my job to encourage my students to achieve the best they can. There are four essential beliefs I feel can promote this in my classroom: environment, routines, positive relationships, and guidance. Environment The important aspects good classroom management is the learning space, both in physicality and in sentiment. Students need to see the classroom as a safe environment for learning, therefore it is essential that the classroom is inviting, welcoming, and accessible for everyone. No matter what goes on at home, or on the playground, I would like my students to feel completely safe while in my classroom. Students should feel as if it is their classroom, and that they are just as important as everyone, including the teacher. Throughout my experience volunteering in a particular grade 1 class, there was one little technique that still resonates with me; teaching students that everyone in the class your friend. It seems like a simple concept, but is so crucial in providing that safe, encouraging learning environment. Children need to feel they will be included and supported by everyone in the classroom. From the first day, the grade one teacher established that the students were not classmates, they were friends an d they were to treat every single classmate how they would treat their friends. Throughout the year
1

Kayla Brown

this was reiterated in many lessons, such as choosing partners or group members. Just like in the Daily 5, students are taught that the only right answer to the question Would you be my partner? would be yes. Along with the emotionally safe environment, the physical environment should also be conducive to learning. In my ideal classroom, the physical layout would include desks in groups of 4-6 students, depending on age and maturity levels. Desks in groups encourage sharing and collaboration in learning. Though some may argue that rows would be best in preventing behavioural issues, I have observed enough classrooms to see that the pros outweigh the cons in regards to this seating arrangement. In order to foster a positive learning environment, there should be as much natural light as possible, and the classroom should include many bright colours. The walls should incorporate many useful learning resources, but there should also be a space for students to display their work. Students should have the option to individualize their personal space, such as their cubbies, Daily 5 baskets, workbooks, etc. This encourages students to not only express themselves, but they are able to feel a sense of ownership in the classroom. The classroom is no longer the teachers, it is the students, and they will take ownership of that. Organization is a key element in the physical classroom; an organized classroom is an effective classroom. All classroom materials should be accessible to every student and labelled clearly. Each desk should have a container with an appropriate amount of basic supplies; pencils, erasers, crayons. Extra supplies such as glue, rulers, and markers should be stored together in one section of the classroom. Resources and manipulatives such as dice, base ten blocks, and counters should be stored together in another section. Students should know

Kayla Brown

exactly where they need to put their coats, bags, books, lunches, etc, and be able to find their school supplies and workbooks at a moments notice. An organized classroom prevents chaos throughout activities as well as during transitions between lessons. Rules & Routines Rules and routines are codependent: you cant establish routines without rules, and rules are ineffective without routines. This means that rules and routines should be established on the first day of school and continuously reviewed into the first few weeks. There are always the same general ideas for rules in the classroom; follow directions, be respectful, and be responsible. Though there are many ways to express these rules, it is important that they include these three components. The older the students are, the more input students are able to give in making the classroom constitution. I feel that it is important that students feel like not only have they been included in the rule making process, but that they understand and agree to the rules of the classroom. In my classroom, there will only be a few main rules, but the students will collaborate to explain what the rule means to them and what consequences they feel are appropriate for breaking the rule. For example, under be respectful students will collaborate and ultimately understand that this means be polite, be kind, hands and feet to yourself, listen when others are speaking, etc. If students are chatting while another student is speaking, they have already agreed that the consequence may be that they have to leave the sharing circle until they are ready to listen. It is extremely crucial that these rules be established early and reinforced often; most behaviour management issues arise because students do not know what is expected of them. When students take ownership of the classroom rules and are

Kayla Brown

aware of their actions and consequences, there will be less behavioural management issues. I believe in proactive classroom management while reserving the discipline and consequences for when it is truly necessary. Routines are a sub-category of rules and important in maintaining a harmonized classroom. I will have routines and expectations for everyday occurrences, as well as special circumstances such as drills and unexpected assemblies. From the time they enter the classroom until the minute they leave for the day, they will know what procedures they need to follow. By the end of the first month, students will be experts in lining up procedures, bathroom procedures, cleaning tasks, transitioning between activities, where to sit during assemblies, how/when to sit in reading circle VS sitting as their desks, etc. Much like rules, when students know the expectations for these actions, they are a lot less likely to act out or misbehave. I believe that if students are given responsibility for their own actions, along with guidance, they can make the right decisions.
Positive Relationships

Providing a safe learning environment is not just based on the classroom, but also on the teachers relationship with the students. Most importantly, the teacher-student relationship should be based on respect, equality and compassion. Though students may not necessarily like the teacher sometimes, they should never feel like the teacher dislikes them. The key to preventing behaviour issues is to have a positive learning community based on respect for others. Discipline is not always the first line of behaviour management. Marva Collins says Great teachers dont send bad kids to the principals office. They go up to the child,

Kayla Brown

hug them, and tell [them] that they care. and I truly believe this to be true. Students need to know you care and you will help them with what they need, not punish them. Teachers also need to get to know each of their students and how they learn. Along with learning the students names as quickly as possible, I believe that it is imperative that teachers learn about the students likes, dislikes, hopes and dreams. Of course, this is ambitious f or the first week, but over time, we can get to know our students quite well. Students need to feel accepted, included, and important. Knowing their personality and taking a personal approach to their learning will go a long way. When you know your students, you can cater your lessons to their interests. The more the students are engaged in the lesson, the more they want to learn and contribute. Not only are they more interested in the lesson itself, they also feel important, included, and acknowledged. I believe in encouraging students to explore their interests and talents, and use that in their work. For activities, students should be able to choose a topic that interests them, whether its dinosaurs, science, horses, Minecraft, etc. I currently have a student obsessed with Minecraft, and my theory is that if that gets him writing, then he can write every journal and writing workshop piece on Minecraft, if he so chooses. Another example would be a little boy I used to tutor had finished grade one at B level books and had a history of being disruptive in class. The teacher was considering keeping him back a year because she felt he would not be able to handle second grade. I learned that he loved sharks and whenever I let him read books about sharks, he was reading books that would be at an E or F level. If I tried to get him to read about something uninteresting to him, he would become distracted and restless and could

Kayla Brown

barely read the page. I feel that if he had more choice to read what interested him, he would have been as disruptive in the classroom. Guidance I believe that a teacher should be a guide for students. In traditional classroom roles, the teacher was the leader and controlled all aspects of the classroom. In a more modern approach, I feel like that teacher is there to direct the children and guide the learning process. The teacher allows students to make choices and facilitate their own learning. By guiding the students in establishing their own rules and positive learning environment, the student will have a sense of ownership and pride over everything they do. I want to be a backbone teacher, not a brick wall teacher; which means that I guide students to making the right decisions. Teachers do not need to be dictators, and tell the students what to do and how to do it. Instead, modelling the right behaviours and guiding students into making good choices is an effective and collaborative classroom management tool. I dont believe that tangible rewards have an everyday role in the classro om. They can be used sparingly to help encourage students after particularly arduous or lengthy tasks or after a great week, but have no place in daily behaviour management. As a guide, I feel like teachers should encourage students to have personal motivation and intrinsic rewards. I would guide students to make goals and encourage them follow-up with the goals they set for themselves. Students learn that when they take ultimate responsibility for their own education, they will feel rewarded and important when theyve completed a task or are able to take pride in their

Kayla Brown

hard work. I dont believe this is age-specific, and with the right guidance, children can develop personal satisfaction in what they create. A classroom management philosophy is continual and ever-changing process. As I gain more experience in the classroom and personal growth, my philosophy will change every year. I know that in order to become a better teacher, I need to constantly reflect on my classroom management practices and see where I need improvement. Learning is an infinite process, and I only hope to learn more about myself as a teacher.