Classroom Management PRQ

11/23/15
Bekah Bryant
Vanguard University

Creating and maintaining an effective environment for learning through my

classroom management, discipline, and leadership role is of high priority.
Students in my classroom will have a safe and supportive environment that
gives my students the opportunity to become responsible for their actions, to
learn and act respectfully, and are given the opportunity to reach their
highest potential in the classroom. A management plan will be enacted so
that students can learn how to interact with each other, prepare for class,
and how to conduct themselves during class. Through the clarity of rules,
procedures, and consequences students are able to know exactly what is
expected of them in my classroom and behave accordingly. Through
repetition, my students will achieve full understanding of each of these rules,
procedures, and expectations of themselves in my classroom. All of these
aspects will contribute to creating and maintaining an effective environment
for learning in my classroom.
The first step to creating and maintaining such an environment is
through classroom management. I can create an environment that promotes
learning before my students walk through the door through carefully
selecting a management philosophy and creating a classroom management
plan. I want my classroom to reflect the management and discipline
philosophy of love and logic theory. In this theory, a loving and balanced
approach is taken on management and discipline. The focus is helping
children develop personal responsibility, self-control, and good decision
making. Instead of using complicated reward and punishment systems that

only focus on compliance, this philosophy focuses on nurturing long-term

relationships and reinforcing good character. (Love and Logic Institute Inc.) In
this management approach rules are few, but clear in the expectations for
my students. Consequences will be not given beforehand, but rather
according to circumstance. Each student will be dealt with individually
according to what happened and what the student is willing to do to solve
the problem they created. Each situation in the classroom is unique and each
student is unique.
In this plan, students positive behavior will be reinforced and praised
individually and negative behavior will be dealt with accordingly. Burden and
Byrd discuss reinforcing desired behaviors in Methods for Effective Teaching.
It is explained that generally, behaviors that are reinforced will be retained;
behaviors that are not reinforced will be extinguished. You need to carefully
consider whom to reinforce, under what conditions, and with what kinds of
reinforcement. (Burden & Byrd, 249) Recognition, praise, and additional
privileges are all ways to reinforce positive behavior. These strategies and
management philosophy directly coincide with TPE 11 of Social Environment.
These reinforcements create a positive climate for learning and establishes a
safe, supporting environment for students by developing and maintaining
clear expectations for academic and social behavior.
In order to create a safe and supporting environment for students, a
discipline plan and philosophy is crucial as well. For behavioral issues, it is
important to make appropriate intervention decisions. Decisions of discipline

will be based off of the students history of misbehavior, but will be sure to
not jump to conclusions for students with a history of inappropriate behavior.
As a teacher, I will first implement the principle of least intervention with my
students when inappropriate behavior is evident. This way, misbehavior is
corrected with little or no unnecessary disruptions during a lesson. To do this,
a three-step response plan will be in place. First I will provide my students
with situational assistance that will help them cope with their situation and
get them back on track. This means removing distracting objects, providing
support with routines, reinforcing appropriate behaviors, and boosting
student interest. (Burden & Byrd, 261) I will then move on to mild responses
such as ignoring the behavior, using nonverbal signals, or standing near the
student. Lastly, if necessary I will move on to moderate responses using
logical and individualized consequences and loss of privilege in the
classroom. In using the love and logic theory, discipline will again be unique
and according to the individual. If students feel as though it is unfair they are
allowed to discuss their case and explain why they think a consequence is
unfair to them.
Punishment will be given when necessary. Punishment will always
come after responsible behavior is discussed and expectations are set.
Behaviors that lead to punishment will be clearly specified. Punishments will
be given only after a three step response plan is implemented and not
working. Punishment will be applied fairly and will fit the situation for which
the student is being punished for. Extended periods of punishment will be

avoided as well. Skinner discusses punishment in the fact that We hold a

person responsible for his conduct in the sense that he can be justly or fairly
punished. This is again a matter of good husbandry, of judicious use of
reinforcers, of making the punishment fit the crime. More punishment than
necessary is costly and may suppress desirable behavior, while too little is
wasteful if it has no effect at all. (Skinner, 189)
The last way to create an effective environment for learning in the
classroom is through leadership. Effective teachers lead through having
positive teacher-student relationships. Effective teachers and classroom
managers are able to implement specific techniques to establish an
appropriate level of dominance in the classroom. An effective leader of the
classroom will provide guidance about the content to be addressed and the
behavior to be expected in class. ( Burden & Byrd, 246) Teachers lead
effectively by establishing clear rules and procedures, using disciplinary
intervention, exhibiting assertive behavior, and establishing clear learning
goals. By doing this, I will be able to lead by example, set clear expectations
from the start, and keep my classroom running smoothly.
Through creating a management and discipline plan based off of the
theory of love and logic, I will give my students a safe and supportive
environment that they can learn best in. Students will be treated as
individuals, learn how to interact with each other, prepare for class, and how
to conduct themselves during class. Through the clarity of expectations,
rules, and procedures from the start my students will know exactly what is

expected of them and behave accordingly. Positive behaviors will be

reinforced consistently and consequences will be given appropriately.
Through repetition, my students will achieve full understanding of each of
these rules, procedures, and expectations of themselves in my classroom. All
of these aspects will contribute to creating and maintaining an effective
environment for learning in my classroom.