Running head: CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT STATEMENT 1

Classroom Management Statement

Amanda Boyer

National University
CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT STATEMENT 2

Philosophy Statement

A classroom management plan has been explained as the “purposeful and deliberate

actions of a teacher to provide a structure of rules, expectations, procedures, routines and

interventions that will support instruction, engage all students and ensure their success”

(Blankinship, Session 1, 2017). My philosophy of classroom management is still in its

developing stages due to only spending two years in the classroom, but has foundations based

upon twelve years as a field hockey coach and seven years as a mom. My goal is to figure out the

specific rules, expectations, procedures and interventions that will create a “strong instructional

program because when students are engaged and successful they seldom misbehave”

(Blankinship, Session 1, 2017).

It is the teacher’s responsibility to set firm boundaries or limits in the classroom so that

students have structure and clarity. Once the structure is set it is important to have a plan for

discipline in place so that when the limits are tested, they are held firmly. This structure and

discipline must become habitual for the teacher, so that in turn the students also build habits

based on the classroom management style. According to Canter and Canter, this is a step where

teachers discipline and “know the difference between assertive, nonassertive and hostile

behavior, and then practice it until it becomes habitual” (Marzano, 2003, p. 34). I want to be well

practiced in my discipline plan because “the brain’s dependence on automatic routines can be

dangerous…habits are often as much a curse as a benefit” (Duhigg, 2014, p. 21). There are so

many automatic responses that a teacher can give a student and it may be far from the desired

discipline plan, so I want to be sure to build positive habits in my role as a teacher and then

students can in turn also build positive habits for behavior in the classroom.
CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT STATEMENT 3

Teachers must always model the behavior expected of students. I also believe that the teacher

must treat the students with warmth and empathy. Curwin and Mendler’s four principles include

treating students with dignity as well as modeling the behaviors you expect (Blackboard Unit 1,

lecture 1A, Curwin and Mendler). This modeling and empathy then will be a tool when it comes

to disciplining students when they step out of the set boundaries. I will set expectations and if

they are broken, lay out the consequences of the student’s behavior or decision. The

consequences will be clear so that it is not seen as punishment because “when people are

punished for something, they seldom pause for self-examination…resentment is the more

common reaction,” therefore I hope to create an environment where students will receive

consequences, which “lead to self-examination and thought” (Cline & Fay, 2006, p. 99-100). I

want to foster a classroom environment where students feel known, accepted, and encouraged so

that they have high self-efficacy which can have an enormous impact on the success of a student

in school (Slavin, 2015). I also want to build a system where students learn about consequences

so that they apply lessons about natural consequences into the world outside of the classroom.

This could result in students self-regulating their behavior and actions. I will be empathetic that

they are receiving deserved consequences when they behave in a negative way, but will be

consistent and always follow through so that they know there is a firm boundary. As a teacher

candidate, in the early stages of setting my classroom management philosophy, I am excited to

develop expectations, structure, procedures, routines and rules that become habitual and produce

a classroom environment that has students who are achieving because they are engaged.
CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT STATEMENT 4

References

Bengoa, M. (2008). Glasser's Control Theory Approach to Classroom Management.

Retrieved from nu.blackboard.com/webapps/blackboard/content

Blankinship, W. (2017). Session 1 Notes. [Class Notes]. National University. TED 626

Classroom Management.

Blankinship, B. (2017). Session 2 Notes. [Class Notes]. National University. TED 626

Classroom Management.

Cline, F., Fay, J. (2006). Parenting with Love and Logic. Colorado Springs, CO:

NavPress.

Duhigg, Charles (2014). The Power of Habit. New York, NY: Random House Trade

Paperbacks.

Kagen, S. (2002). What is Win-Win Discipline?. Retrieved from

http://www.kaganonline.com/free_articles/dr_spencer_kagan/ASK15.php

Marzano, Robert J., Marzano, Jana S. & Pickering, Debra J. (2003). Classroom

Management that Works: Research-Based Strategies for Every Teacher. Columbus, OH:

Pearson.

National University. (n.d.). Unit 1 Lecture 1A: Curwin & Mendler. [Video]. Retrieved

from https://nu.blackboard.com/webapps/blackboard/content/

National University. (n.d.). Unit 1 Lecture 1A: Morrish. [Video]. Retrieved from

https://nu.blackboard.com/webapps/blackboard/content/

Slavin, R. E. (2015). Educational Psychology: Theory and Practice (11th ed.).

Boston, MA: Pearson.