My Classroom Management Philosophy
My classroom management philosophy is to encourage students to excel academically and build a strong classroom community. I believe in a cooperative balance between input from the teacher and contribution from the students. I aspire to have a classroom where students are intrinsically motivated, creators of the classroom environment and rules, and open to a connection between all students.
Creating a classroom environment that is inviting and safe is essential for classroom management. I want to make sure all of my students feel like they belong and are open to share in my classroom. I will implement morning meetings into my daily routine to promote a sense of community and an opportunity for my students to interact and share. I think having the ability to know your students on a personal level will increase your capability to teaching to their individual needs. I will also try and include as much parent involvement as possible. This will be achieved by getting parents involved as visitors in our morning meeting circle, having parents be our guest readers throughout the school-year, and being in constant contact through phone calls and agenda messages. Keeping the parents informed as well as listening to their suggestions will create a community not only in the classroom, but also at home. An idea presented by Julie Diamond author of Kindergarten, is to create a calendar for all students to actively participate in. This will include writing parent’s business trips, birthdays, cultural holidays, life events and any other information presented by the student. This is a way for the class to bond. They will learn not only dates and names but other culture’s holidays, ways of life, and organizational skills.
I have similar beliefs as Linda Albert’s cooperative discipline plan. Albert’s classroom management design of the three C’s, capable, connect, and contributes, are all highly valued in my own classroom. At the beginning of the school year, I will have the students create the rules or norms that will be followed in my classroom. Giving the students the authority to decide what rules should be followed and the consequences that accompany misbehavior give the students a sense of ownership and understanding of their behavior. Giving the students an opportunity to feel involved will build a connection to the classroom quickly. If students have behavioral issues I will refer back to the rules they created and remind them of their choices. Overall, consequences will be logical and reflect the rule they violated. If the misbehavior continues I will use I-messages to positively resolve issues. The I-messages will include phrases like, “I love that you are interested in this subject but I cannot focus if you are constantly calling out.” If behavior issues between students arise, I will have students solve the issue using I-messages as well. This will include either writing or speaking using my modeled I-message procedure. The students will address the issues between students without being demeaning, instead they will use phrases like, “I feel sad when you called me that name, I would appreciate it if you no longer used that language and/or apologized.” I think this is a positive way to control behavioral issues and keep students responsible for their actions.
To encourage students, I plan on showing them that are important. Students need to know why they are learning certain skills and encourage them to take pride in their work. Giving student’s classroom jobs and paying them in classroom rewards is a way to encourage hard work and show they play an important role in the class. Classroom rewards may include school-wide money, tangible treats, or classroom activities to show their work is valued. I plan on decorating my classroom with student work to promote quality work and acknowledge the achievement of assignments. A technique I plan on taking from Alfie Kohn is to use less phrases like, “Good job!” and focus more on “How did you do that?” and “What was the most difficult part of the assignment?” This will increase the thinking behind their work and does not label a child’s effort based on my opinion. Also, this technique strays away from subliminally putting down others that I may not have a chance to praise. I think positive reinforce and praise is important but I want to find a balance so students are no longer working for just praise but for an intrinsic reward. I think being able to take pride in their work and acknowledging their effort is the key to motivating students.
My classroom management philosophy is to encourage students to excel academically and build a strong classroom community. I believe in a cooperative balance between input from the teacher and contribution from the students. I aspire to have a classroom where students are intrinsically motivated, creators of the classroom environment and rules, and open to a connection between all students.
Creating a classroom environment that is inviting and safe is essential for classroom management. I want to make sure all of my students feel like they belong and are open to share in my classroom. I will implement morning meetings into my daily routine to promote a sense of community and an opportunity for my students to interact and share. I think having the ability to know your students on a personal level will increase your capability to teaching to their individual needs. I will also try and include as much parent involvement as possible. This will be achieved by getting parents involved as visitors in our morning meeting circle, having parents be our guest readers throughout the school-year, and being in constant contact through phone calls and agenda messages. Keeping the parents informed as well as listening to their suggestions will create a community not only in the classroom, but also at home. An idea presented by Julie Diamond author of Kindergarten, is to create a calendar for all students to actively participate in. This will include writing parent’s business trips, birthdays, cultural holidays, life events and any other information presented by the student. This is a way for the class to bond. They will learn not only dates and names but other culture’s holidays, ways of life, and organizational skills.
I have similar beliefs as Linda Albert’s cooperative discipline plan. Albert’s classroom management design of the three C’s, capable, connect, and contributes, are all highly valued in my own classroom. At the beginning of the school year, I will have the students create the rules or norms that will be followed in my classroom. Giving the students the authority to decide what rules should be followed and the consequences that accompany misbehavior give the students a sense of ownership and understanding of their behavior. Giving the students an opportunity to feel involved will build a connection to the classroom quickly. If students have behavioral issues I will refer back to the rules they created and remind them of their choices. Overall, consequences will be logical and reflect the rule they violated. If the misbehavior continues I will use I-messages to positively resolve issues. The I-messages will include phrases like, “I love that you are interested in this subject but I cannot focus if you are constantly calling out.” If behavior issues between students arise, I will have students solve the issue using I-messages as well. This will include either writing or speaking using my modeled I-message procedure. The students will address the issues between students without being demeaning, instead they will use phrases like, “I feel sad when you called me that name, I would appreciate it if you no longer used that language and/or apologized.” I think this is a positive way to control behavioral issues and keep students responsible for their actions.
To encourage students, I plan on showing them that are important. Students need to know why they are learning certain skills and encourage them to take pride in their work. Giving student’s classroom jobs and paying them in classroom rewards is a way to encourage hard work and show they play an important role in the class. Classroom rewards may include school-wide money, tangible treats, or classroom activities to show their work is valued. I plan on decorating my classroom with student work to promote quality work and acknowledge the achievement of assignments. A technique I plan on taking from Alfie Kohn is to use less phrases like, “Good job!” and focus more on “How did you do that?” and “What was the most difficult part of the assignment?” This will increase the thinking behind their work and does not label a child’s effort based on my opinion. Also, this technique strays away from subliminally putting down others that I may not have a chance to praise. I think positive reinforce and praise is important but I want to find a balance so students are no longer working for just praise but for an intrinsic reward. I think being able to take pride in their work and acknowledging their effort is the key to motivating students.