Classroom Management Philosophy

Marcy Lesperance

Classrooms should have class wide activities in which students are provided an

opportunity to work together toward a common goal. Students acquire a sense of

significance from doing significant things, from being active participants in their

own education - Carlette Jackson Hardin

Classroom management is the backbone of a functioning classroom that fosters learning.

As an educator, it is my job to ensure that the classroom is a positive and safe learning

environment. To ensure this, strong classroom management skills are essential, as they need to be

implemented to benefit the diverse needs of students. Each student learns differently and to

respect this fact, student must be taught in a learning environment that does not disrupt or

impede their learning. With that in mind, I must continue to adapt, try, and learn new classroom

management strategies to meet the diverse needs of my students.

The classroom is a place where students come to learn and grow. To do so they need to

be fully engaged in not only the content, but in their learning. I will foster student autonomy by

encouraging my students to be creative and to incorporate their interests into the classroom. I

believe that to foster student autonomy a strong sense of community needs to be present in the

classroom. One way I plan on building a strong sense of community in the classroom is by

promoting collaboration. Collaboration is key. Not only does it promote inclusivity and

interpersonal relationships of students, it also allows students to be accountable and take control

of their own learning.

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 Routines will play an integral part of my classroom environment and I will work hard

with my students at the beginning of the year to establish routines that will contribute to a

positive and organized learning environment. Routines can be hard to establish, so I believe it is

important to practice and provide a rationale to students as to why routines are important. In my

opinion, a classroom needs to be structured to maximize learning time and the amount of focus

that you receive from students. The atmosphere of the classroom is highly dependent upon

routines; the more routines in place the less chaotic the classroom. The following are two

routines that I am certain that I will implement in my classroom. I will meet each of my students

at the entry way at the beginning of the day. I believe that this is an important routine to have

because it shows students that you care and are invested in them and their education. I believe

that it is important to make each of your students feel special and establish a positive rapport

with students. At the beginning of each class I will write the agenda on the board to ensure that

each of my students are aware of the learning goals for that day. It is imperative that students are

made aware of what is expected of them in the classroom to ensure that it its a safe and positive

learning environment.

At the beginning of the school year my students and I will develop a contract that

explicitly states the rules of the classroom and the types of behaviors expected. I will work

closely with my students to develop this contract because I believe that I will be able to hold

students more accountable for the rules that they created. It is important that students are aware

of the acceptable and unacceptable behaviors from the very beginning of the year and the

consequences that go along with them. I believe that consequences are a result of an individual

students choices and when a student does make the wrong choice there must be reasonable

consequences established for their behaviors. I believe that it is my job as an educator to teach

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my students how to make the best decisions. To accomplish this, it is imperative that I am

consistent when dealing with unacceptable behaviors and give out fair and consistent

consequences.

When disciplining a student, I will be kind yet firm. My logic is that students must

understand why their actions are wrong, not just told they are wrong and then disciplined. When

students disrespect their peers, they will be required to not only apologize for their actions, but to

understand why their behavior is unacceptable and how it cannot reoccur. Respect is an essential

value that must be instilled and modeled in the classroom. As such, when disciplining I will

respect all my students. It is imperative that all students learn how to be respectful to not only to

me but each other. This will take time and it will not be easy, but it will be accomplished. I

believe that when respect is a cherished value in the classroom the result is a strong sense of

community that nurtures the learning for everyone.

Another crucial aspect of respect is the treatment of the physical classroom itself. In the

interest of a positive learning environment I believe in organization and tidiness. The classroom

ought to be an inviting space with resources easily accessible. Students need to be able to find

exactly what they need in the shortest time possible. If students know where things are, they can

just go get the tools they need without disrupting other students. It is also important to be

organized in the classroom so that the students can learn by example. Students will be expected

to put the tools that they use away and keep their working space neat and organized. I will

establish routines that will aid in students organization; including labeled bins for assignments,

homework, and tools. My overall goal is that students feel comfortable in the classroom, and that

they learn how to utilize the space in a respectful manner.

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 When students leave my classroom, I want them to take pride in what they have learned. I

want my students to be able to share freely their thoughts and opinions with others and be

excited about what they are doing. There is no better feeling in the world than seeing a student

engaged and excited about learning in the classroom. I will provide my students with positive

feedback and will encourage them to follow their passions. The classroom is the place where

passions need to be integrated into students work. I value creativity and innovative thinking and

I will work towards establishing a classroom environment that facilitates that. Teachers have a

lasting impact on youth, and it is critical to nurture a diverse and authentic learning environment

that allows students to develop into lifelong learners.

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 References:

Hardin, C. J. (2008). Effective classroom management (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill
Prentice Hall.