Classroom Management Philosophy

Mr. Seth Dills

Classroom Roles

I have been in classrooms ranging from 16 Kindergarteners to 45 Sixth

Graders. The number of adults can range from One to Five (or more). With
so many moving parts it is important that each individual have a very
specific role.
My role when I come into a classroom is to facilitate learning and support
students through their individual needs. Students are continually maturing
so it is necessary for teachers to manage behaviors in the classroom and
teach them how to be productive members of their society. This is
something that has to happen compassionately. Teachers cannot be passive
while managing a classroom, but on the other hand they cannot be
authoritarian in how they approach their students. Students need adults
who model a healthy balance between being authoritative and showing that
they care.
Students are thought of as individuals who come to school to learn, but
far too often students are not loved at home and come to school seeking
that love and affirmation. The role of the teacher is very complex in
providing necessary emotional support and also imparting standards-based
knowledge for the students to soak up.
The other adults in the classroom (paras, volunteers, interns, etc.) have
a variety of roles that depend on the classroom, the school, and the needs
of individual students. These roles are ever changing and are considered on
a case-by-case basis.
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Mr. Seth Dills

Room Arrangement

The classroom is, above all else, a Learning Community where students
share ideas, interests, experiences, laughter, and a multitude of
opportunities with their teachers and their peers. Students come together
for a majority of their day in order to learn from one another and to grow
as productive members of their respective communities. This means that
the room itself must be designed to represent students of a variety of
backgrounds and experiences. The room itself must be accessible for
students with disabilities or impairments. The room itself must be a safe
haven where students will feel supported, loved, and encouraged in order
for effective learning to happen. Students are expected to support one
another, challenge one another to grow, hold one another accountable, and
give each other their best throughout each and every day in order to foster
an effective and healthy Learning Community full of respect for everyone.
It is difficult to argue the effectiveness of flexible seating in terms of
behavior management, impact on learning, and feel of the classroom. There
are different flexible seating strategies that work for different ages. The
younger students require limited flexible seating opportunities during
instruction as the role of the teacher is to also teach them how to sit in
contexts with traditional seating. While some seating strategies might not
work for Primary Grades (Tall Chairs) and others might not always work for
Upper Grades (Small Ball Chairs), there are multiple seating strategies that
I appreciate implementing:
Carpet time for instruction, classroom meetings, etc
Crate Chairs (Which also increase classroom storage!)
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Mr. Seth Dills

Stools for sitting at a regular-sized table

Tall Chairs for sitting at raised desks
Raised Desks for standing
Exercise Balls for sitting/ bouncing
Moon Chairs for sitting
Couches for sitting for laying down
Bathtub for laying down
Beanbag Chairs for sitting/ laying down
Video Game Chairs for sitting/ rocking
Exercise Ball Chairs for sitting/ bouncing
Lowered Table & Mats for sitting
I Chair for sitting at a stool but being able to wiggle
Traditional Chairs (which can include exercise bands for fidgeting)
All students are required to try out all seats and all students are expected
to choose the seat that allows them to learn most effectively. The teacher
makes sure to model the appropriate way to utilize each seating resource
and hold students accountable to the correct use of each resource. They
adhere to the following rules and procedures:
Sign a Flexible Seating Contract
Use a Smart Seat that helps them do their best work
Use the seat correctly and appropriately
If they sit next to a friend theyre still expected to work quietly
Move to another seat if their current spot is not working for them
Take care of and put away classroom supplies
Follow the rules or risk being moved by the teacher.
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Mr. Seth Dills

Classroom Rules

There are benefits to having minimal classroom rules to adhere to. Above
all else, I expect my students to BE RESPECTFUL toward themselves, their
peers, adults, and the supplies. They are expected to BE RESPONSIBLE
for themselves, for their supplies, for their work, and for their words. They
are also expected to BE SAFE at all times. Finally, I expect them to BE
INVOLVED because learning cant happen without them! All other
expectations can fall under these four rules.

Classroom Procedures

At the onset of the day, students are expected to arrive on time to class,
go to their cubbies, and unpack their folders. They then put their
backpacks, coats, etc. in their cubbies and return their folders to their
numbered mailbox. This allows the teacher to go through it later during the
day. If they have any notes/ lunch money/ etc. they are expected to leave
it in the mailbox for the teacher to take care of later in the day. After this
they will have morning work to complete that is appropriate to the content
being discussed at that point in the year. They go through the day utilizing
a variety of Procedures that are taught (and reinforced) periodically.
When asking to be dismissed to go to the bathroom, to get a drink, etc.,
the student is expected to hold up a sign language r for restroom, a sign
language w for water, a sign language t for tissue, and a sign language
p for getting a pencil/ sharpening a pencil. This is to alleviate students
getting up, dancing in their seats, waving their hands, or creating a
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Mr. Seth Dills

disruption during instruction. The teacher can simply nod at the student to
dismiss them.
While in the halls, students are expected to walk using Bubbles &
Hooks in order to remain silent. As the teacher I believe it is important to
reinforce the REASON behind the rule. We should regularly remind students
that we dont want to interrupt the learning of other students. When we see
a teacher or friend students need to know that it is appropriate to wave at
them but not to jump out of line and hug them (this goes for therapy
animals, too!).
To help with transitions I think that it is important to set limits for the
students and give them count downs so they know what to expect. This
also gives them a sense of urgency for their learning and the next step.
Students need to know what the teacher wants from them and when.
I appreciate the use of the CHAMPS model which addresses
Conversation, Help, Activity, Movement, Participation, and Success. This is
helpful to address for each segment of the day and allows the teacher to
clearly communicate expectations with students (an example can be found
on the next page). There are many (MANY!) procedures that need to be
taught and it is difficult to teach them all even during the first week and it
can be even more difficult to continually reinforce them. Teachers need to
be willing to maintain transparency about why the procedures are the way
they are and remind students of their expectations periodically in order for
them to be successful. The following images are helpful starting points:
Classroom Management Philosophy
Mr. Seth Dills
 Classroom Management Philosophy
Mr. Seth Dills

Student
Teacher Small Partner Independent
Arrival/ Centers
Instruction Groups Work Work
Dismissal
C 0/1/2 0/1 2 1/2 0 1/2
Come to Ask 3 Ask 3 Ask 3 then Raise
H Raise Hand
Teacher then me then me me Hand
Its Work Work
Prepare for Work Alone Play Fair
A Learning Together Together
the Day! to Learn! Together!
Time! to Learn! to Learn!
Hands in Stay in
Move
Lap, Your
Safely
Spoons in Stay at Stay at center
Around Stay at Your
Bowls, Your Your unless
M Classroom Working
Respecting Working Working you ask
and Ask Space
Each Space Space the
Before
Others teacher
Leaving.
Space first.
Work Work Work
Work Hard
Listen Together Together Work Hard Together
P on Morning
Carefully! and Take and Take to Learn! and Take
Work!
Turns Turns Turns
S Success Success Success Success Success Success
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Mr. Seth Dills

The use of Call & Response strategies are very important for me as it
helps the teacher get student attention without yelling or trying to talk over
students. There are a number of Call & Response strategies I appreciate.
Some of those are:

Teacher says Students say

Class, Class Yes, Yes
1, 2, 3 Eyes on Me 1, 2 Eyes on You
Holy Moly Guacamole
Red Robbin! Yum!
Hola, Hola Coca Cola
Freeze Please (Freeze)
Otra Cosa Mariposa

There are also strategies that I appreciate where the teacher begins the
students in singing a song Days of the Week, Months of the Year, the
Alphabet, etc., especially done in a dual-language format to boost brain
development. There are other strategies that include chants such as the
following:
Touch Your Head (Clap, Clap)
Touch Your Nose (Clap, Clap)
Touch Your Mouth (Clap, Clap)
Mouth is Closed. (Clap, Clap)
The important part of these strategies is that they are taught explicitely
to students. Utilizing a song that students are unfamiliar with will be
ineffective as they wont know what is expected of them. Using a dual-
language format without covering the other langauge will leave students
confused as to how to proceed.
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Mr. Seth Dills

The use of songs to transition students is also incredibly powerful.

Singing a song while the teacher hands out paper to remind students to
write their name on it can avoid giving the teacher a headache in the
future. For example, the following song sung to the tune of If Youre Happy
and You Know It:
The first thing on your paper is your name,
The first thing on your paper is your name.
The teacher needs to know who did your work and so,
The first thing on your paper is your name!

Inclusivity

All students have a right to a comprehensive, individualized, quality

education. No questions asked. This needs to be reflected in the teachers
attitudes toward all students. If a student thinks that a teacher doesnt like
them as much as their neighbor, then they are going to be less invested in
their education and are likely to be more disruptive. All students need to be
included, called on, and shown individual appreciation. By creating an
inclusive environment students are prepared to learn and are invested in
the experience. I believe that by creating an inclusive environment where
students can see themselves and their families represented will make the
path toward success that much easier to pave (which is supported by
research on Culturally Responsive Teaching).
There are going to be students who know how to get under our skin.
There are going to be parents that give their students a bad name. There
are going to be tough personal days. This doesnt mean that our attitudes
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Mr. Seth Dills

toward those students should reflect those experiences. Each day is a new
day and many of the problems that we see have a root cause or function.
As a teacher it is important to ask of all our students behaviors WTF?
Whats the Function? By understanding the function behind individual
behaviors we are able to create an inclusive, individualized, and quality
educational experience for all of our learners, especially those who may
need extra support.

Management & Discipline

Behavior modification seems to be a hot topic in many professional

circles right now and many people are unsure of how to approach it.
Through formal observations of veteran teachers and during my time as a
Case Manager Ive found that there are a number of methodologies that can
be implemented during the Management piece to avoid getting to the
Discipline piece. Unfortunately, most students will need discipline at some
point in their educational career.
The first thing that I believe is important to consider is the need for
Positive Reinforcement for desired behaviors. When students model good
behaviors for their peers, it is important to reinforce those behaviors. When
students are on task, it is important to reinforce that behavior. Showing
kids that positive behaviors get positive results helps them want to have
positive behaviors so they can have those positive results.
The second piece to Management is that we should remember the
importance of modeling positive behaviors, conflict resolution, and
compassion. Students need to see that it is possible to manage emotions
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Mr. Seth Dills

and respond in effective, authoritative, compassionate ways. When we have

conflict with one of our students, we need to model the appropriate way to
talk to them and how to use our words effectively. When we deal with
sadness or hard days, we need to be honest about tough emotions and
model how to handle them. When we see that there is conflict between
students, it is important to model how to talk it out and work together so
that they can do it on their own in the future.
When students begin to escalate, it is important to work through the
Verbal Escalation Model. Some students may be feeling anxiety. Some
students may have questions. Other times they might even act out in
unhelpful and harmful ways. When this happens its important to give
students choices to maintain a balance of power so that they dont feel like
they are being boxed in. This boxed in feeling can lead to crises and
unsafe behaviors. Moreover, setting limits can help students to know what
is expected of them and at which point they should comply. If students
dont comply with the set limits (which need to be clear), then the teacher
should be absolutely certain to follow through with those consequences.
In order to prevent these issues, it is important to engage in a number of
preventative procedures. Classroom setup is key Is the classroom
comfortable? Are the colors overwhelming? Is there too much stimulation?
Can you bring down the intensity of the light? These are all things that
should be considered
It is also necessary for teachers to weave lessons on coping skills and
self-regulation tools through the pre-established curriculum. There are
books that address dealing with sadness. There are books that address
dealing with anger. There are other books that deal with how to regulate
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Mr. Seth Dills

emotions. Setting the stage to teach deep-breathing strategies, doing Brain

Breaks to address mindfulness, or even taking a few minutes to reflect in a
cool, calm environment can have such a powerful effect on allowing
students to learn these necessary skills.
I also set my classroom up to have a Cool Down Corner where
students can go when they need a minute to utilize calming tools and/ or
comfort items, with calming strategies listed on the wall. Students are
taught how to utilize these tools and the teacher gives regular reminders
regarding how to use them. If it becomes a problem to over-use this Cool
Down Corner, there are strategies that can be implemented such as tickets
and timers to avoid this abuse of resources.

Conclusion

I believe that at the core of good Classroom Management is the need to

develop relationships with students on an individual basis. Students need to
be taught how to cope with negative emotions and also know that they are
supported. Teachers fulfil the role of facilitator and by modeling procedures
and rules in the classroom the task of facilitating is that much easier. I
believe in having fewer rules to remember which set the teacher up to use
One Liner Redirections in order to have a more efficiently run classroom
experience. Management & Discipline need to be considered in light of
students emotional needs and many classroom issues can be handled
preventatively. Classroom Management is a very difficult topic but by
working collaboratively with Veteran Teachers one can hone in on this
necessary skill.