CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT 1

Classroom Management

Ashley Westwood

ASU
CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT 2

Abstract

This paper will look at the ways in which a future classroom will be run, including the

layout of the class, the rules and procedures as well as consequences, and my promise as a

teacher to students. This paper also includes teaching and discipline philosophies. These

philosophies focus on preventative measures in the classroom, meaning that the more procedures

there are for students to follow, the less rule breaking will occur. By providing structure and

simple rules for students to follow, they will be less likely to find room for error and rule

breaking.
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Classroom Management

Philosophy of Education

Education to me, has always been about learning as much as I can, and using that

knowledge to the best of my ability. Whether that meant scoring well on my tests, or using that

information for a paper I was writing. However, as a young adult, who is now wanting to pass

that information on to younger generations, I find that my ideas have changed, and I am sure

they will continue to change. As a teacher I want to give my students the opportunities and

resources that they need, in order to help them not only reach their educational goals, but the

dreams they have for when school is long behind them. Give them the tools they need to see their

dreams through, and in the process, hopefully make the world a better place.

As a new teacher in this 21st century age of technology, I understand that the students

coming into my classroom will learn differently than I did. They will be a diverse group of

people, who come from different backgrounds, families, and are all at different levels. Being a

facilitator of these diverse kids will allow me as a teacher, to broaden my horizons, and look for

opportunities to teach in different ways, and learn new things myself. Going into the classroom, I

will be ready to teach, and passionate about English, even when I know the topic may be boring

to some or most of my class. I believe that by using technology the students are familiar with,

and incorporating jokes, or memes, or whatever it is that the kids will be into, will help me keep

a fun classroom environment, while promoting learning in a way that will stick with the kids.

Outside of the education part of school, I will get to know my students, I will learn what they

like, what they dislike, and hopefully be able to help them achieve their classroom goals with

ease, while helping them reach their out of class goals. I will have an open door policy, and hope

that my students know they can come to me with any problems they may be dealing with, and I
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will always do my best to help them in any way that I can. With that being said, I hope that my

students always come to class with an open mind, and that they are ready to learn. That they

want to learn. I want to create an environment that allows students to come in ready to work, but

also ready to explore, and be creative, and have no fear of failure. I believe that if me and my

students can both come into the classroom with these attitudes, it will make for a good year.

Outside of the classroom, parents and the community should be involved too. As a parent

of kids in any grade, they should be willing to help and assist their students with their homework,

and be willing to find them help outside of them if they are unable to help their students. As

teachers, and a community, if a topic is difficult, or could be hard for the parents to understand,

we, as teachers. Should offer tutoring or help to the parents to ensure that they are able to assist

their children if they need help. The community should also be supportive of their schools.

Activities, job opportunities, resources and activities should be promoted and funded for students

of all grades. Bringing both of these aspects together for our students will help them outside of

the class, and allow them to be the best student can be.

I believe that by bringing all of these ideas together, future students truly will change the

world. By providing them with the proper environment in and outside of the classroom, they will

be able to achieve their goals, and see that they can accomplish their dreams through hard work

and determination. Demonstrating this as a teacher, as parents, as a community, is the beginning

to a better place, led by people who have the knowledge and the desire to do so.

Discipline Philosophy

Views on Discipline: Discipline should be used as a tool, not a punishment. It proactively

helps students to do what they should be doing, and stay on task. Discipline is not a negative, it is

a way to correct students when they may be off task, or doing things they should not be doing. It
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allows me as a teacher to keep my students in check, and help them reach their goals. By setting

up rules, boundaries and having a solid set of procedures for students to follow, discipline will

not be needed frequently, and as such students will not see it as a negative, because it will

scarcely be used.

As a teacher, I will strive to be consistent in my rules and procedures, as well as my

discipline strategies. It should always be an equal playing field for all students, and the rules will

always apply to all students. As students, they should be following the rules and procedures of

the classroom. They should know what is expected of them, and should not actively try to break

the rules. They should also know that exceptions will not be made if they break the rules, or do

not follow a procedure. Like Dreikurs, I would want to have disciplines for my students that fit

the rule that was broken. For instance, if a student is using technology inappropriately, they

would lose the privilege of being able to use that technology. However, I also believe like Wong,

that by setting strict procedures, students will be less likely to break the rules, and end up with

that punishment. My personal philosophy would combine these two methods of teaching, and

provide students with a way to be their best selves in class, while knowing if they do not behave,

there is a consequence.

Rules and Consequences

Preventative Tactics: When class starts, students will be expected to be in their seats, with

all materials out before the late bell rings. This means having out their notebook, a writing

utensil, any current reading materials we are working on, any homework that is due, or classwork

that we will be continuing that day. Class will always start on time, and students will be expected

to be prepared with materials, as well as mentally for the day. Reading and homework should be

done, and they will be expected to actively participate in discussions, lectures, group work, and
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get individual work done when it is time. By having set procedures in place every day like Wong

suggests, the students will have very little opportunity to break the rules.

Procedures

•Students will be in their assigned seat before the bell rings with all of their materials out

for the day (This includes their notebook, a writing utensil, any reading material,

homework that is due, or classwork that will be worked on. If there are new materials that

they will need, there will be a bin in the front of the classroom, and on the board it will

tell students what they need to pick up.) If there are any materials that the students need

that I will be providing, one student from each group will be designated to go to the back

of the class and pick up supplies for their whole group.

•Each day students will know what is expected of them, it will be on the board every day.

It will have what they need out, what we are doing for the day, what they will turn in at

the end of class, what their homework is and when it is due, and reminders on any

projects or upcoming assignments.

•Students will be prepared for class, and ready to participate in discussion, group work, or

when they are called on. When discussing, students will respect one another while they

are talking, and can politely disagree with peers.

•When doing group work, or individual work students will know what is expected of

them, and they will stay on task, and focused while working.

•At the end of class, students will turn in any work that is due, and will pick up any work

they will need to take home with them. Again this will always be on the board, so they

will know what to do.

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•If a student is absent, work will be posted online, but there will also be a calendar in the

classroom, and next to it will be folders where students can find handouts and homework

from the days that they missed. They can email me, or talk to me or other students to find

out if there are notes or anything else that they missed. (They will need to talk to me

before or after school, or during a quiet time in class)

Supportive Tactics: As a teacher, I will always strive to keep my students as engaged and

entertained as possible. I will do this by planning different types of lessons, allowing students to

guide lessons through inquiry based learning, as well as allowing them to creative projects. I will

also try my best to incorporate pop culture references, as well as keeping up to date with news

and such to incorporate as much of the real world into our lessons as I can. I want my students to

feel like my classroom is a space where they can be themselves, while exploring new ideas, and

not just learning from me. I want them to learn from each other, and have the opportunity to

express themselves, and walk away every day felling like they have learned something new.

Re-directive Tactics: When misbehavior occurs, I will ask students once (for low level

rule breaking) to stop the action, or fix a behavior. To keep my students on track, I will try to

keep them engaged. However, if they do become distracted or off task, I will give verbal

warnings, asking them to get back on task, or to quit talking etc, to get them focused again. If

student behavior continued to be out of line, the punishment (if it is something the students have

discussed) will be what the students have picked. For example, if a student is on their phone

when they should not be, if the students picked for that person to have their phone taken away,

then that would be the punishment. Students will hold themselves and others accountable when

they have decided on the consequence. For bigger rules that have been broken, or school policies

that have been broken, that will be decided by me as a teacher, or by administration.

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Rules and Consequences

•Be respectful to yourself and others – students should come to class with an attitude of

respect for themselves, the teacher, and other students. Do not interrupt your peers when

they are talking, speak up when appropriate. Consequence: If a student does not behave

respectfully, they will be asked to correct their behavior, and if it continues I will take the

student into the hall to speak with them. If it escalates they will be written up.

•Be prepared to learn and participate – have all materials you will need for the day, as

well as an open mind for learning. Be prepared with your reading or work to be able to

discuss what you did or found interesting. Consequence: This rule has very natural

consequences. If a student is not prepared with what they need they will struggle in class,

and receive a zero for anything that they did not turn in for that day.

•Listen to directions and stay on task – students should be listening to their teacher and

peers for instruction and input, and should be doing their work, or staying focused on the

topic at hand. Consequence: Students will be asked to get back on task, if they cannot do

so, they will be asked to possibly move seats, step out into the hall, or step away from

whatever is causing them to be distracted, off task, or being disruptive.

Rationale: Students will follow these rules each day while they are moving through the

procedures. These rules, while basic, and few, will help students learn how to be respectful in the

class, appreciate themselves and others, and get their work done. I believe that these rules will

not be difficult for students to follow, but will give them the chance to learn, to grow, and to be

productive in my class. I also believe that these rules are not unfair, and that rules such as these

will follow students for the rest of their lives. For rules such as these, if one is broken, it will be

discussed among the students (at the beginning of the year) to decide what they feel is an
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appropriate punishment. When students create the consequences, they will be more likely to hold

themselves and others in the class accountable, and following the rules.

Classroom Setup and Rationale

My classroom will be set up like this. (in my dreams anyways) As the students walk in

through the door, they will come into a pretty open seating arrangement. The tables will be set up

that so six students will be at each one, with no students having their backs to the board. Along

the front wall will be the white board, which next to it will also have a class calendar that lists

upcoming school events. The whiteboard will always have a weekly class calendar with due

dates, as well as reminders for upcoming assignments. In the corner will be a table with supplies.

If students need pens, pencils, highlighters, something to color with glue, etc., there will be

supplies for as long as I can maintain having them there. In the back corner will be our classroom

library, with books, and two chairs for if students want to take a little break, or are done with
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their work. This will be an area that they can go sit to just calm down and distress when need be.

My desk will be in the back corner so if I am ever at my desk while students are working, I am

able to see what they are doing. Along the side wall there will be a long thin table with bins for

each period of my classes. There will be two bins for each. One for things they need to pick up

when they come into class, and one for turning stuff in. Everything will be labeled, so there is no

confusion. There will also be a calendar over here, but a small monthly calendar that provides a

brief overview of what was done in class and what was for homework. On the wall will be paper

holders where they can pick up anything that they missed, and there will also be a notes area.

Like ASU, I will ask students to be designated note takers. So if there is a lecture day, or a day

when notes are taken or needed, I will photo copy one person’s notes to provide in these section.

I think that by keeping my classroom simple, and decluttered, it will help me to stay calm, as

well as provide a space for my students to come into and feel calm as well. On my walls, I want

to keep things pretty simple, but I will have up some English related artwork, that shows works

that I like but still tie in with the simplicity of the room. There will also be a color theme in my

room, which will be grey and teal, that will carry through things in my classroom like what is on

the walls, as well as storage bins and such. I also want to do projects in the beginning of the year

that are somewhat artsy, and then hang those on the back wall, so that way if students want to

look at their work they can, but it is not something on display for the whole class all the time. I

hope that by keeping the room clean, organized, and simple, students will feel comfortable, and

will be able to come into my classroom with as little stress as possible.

Communication

As a teacher, I will strive to always be available to my students, parents of students, and

my peers. The best to way to contact me be via email, and I will respond as quickly as possible.
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By making my rules, procedures, and expectations very clear both in class, and through a class

syllabus, I hope to eliminate as many questions as possible problems from the beginning, and

allow my students to act as adults in the classroom, and accept consequences when they know a

rule has been broken. I will also be available for phone calls, whether it be a quick question, or a

meeting with the parents via phone. I want to be available to as many people as possible in ways

that work best for them. I will also have hours where students and parents alike can come to my

classroom when they have questions for me, and I will do my best to help them find the answers

they are looking for.

My Pledge to Students

As a teacher, I promise I will always try my best to make my classroom a safe, fun, warm

place where students feel they can be themselves, speak their minds, and learn all they can. I will

provide an environment in which everyone is welcome, and will not tolerate behavior that would

suggest otherwise. I know students will make mistakes, because I make mistakes. But we will

work together to constantly be improving, and making better, the things that we do, and what we

put into the world. I will be a teacher that students can always come to no matter the problem,

and I will be on their side. Thank you, and I look forward to being your teacher.
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References

Last Name, F. M. (Year). Article Title. Journal Title, Pages From - To.

Last Name, F. M. (Year). Book Title. City Name: Publisher Name.