Classroom Management Philosophy

c) There are four main classroom management theorists that I find align most with my philosophies and values for teaching, they are: Lee and Marlene Canter; Harry and Rosemary Wong; William Glasser; and C.M. Charles’s work on “gentle discipline”. The Canter’s developed “assertive discipline” which is based on “the conceptualization of the teacher as the final authority in the classroom” (Fennimore, 1995, p. 180). The Wong’s are famous for stressing the importance of routines and the need for high expectations starting on the first day. William Glassers’ ideas, although controversial, on the role of personal relationships among teachers and students, and utilized his experience counseling delinquent students to establish “reality therapy”

Lee and Marlene Canter, in their book Assertive Discipline: A Take-Charge Approach for Today’s Educator the Canters discuss, “taking charge of student behavior in the classroom in a firm, yet kindly manner, where the teacher’s right to teach and student’s right to learn…without unnecessary disruptions” (Charles, 2011, p. xxix). I start here, because the right to learn is big for me. Yet, I know I am guilty of being what Canter and Canter define as a “nonassertive teacher,” which typically means “I am overly passive” (Charles, 2011, p.73). Nonassertive teachers are “inconsistent in their response to misbehavior, allowing certain acts one day and disapproving of the next time” (Charles, 2011, p. 73). In this program I am becoming more aware of my misgivings and really determining through my observations of other teachers strategies for dealing with in appropriate behavior in a more assertive way. I have learned that you need to explain the rules multiple times, post them in the class so student can refer to them, but the most important thing is to not only check for understanding but follow though. This will be my greatest challenge. Maybe I just need to revisit my class rules, because if I am not willing to enforce them then maybe I should not have

66). Glasser’s “reality therapy” has six guidelines that can be used in the classroom: Focus on the present; Stay away from criticism and blame; Remain nonjudgmental and noncoercive; Don’t get bogged down in excuses; Work toward specific workable plans for reconnecting with people as needed; and Show patience and support for troubled individuals, but keep focusing on addressing the source of the problem (Charles, 2011, p. 65). Glasser’s early work described above has mostly been forgotten because most teachers fail to implement the information effectively (Charles, 2011, p. 66). Yet his later work on “noncoercive discipline” is a bit easier to utilize in a classroom. In his philosophy has six major tenants, 1) that human behavior is purposeful, 2) Students should be allowed to explore things of interest to them, 3) Teachers should be encouraging, 4) Quality learning is when students become able to demonstrate or explain how, why and where their learnings are valuable. 5) That you should be a “lead teacher” not a “boss teacher”, and 6) Motivation is the key to success (Charles, 2011,