Personal Classroom Management Philosophy Paper

Personal Classroom Management Philosophy

Underpinning my personal classroom management philosophy are two primary practices, fostering effective communication and building positive relationships. I will encourage students to be respectful, understanding, open and honest members of our classroom community. To achieve this it is essential to ensure every student understands they have a voice and their opinions, ideas and feelings are valid and important.

Many important factors contribute to developing effective communication between and with students, and positive relationships flourish when effective communication exists. Effective communication is a central component of positive behaviour management in the classroom (Lyons, Ford, & Slee,

There are many actions required of active listeners including making eye contact, smiling and nodding, which help to effectively communicate understanding (Lyons et al., 2014). Furthermore, Lyons et al. (2014) discuss the importance of providing a speaker with feedback in the form of a “paraphrased version of the content” (p. 53) to clarify meaning and demonstrate attentiveness. When an active listener gives feedback it shows the speaker they are caring and considerate, meanwhile developing positive relationships and behaviour (Lyons et al., 2014). Another key element in developing positive relationships and behaviour is observed in students’ social interactions. Vygotsky’s theory of learning (as cited in Marsh, 2010) explains the importance of social interactions to student learning. According to Vygotsky (as cited in Marsh, 2010), learning begins in the child’s social world as they establish speech through social interactions with others, and continues throughout life, as ideas and ways of thinking develop in social situations. As a teacher this means providing many opportunities for students to work together engaged in authentic tasks. Working together and talking through problems enables students to provide one another with peer scaffolding, while developing positive relationships and behaving in a socially responsible manner

When a student believes their needs of “survival … belonging, power, freedom and fun” (Lyons et al., 2014, p. 25) are satisfied, they are less likely exhibit challenging behaviour. As a democratic teacher it is essential to create a classroom environment where all students feel a sense of belonging. This is achieved by being enthusiastic, caring, and modelling positive attitudes for students. Being organised and providing students with activities that promote social interactions helps increase engagement in learning and minimises off–task, disruptive behaviour (Eggen & Kauchak, 2010). Finally, I will be a reflective teacher by reviewing lessons and communicating with students to give and receive feedback on successes and failures, consequently growing as a teacher and developing positive relationships and a classroom community of