My personal classroom management philosophy is to provide an equal, optimistic, learning environment. I believe the environment should be friendly, and students are all equals with the ability to actively listen to the teacher. The environment should be controlled and disciplined, but not authoritarian . Students are innately curious, disruptive and talkative. Rules will be set in place, however this is a learning environment so we will constantly work on appropriate behavior.
For this Classroom Management Plan I am writing as though I have a Special Education classroom for an Elementary School. This classroom is for small groups of students to come in, to further their skills in reading or math. The students that come into the room for small groups have IEPs, and therefore IEP goals. I will make use of rocking chairs, and ‘squishy’ seats for students with attention deficit disorder, or a sensory disorder. Ideally, I would like to have my desk facing the classroom which would have one half moon table, and another circular table.
I have constructed a school-wide management plan that is comprised of a collection of ten research-based strategies. The first involves the development of a school Vision/Mission Statement and Code of Conduct. Proverbs 29:18 say, “Where there is no vision, the people perish” (KJV). This verse can be applied to middle schools. A code of conduct will maintain a safe and orderly school environment.
Through my peer helping course, I was given the opportunity to learn teaching concepts and apply them as an “assistant teacher” in a grade 9 French Extended class. During theory classes, I was taught concepts such as multiple intelligences and creating lesson plans. As an assistant teacher, I would apply this knowledge by creating lesson plans and evaluations, teaching new material, supervising the class and taking up class work. Both the theory and practical experience will help me become an effective teacher. I can use the knowledge of multiple intelligences and lesson plans to prepare classes where students of all learning types can flourish.
What do you consider your greatest asset as a teacher? My greatest asset as a teacher is my passion to work with children, and my rich pedagogical and content knowledge in math. Describe how you are continuing to grow and develop as an educator.
I believe that classroom management and student discipline go hand in hand. If a classroom is managed consistently and fairly, with clear expectations for behavior and workload, the result will be improved student discipline. Having high expectations of students with established consequences for behavior-positive or negative in place, will enable students to learn responsibility for their actions. In addition, this could serve as a means to instill in students a desire to perform to the best of their ability. In addition, I believe that the best strategy for management is engaging curriculum and instruction.
Over the past few years of my undergraduate classes, I have received the opportunity to expand my knowledge through different teaching experiences. I have had the opportunity to observe and implement different strategies in the classroom, giving me examples of how I would like to see my future classroom look. I have established ideas about teaching and learning that have impacted me in a great way. I have developed beliefs I would like to some day see in my classroom but, I am always willing to learn and take constructive criticism in my teaching as well. I strongly believe that classroom management is key to student and teacher success in the classroom.
In order for my students and myself to function to the best of our ability, there needs to be a high level of control and guidance in the classroom. The classroom management model that I would align my style to is Assertive Discipline by Canter and Canter.
There are many ways that I believe that my classroom management skills have improved, but I would like to focus on three skills: patience, communication, and documentation. Patience is so important in all facets of life, but extremely important while teaching. It is so easy to get frustrated with students who disobey, do not understand the information, or just simply not nice, but as a teacher, I must look past all of those. I believe that a major quality of a patient teacher is a teacher who used positive reinforcement as the number way he or she treats students, and that is the type of teacher I want to be. I will be a teacher who consistently motivates their students with positive reinforcement even when it would be easy to punish and get extremely angry at the student.
My philosophy on advising students is focused on the idea that if the person is motivated, they have the ability to control their behavior and make changes in the lives. To effectively advise students, I also believe they can find solutions to their problems if the exceptions to the problems are discussed, which will enable them to allocate their resources and create change. Therefore, my advising philosophy is focused on reality/choice therapy and solution focused brief therapy. Choice theory helps me understand why it is that my students chose path a rather than b. For example, in the Transfer Center, I constantly facilitate the transferring process to four-year institutions by informing my students the eligibility requirements to transfer to California State Universities or Universities of California.
There are many attributes that are needed for teachers to be effective. Some of these attributes include consistent, organized, conduct a well-managed classroom, and prevent problem behaviors. To be considered consistent, a teacher must set predictable practices and procedures. In order for students to become familiar with the teacher’s practices and procedure of the classroom, the structure and organization should be taught within the first week of school. The teacher would be considered effective once the students become responsible for the procedures that are consistent with their learning.
Before I started working on the CMP, I thought that all I needed was a behavior plan to have a successful and effective classroom. I have learned that there is much more to an effective class than just a behavior plan for the students. To have an effectively and successfully ran classroom I need to plan and be prepared for so many different things. I must be planned for the first day of school, the discipline plan I will use, if I have a substitute teacher, if I need to contact a parent or guardian, how to organize document, and how I will assess in my classroom. I learned that I need to be prepared for all of these things so that my classroom will have smooth transitions and will be ready for student learning.
After completing the Mastery Self-Assessment, my score placed me in the range of Master Teacher. As a Master Teacher, I have developed a variety of instructional strategies, classroom management approaches, and other teaching techniques that have assisted me in my classroom. The top five teaching strategies that are important to me as a Master Teacher are using “reinforcers”, making connections with my students, communicating with the students, parents, guardians, and case managers, never stop learning, and stop and listen to your student’s understanding of the material you present. One classroom management practice, I employ is the use of “Reinforcers.”
The purpose of education is more than just learning math and science, students learn skills that they can apply in the future. Teachers have a philosophy of education, some may think subjects should be based on what a student is interested in, or some may think students should learn only core knowledge. Motivation to teach can be strong for people, but others may lose their motivation and no longer see teaching as their calling. The way a teacher sees education and how students should learn will affect their assessments and how they grade their students.
Educating is one of the most important careers someone can ever have. Some way shape or form as an educator you can impact the lives of students you teach. As I grew up I always wanted to be a teacher. I strongly believe in educating the youth. Day in and day out I think about ways to create fun lessons so students can learn.
