Classroom Management Main Page -  EDEL 414  -  EDSE 415 – EDCI 402

 

Steve DePonte

Classroom Management Plan

 

A.  Theoretical Introduction

 

            Philosophy of Classroom Management

            My philosophy of classroom management is based on the individual relationships I form with each student, on the relationships they form with each other, and on the expectations I place on myself in relationship to my capabilities as a teacher.  Just as with adults living together in our global world, I believe that as a teacher, it is my responsibility to recognize the individual differences inherent to every child “living together” in the classroom, and to implement an environment of mutual respect and support of social camaraderie with an ambition towards education. 

            I believe that the structure of classroom management should be facilitated by the teacher, agreed upon by both students and teacher, be open to revision, and be flexible to accommodate for growth and change in the needs of all classroom participants.  I believe that part of implementing any form of classroom management is the recognition that “learning” is generated not only through textbooks and lesson plans, but also through interaction and communication prompted as a result of the social learning environment built-in to our classrooms.  Just as there is sometimes validity in the expression, “Wake up to reality!”  The classroom is a stepping stone into the “reality” of an adult society.  The relationships formed within the walls of my classroom will be based on the utilization of the inherent differences of individuals -- including the teacher -- whose desires may or may not be identical to one another.

            I believe that the ultimate goal of classroom management is for the teacher to prepare his/her students for socialization in the “real” world, and therefore entails an approach which is considerate and inclusive of all individuals in instigating and maintaining acceptable “social learning” boundaries, via practical application.  If a student demonstrates misbehavior, communication (instead of instant/verbal punishment) must arise so that the student is given the opportunity to realize his/her errors, guided towards a self-realization of consequences, and towards a plan for self-improvement.  We live in a democratic society, and so it is my belief that by mutually agreeing upon rules with my students, I am being proactive by encouraging students to practice self-discipline through collaboration of behavioral rules, and through promoting awareness and respect of our individual differences.

            Assumptions: the nature of young people and learning

 

            Each student will bring his/her own set of needs and expectations, his/her own emotions and anxieties, and his/her own experiences and backgrounds, to the learning environment I facilitate; it would be a false assumption for any teacher whose expectations fall short of this reality.  With this in mind, the achievements of all students will depend upon their individual learning styles and upon the conditions in which they are nurtured and educated.  I believe that all children are capable of learning and acquiring knowledge if we tap into and respond to what “works best” for the individual student.  Our children can learn and enjoy learning if we utilize teaching methods and provide learning opportunities which are conducive to the variables of our students’ capabilities.

            Theorists that clarify my perspective:

 

            One theorist whom I identify with is William Glasser.  Glasser believes that students should be allowed to retain their sense of self-worth and thereby allowed to make choices that ultimately result in the learning of appropriate behavior.  The role of the teacher is to guide and help his/her students with self-evaluation of their behavior, and with the fine-tuning of their behavior as is appropriate. Glasser’s theory suggest that responsibility is placed with the student for his/her own behavior and for finding appropriate alternatives.  Just as individuals are accountable for their lives outside of the classroom, Glasser’s theory supports my belief that a goal of classroom management is to prepare children for “living” and socializing in the “real” world.  My approach evokes Glasser’s position of a humanistic approach to classroom management.  Another theorist who provides further support for my philosophy is Haim G. Ginott.  Ginott believes that the communication between teacher and student should reflect mutual respect for the individuals’ feelings and concerns.  It is ultimately in the hands of the teacher to ensure that any disciplinary situation is treated with respect for the child as a fellow individual.  As part of classroom management and acknowledgement of individual dignity, Ginott believes that any action, evoking either praise or criticism, must be directed towards the effort or action, and not towards the individual, with more emphasis on avoiding criticism all together.  Teachers are also encouraged to promote student autonomy and encouraged to foster student responsibility for their own actions; this can be attained by maintaining communication with the student and by implementing teacher guided reasoning.

B.  Expectations/Policies/Rules/Boundaries

 

            My expectations for my classroom will be that overtime, students will feel that they are part of a learning environment that facilitates student interaction amongst themselves and          with the teacher as if they are not just being “taught to,” but as “we” can all learn from          one another.  It is through my recognition of “individuality” in the classroom, I also recognize the importance of setting clear boundaries in building a cohesive and cooperative learning environment.  By recognizing individual differences, I will encourage appreciation, respect, and collective acknowledgement for individualism, with the goal of creating a “family” like setting.  With appreciation for our individuality, my belief in the philosophy of each part (i.e. the individual) being significant to the whole (i.e. the class), is the environment I will strive to generate.  I believe in building “learning” partnerships with my students and advocating a “our class” mentality.  My philosophy is reflective of my Extrovert iNtuitive Feeler Judger (ENFJ) personality type assessment.  I genuinely possess a real concern for others thoughts and desires, and will strive to manage things with due regard for my students’ needs and respond appropriately to their individual differences. 

            Expectations of Students:

v     Follow my directions and (overtime through practice & routine) internalize and respond to and act upon my expectations appropriately

v     Student’s will develop skills which enable them to act on their own responsibly and be self-disciplined in study and classroom assignments

v     Students will ultimately feel free to pose questions without always having to raise their hands and adapt to a “give and give” flow so that students will allow others to speak first by using language like: “please, you go/speak first . . .” and “thank you for allowing me to speak first”

 

      Expectations of Classroom Climate:

 

In my classroom I expect to use much of my innate visual creativity for creating an environment that uses a full range of color (through paper, paint, etc.) and dedicates significant portions of the classroom to display student work.  I also want several areas which are used strictly for student resources (i.e. posters with new words, grammar structure, math rules, etc.) as well as an in-classroom library stocked with both fiction and non-fiction titles I feed into from time to time.  Depending on the grade level I teach, I would like to have another area for displaying/tracking on-target behavior by either/or group and student designation.  Since I am also an avid gardener, I plan on sharing my appreciation for plants and “growing” things, by using plants as teaching tools for science and environmental studies.  Desks will be arranged in groups and to facilitate group learning with frequent rotations for exposure to others (if necessary).  My ultimate goal is to make the classroom feel and be a place where my students enjoy themselves while learning.

Rules and Policies:

 

v     Be respectful of others by:

1.      keeping hands, feet, and all objects to oneself

2.      listening when someone else is speaking

3.      showing interest in the ideas and thoughts of others

4.      compromising in a disagreement

5.      not participating in teasing, name calling, swearing, or yelling

6.      treating others as you wish to be treated

 

 

C.  Instructional & Assessment Strategies

 

            For students who harbor a higher level of anxiety for learning, I will apply a more informal, nurturing teaching style to help build their self-confidence and self-worth.  For students who demonstrate lower levels of apprehension towards learning, I will provide instruction which is more structured to sustain their self-competence.  I will meet my students’ needs by:

v     teaching at the grade level standards to which I am assigned

v     always modeling my expectations of my students, and if I fail to do so, I will not be afraid to apologize to them. 

v     modeling all assignments, especially those which require self-discipline to complete (i.e. SSR, I will read in silence and not attempt to correct papers, work on lessons, etc.).

v     not making assumptions of my students and by treating them with respect for the “individuals” that they are.

v     planning lessons that are relevant to both district standards and to students’ interests and lives so that the connection between “learning” and “why we learn” is made clearer.

v     assessing through both observation and written assignments in individual and group work

v     providing individual “positive” feedback on a daily basis of in-class and take-home work

v     promoting cultural awareness of not just California, but of the world and other children from cultures they may be unfamiliar with (i.e. Hawaiian, Tongan, etc.), and exposing them to the rituals, customs, holidays, etc.

v     promoting diversity by exposing students to the wide array of social and family arrangements of other children (i.e. through literature, film, guest speakers, etc.)

D.  Motivation

 

            I believe that much of what motivates students can be found in the things that motivate them “in the world outside of school” (i.e. at home, with their friends and family, out playing in the park or front yard, etc.).  These items can be a simple as (short-term) rewards in the form of food (i.e. having a class pizza party, lollipops (sugarless of course), cookies, etc.), a “recognition” award (i.e. a ribbon, trophy, a certificate, a medal, for reading the most books, for finding the most correct answers, etc.), a moment of “pure” relaxation/enjoyment (i.e. reading aloud time for a favorite book, showing of a video, etc.), or can be as complex as (long-term) rewards in the form of an “outing” or excursion (i.e. a field trip to a nature park, museum, movie-house, etc.).  I plan to motivate my students by using constant encouragement and support for the work and effort they put forth, as well as raise my expectations (on a group and individual basis) whenever goals are achieved.  I believe that greater learning occurs every time you encourage students to move just beyond what “they think” they are capable of doing.  I also think a high form of motivation comes from the recognition you receive from your family; for this reason, I plan to make parents aware of their child’s accomplishments (through notes home, or person to person) with immediate timing.  I would characterize my motivational style as reinforcement and encouragement for continued learning.

E.  Vision

            It is my “ideal” to be teaching in a classroom where the meanings of words like respect, courtesy, and camaraderie, are ingrained in the minds and thoughts of my students.  I would like to feel that everyday I walk into a classroom, I walk into an extension of my home, and an extension of my family.  Like in many families, I expect to maneuver through many ups and downs with my students, but, if I am successful in relaying my feelings to them – feelings surrounding an appreciation for both our similarities and our differences as fellow human beings – I truly believe that by the end of every year, both my students and I will feel the kind of sadness and pain felt whenever families become separated.

            It is with this overall vision in mind that I foresee a day in the classroom as such:

I greet each student by name in the morning and allow them time to greet each other.  We spend a few minutes before getting into the “nitty gritty” of school, conversing about things of interest that is occurring “outside” in our lives.  We then go over the day’s schedule of events and I use the time to discuss school topics/functions, etc.  I also remind students of individual daily/weekly responsibilities (i.e. “who feeds the fish,” who collects the papers, who helps me with … etc.).  Then we begin with the first lesson as scheduled, and continue in sequence (with flexibility allowed for either teacher/student/administrative need) with further lessons; it is my desire to augment lessons specified by curriculum standards (i.e. open court) with ideas that will hopefully make them more pertinent, more enjoyable, more relevant to the interests of my students.  I also want to incorporate reading aloud children’s literature (aside from what is prescribed by curriculum) into my class as often as possible.  I see my students working together in groups, and communicating and talking freely with each other.  I see incorporation of a lot of “fun” activities to support curriculum that students may perceive as typically “boring” or “difficult” (i.e. mixing craft lessons with math, using music to teach poetry writing, using photographs and internet resources to discuss geography, calling a staff member at JPL or Cal Tech to answer science questions, etc.). 

            What I do not foresee in my classroom are rows of students facing a chalkboard in silence.  I want a classroom that is full of conversation and questions.  I would like to see students freely asking questions without raising their hands, and being courteous to let others speak first whenever more than one student has the desire to speak.  I would like to hear words like “thank you” and “please” used in commonplace conversation.  I do not want to spend time sitting at my desk if my students are in the classroom.  I expect to be wearing comfortable tennis shoes to school every day so that I am up and wandering amongst my students.  Just as the “garden” that I bring into my classroom, I want to be witness to the growth of children in both their learning accomplishments and in their growth as individuals.  I want to be the person that at the end of the day, smiles and give “little” hugs to kids I cannot help but adore.