Classroom Management Main Page - EDEL 414 - EDSE 415 – EDCI
402
Jodi Evans
Classroom Management Plan
A.
Theoretical Introduction
Philosophy
of Classroom Management
What a thing – a classroom. Children begin their
training for participation in the classroom environment from age five or sooner.
By the time they reach high school they have not only expectations of what
their classroom environment should be like but also of the teachers and how
they and other students behave. For six to eight hours a day their school and
teachers are home. And yet as teachers we often forget that this paradigm has
everything to do with student conduct and performance. Who are their teachers?
How does the student feel in the classroom? What is the student doing in that
classroom to have a vested interest in being there and learning in the first
place? What sense of purpose do they derive from their school that engages them
and fosters their participation in it?
In this microcosm, the school, we engage the
future. How I envision the future and the individuals who populate it forms the
base of my philosophy of classroom management. We live in a community. An
individual doesn’t exist in a vacuum but rather in a symbiotic relationship
with others working in a society. My aim in my classroom is to prepare students
for this realization and prepare them through its structure to meet this
challenge.
From my perspective teaching and learning are one
in the same. The Taoist principle that opposites don’t exist but rather view
such ideas as compliments is actualized in the democratic classroom (Capra, F.,
The Tao of Physics, 1999, p. 102 – 110). Could the teacher exist
without the student? If you are the learner, who is the
teacher? The two forms a complete whole, the one cannot exist without
the other, and what a benefit to education in today’s world if we could
remember this concept in the pursuit of either: educating or being educated. The
path that teaching should follow, if at all possible, is to guide students
towards inquiry and provide a means for them to reveal the answers. This is
fostered by the exchange of ideas that takes place between teacher and learner,
which is in Rudolf Steiner’s view what builds trust in the student and helps to
foster feeling and will (Shepard, A. P, A Scientist of the Invisible.,1954). I like to paraphrase how Robert Henri, the artist
and teacher, simply states the objective of learning (and the arts), “It is
a result of understanding the fundamentals of nature, the spirit of life, the
constructive force, the secret of growth, a real understanding of the relative
importance of things, order and balance...after all, the object is not to just
learn, but to be in the wonderful
state that makes learning inevitable” (Henri, Robert, The Art
Spirit, 1923, p.226).
So what are the
implications for my plan of classroom management? From the wider perspective it
means building a classroom structure that promotes cooperation and community,
where each student has a sense of belonging and ownership in his or her class. It
also means composing a setting in which students feel secure. To do this I
stress equitable treatment for all students, while simultaneously recognizing
that equity may need to be tailored to meet the diversity of my students’
backgrounds and individual skill levels. Guidelines for the community must be
clearly defined for this to occur. In addition the community must be involved in
guideline creation for them to be effective. Other implications involve
granting the students a say in what they are learning. While I strongly follow
the state standards for subject content the students’ interests and concerns
need to be addressed to connect the content to their reality. The energetic and
creative teacher can make this possible.
However, there are
always situations and students which require special considerations by any
teacher. Problems that arise should be dealt with expediently and in manner
which maintains the dignity of the student as well as maintain the classroom
community. Also, guidelines should be reevaluated when problems are shown to be
recurrent or pervasive. Well developed lesson plans, interconnected content,
and good organization all come into play in maintaining student engagement.
When students are motivated and involved in learning, problems when they do
arise are kept to a minimum. To make this possible, teachers set the tone in
our classrooms. As such, it falls upon us to create the environment that
nurtures our students and facilitates the learning process – we facilitate as
well as uphold the climate.
Assumptions
on the Nature of Young People and Learning
It is not in my nature to make blind assumptions –
I gather information through observation and direct experience. This being the
case, in my experience I have remarked upon several basic but essential aspects
to the nature of students.
First, students want to learn and be challenged.
They may rejoice at the occasional day off from their studies, but the baseline
is that they want an engaging learning environment and lessons that challenge
them. Students also want to succeed. Disinterest and apathy on the part of the
student usually denotes an academic history of frustration and lack of
achievement. There is no reason a student cannot be successful – it is the job
of the teacher to make success a reality for all students. Students want to be
valued, respected as well as liked and cared about. This may seem a tall order
to fill but these things work in concert to build self-esteem and a sense of
purpose and therefore belonging in their classroom. So how is this
value-respect-like-acceptance achieved? By giving students involvement in the
goings on in their classroom and subsequent responsibility that comes with it,
students are more likely to be motivated to learn and invested in the care of
the classroom and their relationships with classmates. And in the midst of this
students want to have fun. This doesn’t mean that the teacher throws out the
lesson and throws a party instead, merely that learning takes place almost
effortlessly when the lessons are enjoyable and interesting and everyday tasks
enhance the students well being.
Theorists
that Clarify my Position
In addition to the afore mentioned educational
philosophies of Steiner and Henri, that support the types of encouraging and
investigative learning dynamics for promoting strong student/teacher relationships,
I am strongly drawn to the theories of Alfie Kohn,
Jacob Kounin, and Rudolf Dreikurs
for the practical structuring and overall behavioral management strategies in my
classroom. Kohn’s democratic classroom model provides the foundation for my
overall position. This type of environment grants the greatest possibility for
community and encourages student ownership of their classroom. Additionally, like
Kohn, I believe that my students are capable of conducting themselves in an
appropriate fashion if given reason to do so. Likewise reciprocal teaching which allows for
a more student centered focus can flourish in this type of classroom
environment and consequently can reinforce student reasons to behave and foster
trust and understanding. In favor of Kohn’s theories, Dreikurs
further supports the democratic model of teaching and classroom management by
articulating specific insights and information for its implementation. The idea
of student involvement in creating the classroom rules is crucial in building
trust - cooperation being key among them. Dreikurs,
like Kohn and myself, take the focus off of rewards and punishments as a way to
achieve compliance with rules. I am in agreement that these methods distort the
goals of appropriate student behavior. The focus should be on why certain
behaviors are more reasonable and desirable, and then directing students to
understanding the consequences for actions that are deconstructive. Tying all
these principles together are Kounin’s principles of
organized teaching and good lesson planning. The scheme of withitness,
overlapping, momentum and smoothness in lesson movement come together as a
framework that keep students motivated and engaged. I too believe that when
lessons as well as the classroom itself are well organized students will be too
engrossed in learning to leave room for misbehavior.
B.
Expectations/Policies/Rules/Boundaries
Expectations
of Students
I expect a great deal from my students. I come from
the basic assumption that most students already know what is acceptable
behavior and I expect my students to act in accordance with what I know they
know and what they are capable of. As an arts instructor, my classroom is often
an active environment. Students are talking about their ideas and projects with
each other, giving assistance, getting equipment, researching resources, etc.
With this freedom of activity comes a great deal of responsibility. Early on
they realize this. Respect for the classroom, the materials, and the work of
others is part of their job in my class. I respect their abilities, ideas and
views and in turn they must show the same deference to one another and to my self.
Expectations
of Classroom Climate
I have a classroom with an open door. It is a place
where my students first and foremost feel a homeroom type of feeling. It should
be a place of industry and exploration that relates not only to their artwork
but may be applied to their other subjects as well. It is a place they can come
to work out projects they may need for other classes, where they can come and
work on art projects at lunch, and a refuge from general chaos that may be
present on campus. Often my students’ friends are brought by for help on things
or sent to me for aid from my students who are in the process of becoming
experts themselves. While each class varies in its dynamic as well as
commitment to community they should have a sense of ownership and belonging to
my classroom as a whole not just limited to their own class period.
Rules
and Policies
I intend my rules to highlight the larger scheme of
things not minute details. These rules do not function as directions for success in my class however. They are more
contractual in nature – a document that the students have made with me and each
other where we are agreed on the kind of class community we want. For example I
provide a bottom line schematic of behavior guidelines and they work with me to
amend the contract as the class progresses. Once this has been established, I
try to keep posted rules short and to the point.
By making my expectations clear to my students it
makes it easier to define the guidelines for appropriate behavior so that all
students have the opportunity to function at their highest levels in my class.
Things like: come to class ready to work, do your best, respect each other and
your work, take care for all class materials – are all meant so that students
can all make the most of class time and produce the best work possible.
Are
my expectations more student-centered or teacher-centered?
The classroom belongs to my students as much as my
self. We form an artistic community. With this type of reciprocity in the
classroom I believe my overall approach is student centered. I say overall
approach because there are times in the giving of lesson/project directions or even
the occasional lecture/workshop in which I am the primary source of
information. In order to off-set this I
encourage students to alter or add to project bases when individual work begins
or during the question/discussion portion of a lecture to explore their
thoughts or rebuttals with the class. My belief is if they can articulate a
viable argument for the way they want to complete a project or approach an art
analysis paper they are thinking thoughtfully and critically – part of the arts
curriculum –the bottom line is meeting the minimum requirements for any given
assignment.
C.
Instruction and Assessments Strategies that Promote My Management Goals.
What
I do instructionally to meet student’s academic needs?
I take into consideration the multiplicity of
learning styles and academic levels of my students in my curriculum and lesson
planning. Where many core subjects are grade specific, art classes usually are
open to all grades dependant often only on completion of prerequisite courses
but not consistently. This means that I must be ready to modify my lesson plans
to accommodate developmental issues as well as my curriculum according to skill
level and experience. To do this I create many varying types of activities
which are written, verbal, manual, and visual in nature. All assignments have
rubrics to guide students in their assignments while at the same time being
open to modification. Directions are orally given, modeled, written on the
board, and usually stated in student handouts to eliminate confusion and
enhance comprehension. Each student has his or her unique approach to problem solving
and I try to encourage each one, according to their ability, to meet these
challenges to their fullest capacity.
What
I do instructionally to prevent students need to act out?
My expectations for my students are made very clear
from the beginning of my class. In addition they have all had a part in the
creation of class policy. In my
experience the students who need to
act out are those who are having difficulties in my class academically, more
often in school in general. To alleviate this need I look to replace it with
purpose. I give clear directions and if
there are new or different expectations for an assignment I make sure students
understand why. I also meet with the students who are acting out individually
so we can come to some understanding of their difficulty and together try to
find a way to ameliorate their struggling in a mutually acceptable fashion.
Issues of self-esteem are often center in these instances – requiring
confidence building on my part including establishing the relevancy of my class
to the scheme of things as a whole. Generally by circulating the classroom
during assignment work I can spot the students who are having a trying time and
assist them before there is any need to act out.
How
does my assessment promote the goals of my management?
There are several methods I employ to assess my
students’ progress in my class that promote my aims. First, my students know
that I mean business. They are aware of my expectations and they are given
clear guidelines for success in my course. They understand that their work
ethics and work product are both taken into account in my grading process. In
addition, they all maintain portfolios of class work for which they are
responsible. Twice each quarter I hold individual student reviews of their
portfolio contents giving each student a clear understanding of how they are
doing in class and what they can do to improve. All this comes together to
encourage self sufficiency as well as cooperation to achieve class objectives,
my expectations and individual growth and academic accomplishment.
How
do I allow for variable styles, cultures and circumstances in meeting the
diverse needs of my students?
Acceptance and tolerance are key elements in the
climate of my classes. We are all so unique and different yet we must and do
find a common ground for understanding each other and the world in my class
through art. By my example, through showing my humanity and having a
questioning nature they learn to be curious and accepting as well. I try to
bring to their attention through the course of my lessons and our artistic
exploration the vastness of who we are as people and the individual talents,
perspectives, and insights we all have that enrich our world.
D.
Motivation
From
your point of view, what motivates students?
When students enjoy what they are doing they are
motivated. When an assignment peaks their interest they want to experience it. Art
looking and art making involve so many aspects of intelligence that the drive
for most students to create is a personal one. In the
long-term, they learn because they want to and since the experiences in my
class are plentiful and multifaceted there is always something present to explore.
My curriculum is designed to appeal to intrinsic motivation of each student –
my class exploits the innate curiosity of each student thus supporting the
entire process of learning. In the short-term, this can be quite a new
experience for some students who are more accustomed to extrinsic motivators as
reasons to perform. There are always some students which need more external
reinforcement to maintain performance as well as some assignments which are
more academic in derivation, requiring pairing with external motivators in
order to get students on track. We are none of us angelic beings, always
working for what is right without the need for reward. I try to take this into
consideration with my students. Some assignments, necessary
but not as fun, need inducements. But this is not the structure of my
class, as such after a short period of adjustment in the beginning,
usually students are motivated to complete their work because they value
participation in my class as a whole.
Why
do/will my students do what I ask them to?
I like to think that my students like me. Because I work hard for them. Because I am
present and available to them. Because I am fair.
Because I am firm. I have built relationships with my
students individually as well as helped them build a class community. We work
together as a team. The outcome to following efforts supports the guidelines of
our class and meeting these objectives produce positive results. They learn how
to do things well. Their art work is better and classroom activities have
meaning and purpose. I do not dangle carrots, the proverbial enticement, to
manipulate my students to follow our guidelines. It is their community, by
understanding why we have guidelines and why it works they do what I ask them
to do. They see and comprehend the reasons and reap the benefits.
How
do I plan to motivate my students?
As I mentioned before when students like what they
are doing, when they find an assignment engaging they are motivated. I want my
students to enjoy learning, “…to be in the wonderful state that makes
learning inevitable”. How does
learning become inevitable? When they are happy about their class, when they
are happy to be there it is because we are doing things that are interesting
and fun. I accomplish this by giving them interesting assignments that are challenging,
yield success, and very importantly relate to things in their world that matter
to them. I vary activities so that within the daily routine there are new elements
that demand their attention. Based on Kounin’s
principles I keep my students motivated and on task because their minds are
engaged through a diverse and challenging curriculum and thorough lesson organization.
How
would I characterize my motivational style/approach?
I believe in the student/teacher relationship. I am
not a teacher without students and young people are not students without
teachers. We need each other to be what we are and to be the best at what we
are is an ongoing process. My personal delivery involves taking my students
seriously when they are working hard and using humor to bring levity to our
mutual frustrations and enliven material that can be dull or painstaking. By
encouraging personal discovery I direct my students towards exploration and
inquiry, giving them a stake in what they are learning and the pleasure that
comes with it. I impart to them that problems often have more than one
solution, by allowing them to solve things in a way that encourages autonomy
and self-sufficiency. As a result my enthusiasm for their successes and
discovery is nearly as great as their own.
E.
Vision
“Hey, Ms. Evans what are we doing today? Are we gonna work on our projects?” asks Alejandro as he goes to
the file cabinet to get his class work portfolio.
“Good morning Alejandro and Jackie. The agenda is
on the board – first we’ll read and discuss the article in today’s paper on a
new exhibit and then the rest of the hour will be spent finishing up our
projects.”
“What’s the article?”
“Go ahead a pick up a copy from my desk, we’ll begin discussion in about 10 minutes.”
At this point students are arriving en masse into
the class. Exchanges of ‘good morning’ and ‘how are you’ are being passed back
and forth as the other students also make their way to the file cabinets and
then to their seats. The students are quickly settled and the time comes for
general announcements and reflection time introductions.
“Morning everyone, we have a lot to do today,
beginning with an exciting article on an installation exhibit titled Weather
Experiment, at the Tate Modern Art Museum in London. Let’s have each work
area manager come up to my desk and pick up enough copies for their section. During
roll, review the article and take note of your impressions in your journal for
discussion in about 10 minutes.”
While various students are moving around to take
their seats and get the reading material form my desk, I take roll. As soon as
this is done I set up the web site of the Tate Modern on the computer monitor
for our discussion. As a part of our art appreciation/history component, we are
starting a unit on conceptual art and are going to begin it with something
tangible to begin our to exploration – the power of installation art as a means to involve the viewer.
It has been almost 10 minutes and most of the
students have finished their reading and notes on the article. As I bring the
students to attention, we begin discussion on the article. The students know
that these discussions are open – all opinions and impressions are possible. Ricky,
who is very verbal, might be the first to lead the talk about the piece, asking
a question like, “How could anyone think the weather could be art?” or Markiesha might add an observation that the sun in the
installation looked way too big. I lead in with more questions such as, “what
would our impressions be if the sun were smaller in the exhibit?” or “why did
the artist use sound in the installation? How would that add to our experience
of the work?” I also nudge students to respond
to the impressions of each other during the talk. After this preliminary discussion,
I queue up the projection of the installation at the Tate from the computer so
as to give the students their best chance, short of being at the museum, to
experience the installation and see how other people at the museum react to it.
I give the students a few minutes to absorb the image and during this time I
pass out a sheet of questions to each section relating to the Weather
Project and installation art in general.
I then instruct them to turn to their groups and
work on the questions together. There is a lot of activity as students are
writing, discussing, and going to the computer to get a better look at the art
work. They are informed that when they are finished with the questions that
there will be further discussion tomorrow and some new images to look at.
After they have worked for about fifteen minutes, the
group facilitators turn their group’s work in to the “in” box on my desk.
Section managers start to organize their section’s material technicians and
curators to get equipment and retrieve the student projects for their area. As
each section’s workers get their projects, tools and supplies, I am circulating
the classroom answering individual questions about the Weather Project
and helping students finishing up.
A nice hum of activity and industry can be heard
throughout the room as students settle down with their projects and materials.
They are finishing up a studio art segment on collage and assemblage techniques
using the theme
The five minute warning ringer sounds and students
begin clean up. As each person in a section area has a job, they all take care
of maintenance details with efficiency and purpose. Jaime is sweeping in his
section. Audy is putting tools away. Trevion is putting up the projects and Christina is wiping
down the area. Sergio, this section’s manager, makes a final assessment of
their work area and gives the thumbs up. As each section completes their
section closing they reseat themselves and copy down the homework from the
board while they wait for dismissal. Today they were even more thorough in
closing than usual, and I let them know how much this will help us in
organizing the room for their project exhibition. Many students smile and as
the dismissal bell rings - students get up and push their chairs in and say
goodbye. Some have a few final questions about projects or the day’s
discussion.
As some of the last of the period’s pupils file out
the door, Alejandro and Kevin ask, “Hey, Ms. Evans, you gonna
be here at lunch?”
“I can be - what’s up?”
“We kinda wanted to look
at that weather thingy again, is that cool?”
And with a smile I reply that if they’ll share the
Flaming Hot Cheetos, I’ve got cookies for dessert.