Classroom Management Philosophy
Classroom Management refers to the strategies and processes used to ensure that the learning environment is free of disruption and undesired behaviours by the students. Jeff Sloan, classroom management consultant, highlights the importance of introducing these strategies and processes at the beginning of the year and consistently implementing them.
The key to facilitating a non-disruptive classroom environment is ensuring you clearly state and share your expectations with your students. As educators, we must maintain the mind-set that all students can follow a classroom management plan despite their academic ability and their socioeconomic background. The main reason for students disobeying a classroom management plan is if a teacher is ineffective and/or hostile.
The teacher’s primary goal is to educate their students. We want to educate them in a safe environment where their holistic development thrives. The classroom management plan, therefore, must not affect the principle goal. While implementing a classroom management plan, the teacher should not compromise a student’s cognitive, social, emotional or physical development. The initial aim of the plan is to prevent distribution before it begins. If disruptive behaviour does occur, however, we want to eliminate it with minimal interruption.
Before the school year begins, the classroom teacher should have a clear plan of the rules, procedures and consequences that will be implemented. In a cooperative classroom that promotes democracy, I feel it is important that the students have the opportunity to discuss and contribute to the rules, positives and consequences. It is the role the teacher, however, to decide and execute the severe clause. We must remember that the severe clause includes all students in the class, even the quietest, most obedient student. The severe clause must be fair and reasonable.
In order for a teacher to be effect in managing behaviour, he/she must “mean what you say and say what you mean”. Jeff Sloan emphasises that following through is key to facilitating an effective classroom. It can be hard to discipline students that we make personal connections with every day. Nonetheless, by following through we minimise the chances of having to apply the severe clause. In order for rules to be effective they should be observable, behavioural and applicable all day every day. There should be a maximum of five rules and they should always be in the best interest of the students.
Students often begin to become disruptive when they lose concentration and motivation. All lessons should engage and maintain the interests of the students. Unfortunately, it is extremely difficult to have all students engaged all day every day. When students begin disruptive behaviour, the following steps are effective and cause minimum distraction for the other students:
o Say the students name softly and calmly
o Increase proximity
Make eye contact if possible
The key to facilitating a non-disruptive classroom environment is ensuring you clearly state and share your expectations with your students. As educators, we must maintain the mind-set that all students can follow a classroom management plan despite their academic ability and their socioeconomic background. The main reason for students disobeying a classroom management plan is if a teacher is ineffective and/or hostile.
The teacher’s primary goal is to educate their students. We want to educate them in a safe environment where their holistic development thrives. The classroom management plan, therefore, must not affect the principle goal. While implementing a classroom management plan, the teacher should not compromise a student’s cognitive, social, emotional or physical development. The initial aim of the plan is to prevent distribution before it begins. If disruptive behaviour does occur, however, we want to eliminate it with minimal interruption.
Before the school year begins, the classroom teacher should have a clear plan of the rules, procedures and consequences that will be implemented. In a cooperative classroom that promotes democracy, I feel it is important that the students have the opportunity to discuss and contribute to the rules, positives and consequences. It is the role the teacher, however, to decide and execute the severe clause. We must remember that the severe clause includes all students in the class, even the quietest, most obedient student. The severe clause must be fair and reasonable.
In order for a teacher to be effect in managing behaviour, he/she must “mean what you say and say what you mean”. Jeff Sloan emphasises that following through is key to facilitating an effective classroom. It can be hard to discipline students that we make personal connections with every day. Nonetheless, by following through we minimise the chances of having to apply the severe clause. In order for rules to be effective they should be observable, behavioural and applicable all day every day. There should be a maximum of five rules and they should always be in the best interest of the students.
Students often begin to become disruptive when they lose concentration and motivation. All lessons should engage and maintain the interests of the students. Unfortunately, it is extremely difficult to have all students engaged all day every day. When students begin disruptive behaviour, the following steps are effective and cause minimum distraction for the other students:
o Say the students name softly and calmly
o Increase proximity
Make eye contact if possible