Philosophy of Classroom Management

      I believe that the foundation of classroom management ought to be relationship building. Students who feel cared for and know their teacher is working hard to help them succeed will perform and behave better. I think all students deserve to be a part of a classroom where they feel seen, known, and celebrated; This is one of the key components necessary for students to do their best learning. 

       As educators, we need to create clear procedures and rules that we plan before the start of the school year. I resonate with the saying popularized by Professor Brené Brown: "Clear is kind, unclear is unkind. "One example of how I can be clear about my expectations is by developing posters of our classroom expectations and putting them up in prominent places within our classrooms. Another example of being clear with my classroom rules and expectations is to go over them a lot at the beginning of the school year as the students are learning and practicing those new procedures. I believe it is essential to regularly revisit expectations to remind my students of the behaviors and practices I want to see in the classroom. 

      In my opinion, it is meaningful for my students to help create our classroom expectations. I believe that not only are students more likely to follow the rules, but it also provides them with agency in their own learning, which is empowering. I also think students may have insights about themselves that, as a teacher just getting to know them, I may be unaware of yet. 

      From my perspective, it is necessary to have multiple approaches to classroom management. In my classroom, I want to implement positive reinforcers, such as classroom stores, that students can participate in a few times throughout the school year. I think students should be allowed to earn class dollars for following procedures, rules, and completing classroom jobs. Another positive reinforcer, I plan to use in my class is praising students who are following classroom expectations.  I also think having negative reinforcers such as taking away a preferred activity is sometimes necessary. I also think using nonverbal redirection such as pointing to a poster or using proximity and body language is another helpful negative reinforcer.  

      Lastly, I think it is valuable to remember classroom management is not about gaining control over students. It is about creating healthy relationships, cultivating positive classroom environments, and implementing effective student supports.