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My Classroom Management Philosophy

Jessica G Dunn
November 01, 2015
University of Alberta

My Philosophy of Classroom Management

In building my personal classroom management philosophy, there are many questions to
consider. The first one is why is it essential for educators to maintain classroom management in
the first place? It is important because teachers are held to high standards and expected to follow
a written document entitled the Teaching Quality Standard Document. This document pertains
to classroom management and the goals of education, as it relates to students needs for physical,
social, cultural and psychological security. It states that teachers need to know how to apply a
variety of management strategies depending on the situation, and provide for minimal
disruptions to students learning. (Government of Alberta).
Keeping this concept in mind, there are various aspects that contribute to maintaining
good classroom management that I will implement in my classroom. In my opinion, one of the
most important rules is preventing disruptive behaviour before it begins. One of the key
components to classroom management is delivering effective instruction. The teacher should not
try to control the student, but work with them to develop well-managed settings that will promote
student engagement and create opportunities to learn. The focus must therefore, be on creating
engaging lessons that reflect the interests, needs, capabilities, and personalities of the students.
Teachers must have the skills and resources to build on the interest of students while providing
appropriate learning activities (Bucher & Manning, 2012, p.111). It is important for teachers to
keep in mind the diversity of their students when they develop lesson plans. The curriculum and
instruction need to be culturally relevant to the students and personally meaningful. This quote is
well supported by information in the textbook Teaching in the Middle School/ chapter nine/
Bucher & Manning which states that teachers must use a culturally responsive communication
style to establish relationships with their students and expectations in the classroom. Teachers

who feel competent in influencing appropriate student behavior find joy in their profession and
have more confidence in building student achievement.
In addition, after completing the education course EDES 310, my personal mantra of
classroom management would also be to catch the students being good. From personal
experience, I feel motivated to improve when I am recognized and appreciated for my strengths.
Constructive criticism and discipline can be beneficial as well, but I believe teachers should
primarily focus on the positive.
In researching the various classroom-based models of classroom management, the one
that best represents my beliefs about teaching and learning is, Managing learner-centered
classrooms by two theorists, Carolyn Evertson and Alene Harris. Their belief is that educators
provide learner-centered classrooms and consider behavioural and instructional management.
They also begin the school year with clear rules and expectations. (Bucher & Manning, 2012, p.
212). In my experience, adolescents appreciate some rules in a school setting even though they
are developing more independence, as they like to be successful and know what is expected of
them.
The teacher authority bases that I most identify with are, reward authority and referent
authority. Reward authority refers to the teacher applying positive enforcement and awarding
something of value for positive behavior. This can be used to encourage appropriate behavior
and gives students something to work towards. Referent authority is the ability to influence
others through charisma, personality, and charm. The teacher and student should mutually
respect one another, and the students should know the teacher has their best interests and needs
in mind. This type of authority helps open lines of communication between teacher and student.
(https://sites.google.com/a/utexas.edu/ntien-mgmt-portfolio/teachingauthority/types-of-authority)

In situations that students do misbehave, there are appropriate ways for teachers to
address the behaviour. It is advised to always use nonverbal intervention first, such as making
eye contact with the misbehaving student. If verbal intervention must be used, it should be kept
as private and brief as possible. This helps prevent confrontation and distracting other students.
Another way teachers can handle misbehaviour is by applying logical consequences. This
technique allows the student a choice to comply or face the consequence. It is important to
remember that the logical consequence should always be related as closely as possible to the
behaviour, and the teacher must be prepared to follow through with her warning while remaining
professional yet firm. Brophy (1988) suggested that the teacher who uses logical consequences
should emphasize the student changing their behavior rather than retribution. (Levin & Nolan,
2014, p.218) For example, if a student is five minutes late to class, a logical consequence would
be for them to stay five minutes after class. It is also important to note that not all misbehaviors
need to be handled immediately during a lesson. It is said a discipline problem is present when a
behavior interferes with teaching, the rights of other students learning, is physically or
psychologically unsafe, or destroys property (Levin & Nolan, 2014, p.23)
Teachers are not the only ones responsible for student success. Parents, guidance
counsellors, administrators and other faculty members also play a role in serving the students and
school. It is crucial that teachers involve parents and family in the students learning. Family
plays a very important role in helping to identify problems and assisting young adolescents. They
are also there to encourage and support their child. Teachers, of course, play a major role in their
students life. It is their job to observe for indicators of problems that may suggest the need for
guidance. Teachers also make referrals based on accurate and objective information. Guidance
counsellors provide counselling to students, understand the unique developmental needs of

adolescents and how their development may contribute to problems and to assess students and
make suggestions on ways to solve behavioural problems. School administration provides
leadership and coordinates efforts of all professionals within the school. They also communicate
with the teachers, social-service agencies, parents, and provide school faculty with in-service
activities on working with adolescents (Bucher & Manning, 2012, p. 65).
In terms of instructional design and how it influences classroom management, I think
setting up desks in pods of four to five students would help maximize student learning and serve
as beneficial for this age group. As part of their psychosocial development, students in middle
school need time to socialize with their peers. The article titled, Facilitating Group Work to
Maximize Student Learning in Labs, Discussions, and Teams (Fisher &Nielsen) states that
students score at the 70th percentile when learning cooperatively. Cooperative learning and
group work will therefore foster a sense of community and allow students to have a voice in the
classroom. This should also help motivate students to learn and help control classroom
management.
In conclusion, the classroom environment and classroom management can have major
effects on academic achievement, socialization and relationships between teachers and students.
Classroom management plays a major role in determining the overall success and effectiveness
of a lesson. Middle schools should be a safe and inviting place for students. They should be
inclusive and supportive of all learners. Classroom organization and management should
encourage positive student teacher relationships and academic achievement (Bucher & Manning,
2012, p. 226).

References
Levin, J, Nolan, J. (2014). Principles of Classroom Management: A Professional DecisionMaking Model. Pennsylvania: Pearson Education, Inc.
Manning, M, Bucher, K. (2012). Teaching in the Middle School. Boston, MA: Pearson
Education, Inc.
https://education.alberta.ca/department/policy/standards/teachqual/
http://www.crlt.umich.edu/sites/default/files/resource_files/Nielsen%20and%20Fisher_Group%2
0Work.pdf
https://sites.google.com/a/utexas.edu/ntien-mgmt-portfolio/teachingauthority/types-of-authority