EDN584 - Classroom Management Plan

Philosophy to Learning, Teaching and Assessment

My teaching philosophy is centred around my belief that all students have unique and widely
differing learning styles and abilities. I understand that all students learn most effectively in
many different ways, which is why it’s so important to cater to all learning styles in the
classroom. Many students in schools are taught in a singular manner, which decreases the
possibility of maximising student learning. I believe that to create the most effective learning
environment, teachers need to create lessons that are engaging and stimulating for the
students. Encouraging students to discover answers together through student interaction and
cooperation, along with guidance from the teacher, is imperative to effective student learning.
I understand that the way one particular student may learn most effectively, may not be as
effective for another student. This is why I believe it’s essential to create a learning
environment which allows for all students to learn the content in the way that is most
beneficial and natural to them.

As a teacher, in my future practice I will aim to utilise a variety of teaching methods to

ensure all student’s learning and developmental needs are met. Visual learners comprehend
information best viewing pictures and images, while kinaesthetic learners process
information best by doing. As a teacher I will ensure to include activities and assessments
that accommodate all varying learning styles. Teaching a particular concept in a variety of
ways, including visual, auditory and kinaesthetic tasks, will assist students in processing and
learning information effectively. I also believe that teachers should allow students to
cooperate and develop ideas together. The role of the teacher should be to facilitate and guide
students rather than complete the task for them. These beliefs are supported by Lev
Vygotsky, who believed that children’s learning is enhanced under teacher guidance, ‘or in
collaboration with more capable peers.’ (Tryphon & Vonèche, 1996). By allowing students to
explore and solve problems themselves, guided by their teacher if necessary, students also
develop the necessary cognitive functions to methodically work through and solve future
problems.
Learning Content

I am teaching a Year 7 Health class. These Year 7’s attended a public, co-educational
secondary school in Perth’s southern suburbs in June of 2019. There are 20 students in this
class and the vast majority of these students are from middle-class socioeconomic families.
These students come from a wide variety of backgrounds and upbringings and most students
are aiming to compete ATAR in Year’s 11 and 12. Students in this class have differing
learning styles which need to be accommodated for to ensure effective learning is achieved.
There is one student in this Year 7 class with a behavioural issue.

Classroom Layout

Rationale for Classroom Layout

Teachers should base the arrangement of the classroom on the basis of the teacher’s
educational goals (Sommer, 1977). I have arranged the class of twenty students into five
groups of four. This allows for smooth transitions into group-work during class activities.
This is also beneficial if I need students to pair up for a ‘Think. Pair. Share.’ activity, as each
group has two pairs. I also strategically have the one student with a behavioural issue in the
middle group of four, so I am within close proximity and can keep an eye on his behaviour.
Separating the students into five groups also makes it easy for me as a teacher to walk around
each group and assist or guide any students who are having any difficulty with the activities.
This layout aligns with my philosophy as it’s set-up for group activities and allows me to
guide my students individually when necessary.

Classroom Management Prevention Strategies

Building Positive Relationships

Creating a positive learning environment in which students are engaged and on-task is an
ideal way to prevent classroom misbehaviour. Teachers must set up a classroom environment
which limits the likelihood of student’s misbehaving. One well known strategy is to build
positive relationships with your students. Intentionally building positive relationships with
students can not only limit misbehaviour but also can enhance student learning. When
teachers build strong relationships with their students, teachers have a better understanding of
each individual student and can therefore create learning activities which meets the learning
and developmental needs of the student. ‘Winning Over’ (Bennett & Smilanich,1994) is a
term that refers to how teachers create and develop social relationships with their students.
By doing so, students are more likely to work with the teacher, rather than against them. The
most likely way to achieve this as a teacher is to demonstrate frequent interest in the student’s
hobbies, personal life and interests (Bennett & Smilanich,1994).

Creating and Maintaining Emotional Safety

Making sure that all students feel safe and comfortable in the classroom is an essential
element in ensuring the most effective learning is taking place. Creating a positive
atmosphere, familiarising yourself with your students and promoting respectful social
behaviours are imperative in ensuring students feel secure in the classroom. Students are also
more likely to stay focussed on the topic if they feel encouraged to participate and feel that
they can express their opinion/answers without being ridiculed. One way to create this
environment is to promote inclusiveness in the classroom. By encouraging group-work and
social interaction in the classroom, students feel responsible and accountable to be involved
in the activities (Bennett & Smilanich,1994). They also feel less pressure to answer questions
if they have discussed with their group prior to answering. As speaking in front of the class
and their peers can be daunting for many high school students, ensuring that students
recognise that they have a right to skip or pass any questions they don’t know the answer to
allows students to feel more comfortable in the classroom. This also allows many students to
feel less anxious during the lesson. Allowing students to have some thinking time before
answering a question has also been shown to be beneficial for student thinking and student
responses (Rowe, 1974) (Tobin & Capie, 1982).

Establishing Boundaries, Routines and Rules

Establishing classroom rules, generally at the beginning of a school year/term is helpful to

not only keep the class in order, but to create and maintain the emotional safety of the
students. Having structure in a classroom reduces stress as students understand what’s
expected of them. Going over the class rules with the students throughout the school
year/term or even sticking up a list of rules or expectations on the wall can be beneficial to
remind students of what’s expected of them. As a teacher, it’s critical to follow-up if any
class rules have been broken. If a student misbehaves or acts outside the rules of the
classroom and the teacher does not follow-up, other students recognise that there is no
consequence for misbehaving and structure in the classroom may be broken. Similarly, it’s
important for teachers to catch their students acting the correct way and ensuring they show
praise to that student. This, in turn, increases the likelihood that that student will act in-line
with the class rules and other students will follow suit.

Systems of Rewards/Punishments

As mentioned above, ensuring that teachers follow-up on positive and negative classroom
behaviour is essential in maintaining order in the classroom. Creating a system for rewarding
the class for behaving within the classroom rules/expectations can increase the likelihood
students will adhere to these rules. For example, if the class adhere to the class rules
throughout the entire term, they could be rewarded with getting to watch a movie on the last
day of term. Correspondingly, if particular students break the rules set out by the teacher, the
teacher should uphold the proportionate consequence for the students involved.
Classroom Management Response Strategies

Minor Annoyances and Disruptions

In the classroom, if students become disengaged they can begin to create disturbances and
distract other students, as well as themselves, from learning. Common ways students may
create minor annoyances include: Tapping a pencil, swinging on their seat and distracting
other students. Since these disruptions are minor, it’s important to react proportionately to
this minor annoyance. A teacher must be able to deal with this issue in a low-key manner so
the rest of the class isn’t affected. Using ‘non-verbal’ or ‘minimal verbal’ responses (Bennett
& Smilanich,1994) can help continue the flow of the lesson. Using strategies such as looking
at the student or by creating proximity between yourself and the student can often bring an
end to the student disruptions. Ensuring that the situation is defused early and peacefully and
making sure the teacher does not escalate the situation is beneficial for the students in the
classroom to stay on task.

Persistent Inappropriate Behaviours

If a teacher has noticed consistent inappropriate behaviours from a student, and the ‘low-key’
responses haven’t had an effect in stopping the behaviour, a slightly different response
strategy is needed. A slightly more assertive message may be needed to be conveyed to the
student. Saying to the student “I asked you once and you know that I know… so please stop”
(Bennett & Smilanich,1994) is a proportionate response to this persistent misbehaviour. The
look and the intensity of the message can’t be too great, as this may cause an escalation in
misbehaviour when the goal is actually to eliminate these actions. Finishing off the sentence
by saying “Thank you” is a beneficial strategy which creates a politeness about the message
and helps discourage an escalation of the situation, too (Bennett & Smilanich,1994).

Bullying
Bullying is a large issue in today’s classrooms, and teachers are needed to prevent this from
occurring. Although bullying may occur outside the classroom, it’s the teacher’s
responsibility to ensure that their classroom is safe and secure for all students. One way to
achieve this is by discussing different forms of bullying with the class. Discussing class rules
at the beginning of a school year or term and making it clear that bullying is unacceptable is
imperative in preventing bullying from occurring in the classroom. Getting to know your
students in the classroom helps to identify certain social groups in the classroom and a
teacher is then able to create a seating arrangement that is least likely to result in bullying.
Continuing to be aware and watchful throughout the school term is essential in ensuring
bullying doesn’t occur in the classroom. If bullying does occur in the classroom, strategically
responding quickly and consistently to all bullying incidents ensures that students understand
bullying will not be tolerated.

Defiance and Physical Violence

When a situation has occurred where a student is misbehaving and has refused to listen or
cooperate with their teacher, a power-struggle between the teacher and the student may arise.
During this time, ensuring that the teacher does not raise their voice and does not escalate the
situation is vital. Using particular strategies, such as using humour to deescalate a situation or
providing the student with a choice is beneficial when looking to end a power-struggle
(Bennett & Smilanich,1994). If a student ever becomes physically violent, although rare, it is
critically important that all students in the classroom remain safe. This can be done by either,
asking the student to leave the classroom, or even by removing the other students from the
classroom. If a student becomes aggressive or physically violent, the teacher must
immediately respond with nonaggressive consequences. (Guetzloe, 2006). If a serious
incident is experienced, this needs to be reported immediately to a supervisor.

Relevant Policies and Procedures

Student Behaviour in Public Schools Policy and Procedures

http://det.wa.edu.au/policies/detcms/policy-planning-and-accountability/policies-
framework/policies/student-behaviour-policy-and-procedures.en?cat-id=3457115

1. Be Respectful
2. Be Responsible
3. Be Safe
4. Be Cooperative
5. Be a Worker
 6. Be Peaceful

https://sites.google.com/site/msangelawarr/classroom-policies-procedures
 References

1. Tryphon, A., & Vonèche, J. (1996). Piaget – Vygotsky: The Social Genesis of
Thought. East Sussex, UK: Psychology Press.

2. Sommer, R. (1977). Classroom Layout: Theory Into Practice. (16).

3. Bennett, B., & Smilanich, P. (1994). Classroom Management: A Thinking and Caring
Approach. Bookation Inc.

4. Rowe, M.B. (1974). Relation of Wait-Time and Rewards to the Development of

Language, Logic and Fate Control: Part II- Rewards. (11). Wiley Periodical, Inc., A
Wiley Company

5. Tobin, K., & Capie, W. (1982). Relationships Between Classroom Process Variables
and Middle-School Science Achievement. Journal of Research in Science Teaching,
74(3), 441-454.

6. Guetzloe, E. (2006). Practical Strategies for Working With Students Who Display
Aggression and Violence. Practice. (86).