Hollie Mckenzie EDUC 663

Hollie McKenzie EDUC 663

Classroom Management Philosophy

After carefully considering the various theories regarding classroom management and addressing individual thoughts and concerns I have decided that my philosophy of classroom management will be a combination of medium and high control. I have chosen these styles of management because I can identify with the reasoning behind these levels of control. Unlike medium and high control, low control offers the idea of intrinsic motivation which I like; however, I feel that many students need extra guidance not provided in theorists like Kohn. I also believe that structuring classroom management with medium and high control will provide opportunities for students to be fully successful. Finally, as an individual, I feel if I established medium and high control I will be able to handle student’s behaviors more efficiently, where as low control might be difficult for me to implement without risking a loss of control in the classroom.

In preparing a philosophy of classroom management, it is crucial that my style of control encourage all students to be self-disciplined and autonomous. By this I mean that students develop a sense of being in charge and responsible for their own behavior. Students should be guided by the rules and procedures I set for them, yet they should determine their own behavior based on expectations set in the classroom. For example, students should know and decide to respect other students and the teacher in class. This would include being respectful and attentive when another student is sharing their thoughts or while the teacher is talking. Students should not choose behavior that would be disrespectful and disruptive. Since students are guided by the classroom expectations, and respecting others would be at the top of the list, they will display self-discipline to control their behavior without a teacher continuously reminding them of their error.

There are several expectation examples that would demonstrate how a medium and high control management style would develop students to be self-disciplined and autonomous. William Glasser’s “Choice Theory” is an example of a medium control approach that enables students to realize they chose their behavior; this helps student’s think about their actions before they misbehave and realize afterwards if they made the right decision based on expectations and consequences. Another technique of Glasser is to understand that each student has five basic needs, with the most important of these being love and belonging. I hope as a teacher to remember this always when dealing with students because they may not have their needs met in other aspects of their lives, and in order for me to expect them to be self-disciplined and autonomous I must give them the love and belonging they need while in the classroom. An idea from a high control theorist, Lee Canter, to ensure the student knows the expectations of the classroom. This way students cannot blame anyone else for their misbehavior; they will know what is expected of them and will have to use self-discipline and control to follow the appropriate behavior. Finally, to coincide with providing students with clear expectations, I will also provide students with clear consequences for their actions. This is also an idea of Canter; students should determine their behavior according to classroom expectations and should expect the consequences associated with their actions. I will not rely on consequences as a means to threaten students, nor should they fear consequences. Instead I feel that Dr. Jane Bluestein’s approach works best. Instead of having negative punishments, students expect positive consequences for their actions. For example, if a student raises their hand they will have the consequence of being called on, where as students who shout aloud will not have the privilege of being asked to share. This allows students to be in charge of their actions and prompts them to make the right decision.

The medium and high control in my classroom management style will also build the student’s self-concept. Self-concept is what I would determine to be the student’s idea about their “place” in the classroom. Including how the student feels respected, if the student feels comfortable in the environment, enough to share in discussion, and importantly if the student feels they are learning and developing in the classroom.

Using high control in the classroom management techniques will help students develop a good self-concept which is important for the students’ success in the class and in their overall learning experience. Canter cites several ideas that would promote good self-concept, some of which I would like to use in my management style. For example, because students have a clear idea of rules, they can chose to follow them and feel good about their decisions and behavior. Also, Students will have more learning time, due to less classroom disruptions; this will also help students have a good self-concept of their place in the classroom environment. Using medium control will also help promote good self-concept. Glasser recommends that the teacher avoid criticizing, blaming, and complaining to avoid harmful external behaviors; he also recommends that teachers remain non-judgmental and be patient and supportive. Glasser believes this will help students enjoy class and in turn do well, thus enhancing their self-concept. I think that implementing both medium and high control is crucial in helping students develop a good self-concept. Finally, it is important to mention Dr. Bluestein’s ideas of classroom management that influence a good self-concept; she believes that it is important to promote positivity in the classroom. Changing negativity to positivity, students will want to make the right decision, this puts the responsibility on the child, but more importantly puts the reward of making a good decision on them, building a positive self-concept.

It is also important when considering a philosophy of classroom management, to develop a style that will promote good classroom behavior. As discussed earlier, a medium and high control style will help develop students’ discipline and concept individually, but it is important to consider how this will all come together to promote an overall good classroom behavior. Good classroom behavior would include students acting respectful towards each other and the teacher, following the rules and procedures, and helping contribute their individual good behaviors to influence and set example of the expectations set forth by the teacher.

Glasser, a medium control theorist, believes the Seven Caring Habits promote good classroom behavior and I could not add nor argue with his concept. The habits include supporting, encouraging, listening, accepting, trusting, respecting, and negotiating differences. I feel that these seven traits exhibit everything expected by students and the teacher. The classroom really should be a place of respect from one another, and I would definitely include these traits in my classroom management philosophy. Another important point Glasser makes is that in order to have good classroom behavior, students must work on improving their relationships with one another. I think this is important also. Students bring to class their problems and prejudices and in order to have a good classroom behavior; students need to work on overcoming their differences. To support the medium control perspective, I think Canter’s high control ideas will also help promote good classroom behavior. For example, Canter believes that clearly stated expectations and consequences will make students more apt to behave in the classroom and help promote a learning environment with little or no interruptions, which everyone will enjoy and benefit from. Finally, Canter believes that the classroom environment should focus on care and support for each student. My classroom management philosophy will include ideas of both medium and high control, hoping to meet the needs of each student individually, to promote overall good classroom behavior.

When considering a classroom management philosophy one of my main concerns has been how to prevent discipline problems, stop behaviors before they start. Preventing classroom discipline problems would involve setting clear expectations and consequences so students know what is desired of their behavior, but it would also include using a discipline problem as an example to deter other students from making similar offenses. When considering how to prevent discipline problems, I initially felt that it was more important to implement a high control philosophy; however, after considering all alternatives I again feel that a blended approach of both high and medium control will work best for my style of management.

Dr. Bluestein recommends that teachers be proactive in their classroom management techniques. She suggests that teachers act “before” the misbehavior starts. One way she recommends doing this is to have clarity in the classroom; by telling students what you expect of them, before they have the chance to misbehave, teachers can save a lot of time and prevent many discipline problems. I think this is crucial in preventing behavior problems; how else can we hold expectations of students unless they know and understand what they are? Another form of preventive discipline is suggested by Canter, through initiating assertive discipline. Canter believes that the teacher is responsible for students’ behavior, and the teacher should have firm control in the classroom, including stating and setting examples of behavior expectations. Another method Canter uses to prevent discipline problems is using effective body language when regarding student behavior. I will definitely utilize this method in classroom management; not only does effective body language communicate to the student that their behavior is undesirable, it does so without disrupting the flow of the class and learning environment. Finally, Canter believes that teachers should implement an incentive system, in which students are prompted to use appropriate behavior and chose not to use poor behavior. Glasser, on the other hand has an interesting theory which I would use ideas from to prevent discipline problems. In Glasser’s “reality therapy”, teachers are to focus on the present and avoid discussing the past, symptoms, and complaints. I agree with this idea; students are not going to respond to a teacher rehashing all the reasons why their actions are wrong, or why they are not living up to classroom expectations. Instead, students need encouragement and guidance in making decisions, they need to know someone believes in them and wants the best for them.

Finally, after considering the use of medium and high control in my philosophy of classroom management I have determined that these controls are easy to implement. It is important to determine how easy the methods are to implement in order to realistically know I will be able to utilize these ideas in my philosophy or if I will need to adjust my management style. I find that these controls and ideas are easy to implement for several reasons. First, and most importantly, I believe in them. I strongly feel that these concepts are crucial to effectively managing a classroom and individual behaviors, and I feel comfortable with using both styles. Second, the medium control concepts are easy to implement partly because of the idea of lead management. Lead Management is the idea that the teacher will have the support of the school, including a system of management, encouragement, and building trust through communication. I feel that having the support of the school and community will benefit any teacher. Third, the high control concepts are easy to implement in the classroom because it provides for a rigid system of rules and consequences. Given a concise set of expectations and punishments, I think this model would be easily implemented in the classroom because students will misbehave less and the teacher will have more engaged time.

In conclusion, the main goal of my philosophy is to encourage students to learn. I hope to create a classroom management style that promotes students to think about their actions and the expectations of the class, prompting them to choose a behavior that respects the teacher, peers, and themselves. I feel that if students have a good self-concept and are self-disciplined they will enjoy class and be motivated to learn. Hopefully student’s individual behavior choices will promote an overall good classroom behavior that will allow students to learn the content, and learn about each other. I want my classroom management style to reflect on students as individuals, accommodating their own needs. Finally, I have chosen a style that will prevent discipline problems through a variety of measures, through this I hope to diminish disruptive problems and spend as much time “engaged” as possible.

Bibliography

· http://wglasser.com

· www.humboldt.edu

· www.alfiekohn.org

· Dr. Bluestein video

· www.teachervision.com