When you hear the word education, people tend to think of it in strictly academic terms. It has been stereotyped that school is students sitting in rows, copying notes as the teacher lectures at the board. But education is much more than simply learning the difference between nouns and adjectives or how to multiply fractions. The purpose of education should be to teach students to think and be curious. As teachers we want to inspire our students to ask questions, dig deeper, and look at things from different perspectives. As I have continued my own education I have learned that this does not just include academics, but life skills as well. Education should not just be an exchange of facts that is to be assessed on a test at the end of the week. Education should include teaching tolerance, self-love, and friendship. As teachers we are shaping young minds and helping children become the people they are meant to be, and a person is much more than a compilation of SOL testable information.
I believe a good teacher is someone who understands that teaching is much more than a transference of information. A good teacher is someone who is passionate about education and all that it entails. A good teacher is someone who is willing to put in the extra time and effort not only to teach, but to be a mentor and care for their students’ well-being. Becoming a teacher is not something you do for a paycheck or to have the summers off. Teachers work hard each and every day to provide the best education and environment they can for their students. A good teacher takes the time to prepare lesson plans that meet the needs of each of their students, teaching material in a variety of methods. I believe good teaching is understanding what your students need to be successful. I believe it is understanding that there is more to them and more going on in their lives than what you see in the classroom. As a teacher I hope to create a welcoming, safe space, and strong classroom community that my students feel comfortable learning in.
When I was in school I grew up in a two parent household with an older sister and a yellow lab for a pet. We lived in an upper middle class neighborhood with two cars. I went to a predominately white school and was taught by white women until I reached middle school; even then I was taught by white men. As stated in Classroom Management Matters by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), 82% of public school teachers are mainly white (Casetta, Sawyer, 2015). This means that students coming from various socio-cultural backgrounds are not seeing themselves represented in their teachers. Imagine coming to school every day and seeing that the teacher who is supposed to be a role model for you, does not look like you. In fact, none of the teachers seem to look like you. That can be incredibly discouraging for a child. Representation in your classroom is very important for your students. When I was young I never thought too much about how all of my teachers looked like me or how all the characters in our books looked like me, but now thinking about that as an adult I see how upsetting that would be for a child. Just because I don’t come from a culturally rich background does not mean that my students don’t. Classroom Management Matters mentions that many teachers today still refer to themselves as being “color-blind”, which is the ability to ignore race in their classroom (Casetta, Sawyer, 2015). I believe we should be doing the exact opposite. We should never ignore a student’s race or culture, we should embrace it and celebrate it. In my future classroom I want to make sure that all of my students feel represented and respected, whether it be in the books we read or taking the time to learn about their culture. I think it is important to remember to not let your own socio-cultural background blind you to the differences of your students.
When it comes to creating a classroom management and discipline plan for my future classroom I would like to adopt the Responsive Classroom approach. The Responsive Classroom approach aligns with the ideals I want present in my classroom. Some of these characteristics include building a positive classroom community, bringing together social-emotional and academic learning, and matching instruction to students’ developmental strengths and needs (Anderson, 2015, p.3). The first days, or even the first weeks of school are crucial for establishing a classroom management plan. According to The First Six Weeks of School the goals for a successful classroom management plan include creating a climate of warmth, inclusion, and safety, teaching classroom routines and behavior expectations, and helping students get to know and care for the classroom and school environment (Anderson, 2015, p. 3). I believe that the first week to the first few weeks of the year should be to focus on learning and understanding the classroom procedures. By taking the time at the beginning of the year to master classroom procedures, it will save time later by preventing behavioral issues. Achieving this classroom management goal can be done by continuously modeling and practicing the expected behaviors. I believe the best way to teach this is through interactive modeling. Through interactive modeling you can model for the students what you what done and then have the students practice what you just showed them. They will be able to see the procedure and understand why you want them to do it. Through teaching classroom procedures you can create a safe and comfortable environment for your students to learn.
In my future classroom I will maintain a majority of the control, especially at the beginning of the schoolyear. The beginning of the schoolyear will be completely controlled by me as I teach my students the classroom procedures and make expectations clear. Once students have learned what is expected I will slowly give them more control and responsibility for their own behavior and work. One way I will share control with my students is by allowing them to help create the class rules. I don’t believe that the class rules need to be made before the students enter your room. I like the idea of making it a discussion and focusing on what the students need in order to be successful and forming the rules around that. I believe that makes the rules seem less daunting and negative by putting an encouraging spin on them. The rulesare not what students should not do, they are ways to encourage a positive learning experience. I also feel that this gives students a greater sense of responsibility and ownership by including them in that discussion.
Despite creating clear classroom procedures and expectations, no class is going to be perfect. You cannot expect students to behave every second of every day, therefore you should have a discipline approach set up in your classroom. Before implementing any form of discipline, students should first be informed of what the discipline approach is. Students should be told exactly what it entails, for example, if they get warnings, how many warnings do they get, what is the actual punishment if there is one, and so on. For my future classroom I like the idea of using the name on the board method. If a student is acting up or misbehaving I would first give them a verbal warning using reminding language to try and get them back on track. If the student continues to act up I would then write their name on the board. Students will get check marks written next to their name if their poor behavior continues. Once students begin showing positive behavior and that they are engaged and working hard, check marks and their name can be erased. I like this method because I can silently write their name up on the board without causing a big scene or stopping my lesson. By seeing their name on the board, it is a visual reminder that they need to show me their best and change their behavior. I also like this method because it isn’t a one and done form of punishment, meaning that good behavior can counteract their name being on the board. Whether a student is acting up or not, it is critical that we are aware of how we are speaking to our students. Paula Denton states that when speaking to our students we should use direct and genuine language (2013, p.13). When a child is misbehaving you should never accuse or attack their character, but describe the behavior you want changed. By having a discussion as opposed to accusing them or making judgements you open up the conversation about what they can be doing differently to show you their best selves (Denton, 2013).
As a future teacher I feel very strongly about creating a comfortable learning environment and strong classroom community for my students. I want my students to feel safe and confident to express their feelings and share their ideas. I believe a classroom can be like a second family where friendships are formed and students learn not only academics, but explore their interests, new perspectives, how to treat others and themselves. My goal is to create that safe space for my students where they can learn creatively by incorporating movement, art, music, and theater in the classroom. I believe that students learn in different ways and at different paces, and as a teacher it is important to know the needs of all students. In my practicum class my teacher has created a comfortable learning environment similar to what I hope to achieve. She refers to all of her students as her friends and encourages them to learn and work together. She has created clear expectations about behavior and procedures that have become routine for her students. I have observed how she adapts to meet the needs of all of her students, taking time to work with those who are struggling and challenge those who want that extra push. She knows about her students and how each one ticks and what each child needs to be successful. She is a friendly face, kind and fun, but knows when to turn on her teacher voice when necessary. What I have learned most from her is how to balance that friendly, comfortable atmosphere while still being direct and in charge of the class. I see a lot of my own beliefs in her class and it has been a pleasure to expand my ideas based on my observations.
References
Anderson, M. (2015). The First Six Weeks of School (2nd edition ed.). Turners Falls, MA: Center For Responsive Schools, Inc.
Casetta, G., & Sawyer, B. (2015). Who Am I? Who Are My Students? In Classroom Management Matters: The Social-Emotional Learning Approach Children Deserve (pp. 1-14). Heineman.
Denton, P. (2013). General Guidelines for Teacher Language. In L. Bechtel (Ed.), The Power of Our Words (2nd ed., pp. 12-31). Center for Responsive Schools, Inc. .