Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. Did I say that enough times?!? WOW.
This is my very last weekly investment as the fall semester has rounded the top of the hill and is making it VERY rapid descent. But, what a fitting way to end my weekly investments than with a blog about classroom management.
As I look to student teaching in about 3 months, there are so many different elements to think about. Unit plans, lesson plans, using a variety of teaching techniques, and so much more. But the one that concerns me the most is classroom management. I say this because a person could have incredible lessons that are engaging and student-centered, but still have a disaster if classroom management is a problem.
So what can I do to get my class off on the right foot in January?
Here are a few ideas:
1. Classroom expectations: One the first day of each class that I am teaching, I plan to lay out my classroom expectations. By doing so, I am setting the tone and the bar for the rest of my time there. As I read some chapter of a book by Wong and Wong, it said to set high expectations and positive expectations that the students will strive to meet. Thus, I will be making this very clear on the first day of class.
2. Classroom procedures: It is important to set a classroom routine so that your students will understand what you want them to do and that time will be saved once they get into the swing of things. Some procedures I plan to use are having them come in a work on the warm-up immediately, turning in all assignments in their class bin, utilizing assigned seats, and even turning in regular "tickets-out-the-door." By utilizing these procedures, students have less time to cause problems as they must stay on task to complete their work.
3. Discipline: Another techniques I will utilize while student-teaching and beyond is posting my "discipline thermometer" in all of my classrooms/shops so that my students clearly understand that it they choose to make me treat like children, there will be consequences to follow. The goal is that this makes discipline issues very clear and straightforward, but that it also deters students from acting out in the first place. My philosophy, "I will treat you like an adult until you should me otherwise."
4. Rapport: Something really important that one of my virtual mentors Ms. Britney Marsh told me was to develop rapport! There is a saying that "students don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care." I think it is so important to get to know my students and how they are both inside and outside of class. Additionally, I want to form a trusting relationship with my students by greeting them in the classroom everyday, asking how they are or what they did over the weekend, by simply building rapport. I want to be a teacher that I student would feel comfortable coming to if they needed help or just someone to talk with. This all starts with going the extra mile to develop rapport.
When I was in high school, there were always certain teachers that really didn't have to "manage" their classroom because we never WANTED to act out because we would miss out on all the fun. I want to be a teacher that can create engaging curriculum and a welcoming classroom that students don't want or need to act out. Instead, they would rather take part in the activity I have set forth for them. However, I know that this will not always be feasible. There will be students who act out and make some bad choices.
So when this does happen, how can I handle it to the best of my ability?
Here are some thoughts:
1. Stick to the my "discipline thermometer": I want to be consistent and fair from class to class. This means being consciously aware that I do not have "favorites," I treat the same offenses with the same or similar consequence, and that I am matching the offense correctly with the consequence. A situation could always be worse if a students thinks that are being treated unfairly.
2. NEVER embarrass a student: This is a topic that I am especially passionate about as I can recall numerous times where an authority figure has embarrassed me in front of other students. It is humiliating, strips you of confidence, and creates insecurity. Thus, I will NEVER do this to me students. If I need to have a side-bar conversation with a student I can do that in the hallway or after class, but never in front of that student's peers. No matter the offense, I do not believe that public embarrassment is the solution.
3. Call parents when necessary: This can be really scary, especially as a young and beginning teacher. However, sometimes I will just have to pick up the phone and call home. Maybe I will learn that my student is having a rough time because a family member just passed away, they are getting bullied at school, or that they may be battling depression. What it is, and it may be nothing, including the parent/guardians to come up with a plan of action can be the best way to proceed with a student who acts out. Thus, I am constantly trying and working on my communication skills with parents so that I can do so effectively while teaching.
So as I go on from today, from this semester, and from Penn State, I want to make sure that I strive to be the teacher I needed in high school. One who is passionate about what I am teaching, innovative so that I can make an engaging classroom, but also compassionate and understanding when it is called for. I believe that if I can do this, my classroom will contain less behavior problems and more students excited to learn.
*If you have any additional advice on classroom management, please comment*