Classroom Management Philosophy

Consistent classroom management is a vital component of a teachers classroom

environment. Classroom management is much more than just enforcing rules. Rather, it is a
combination of engaging students, fostering a positive learning environment and maintaining
order within the classroom. I am committed to making my classroom a safe and challenging
environment and engaging my students through the curriculum as well as through personal
interaction. I believe students need to feel comfortable and safe within a classroom in order to
learn. I want them to be comfortable with the other students, as well as with myself, so that there
can be meaningful discussions and interactions. Discussions are a common occurrence in my
classroom, both in whole class settings and in group activities. I want to encourage all students to
participate in class so that they can learn from each other. I want to have a democratic and
equitable classroom so that all students are able to learn.
I feel that I have a very patient and calm attitude with my class. I hope that by showing an
interest in the lives of my students, they will respond positively through class participation. I
want them to know that I care about them as students and as individuals. I want them to feel
comfortable asking questions in all situations. I hope to display an attitude towards the students
that is not overbearing or authoritative. Instead of forcing the students to learn, I want to work
with them in all types of situation so that they can enjoy the learning process. I do not always
want to be a lecturer, but rather a facilitator of discussion. I want students to be a part of their
learning. I want to motivate students to learn through engaging curriculum.
Procedures
At the beginning of the period, I stand at the door and greet students as they enter the
classroom. By doing this, I am establishing myself as an authoritative figure while still being
friendly and welcoming. I try to make an effort to address each student by his or her name on a
daily basis to emphasize the ongoing relationship with the students. By standing at the doorway,
I am also acting as a hall monitor by watching what is happening outside of the classroom. Once
in the classroom, all students will be expected to be in their seats by the time the bell rings. I
always begin class with a warm-up in which students are required to think critically. My
warm-up activities vary from critical thinking puzzles, grammar activities, literary term practice,
writers response activities, and self-sustained reading. A second daily activity follows the
warm-up each day students are given a new word part (prefix, suffix, or root word) to learn
the meaning of and use in a variety of words. Students have the opportunity to come to the board
and share the words they believe use that word part. Vocabulary instruction is a vital part of the
English curriculum and I have found that learning word parts can greatly improve students
achievement in vocabulary.
When students have questions during lessons, I will instruct them to raise their hands and
ask so that the entire class can benefit from hearing the answer. In the beginning of the course, I
clearly explain that questions are a vital part of the learning process and that all students should
feel free to ask any question related to class material at any time. When students need additional
help outside of class time, they will be able to come in either before or after school at any time. I
will also be available during lunch breaks for students who may not be able to come before or

after school. This option of receiving extra help will be extended to all students in the beginning
of the course so that all students feel welcome to seek help throughout the course.
Students will be expected to be seated at the end of each class period. Once class has
ended and the bell has rung, I will dismiss the class when I believe they are ready to leave. The
policy of The bell does not excuse the class, I excuse the class is in place in my classroom. I
believe in this policy because it helps students stay focused and on task until the very end of
class. Class time is very important and I do not like to waste it on standing by the door.
Managing Student Behavior and Consequences
Student behavioral guidelines will be explained on the first day of the course. Included in these
guidelines will be:
1. Be respectful of each other and yourself.
2. Be prompt and prepared.
3. Participate fully.
4. Always do your best.
5. Follow all school rules.
These rules will be explained and discussed thoroughly at the beginning of the course so that no
questions or issues will arise by students misunderstanding the rules. When these rules are
broken, consequences will ensue. When a rule is broken for the first time, the student will receive
a verbal warning. Depending on the type of infraction, a student may be addressed in the hall
during class or I may address a student by just going over to his or her desk to talk. I will not
discipline students in front of the class unless I am addressing the class as a whole because I do
not believe that students should be disciplined through embarrassment. If an infraction is too
severe to warrant a warning, I will skip the warning step and move directly into more severe
consequences. I believe the warning and discussion phase is important because students need to
understand why some behavior is unacceptable for a school environment. Without discussion and
explanation, I would simply be enforcing rules rather than helping students grow as responsible
individuals.
Although no two situations are exactly the same, students will know that my general
progression of consequences is as follows:
1. Verbal warning and discussion of the infraction
2. Being sent out of the classroom and given an in-class assignment to complete
3. Call home and behavior management plan
4. Being sent to administration
Assessment
Assessment is an important part of education because it allows the teacher to see the
progress being made by the students and adjust lessons accordingly. I use formative assessment
at the beginning of a course to evaluate where students are beginning. I use these assessments to
plan not only what I will be teaching, but also how I will be teaching it. I have found that no two
classes are the same and therefore, I adjust my teaching for each class. Throughout the course, I
use a variety of assessments to evaluate student progress. Common assessments seen in my
classroom include writing assignments, journals, vocabulary quizzes, daily work, and homework.
I believe that student work is much more than a grade it can help guide me in how I should
differentiate my teaching to help students reach their potential.