Entry 3: Personal Philosophy for Management

and Discipline
My understanding of what it is that I am passionate about is still
being drawn out. I have identified an appreciation for connections.
Connections in relationships, beliefs, stories, meanings, and
learning. When I am learning it is when there is a connection to
something else that it stands out to me. In my philosophy for
management and discipline I want to explore this idea of
connections. If I am in full understanding of what it is that I am
passionate about then it will help me to become a better teacher.
Every day in the classroom involves discipline related decisions.
Knowing what is going to influence my decisions will allow me to be
a responsive teacher instead of being reactive. Having a clear
statement that is reflective of my vision for the future and what is
important will be a guide in my decision-making. In the
establishment of routines and rules I will have a prepared reason to
support intentions. My philosophy needs to be prepared and concise
so that I am in full understanding of it. The aim of having a
philosophy is to be preventative is stead of reactive to situations
requiring correction.
(Gibbs & Haddock, 1991).
Self
My outside the classroom life will influence the environment I
create in the classroom be consistent.
Know my students and the connections that make them who
they are.
Be in conversation with myself know my responses.
Provide an environment that is supportive and safe to learn in
encourage redeemed connections.
Learners
Actions have consequences.
Decisions influence others.
Safety and security found in connections allows for learning to
happen.
Reinforcement of expectations and rules needs to be
consistent and just.
Children are aware of a connection in friendship they know
when they are accepted and not. Their learning is affected by
broken relationships or connections.

Learning
Learning comes from anywhere include a variety of
experiences and opportunities.
A connection to somewhere else can lead to meaningful
understanding
To ensure good learning happens a child needs to be healthy
in all connections.
Be ready to respond to faulty connections for learning to
happen.
Plan to have flexible lessons in response to childrens
connections.

Self
The philosophy must be influential in my own private life outside of
the classroom. For me to be transformative in my approach to
teaching I must first be transformed; Practicing what I preach in
my own daily life. My actions must reflect my beliefs and philosophy
for what I want my students to live by. I must have the same
standards and expectations on myself. My life inside and outside the
classroom will be connected. What I do will transfer into my
interactions inside the classroom.
(Luke 16:13; Matthew 5:37)
I must acquaint myself with the connections necessary to connect
with my learners. To meet the needs at the level of my students I
must be in awareness of what connections make them who they are.
I must constantly observe the students behaviour as it could be a
result of connections outside of the classroom. My response to
behaviour needs to be full of grace and mercy; which is responsive
when knowing the students.
I must be an example of being well connected with myself (hauora).
Connections provide support and security. When I know there are
connections I feel secure. To provide the students a safe
environment I need to feel safe too.
The relationship I have with the students will be the most important
thing. When a child misbehaves I believe that it will influence our
connection. That connection must be restored. I must ensure that
the behaviour is addressed and made right so that we are both on
good terms. With a testing student on Practicum, I observed the way
I addressed her behaviour and reflected on her . On one occasion
she misbehaved and I asked her to sit out of the group. When she
rejoined the group I should have made it clear that her behaviour
was inappropriate. I could have included a response from her and
made our relationship better. I did move on but that could have

been confusing for her. I need to walk through a process. I am ready

to move on and look to the future but she has missed that.

Learners
The students enter the classroom as a complex web of connections.
I need to be aware of the good and broken connections. A healthy
learner is a happy learner; a healthy learner is well connected or
confident.
Students will enter the classroom at varied levels of development,
including discipline (Discipline by design). I must be in response to
the stage of the child in their discipline development towards
becoming respectful and successful contributors.
Know the connections outside of the classroom with the children.
The rules I would put in place in my classroom would be to
encourage security for learning to take place. The purpose of the
classroom is to learn and learning involves risks, mistakes and
vulnerability. To allow learning that is meaningful to occur every
student must feel comfortable to take risks, make mistakes and be
vulnerable. When that security is tested and weak there will be
mistakes that will stay as mistakes, risks will be reckless and
vulnerability will be seen as weakness. It is all connected.
Connections need to have guidelines to ensure they stay healthy.
Our actions have consequences. Restorative justice. Children need
to know that the decisions we make will be connected to the
consequences.
An understanding of the connections resulting of the actions. Our
actions affect others. It is because we are all connected that
For learning to happen each person is influential in the learning that
is going to happen in the classroom if the actions of one person
tarnishes a connection then that disruption will mean not much
learning is going to take place.
Romans 15:5 May God, who gives this patience and
encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other,
as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus.
On Practicum I experimented and tried making sure the child I was
dealing with knew that I knew their older sibling or had talked with
their mother. Sometimes it worked and usually only if the older
sibling had a kind of respect in the eyes of the child. I would say

things like would your sister do things like this? how would they
feel seeing you not behaving in the classroom. My intention was to
show them that I was connected with their family. I am not too sure
if this is an example of misuse or not. My intention was to get them
to understand that their behvaiour is not only affecting them but
others around them.
It is the kind of behaviour that distracts others that is frustrating. If
it harms others that is even more annoying. When children
purposefully distract others around them then it becomes a cause
for concern. The children need to understand that their behaviour
affects those around them even tho they do not understand it. It is
frustrating that I was just like those who use others as a shield.
Distract others so that they will take the blame. What I noticed the
ATs doing was praising the students who were ignoring those who
were distracting and praising them for staying strong. Everyone has
a limit and it is getting them before they are distracted that is
important. Once I have waited long enough they will become part of
the problem and it is the proximal praise that is quite powerful and
the peer pressure to take things seriously.
What I learnt on practicum was to be consistent. Before this
practicum I knew that consistency was important but it has only
seeing the implementation of routines that consistency is key to
learning. The learning environment is dependent on consistency.
Consistency with connections is something I need to upack. How can
I identify that connectiveness and consistency is linked?
There are students who are very people smart and they know how
to work people without even knowing it. These children I think are
important to the connectiveness of the students in the whole
classroom. Their presence is impacting on others and is very
powerful. The leaders in the class need to be on the same page as
me.
I am obsessed with connections. Influencing my actions and
decisions is this obsession. Connections form a secure foundation.
Prevention.
Response
Knowing the students and connecting their learning to their
interests.
Connections are important. When someone breaks the connections
or adds tension to the connection there will be strife.
We are all connected.
Our actions are connected to our heart.
Out actions connect and will impact others.
Our past, future and present are connected.

Learning
Learning needs to be connected for it to be understandable and
meaningful.
Trying the way I give commands. Saying thank you instead of asking
a question. Encouragement from Ashlee.
Restorative justice taupiri, crayons.

Connectedness
StrengthsFinder
Things happen for a reason. You are sure of it. You are sure of it
because in your soul you know that we are all connected. Yes, we
are individuals, responsible for our own judgments and in possession
of our own free will, but nonetheless we are part of something
larger. Some may call it the collective unconscious. Others may
label it spirit or life force. But whatever your word of choice, you
gain confidence from knowing that we are not isolated from one
another or from the earth and the life on it. This feeling of
Connectedness implies certain re- sponsibilities. If we are all part of
a larger picture, then we must not harm others because we will be
harming ourselves. We must not exploit because we will be
exploiting ourselves. Your awareness of these responsibilities
creates your value system. You are considerate, caring, and
accepting. Certain of the unity of humankind, you are a bridge
builder for people of different cultures. Sensitive to the invisible
hand, you can give others comfort that there is a purpose beyond
our humdrum lives. The exact articles of your faith will depend on
your upbringing and your culture, but your faith is strong. It sustains
you and your close friends in the face of lifes mysteries.

Ideation
You are fascinated by ideas. What is an idea? An idea is a concept,
the best explanation of the most events. You are delighted when you
discover beneath the complex surface an elegantly simple concept
to explain why things are the way they are. An idea is a connection.
Yours is the kind of mind that is always looking for connections, and
so you are intrigued when seemingly disparate phenomena can be
linked by an obscure connection. An idea is a new perspective on
familiar challenges. You revel in taking the world we all know and
turning it around so we can view it from a strange but strangely
enlightening angle. You love all these ideas because they are
profound, because they are novel, because they are clarifying,
because they are contrary, because they are bizarre. For all these
reasons you derive a jolt of energy whenever a new idea occurs to
you. Others may label you creative or original or conceptual or even

smart. Perhaps you are all of these. Who can be sure? What you are
sure of is that ideas are thrilling. And on most days this is enough.

Includer
Stretch the circle wider. This is the philosophy around which you
orient your life. You want to include people and make them feel part
of the group. In direct contrast to those who are drawn only to
exclusive groups, you actively avoid those groups that exclude
others. You want to expand the group so that as many people as
possible can benefit from its support. You hate the sight of someone
on the outside looking in. You want to draw them in so that they can
feel the warmth of the group. You are an instinctively accepting
person. Regardless
of race or sex or nationality or personality or faith, you cast few
judgments. Judgments can hurt a persons feelings. Why do that if
you dont have to? Your accepting nature does not necessarily rest
on a belief that each of us is different and that one should respect
these differences. Rather, it rests on your conviction that fundamentally we are all the same. We are all equally important. Thus, no
one should be ignored. Each of us should be included. It is the least
we all deserve.

Woo
Woo stands for winning others over. You enjoy the challenge of
meeting new people and getting them to like you. Strangers are
rarely intimidating to you. On the contrary, strangers can be
energizing. You are drawn to them. You want to learn their names,
ask them questions, and find some area of common interest so that
you can strike up a conversation and build rapport. Some people shy
away from starting up conversations because they worry about
running out of things to say. You dont. Not only are you rarely at a
loss for words; you actu- ally enjoy initiating with strangers because
you derive satisfaction from breaking the ice and making a connection. Once that connection is made, you are quite happy to wrap
it up and move on. There are new people to meet, new rooms to
work, new crowds to mingle in. In your world there are no strangers,
only friends you havent met yet lots of them.
Van Brummelen, H. (Walking with God in the classroom.
Churchward, B. (2003). 11 techniques for better classroom
discipline.
1. Command silence and wait to begin talking. If this doesnt
happen we convey the message that we are allowing them to
talk.
2. Give an outline for what is going to happen. Allocate time at
the end which will be eaten up if I have to wait for other
things.

3. Wait and then roam around the classroom. Check that the
class is on topic and on the right track. Be respectful of the
work going on around and talk quietly with students needing
assistance.
4. Be an example of what I expect them to do.
5. Use nonverbal cues
6. Think carefully about the environment. Too much or too little.
7. Be on the ball and sneakily bring students back to the topic.
Aware of the students mood and behaviour while teaching
(drop their name) and discretely correct students without
causing a fuss.
8. Clear rules and consistently enforced by the teacher.
9. Correction statements are focused on the required or
expected behaviour not on the bad behaviour. Say sentences
that start with I want you to I expect you to I need you
to instead of I saw you I want you to stop
10.
Humanistic I-messages When you talk while I talk I
have to stop my teaching and that frustrates.
11.
Positive discipline describe the behaviours you want
instead of listing things the student cannot do. Make ample
use of praise.
Gibbs, O. & Haddock, J. (1991). Discipline by design. Classroom
discipline pp. 3-20. Whittier, CA: ACSI.
My discipline decisions I make are a direct result of my philosophy
as a teacher.
To have consistency in my management processes I need to know
my developed philosophy of discipline. This is to avoid a classroom
discipline that is reactive to the behaviour of the class.
Biblical Principles:
To disciple students in the Lords way. Punishment looks back,
discipline addresses the future (p.4). the opportunity to redirect
students (p.5). The need for redirection is for because of our sinful
nature. 1 John 1:8. The focus is on the positive training necessary for
a happy and productive future. Jesus is our example of discipleship.
His ultimate goal for his followers was self-motivated discipline born
out of a personal desire to please God. (p.5). Discipline has eternity
in mind.
Chastening is the mark of sonship (Hebrews 12:8). Discipline is a
testimony of love and concern. It is the most beautiful expression of
love (p6). It is for the shaping of lives in the image of Christ (p7).
Godliness. Discipline provides the framework necessary to build
faith in Christ. We provide the requirements for healthy growth;
nurturing soil (Psalm 1:3). It is because of the worlds way of living;
doing each to his own accord; that we must make every effort to
show our students the necessity of living according to Gods
principles. Our classroom may be the only place that the children
will experience consistent principles of Gods Word.

Submission to authority. If we cannot submit to the authorities

over us how will be able to submit to Him who is unseen(p8).
Submission to parents and teachers is part of the development to
submission to God. Hebrews 13:17.
Learning by observing. Practice what I preach. Living by the
same standards that I hold to my students. Modeling the
expectations is the most effective and efficient way to teach
children appropriate behaviour. Hypocritical living is one of the most
damaging experiences for a students development. Respect is
gained by first practicing in my own life what I was expecting of
them (p12).
Respect. respect for God, self and others is foundational to
developing biblical self-discipline (p13). Respect is a demonstration
of honour or consideration for someone else. 1 Peter 2:17
Decision making. It is up to us to provide the options for students. It
is up to us to share the consequences. We must allow the students
to make the decisions on their own. We must encourage them to
make godly decision making.
Peers play an important role. Children develop and refine values
and beahviours as they associate with their peers. The desire to be
like others is a powerful motivating factor for students. (p.16).