Billy Hennessy

Dr. Ressler
EDN 322
2/23/2016
Classroom Management Philosophy Statement
In my classroom management style, I prefer to use Frederic Jones positive
discipline model. I believe that this is the most effective method of discipline for the
high school environment that I have seen in my practicum experiences. One
component of Jones theory is the use of time outs as consequences to
misbehaviori. I have yet to deal with a situation where behavior was severe enough
to warrant this, but I think this consequence (especially a time out in another
teachers room) should only be utilized when students are acting out for attention,
need to calm down, or are posing a major disruption to the class. In other
instances, the consequences arent logical, which according to Driekurs, makes it
ineffective, and they result in missed instruction time, which is crucial for students ii.
However, I believe that his emphasis on consistency and clearly stating rules at the
beginning of the class is crucial to maintaining a well-managed classroom iii. In
addition to this, I try to implement his emphasis on overall group behavior, as this
creates a collaborative environment where the whole class is working towards the
same goals and avoiding the same consequences.
As far as the teacher-student relationship goes, I believe in a relationship of
mutual respect. A relationship of this sort allows both parties to believe in the other
and be willing to work together towards the common goal of student success with

content and skills. I try to foster this relationship by asking students about their
lives before class in my practicum. For example, one student is on the swimming
team, and I try to ask them how that is going for them periodically. For student-tostudent relationships, I try to have them work collaboratively as much as
possible. I have utilized activities such as webquests and discussions to increase
collaboration. This allows the students to develop strong relationships by working
together towards mutual goals. Another aspect of student-to-student relationships I
would like to implement in my classroom would be responsibility and omission
training. By creating rewards that all students need to work together to achieve, I
encourage collaboration and mutual respect between students.
Motivation of students, according to Jones, is best achieved through
genuine, academics-based rewards and incentives iv. I agree with this, and have
seen it in full effect in the practicum setting. One co-op used to do a Kahoot quiz on
Fridays that reviewed the weeks content for students. The quiz had to be earned
however, and the students had to complete their assignments in order to do so.
They loved the quiz, and would often encourage each other to get their work done.
In order for the quiz to be taken, they all had to comply with expectations, so there
was more stake in following expectations, and more reinforcement to do so. I for
see myself implementing a similar reward (some form of PAT), for my students as a
motivational incentive to work towards.
Promoting of responsible behavior is best done through responsibility training
and Lee and Marlene Canters assertive discipline. As I mentioned previously, I
think that PAT is a great incentive, and can be used to produce positive results in
both motivation and responsibility of students. The Kahoot example mentioned
earlier could easily be modified to include behavior as well. I would just have to

communicate beforehand that they would have to display good behavior in addition
to staying motivated and completing their work. By utilizing assertive discipline, I
can help students to easily identify which behaviors are not good examples of
responsible behavior by communicating in a clear, assertive tone. This is how I
have redirected student attention to their schoolwork in practicum, combined with
proximity to clearly communicate my expectations.
As far as the learning environments impact on the classroom, I think it is
important to foster a comfortable, collaborative learning environment. This means
encouraging student participation and also being encouraging to students. One
way that I plan to do this is to structure my classroom in pods. This sets them up
for group work and collaboration. In addition to this, it allows the utilization of
groupings such as think-pair-share that allow for confidence building and increased
participation.

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