For many beginning teachers, classroom management can be one of the most challenging aspects of their new career. As an elementary education graduate student, I have created a classroom management plan that I will implement in my classroom once I begin my teaching career. It is important to note though, that my classroom management plan will evolve as I gain more experience and insight into the field of teaching. Also, I recognize that my classroom management plan may need to be altered to fit my specific class of students and their specific needs.
To begin, my classroom management approach will be student-centered as I will focus on students’ needs, interests and activities. The behavior standards in my classroom will be high and appropriate for the grade-level I am teaching. The students will play a large role in creating the classroom rules. Together, we will decide what appropriate behavior is for our classroom, and these rules will be displayed in the classroom. I will ensure that all students understand the expectations of our classroom. Students will be made aware what the consequences for breaking the rules of our classroom are. I will strive to be firm, kind and consistent in my approach to rules and rule breaking. My goal will be to create a safe and orderly – yet fun – classroom, in which I can teach and my students can learn.
My classroom management approach will also be a proactive one. I will consider management while planning all parts of the school day to anticipate and prevent any behavior issues before they occur. I will practice “withiness.” My lesson plans will have a heavy focus on small group activities and hands-on lessons. Additionally, I will plan for each possible classroom management issue so that I can avoid problems before they happen.
My classroom management approach will be a positive one. By using positive reinforcement and by creating positive relationships with my students, it will again eliminate many behavior issues before they occur. I plan to use positive reinforcement for good behavior. For example, I may place a jar in the front of the classroom, and explain to the students that every time I catch a student being good or doing something exceptional, I will drop a marble into the jar. Once the jar is completely full, the students can choose a reward for their good behavior. This will not only encourage students to follow the rules, but hopefully it will get them to encourage one another to behave appropriately. This way students can work together to create a productive, well-behaved classroom and take ownership for their behavior.
The last important piece of my classroom management plan will be the positive teacher-student, student-student and teacher-parent relationships that I will foster. By holding weekly classroom meetings, students will have a chance to meet and talk in a safe, respectful environment. We will begin these meetings with compliments and appreciations. This is a time when students can offer a compliment to one of their classmates, or they can share something they appreciated about a classmate that day. Then, we will discuss any other issues brought up by students or myself. These classroom meetings and other group activities in our class will encourage students to build positive relationships with all of their classmates and myself. I plan to build a relationship with all parents of students in my classroom as well. I will welcome parent involvement, questions and feedback as I believe that parents are an essential element to a successful classroom management approach.
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