Classroom Management

Regardless of what grade(s) you are teaching, your students must feel comfortable enough and safe enough to effetively learn. The key to creating this environment in your classroom is classroom management. An effective classroom management plan establishes the teachers rules, structure, and intentional ways of running his/her classroom. Classroom management defines the learning environment and using a classroom management plan as a blueprint for positive ideals can directly lead the behaviors of both the teacher and the student.

 

 

Developing A Classroom Management Plan
The teacher should be able to develop an effective classroom management plan based on what he/she would like to see in the classroom. To do this, they must first research and gain a deeper understanding of what a classroom management plan really is. This understanding is imperative because this plan will set the tone for their classroom for the entire year.

Next, teachers should develop their philosophy. If a philosophy of teaching has already been developed, teachers should look deeper into it, read between the lines, and make sure that their philosphy of motivation truly states their goals. Also stated in a philosophy should be a small section on a theory that the teacher follows and plans to use in class. This may be any of the theories such as cognitive theories, behaviorist theories, or humanistic theories, but it should definitely be one that you know you will follow.

In my opinion, teachers should explore the different types and philosophies of discipline as well. After researching, I found that it is very helpful to divide the subject of classroom discipline into three types. These are: Preventive Discipline, Supportive Discipline, and Corrective Discipline. Each of these varies in approaches, and one of the main differences in the three is the timing in which the student is disciplined. This step is important to developing a classroom management  because although you will have to consider the school/district's policies and procedures, knowing these approaches will help to shape the preventive methods and classroom rules of your class. Knowing these will also help to shape the consequences of actions performed, expectations of students and parents,and the reward system of the class.

The last step is to write a contract explaining your newly developed classroom management plan. An effective way to ensure that all students and parents understand the plans for the upcoming year is by sending the contract home to all students and requiring that it be signed by all three parties - student, parent, and teacher. By signing a contract stating that all rules and expectations are understood, each party becomes "contractually bound" to abide by these rules and expectations. After contracts have been signed, the rules and expectations should be posted in the classroom as a constant reminder of responsibilites of the class.

Here are some great links to assist you in developing an effective plan of classroom management:
http://ci.columbia.edu/ci/tools/0511/
http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Classroom-Management-Plan
http://www.geom.uiuc.edu/~dwiggins/plan.html