Classroom Management Philosophy Ashley Savoie Imagining your classroom before you have ever set foot in one

can be a somewhat troublesome feat, it is likely a somewhat idealized representation of how things will actually come to be. That being said any teacher going into the profession who truly has a need to teach likely has some ideas of how they plan to manage their classroom, from the way it will look, the way they will run it, even to what they plan to promote. Classroom Environment Physical environment makes classrooms the classrooms we see successful teaching environments. From what I have learned as a student, through this program and my short observation time I have noticed how simply an atmosphere can change depending on the way things are placed. Physical environment goes beyond seating plans and what is on the walls however, if I could illustrate my ideal classroom it would be bright, have good air circulation, and perhaps be painted a color other than the normal drab beige. These things would be implemented into the classroom so as to ensure students were stimulated subconsciously, perhaps even get them excited for learning. Keeping some mementos in the classroom and some photographs as well, will give my students a feeling of connection that would not be there if I had blank walls and surfaces. I plan to display student work around the room so that students have something to be proud of, whatever this work or artwork may be. I feel that regardless of the grade level these things can be implemented and beneficial, even in a high school class students deserve to connect with their environment and their teacher. While I have never been a green thumb myself, I do feel some plants could

be beneficial in a classroom and will be exploring that option. Similarly while listening to music is a very personal experience I plan to find music that appeals to the majority and have that play in both recreational and quietly during work time. It seems that music is often overlooked yet students to the best of my knowledge use it when studying at home, and under that logic it could be beneficial for students to learn with the aid of music at school as well. There are some issues with physical environment that will only truly be dealt with in my own classroom for instance as there are rules on what and how much you can have in your classroom, as we saw in the presentation on physical environment, yet there are people who never meet these standards. Students should also feel as if they can be free to be themselves, as long as that is conducive a respectful, encouraging, welcoming environment. I hope to use the physical and the overall feeling of the room to produce a successful learning environment. This will likely happen through open concept grouping of desks, the times of single rows of desk are seemingly gone, which definitely is not a bad thing. Routines For the routines I hope to employ in my classroom I propose simple effective routines. These routines should be that of common sense, for instance when you get to class begin getting whatever materials you would need for the given class. Students should be able to do these things without direction, or with a simple reminder at best, as it will diminish the amount of time students would waste waiting for a queue from the teacher to prepare for class. Another important aspect of routines is simply to keep them consistent, things change enough in day to day life and many students find comfort in routines. The issue with

routines is the negative connotation of the word, routine sounds like something you would not want in your life as it is boring, yet structure can be nothing but beneficial. Having a general plan for the day, keeping the things that will not change as a routine gives more time for things that may happen outside of the routine. A major component of routines of course is time management and vice versa, it likely one of the most important parts of classroom management for new teachers, simply for the fact that we have no basis to gauge how long things should take. In theory we are told that everything we plan can take up to twice as long, but a teacher should never be unprepared for students who finish early. That being said I hope to have tentative timelines structured into my lessons, including time for students to refresh whether it is to talk, shake it out, go for a drink, or something along those lines. There should also be time management in the sense of how long students are given to complete work, to create and maintain a structure will help me to ensure students know what is expected of them. Making rules in the classroom This may be one of the most common sense topics when you think of how to implement classroom management at the beginning of the year, but in most cases because of this it is also looked over. Throughout the Bachelor of Education program we discussed and learned about how to implement rules into your classroom, rules that would work in real world situations, and for this I am eternally grateful. For implementing rules into my classroom I look to what I learned in interviewing my former teachers, as well as new techniques and strategies I learned through the progression of presentations and discussions

within the class. For instance it did not occur to me to simply have a list of rules you would like and use these as guiding principles when allowing your students to dictate what they wish the rules to be. Students should be involved in the rule making process, but the teacher can still make sure the important rules are met. It was also a quite interesting for me to realize just how important it is for classroom rules to reflect the school rules, something that should happen in any classroom. That being said I hope to implement general rules, rules that while being few in number, cover a wide variety of things and simply ensure respect for the teacher and all students being met. A teacher who I found to be very influential in my path for entering this profession, Mr. Craig Eagles, was kind enough to give me some advice early into this process it is something that I hope to implement into my classes as I think it fits greatly into classroom management. He wrote to me saying, If [you] can motivate students and create an environment where they are relaxed and enjoy the class you have them hooked. But the following statement is a MUST for young teachers, for every behaviour you ignore [there] is a behaviour you will have correct. Keep that in mind when in front of a class and you will do great! It was great to hear this and I will do my best to apply it in every classroom situation I have. This does imply another important part of rule making that has made up a large component of the research I have done, make rules early. They should be made in the first few weeks, this is something I will definitely be implementing within my first year of teaching. Something that sometimes ties into rules and following rules is rewards, without getting to

much into the debate of whether or not rewards are appropriate I wish to implement a specific type within my classroom. Personal rewards, something such as praise or interest given on my behalf and on the behalf of a students peers will help to ensure confidence amongst the classroom as a whole. All too often we see great minds bogged down by low self worth and confidence when something as simple as a smile or confirmation that their contribution is valued can change that in a short time. Promoting diversity Coming from an area that had a diverse population in my high school years I know just how important it is to promote diversity even in areas where visible diversities are not present. Students should be knowledgeable in local culture, Canadian culture, and world culture. The very diversity within the classroom would be a place I would like to start, for there is so much beneath the surface that students do not see about one another, and similarly they may not see what they have in common. With my background in sociology I am a big advocate of learning about other cultures and accepting them for these things. I enjoy the idea of culture integration, but have a major problem with blending cultures to the point where their origins are lost. In my classroom I hope to ensure a positive environment where students feel comfortable being whom they are, students should learn to embrace others and to do so I am very interested in having students make global connections. As a world growing in technological advances there is simply no reason to teach completely within the classroom anymore. Even more importantly should I gain a position in Social Studies it will be my place to promote cultural difference of the past and present, to help

shape students view of the world in a way that will promote acceptance and diversity for the future. While this may seem vague or possibly idealized I hope to be able to implement partial aspects of the categories above, for I feel they are the core of a working classroom. We want our students to be excited and happy to come to school, we want them to succeed and be proud. To ensure this our classroom itself should reflect these goals, and we as teachers need to step in and fill any spaces that may be lacking with our own personalities and expertise. The only way to figure out what works for your class is to begin the school year with a vision but be open for changes along the way, forcing students into your planned environment can be even more detrimental than not having any structure at all.