Classroom Management

Audrey Kosman Classroom Management

During this transition from a student to an educator, I have experienced the need for effective classroom management in order to maintain a smooth functioning and productive classroom environment. Welcoming students prepared with routines and staying consistent with them from the beginning of the school year to the end establishes expectations and routines that are both beneficial for the students and the teacher. Along with building consistency in the classroom, an aspect of creating a positive learning environment is to build and keep a positive and trusting relationship with the students. Throughout the year, students spend so much of their time in the classroom, and so having a trusted educator that genuinely cares about their wellbeing can do wonders for classroom management. I sincerely want to demonstrate my care for the students and I will begin this process of involving students by first allowing students to help set the expectations for the school year. This is a strategy that I learned through my student teaching experience, and it really helps the students hold true to their expectation because it was not some “rule” they were told, but an expectation we all established together. One of the most important expectations my classroom that I expect from both the educators and the students is being respectful, through words and actions. Creating that environment of a safe space where all ideas are heard and respected (not laughed at, which I have seen is common in classrooms), is the environment that I will help to cultivate for my students. Students come from such different places in their lives I have noticed through my time of being in the classroom. Some students have mom and dad waiting at home, while other students live most of their time with an aunt who lives an hour away, and some other students do not even have a home to go to after school. It then becomes an educator’s job to provide some secure and reliable environment to these students because they may not be provided that environment anyplace else. Keeping consistent with classroom management expectations helps the classroom remain that safe place. Students will also be able to practice procedures in a consequence free environment in the beginning of the year. This investment of time in the beginning of the year may seem a bit silly, but the time put in early establishing those procedures like callbacks, taking an assessment, or turning in work, helps the rest of the year run much more smoothly. People make mistakes, and students make mistakes. Without allowing students to practice procedures in a consequence free environment is not allowing them to learn from mistakes. Once the students have the time to practice and work through their mistakes and be corrected, they then learn what is expected of them. Undesired behaviors I know will occur in any classroom and days will not run perfectly smooth, but it is important to allow students the opportunity to have an individual conversation with the teacher. I never want a student to feel “called out” for a behavior because that will destroy that relationship with the student. When disciplining a student, it will be after a conversation with the student, and there will be a clear and calm reasoning for the consequence.

These aspects of classroom management I will always been reflecting upon and staying true to as I believe a focus on relationships, consistency, and care for your students is so important in creating a productive and fair classroom environment.