Introduction I believe firmly in the fact that classroom management is the most important component of any educational setting.

Based on the fact that students attend school to learn and reach their full potential, it is my job as the classroom teacher to provide them with an environment in which to do so. In developing this productive environment I do not intend on continuously punishing behaviour issues, but instead setting the stage for success. In doing so, I will implement a combination of preventing behaviour problems with interesting activities, effectively engaging all students within the classroom, and ensuring that all of their needs are met. By making sure that my classroom possesses a safe, yet challenging atmosphere, I feel confident that I will be able to satisfy varying needs. By allowing my students the opportunity to voice their opinions, speak about what it is that interests them, and talk openly to me about any issues they may be facing, I feel like they will be more apt to respond in class. Knowing that they have someone who is listening to them and paying attention to their needs, I feel like they will be more responsive to any expectations within the classroom. It is my goal to provide my students with the necessary skills to think critically and problem solve. By openly communicating with the class and positively reinforcing discussion, students stand to learn from myself and each other. I want to make sure, that as a classroom community, we are achieving success together, and that students are a part of their learning. I want for my students to stay engaged by providing them with new information and fun and interesting curriculum based activities. It is a proven fact that children learn better when they are a part of a cooperative culture and secure environment. By creating a culture of respect within my classroom, I fully intend on allowing my students the opportunity to strive!
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I believe firmly in the fact that the establishment of positive relationships within the classroom are the key to developing a productive and respectful leaning environment. In an effort to form the desired setting, I believe that it is essential to involve the students in the development of classroom rules and expectations. If students are involved in the construction of their learning environment, they will be far more motivated to comply with rules, engage in conversation, and get excited about learning. I want very much for my students to feel comfortable communicating with others in the classroom, including myself. As a teacher, I will refuse to spend more time managing my class than providing them with opportunities to learn. 10 beliefs 1. I believe that students need to be responsible for their actions. 2. I believe that students need to feel like they are being supported in their learning and that their needs are being met. 3. I believe that as a teacher, I need to encourage my students. 4. I believe in the collective development of goals, rules, and expectations within the classroom. 5. I believe that as a teacher, I need to set my students up for success. 6. I believe that the classroom should be a community, not just a sterol learning environment. 7. I believe that students should be recognized for positive behaviour. 8. I believe that students should feel safe and secure about their abilities to reach their potential. 9. I believe that students should be involved in their learning process; meaning that they should have input on what it is they are learning about. 10. I believe that parents should play an active role in their childs learning experiences and their classroom community.
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Preventative Discipline I will have to ensure that the curriculum is worthwhile, interesting, and engaging. I must remember that its alright for students to have fun as they learn. I will be sure to empower my students by giving them responsibilities and asking them for their input. I will challenge my students while at the same time supporting them as they learn. I will ensure that my classroom is arranged in such a way that I can easily access all students and that they are all able to equally benefit from instruction and examples. I will make sure that after collectively developing classroom rules, I must reach a clear understanding of appropriate classroom conduct. I must discuss and practice the behaviors that we have jointly agreed upon. I will have to be sure to be the best role model I can be by showing respect, concern, etiquette, courtesy, and helpfulness.

Corrective Discipline With reference to corrective discipline, even the most valiant efforts in preventative and supportive measures cannot eliminate misbehaviour. When students violate the rules, I must deal with the situation in a quick and concise manner. Corrective discipline should not be a power struggle, nor should it be meant as a form of intimidation. Based on the fact that I would prefer to focus on positive behaviour within the classroom, I will redirect misbehaviour in positive ways. For example, if Student A is speaking when they should be listening to important instructions, I may make it a point to have them assist me in an example of what it is that I would like the class to do. In doing this, I have engaged the student in a fun, hands on activity, while at the same time putting a stop to the inappropriate behaviour. At the beginning of the year I will provide the students with envelops, on which they will write their address. In an effort to provide both parents and students with positive feedback, I will make a point of sending three or four home each week. It will be my goal to acknowledge good behaviour and academic success within my classroom. By sending
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letters home, I will be providing parents with the opportunity to become more involved in their childs learning successes and classroom activities. No matter how significant the achievement, I will be sure to send letters home for all of my students throughout the year. This will provide them with the confidence needed to succeed academically and socially within the classroom. Apart from the fact that I believe in reinforcing good behaviour, I dont particularly agree with continually rewarding students with treats and material goods. As stated by Thomas Gordon, creator of Teacher Effectiveness Training, rewards undermine intrinsic motivation. Students should want to do well for the purpose of their own well-being, not because they are going to be rewarded with something. By positively reinforcing good behaviour through positive feedback, I believe firmly in the opinion that students will be more motivated to take risks, ask questions, and do well. By giving students this power, I will be providing them with the necessary skills and knowledge to become efficient and good learners. Procedures and Routines Board work: I will have a schedule of the day on the board for the students to copy into their notebooks. On a couple days during the week I hope to put a question on the board, prompting them to participate in a free write. For example, on a Monday morning I may write, I rate my weekend as a ______ because... As students complete this task, I will be given the opportunity to take care of housekeeping items such as attendance. Morning message: After I have completed my housekeeping duties, I will welcome the students each morning and present them with a quote of the day. This will allow them
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the chance to make the daily shift from their home selves to being members of the classroom community. Daily planners: Students will be provided with daily planners. These will be used to record homework and important dates. At the end of each day, I will have the students write a sentence about something exciting they did or learned about. After checking to ensure that all students have written something, I will initial beside the relevant date. At the end of each day, students must take their planners home to be checked and initialled by their parents. Students must bring their planners to school with them each morning. Not only is this an effective way for students to keep themselves organized, but a fantastic mode of communication between the teacher and the parents. Homework: With reference to homework, I would never assign it just for the sake of keeping my students busy. When assigning homework, it must be relevant to the discussions in class, and beneficial to the student. It is possible that I will assign extra work between 2-3 evenings per week. In order for students to gain confidence in their understanding of the assigned task, I will be sure to give them ample notice, allowing them the chance to get extra support if necessary. Class transitions: In terms of making transitions between classes, it is my goal for it to take up as little time as possible. With approximately five minutes left in the class, I must be sure to reiterate the important points discussed within the class and give the students the opportunity to reflect and ask questions. By allowing them the chance to discuss the material covered, I will be able to gauge how well they understand the topic, and to what extent they are interested in it.

Classroom jobs: This procedure is important based on the fact that it helps students develop responsibility. Each week, the students will rotate through different jobs such as calendar, weather, hand outs, assistant, and technology. The calendar person must say the day, month, date, and year to the classroom, the weather person must check the temperature and conditions, and record it, the hand out person hands out any worksheets, books, etc, the assistant can take things to the office for the teacher when needed, and the technology person is in charge of ensuring that all of the technology within the room is properly turned off and put away. Anyone whose name is not included on the board is on vacation.

Struggling students: For students who seem to be having difficulty with homework or other related classroom tasks, I would make a point to have a conference with them to ensure that they get back on track. By making sure that I stay on top of my students work, I will be able to provide those who need it with some extra support. It is very important to me that each and every one of my students feels like they are important and are capable of doing well. I want for my students to be well aware of the fact that they are in control of their learning. By asking questions and requesting help when needed, I am able to help them with whatever area they may be struggling with.

Rules Listen to and follow directions Raise your hand before speaking or leaving your seat Keep your hands to yourself Respect yourself, your classmates, and your teacher *Smile often Based on the fact that I want my students to be involved in their learning and the development of the environment in which they will do so, I would develop these rules with
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them as a group. At the beginning of the year I would pose the question as to how they thought our classroom should be run. What do you think is important to keep in mind in the classroom? How should we all treat one another? Why do we have rules? After brainstorming, we will collectively decide what we want to get out of our time together, and make up the rules accordingly. Examples Scenario 1 A fight on the playground Student A and Student B get into a fight at recess about who won the soccer game. After being told by the teacher on duty to walk away from one another, it continues to escalate. It reaches the point where Student A kicks Student B in the shin, causing him a great deal of pain. At that point, the teacher on duty brings the students into my room and gives me an explanation as to what happened. Based on the fact that the students are always well aware of what my expectations are of them, they knew very well that their behaviour was inappropriate. In an effort to shift the accountability to them, I will have them each write out a behaviour report describing what happened, why they became so angry, who it involved, and what they felt they needed to do to resolve this. Upon completion, I will check and initial them, then debrief with the students about what it is they feel they must do. After deciding on a solution, Student A and Student B must apologize to one another, and take the letters home to be signed by their parents. Once returned, I would be sure to file the letters. By having the students take responsibility for their actions, they are far more likely to be motivated to display appropriate behaviour. Not only did I shift the accountability, but I saved myself a great deal of time with reference to
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writing reports and developing consequences. I was instead able to address the incident while at the same time focussing my positive time and energy on the rest of the class. Scenario 2 Frustration in the lab Student A is an extremely bright student who has become frustrated with the members of her lab group. Based on the fact that a number of the activities are done in groups, students are put in a position where they must work together and make each other accountable for his/her contributions to the group. Student A walks up to me and states her frustrations with the group. She believes firmly in the idea that the rest of her group is not sharing the responsibilities evenly, and that maybe she shouldnt have to do her part either. Allowing her to speak, I nod my head, signalling that I am listening to her. Continuing with her rant, she states that the other group members never do their part, robbing those who have been participating of some really important content. Once again displaying my interest in her concern, I reply with uh-huh. At this point, there is a change in the tone of her voice as she begins to think about what it is that her group could do to change. Maybe we should talk to everyone as a group, so they know how this is affecting each of us. Again, to reassure her that I am listening and that I agree with her sudden change in tone, I nod. Finally coming to a positive solution on her own, she concludes that her group will meet the following day to develop a better plan for more effective communication and completion of the group work. Signalling to her that she has developed a positive and appropriate solution, I say sounds great! Within this scenario, I have given the opportunity for my student to think for herself, problem solve, and come up with a positive solution. By reassuring her that I was listening to her, and showing genuine concern for her frustration, she was able to identify the problem and devise a plan all on her own.
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Scenario 3 A student with a past Student A came with a pretty extensive history of violence from the year before. I was warned by his former teacher that he was an extremely troublesome young boy; he was aggressive and had numerous suspensions. After being confronted with such information, I reiterated my belief that students shouldnt be judged or treated on the basis of past offences. In an effort to get to know Student A, and perhaps make a positive change in his life, we were going to have to start with a clean slate. Despite my effort to start fresh, his poor behaviour often consumed him. He was an extremely bright student, but frequently lost focus, negatively affecting the progress of other students. In an effort to make a positive change, I told him that he needed to visit paradise in order to learn how to meet expectations. Before making his paradise, I asked him, If there was anywhere in the world you could go, where would it be? He answered with Disneyland! I taped a piece of paper with the Disney castle on it to his desk and set it right beside mine. Together, we made up Disneyland. Day to day, I was able to develop a relationship with Student A through short conversations about things that I knew interested him, and reinforcing his positive behaviour and good work. It got to the point where he was willing to do anything that I asked of him. Based on the fact that he was comfortable, he wanted to remain close to my desk. He decided that being successful within the classroom was far more beneficial to him than spending time in the principals office. After several weeks, he chose to sit with the rest of the students. After gaining a new found confidence in his ability to succeed and communicate better with others, this was a success. Although Student A will have his behavioural ups and downs throughout the year, I have seen vast improvements. By
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focussing on his positive attributes, reinforcing good work, and paying attention to his needs, Im sure we can be successful in achieving positive goals together. Developing Relationships with Parents By developing a strong relationship with parents, we will cooperatively build the foundation for their childs learning success. At the beginning of the year, I will host an open house for our classroom. This will serve as an opportunity for both students and parents to become better acquainted with the classroom and myself as the teacher. During the open house I will have a paper on each students desk. On this piece of paper, I will provide three lines, on which students, along with their parents, can write three learning goals for the year. I will be sure to keep these on file to refer to half way through the year, and at the end. By doing this, I will be relaying the importance of parent involvement in their childs learning experience. If parents do not have the chance to attend the open house, I will make an effort to give them a welcome to school call. First impressions are everything, and if parents know that you are interested in building a relationship with them and their children, they will be far more motivated to support you. Another mode of communication that I will be using is weekly praise letters. As previously stated, I will provide my students with envelops at the beginning of the year and have them write their addresses on them. Each week I will be sure to send home three or four letters to parents stating their childs good behaviour, great work, helpfulness, etc. By doing this, I will be providing my students with a great deal of confidence, and their parents with the pleasure of knowing that their child is doing well. No matter how small the improvement, deed, or task, I will send home a letter for each of my students throughout the course of the year.
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A third form of communication that I will be implementing will be daily planners. As previously stated, these planners will serve as a form of written communication between the students, their parents, and me. Based on the fact that the planners will be sent home and collected daily, this will be a consistent way of relaying important information to parents on a regular basis. For content not suitable for planners, I will have an e-mail account used strictly for parent/teacher discussions. When discussing with parents any concerns I may have, I will be sure to begin the conversation on a positive note. All children have something good about them, so I must relay what that is before I share my concern. Based on my belief that positive relationships are essential for the success of the students, parents will be informed of the fact that they can always reach me with comments, questions, and concerns. I will make it a priority to ensure that my students reach their full potential, and in doing so, parent support will be necessary. Dealing with Diversity With reference to dealing with diversity in my classroom, ensuring that each of my students feels welcome, safe, and cared for is going to be crucial. In order to create a culture of respect within my classroom, it is going to be imperative that each and every one of my students is treated equally. In tune with my ten beliefs as a classroom teacher, students need to be respectful of themselves, others, and their environment. By promoting and celebrating diversity within the classroom, students will be more apt to understand and accept it. In an effort to help children become more accepting of our changing society, it will be essential for me to provide them with lessons and activities surrounding diversity. With the intention of broadening their cultural horizons, I think that that the
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implementation of literature, music, cuisine, and traditions into the classroom is enriching. Given Canadas multicultural makeup, I believe that it is imperative for todays student to possess a greater understanding of the cultural richness not only of his or her nation, but the classroom as well. Should I possess a class with different ethnic backgrounds, it will be highly beneficial to celebrate the culture and community within it. Perhaps I could interweave a culture day into a social studies unit. Not only does this allow children the opportunity to learn about different ethnicities, but provides them with the chance to take pride in their own. Such activities will be beneficial in establishing a culture of respect within my classroom. Conclusion As stated earlier, it is my strong belief that classroom management is the key to an environment where healthy learning can take place. As a classroom teacher, I believe firmly in the fact that positive relationships are the foundation upon which success is built. By collectively establishing goals, expectations, and rules, I feel confident that as a classroom community, we will be successful in creating a culture of respect. From a young age, children are taught the basic skills needed to live successfully within society as we know it. It is at this level that the ability to think critically, problem solve, socialize, and be independent become apparent. I hope to create an environment that encourages learning and involves each of my students. By being given the chance to ask questions, participate in discussions, and think for themselves, children can open their eyes, forming their own perceptions of the world around them. In doing so, they are given the necessary tools to recognize issues and embark on opportunities. It will be a priority within my classroom to make my students comfortable in their surroundings and confident in their abilities to
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succeed. With reference to education as a whole, educators need to revisit the simple joys of teaching and take into account the interests of their students. By listening to their concerns and prompting them to ask questions, they are sure to develop the necessary skills to take risks. Most importantly, classroom management should not focus solely on the correction of inappropriate behaviour, but on praising positive behaviour, building strong relationships with students, and encouraging them to do well.

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