Sophie-Anne Lalonde Leblanc

EDUC 5903E
Oct. 30, 2014
Classroom Management
Children spend a grand majority of their time in classrooms. They are there with several other
children and are expected to listen to an adult who essentially is a stranger to them. By keeping this
information into mind, you may be able to produce a warm atmosphere in the classroom where children
will then feel safer and more comfortable. It will ensure that all students are included regardless of their
strengths, weaknesses, or exceptionalities. Now, to create this kind of classroom, you need to have a
proper classroom management plan, an organized classroom, and, of course, you need to be able to
discipline the students for acceptable behaviour.

What are some of the main ideas for proper classroom management?
One of the main ideas for a good classroom management plan include a warm and comfortable
environment free of judgement. Each child is different in their strengths and weaknesses which can
sometimes create challenges in learning from a particular subject. As a teacher it's important to not only
recognize those characteristics in students but also talk about the differences in people to those children
in their class and teach them what difficulties others may have. By doing this, students will be able to
understand an sympathize with others when they are having difficulty in a certain subject area. It will
also create an classroom environment with both respectful teachers and respectful peers.
If you ever notice certain individuals keep disrespecting their peers in some way or if you
simply want to ensure that all students know what to do at all times, you may display the expectations
as a visual aid at the front of the class. Those expectations could, and should, be some suggestions
given by the children themselves because they feel like they need to follow the expectations since they
helped create them. They will take great pride in this project and by involving the students in creating
certain rules, you are creating a better and more positive atmosphere for your room.

What is the purpose of the classroom setting?

The classroom setting helps to create warmth and coziness for the children to feel comfortable.
If you think about it, who wants to work in a room where nothing is organized. It's hard for both adults
and children to find items or tools that they need when those objects are in places that make no sense
whatsoever. For that reason, you want to make sure that all the books are together, all the craft
materials are together, all the writing necessities are in the same place, and so forth.
You may also want to consider the space itself: Can you and the students walk from one station
to the next with ease?; Are there any objects blocking the way? You want to ensure the safety of your
students and for that reason you must consider any obstacles that may make moving around difficult.
You also want to ensure that children aren't sitting so close that they feel uncomfortable when working
so the spacing of desks or chairs is very important. Some children, like many adults, cannot work when
people are too close to them because they either get anxious or distracted. It is your duty as a teacher to
be aware of those challenges in your classroom.
As for the lighting, make sure you have enough of it so children can see properly. Natural
lighting is a great way to keep your class well lit during the day time. Lamps can also be used in the
reading area or throughout the class if there isn't much natural light coming in from outside. The great
aspect of lamps, though, is that they create a sense of home and coziness which may help students to
calm down and focus more easily on the task at hand. Again, if children are calmer and more focused, it
creates a more positive learning and working environment for students as well as teachers.
Now, when students finish a certain project, it is important to consider the possibility of
displaying it in the classroom. Those art project are the easiest to include in the classroom decorations
but it's important to consider other types of projects such as stories written by students. It not only
makes the child who has done the work feel proud, it also helps other students see the different ways a
certain project can be made. It teaches children to respect each other for their differences as well as for
their similarities and not to judge anyone negatively.

How are children disciplined to ensure a proper classroom climate?

Children should only be disciplined according to their behaviour. The disciplinary action never
is and never will be more disruptive than the behaviour exhibited. For example, if a child is talking a
lot during an activity, a simple touch of the shoulder and a whisper asking the child to continue on their
work may be enough for them to redirect their attention to their task. Now, if a child is physically
hurting another peer, the disciplinary action should be to remove the violent child from the classroom
or environment as soon as possible.
Another great way to discipline children is to basically discuss the expectations with them at the
beginning of the year and ask them to think of consequences to match certain behaviours. By
discussing the matter, children are more likely to retain the information and if they help come up with
the consequences, they will better be aware of what will happen if they don't listen to you. It will help
them become more independent and feel like they are more competent as students and as peers. You
will have a calmer and more respectful classroom at that time and children will appreciate the time
spent in class better.

How are routines part of a good classroom management plan?

Routines are important for many reasons, the first being that children need structure in their
lives to be able to function properly. By creating a routine such as writing what they have for
homework in their agenda every morning when they first enter the classroom will ensure that all
students are doing something and that they aren't roaming around the class not knowing what to do or
being disruptive. The popcorn effect comes into play when children don't know what to do or are bored.
If one child is being disruptive, soon thereafter others join in and then you end up with a class full of
students being disruptive and loud.
Routines also ensure that those children with exceptionalities, such as autism and ADHD, know
what will come next and will diminish the possibility of them becoming anxious about the day ahead of

them. Those students need the routines to be in place in order for them to function as normally as
possible. If the routine is disrupted, they may act out and it usually is quite difficult to calm them down
afterwards. A great way to include those students would be to put them in charge of the routines every
day but make sure that you tell them well in advance if there will be a change in routine. This way they
can help you to ensure that all of their peers, as aforementioned in the example above, write their
homework in their agendas each morning.
The routines aren't just for the students, though. Teachers need to have a certain routine in order
for them to prepare lessons properly and to ensure that everything is ready for their day. By knowing
what they are supposed to do before and after each lesson, they're ensuring a smooth run of the class.
This will give less opportunities for students to act out or disrupt the flow of the class. Although
routines are important at the elementary level, they need to be flexible. Children are unpredictable and
can be disruptive when they usually are great students, so it is your duty as a teacher to allow for
children to burn some energy throughout the day. For that reason, body breaks should be included in
routines as best and as often as needed. Those breaks are important to include in the routine because it
helps students focus better and diminishes the occurrence of misbehaviours during class time.

What is mindfulness and how do we include it in classroom management?

Mindfulness refers to the awareness of the teacher in the classroom. As a teacher you need to
know what is in your environment at all times, especially in your classroom. You may notice that a
certain student is acting out when they normally are doing great. If you decide to punish or discipline
that child, they will not understand why they are being punished and they may resent you for the action
taken. Instead, you should be aware that they may have had a bad day/night at home and for that reason
you should discuss the matter with them, alone. If something is happening, then the proper action shall
be taken, whether it be talking to the principal or contacting family services. Remember that, your
relationship to the child is one of the most important aspect of classroom management.

How does the teacher-student relationship relate to classroom management?

Children spend most of their life at school and need structure in the classroom to be able to
function properly. As the teacher, you are responsible for those students coming to your class everyday.
You need to ensure that they listen to you whether it is as a disciplinary measure or simply as a safety
measure. If students disrespect you, they will not listen to what you have to say. This can impact the
classroom especially if they are being disruptive. At that point in time, if they don't respect you, they
will not listen to you, no matter how hard you try to connect with them at that time. This is why it is
important for you to create a positive relationship with your students starting on the very first day of
class. Showing them that you care and that you want them to success by disciplining them
appropriately but, more so rewarding them as soon as a desired behaviour is displayed, should be
enough as long as you are consistent. Consistency is the key to creating positive relationships with
students.
Finally, classroom management will change from one school to the next and from one
classroom to another, but the ideas mentioned in this text have been shown to be some of the more
effective. Classroom management is complicated but if you, as a teacher show genuine care and
kindness to your students, it may not be as tedious a task as it sounds. Knowing what to look for and
when to stop a lesson, even just for a minute, is all it takes for children to appreciate the class, the
teacher and the general atmosphere. If you know how to manage your class, you will create a positive
place to work, to learn and to share for all students and teachers alike.