Behavior Management Philosophy

It has been well documented that students behaviors in class can greatly impact the
classroom climate and the extent to which all students are actively engaged in instruction. Over
the years, improving student discipline and classroom management skills has been considered
one of the most imperative tasks for educators. Even though a students academic achievement is
considered a primary measure of teacher effectiveness, successful classroom management skill is
a more crucial factor for a students success than academic teaching skills (Koh & Shin, 2014).
My goal in implementing a classroom management procedure is to create a positive classroom
climate to maximize student learning. To this end, during my teaching internship I implemented
clear and consistent classroom procedures, and built positive teacher-student relationships to
foster a productive, safe, and respectful learning environment.
At the beginning of the school year, my mentor teacher and I communicated the
classroom rules and expectations to the children clearly and directly. We also modeled each days
routines, agendas, assignments, and activities. It is imperative to create a classroom with stability
and consistency because some of our students come from home environments that are chaotic,
and we have found that creating a classroom where they feel connected, secure, and valued is a
tremendous asset to their learning. Establishing the classroom routines and expectations took
time, repeated reinforcement, and practice, but after about two weeks, the students knew what to
do, how to do it, and when to do it. As a result, there was little downtime and learning was
productive because the students were motivated and on task, and this also promoted a workoriented but relaxed and pleasant classroom climate.
One of the behavior management systems we used in our classroom is a school-wide
implemented behavior chart. The chart is split into seven color coded tiers: outstanding, great

job, good job, ready to learn, slow down, think about it, and parent contact. Each day the
students begin at ready to learn and throughout the day we reward the students for good behavior
by moving them up the behavior chart or moving them down if they display poor behaviors.
When we move students down, we always emphasize the fact that they should think about how
to make good choices to turn their day around. Additionally, the chart corresponded to the
students behavior folder that the kids take home for their parents to sign on a daily basis. This
informs the parents on how their child is doing and continue to work on reinforcing positive
behaviors at home. Overall, this has proven to be an effective method to encourage the students
positive behavior and discourage undesirable ones.
In conclusion, behavior management is an essential component to every classroom. It is
the key to maximizing instructional time and promoting a healthy learning environment for
students to thrive in. During my teaching internship, I learned that educators must plan and
clearly communicate classroom expectations and procedures, and build positive teacher-student
relationships through care and respect in order to foster an environment that is safe, trusting,
caring, and beneficial for the children. A well-managed classroom climate can prevent distracting
events and behavioral issues, which ultimately allows for more quality instruction and increase
learning opportunities for all students.
Bibliography
Koh, M., & Shin, S. (2014). A Comparative Study of Elementary Teachers Beliefs and
Strategies on Classroom and Behavior Management in the USA and Korean School
Systems. International Journal of Progressive Education, 10(3).