Developing your philosophy of classroom

management
John De Nobile
School of Education, Macquarie University
With adaptations by Roberto H Parada, School of Education, University of Western Sydney

This resource consists of a series of linked activities chapter-by-chapter to Lyons et al.

Classroom Management: Creating positive learning environments 4E. These activities enable
you to progressively work on and develop your own philosophy, plan and style of classroom
management.

A classroom philosophy, simply put, is a statement of what you believe about how to best
manage a class and how you will go about achieving that vision. This resource will help you
build it bit by bit. Complete the activities linked to each chapter of the text and by the end
of chapter 10 you should be able to bring your work together to form your classroom
philosophy.
(Week 1) Chapter 1: Modelling classroom management
In this chapter you have gained a small insight into the hectic world of teachers starting out,
and have been exposed to the bases of a good classroom management plan through the
Lyford Model. The following activities are designed to get you thinking about your own
model of teaching and classroom management.

1.1 What is a ‘good teacher’? Think about the teachers from your days in primary and
secondary schooling. What qualities did they have that made them ‘good’? Make a list
in the box below.

The qualities that I found to make a teacher good were those that listened. In high school
the teachers that most helped me, were those that fuelled my learning. It sounds cliché but
it was in William Butler Yeats’ words “Education is not the filling of the pail but the lighting
of the fire”. It was the teachers that lit a fire within me that I feel were those that were truly
great, these teachers nurtured passions that I had, and helped me develop passions that I
did not know existed.

1.2 Using the Lyford Model as a starting point, what do you think are the key considerations
when a teacher is planning their strategy for classroom management? After making
some rough notes, pick out the most important ones and list them below.

The Lyford model is a holistic approach to understanding classroom management. Using this
as a starting point, as a teacher it is important to understand and give consideration to the
factors of the model when planning a strategy for management of the classroom. The Lyfrod
model is also reflexive at its core, so this is also a very important part of classroom
management.

1.3 With your responses to the last two activities as a source of ideas, complete the
sentence in the box below.

I believe good teaching is about … understanding the individual needs of students, and
ensuring that interactions with students are positive rather than negative. I believe that
good teaching is about providing an environment that is conducive to learning and a
teaching that is concomitant with student engagement and success.
(Week 2)Chapter 2: Classroom management theory
In this chapter you have been introduced to some theories of behaviour/classroom
management. More are presented in the online companion. Some of these might have
caused you to react in some way, either negatively or positively. Of the ones you developed
a positive feeling about, was there a particular theory that stood out? Was there a theory or
approach that you felt might fit your view of how children should be treated and how
teaching happens? Think about this before responding to the activities.

2.1 In the box below, list the theories that you think are ‘not for you’ under the heading
‘Not me’, and the theories that you think are more favourable under the heading ‘More
like me’.

Not me More like me

I cannot really answer this question, as I Goal-centred theory
have little real-world applications of using Choice theory
the theories. Also, it is not really about what CBT
I prefer, but about what works, and what the Assertive Discipline
students react to in a positive way. Applied Behaviour Analysis

2.2 Now take a closer look at the theories you placed in the ‘More like me’ column. Read
the suggested readings provided in this chapter and the online companion. Get to know
the theories more intimately. Use this new knowledge, specifically the key philosophies
behind the theories (or theory), to develop your own statement of belief about the sort
of places classrooms should be. Complete the following sentence and perhaps add
another to accompany it.

I believe classrooms should be places where …every student feels a sense of belonging, and
is engaged in the learning. Classrooms should be inclusive at the heart of the learning, and
positive behaviour for learning (PBL) approaches should be employed. Negative interactions
should be limited, and students should feel as if they have a voice in the classroom, not like
they are passive participants.
(Week 3)Chapters 3 & 6: Relationships, communication & Professional
reflexivity
Effective communication is a key component of effective classroom management, and
quality teaching depends on it. This chapter describes some very useful skills for dealing
with inappropriate student behaviour in a non-confrontational and positive way. Being
aware of non-verbal cues will lead a teacher to be more sensitive to how their messages are
being received as well as how to send messages and provide feedback more effectively.
Active listening allows teachers and students to interact with minimal interference from
underlying emotional factors. I-messages provide the teacher with a tool to convey to
students how their behaviour is affecting the class in a non-submissive, informative and
positive manner.

Teaching philosophies often describe the way a teacher will interact with their students and
this, in turn, provides a window into the classroom climate that a teacher is trying to
establish. The following activities should help you to identify your preferred way of
communicating with the class generally as well as in dealing with inappropriate behaviour.
After completing them you should have a better idea of how your classroom philosophy will
describe your communication style in the classroom.

3.1 After reading this chapter and doing some of your own follow-up reading, list in the
boxes below which communication methods you are most attracted to, and which ones
you have not tried but would not mind practising to see if they might work for you.

My preferred communication style Things I’d like to try out

Reciprocal interactions Active listening
Non-verbal communication Open Questioning
Gesturing Negotiating
Proximity

3.2 You will need to pre-empt the communication paragraph in your philosophy with a
sentence or two underpinning or justifying it. Using your readings of the chapter, in
particular the Relationships and communication, Interference, Communication process
and Non-verbal communication sections, complete the sentence in the box below. You
might need to add a second or even a third sentence.

I believe that good communication between teacher and student is vital to a positive
classroom climate because … If students feel that a conversation is one-sided, or that the
teacher is not really listening to what is being said then they disengage from the learning.
Good communication is vital as it is through this that reciprocal interactions can occur, and
for students to feel like they are valued, and that their opinions matter. This is all related to
building a strengthened teacher-student relationship which is vital
3.3 To complete your paragraph on communication you will now need to identify the key
strategies you will use. Take another look at the lists in 3.1 and pick the most suitable of
these to complete the section below.

Therefore, I will … Active listening, open questioning, and using non-verbal clues as an
analysis point I believe are important to employ whilst teaching. This will ensure that
students feel like they have a voice in the classroom, which is important.

This week you also looked at how personal beliefs can help or hinder in your relationships
and communication with students.

3.3 Briefly outline your understanding of how beliefs can help or hinder your ability to
create positive learning environments:

Teacher personal beliefs affect the way we create Positive Learning Environments by …
alienating students. If a teacher has personal beliefs that sit at odds with students, and the
teacher allows these into the classroom, this will interrupt the formation of healthy-student
teacher relationships. Beliefs can help in some ways as wall as these may be in the interest
of students. What is important to remember though, is that personal beliefs may also
alienate some students whilst bringing others closer. Attitudes also affect body language,
mannerisms, and communication, which may affect student-teacher relationships.

Chapter 6: Professional reflexivity

The last of the four positive practices is professional reflexivity. Good teachers reflect on
what they do frequently, during lessons as well as afterwards. Examining how well things
worked, or how things didn’t work as well as planned, helps teachers to inform their future
teaching and consequently improve their practice. This chapter discusses at length an action
research model that can be used to encourage professional reflexivity. There are, of course,
other models to consider as indicated in the reference list at the end of the chapter.

Your teaching philosophy should describe how and for what purpose you might engage in a
cycle of professional reflexivity, be it through critical analysis using various perspectives or
an action research model, or both.

6.1 Why should teachers engage in professional reflexivity? By reading this chapter you will
get a clear idea about the benefits of reflection on and in action. Once you have given
this some thought and done some further reading, complete the following sentence.

I believe professional reflexivity is important to my teaching because … If you do not look

back at what happened, you will never learn from mistakes, or realise what worked well.
Through reflection, a teacher may realise that misbehaviour is occurring because of a
particular aspect of the lessons, which allows for the teacher to then implement strategies
to counteract this. Without reflection, the teacher will continue to do the same thing, and
will miss out on strategies/activities that work, and those that do not. Reflexivity allows us
to constantly improve ourselves, and is vital to best practice.

6.2 Having thought up a justification for it, how will you go about engaging in reflection
about your practice in your teaching career? Once you have thought this out, think of
some practical and achievable ways you can engage in professional reflexivity and
complete the next sentence.

As a consequence of this belief, I will … ensure that reflection is made on each lesson at the
end of every teaching day. This is a good strategy, but on lesson plans, as a teacher I will
write down against activities whether they are working or not on-the fly. This means that
after the lesson, I will be able to look back and remember areas where there were issues or
things were going well, allowing for me to employ reflexivity toward future lessons. This is a
practical means of evaluating and reflecting teaching.
(Week 4)Chapter 4: Classroom organisation and Curriculum, assessment and
pedagogy
Classroom management is not just about managing behaviour. At the heart of teaching and
learning are the curriculum taught, the pedagogy used and the assessment designed to
measure how well that curriculum was taught and how well the pedagogy worked. This
chapter takes you through these three areas one at a time.

The next part of your teaching philosophy will be about how you will deliver curriculum and
assess student achievement/growth. After reading this chapter, please reflect on the
following:
 What will you take into consideration when planning your teaching program?
 How will you know what to teach and where to start?
 What are the many ways in which your students could demonstrate achievement other
than tests and quizzes?
 What teaching approaches will you use and what philosophical views will your
pedagogies reflect?

4.1 Using the PIR Cycle as a stimulus, explain how you will go about planning your teaching
program in the box below.

Using the PIR cycle means that in the initial phase of planning a program, setting clear
learning intentions and success criteria is necessary. I will go about this by ensuring that
students are aware of what they are supposed to be learning. This includes motivating
students, engaging them in the learning. Through this students will also be supported, so it
is necessary that planning considers the capabilities of students and that necessary scaffolds
are provided to assist them.

4.2 Why is assessment important? What types of assessment will you develop and why?
Answer these two questions below.

Assessment is important as it allows for an understanding of whether students are reaching

outcomes. More than this, assessment allows for the teacher to evaluate teaching
programs, allowing for skills and knowledge of students to be tested, so that teaching
programs can be evaluated on their efficacy. The types of assessment that I will develop will
be baseline, summative, and formative. Baseline allows for me as a teacher to understand
the level that students are at before a unit of work. Formative assessment allows for on-the-
go assessment of students, which allows for changes to teaching programs to be made if
students are not meeting outcomes. Summative assessment allows for student learning to
be assessed, which is also indicative of the quality of assessment and whether it was
adequate for the students.
4.3 Pedagogy refers to how you will teach the curriculum. Usually, the type of pedagogy
you implement is influenced by a basic belief about how students best learn. After
considering your pedagogical approach and strategies, complete the sentences below.

I believe that students best learn through …reciprocal interactions, and a student-centred
approach that puts them in the driving seat of their own learning

Therefore I will use … strategies that will place students in control of their own learning. I
will use strategies that give students a voice, and provide many differing options for
completing tasks, and achieving outcomes. This is based in Multiple intelligences, as
different students learn differently.
Chapter 5: Classroom organisation
As explained in this chapter, there are several dimensions to classroom organisation. Each of
these put together become the manifestation of your classroom culture. Your classroom
culture is, simply put, the way your class operates and incorporates:
 rules and procedures
 organisation of the physical space.

It is now time to think about how your teaching philosophy will describe these two aspects
and explain them in terms of an overarching set of beliefs or approaches. After reading this
chapter, complete the next two activities.

5.1 What values do you hold as important to establishing an orderly, productive and
positive classroom? Answer this question below, then list the key rules/expectations
you think flow naturally from those values and which you want to stress in your class.
Complete the section by explaining how rules and consequences will be established in
your classroom.

Rules will be established at the outset of every lesson and will be conveyed on a slide
‘Expectations of Behaviour’. There will not be a huge amount of rules, and they will be
framed positively, rather than negatively

1. You will be respectful to other students learning in the classroom

2. You will participate in all classroom activities
3.You will be respectful of other students and the teacher when they are talking

Rules will be enforced through frequent referencing of rules, and through praising the
correct behaviour. When students misbehave, a quiet talk with them, non-confrontationally,
will be used. This will include rephrasing the rule- For example “ You aren’t being very
respectful of other students learning at the moment”

Consequences for misbehaviour will be dealt with in a way that does not draw attention to
the misbehaviour.

5.2 What should your classroom look like to visitors entering it. Why? Think about this then
answer the question and explain how you might organise:
 seating
 Classroom space (displays, colours, furniture, etc.).

The classroom should look warm and inviting, and not sterile. At the same time, the
classroom should not look cluttered. There should be posters and interesting things on the
wall that are related to the subject (For example sentence starters, and connectives) There
should be adequate spacing between tables and chairs, and tables should not be cramped
together. The room should be well lit, and allow for free movement of the students and
teacher. The classroom should be easy to walk around for the teacher, as moving around
the classroom is an effective way of behaviour management.
(Week 5).Chapter 7: Interventions & Evaluation
Interventions bring the focus of your philosophy back to the behaviour management aspect
of classroom management. The first part of this chapter explains intervention as something
that is done to one or more aspects of the classroom milieu to improve a situation that is
getting out of hand (or has the potential to), usually as a result of inappropriate behaviour
that threatens the stability of the learning environment. The chapter presents approaches
to intervention according to the three theoretical orientations introduced in chapters 1
and 2.

7.1 After reading this chapter ask yourself the following questions and record your answers.

Which approach am I most Why? How would I use this in

comfortable working with?
(You can chose more than 1)
Glasser’s Choice Theory
This approach looks at the
teacher. It does not blame
the student, but more looks
at the teacher and practices
and why they are causing
misbehaviour to be the
desirable option.
practice?
I would use this in practice
by looking at why students
are misbehaving in my class,
and what is happening in the
classroom that causes
students to want to
misbehave.

7.2 Did you list more than one approach? If so, how might the two (or more) approaches
work together as a behaviour management strategy (or sequence of strategies in a
plan)?

I only selected one theory, although I can see myself using a variety of behavioural
intervention strategies, as this will allow for me to garner a holistic view of the issues that
are occurring in the classroom. I will also use functional behaviour assessments with this, as
this will allow for an understanding of why there is misbehaviour in the classroom.

7.3 Having thought through the approaches and how you would apply them, it is time to
nail down your intervention strategy. First, write about the approach (or approaches)
you believe will work best and why.

If intervention for behaviour management is needed, I believe that …firstly it is important to

conduct a functional behaviour assessment, so that the issue can be understood. Through
following this, it will allow for a greater perspective over issues. Secondly, Glasser’s Choice
Theory will be used, as this will allow for a greater understanding of why the misbehaviour is
occurring in the classroom. Then the Lyford model can be utilised, so that consideration can
be given to collegial and whole-school perspectives. After this, a strategy that is suitable to
students can be implemented. After, it is important to employ reflexivity so that the efficacy
of the intervention can be assessed. Rules will be established at the outset of every lesson
and will be conveyed on a slide ‘Expectations of Behaviour’. There will not be a huge
amount of rules, and they will be framed positively, rather than negatively

1. You will be respectful to other students learning in the classroom

2. You will participate in all classroom activities
3.You will be respectful of other students and the teacher when they are talking

Rules will be enforced through frequent referencing of rules, and through praising the
correct behaviour. When students misbehave, a quiet talk with them, non-confrontationally,
will be used. This will include rephrasing the rule- For example “ You aren’t being very
respectful of other students learning at the moment”

Consequences for misbehaviour will be dealt with in a way that does not draw attention to
the misbehaviour.

7.4 Now write about how you would put the above into practice.

In line with this thinking, I will … put the above into practice by using a range of strategies,
and using multiple theoretical approaches to understand and find solutions to the problem.
This will involve using collegial, and research based information to inform decisions, as well
as to understand whether issues are occurring only in my classroom, or in other teacher’s.
Reflexivity, and daily logs of the intervention will allow for understanding of how well the
approach is working, allowing for changes or a new intervention to be introduced.

7.5 Having written an overview of your intervention plan, go back to your earlier
statements, particularly your responses to 1.3, 2.2, 3.3 and 5.1. In light of 7.3 and 7.4 do
you need to modify any of these? If so, make the changes now.

This week we also discussed the importance of considering evaluation for interventions

7.6 Briefly outline below how you would go about documenting and monitoring an
intervention with a student(s) or class for effectiveness.

Taking into consideration the need to have objective measures of effectiveness of an

intervention I will monitor student progress in the following ways … I will evaluate the
effectiveness of a program by keeping records of incidents, and the frequency, as well as
employing observation over the classroom. I will also again rely on collegial perspectives,
utilising more experienced members of staff, by having them observe the class. Through
keeping logs, and keeping a behavioural intervention log, it will allow for it to be evaluated.
(Week 6) Chapter 8: Stories from the field (Personal Reading)
In this chapter there are 10 stories where teachers and others describe an aspect of their
experience with classroom management in the real world. The online companion website
presents even more. To complete the activity below please read between three and five of
these. They will provide you with a variety of models of practice in classroom management
and might trigger new ideas to include in your philosophy of teaching.

8.1 After reading some of the case studies (E.g., 8 in the text Lisa, 9 Andrew, 10 Wendy and
16, 19, 20 etc online), what would you add about aspects of your classroom
management that have not been mentioned so far in your philosophy? Add these in the
box below in rough draft form. You can refine them later in 10.1.

Getting to know children and the staff

Learning community
Active Learning
Don’t teach history, teach history students
Being positive and cheerful
Knowing students
Using a pleasant tone
Build relationships
(Week 7) Social Emotional Learning in Schools. Cohen, J. (2006) & Zins, et al
(2007).
Social and Emotional Learning brings your attention to focus efforts on promoting students’
social and emotional competencies. Many leaders in the field underscore the importance of
skills-based teaching and learning to properly address this important facet of teaching the
whole child.
8.1 After reading Cohen and Zin and reflecting on the lecture content what would you add
about aspects of your classroom management that have not been mentioned so far in
your philosophy? Add these in the box below in rough draft form. You can refine them
later in 10.1.

I would add social and emotional learning to the classroom, as these help in developing a
sense of wellbeing in the classroom, which in turns helps in building a sense of belonging to
the classroom.

(Week 8) Principles of Behaviour Modification. Zirporli T.J. (2012). Ch10 and

Killu, K. (2008)

This week we looked at fundamental aspects of behaviourism and learning. Ziporli and Killu
provide examples of the application of such theory and research to classroom management
and behaviour change. Important concepts such as reinforcement, functional purpose of
behaviour and behaviour shaping are discussed

7.1 After reading Ziporli and Killu and reflecting on the lecture content what would you add
about aspects of your classroom management that have not been mentioned so far in
your philosophy? Add these in the box below in rough draft form. You can refine them
later in 10.1.

Examples of such a theory being implemented in the classroom could include the provision
of mindfulness activities in the classroom. This could include stop breathe activities, as well
as the use of wellness activities in the classroom.
(Week 9) Chapter 9: Your theory into practice
Early in the chapter you are asked to write up a statement of your theoretical approach to
classroom management. You should read the rest of the chapter, as it takes you through the
steps of constructing a philosophy of teaching. You already started this process in activities
relating to chapters 1 and 2, but now you have a chance to refine it by altering your
responses in 1.3 and 2.2. This may require changes to sentences or even some considerable
rewriting, but as the authors say, if a job is worth doing, it is worth doing it well.

9.1 Now that you have reviewed your overarching philosophy and settled, more or less, on
your approach to teaching and classroom management, it is time to combine the bits
that you have been working on into your first (draft) teaching philosophy. It is simple
now. All the hard work has been done. Simply cut and paste your responses in the order
suggested below, into the box.

Cut and paste in the following order leaving a line space between each section:
1.3 > 2.2 > 3.2 > 3.3 > 5.1 > 5.2 > 4.1 > 4.2 > 4.3 > 7.1 > 7.3 > 7.4 >8.1> 6.1 > 6.2

My personal reflection/teaching philosophy (Draft 1)

I believe good teaching is about … understanding the individual needs of students, and
ensuring that interactions with students are positive rather than negative. I believe that
good teaching is about providing an environment that is conducive to learning and a
teaching that is concomitant with student engagement and success. I believe classrooms
should be places where …every student feels a sense of belonging, and is engaged in the
learning. Classrooms should be inclusive at the heart of the learning, and positive behaviour
for learning (PBL) approaches should be employed. Negative interactions should be limited,
and students should feel as if they have a voice in the classroom, not like they are passive
participants. I believe that good communication between teacher and student is vital to a
positive classroom climate because … If students feel that a conversation is one-sided, or
that the teacher is not really listening to what is being said then they disengage from the
learning. Good communication is vital as it is through this that reciprocal interactions can
occur, and for students to feel like they are valued, and that their opinions matter. This is all
related to building a strengthened teacher-student relationship which is vital. Therefore, I
will … Active listening, open questioning, and using non-verbal clues as an analysis point I
believe are important to employ whilst teaching. This will ensure that students feel like they
have a voice in the classroom, which is important. The classroom should look warm and
inviting, and not sterile. At the same time, the classroom should not look cluttered. There
should be posters and interesting things on the wall that are related to the subject (For
example sentence starters, and connectives) There should be adequate spacing between
tables and chairs, and tables should not be cramped together. The room should be well lit,
and allow for free movement of the students and teacher. The classroom should be easy to
walk around for the teacher, as moving around the classroom is an effective way of
behaviour management. Using the PIR cycle means that in the initial phase of planning a
program, setting clear learning intentions and success criteria is necessary. I will go about
this by ensuring that students are aware of what they are supposed to be learning. This
includes motivating students, engaging them in the learning. Through this students will also
be supported, so it is necessary that planning considers the capabilities of students and that
necessary scaffolds are provided to assist them. Assessment is important as it allows for an
understanding of whether students are reaching outcomes. More than this, assessment
allows for the teacher to evaluate teaching programs, allowing for skills and knowledge of
students to be tested, so that teaching programs can be evaluated on their efficacy. The
types of assessment that I will develop will be baseline, summative, and formative. Baseline
allows for me as a teacher to understand the level that students are at before a unit of
work. Formative assessment allows for on-the-go assessment of students, which allows for
changes to teaching programs to be made if students are not meeting outcomes.
Summative assessment allows for student learning to be assessed, which is also indicative of
the quality of assessment and whether it was adequate for the students. I believe that
students best learn through …reciprocal interactions, and a student-centred approach that
puts them in the driving seat of their own learning

Therefore I will use … strategies that will place students in control of their own learning. I
will use strategies that give students a voice, and provide many differing options for
completing tasks, and achieving outcomes. This is based in Multiple intelligences, as
different students learn differently. I only selected one theory, although I can see myself
using a variety of behavioural intervention strategies, as this will allow for me to garner a
holistic view of the issues that are occurring in the classroom. I will also use functional
behaviour assessments with this, as this will allow for an understanding of why there is
misbehaviour in the classroom. If intervention for behaviour management is needed, I
believe that …firstly it is important to conduct a functional behaviour assessment, so that
the issue can be understood. Through following this, it will allow for a greater perspective
over issues. Secondly, Glasser’s Choice Theory will be used, as this will allow for a greater
understanding of why the misbehaviour is occurring in the classroom. Then the Lyford
model can be utilised, so that consideration can be given to collegial and whole-school
perspectives. After this, a strategy that is suitable to students can be implemented. After, it
is important to employ reflexivity so that the efficacy of the intervention can be assessed.
Rules will be established at the outset of every lesson and will be conveyed on a slide
‘Expectations of Behaviour’. There will not be a huge amount of rules, and they will be
framed positively, rather than negatively

1. You will be respectful to other students learning in the classroom

2. You will participate in all classroom activities
3.You will be respectful of other students and the teacher when they are talking

Rules will be enforced through frequent referencing of rules, and through praising the
correct behaviour. When students misbehave, a quiet talk with them, non-confrontationally,
will be used. This will include rephrasing the rule- For example “ You aren’t being very
respectful of other students learning at the moment”

Consequences for misbehaviour will be dealt with in a way that does not draw attention to
the misbehaviour. In line with this thinking, I will … put the above into practice by using a
range of strategies, and using multiple theoretical approaches to understand and find
solutions to the problem. This will involve using collegial, and research based information to
inform decisions, as well as to understand whether issues are occurring only in my
classroom, or in other teacher’s. Reflexivity, and daily logs of the intervention will allow for
understanding of how well the approach is working, allowing for changes or a new
intervention to be introduced. Getting to know children and the staff
Learning community
Active Learning
Don’t teach history, teach history students
Being positive and cheerful
Knowing students
Using a pleasant tone
Build relationships
believe professional reflexivity is important to my teaching because … If you do not look
back at what happened, you will never learn from mistakes, or realise what worked well.
Through reflection, a teacher may realise that misbehaviour is occurring because of a
particular aspect of the lessons, which allows for the teacher to then implement strategies
to counteract this. Without reflection, the teacher will continue to do the same thing, and
will miss out on strategies/activities that work, and those that do not. Reflexivity allows us
to constantly improve ourselves, and is vital to best practice.
As a consequence of this belief, I will … ensure that reflection is made on each lesson at the
end of every teaching day. This is a good strategy, but on lesson plans, as a teacher I will
write down against activities whether they are working or not on-the fly. This means that
after the lesson, I will be able to look back and remember areas where there were issues or
things were going well, allowing for me to employ reflexivity toward future lessons. This is a
practical means of evaluating and reflecting teaching.
(Week 9) Chapter 10: Contemporary issues (Personal Reading)
This chapter describes some of the current issues and trends that schools and wider school
systems are dealing with. After reading the chapter, you should consider if any of these
movements require ‘presence’ in your teaching philosophy. For example, once you have
visited the AITSL website and examined the national teaching standards, do you feel the
need to address any of these standards in your teaching philosophy? After reading about
time outs, exclusion and expulsion, do you feel your classroom management intervention
approach needs to change or is it OK as it is? These are just two example of areas where
wider issues that teachers might want to address in their philosophy.

Ask yourself these questions after reading your draft philosophy from 9.1:
1 Have I covered everything I want to cover in my philosophy and if not, what do I need to
add? This might be from chapter 10, but don’t forget about things you might have
written in 8.1. Now is the time to consider how they will fit into your draft.
2 Does the philosophy read right to me? If not, then make your changes. Move sections
around if you feel they sit better.
3 Do I need an opening quote/sentence and do I need a conclusion to round things off? If
so, jot down some rough notes.

10.1 After considering questions 1, 2 and 3 above, edit your teaching philosophy. It would
be a good idea to leave the draft you had in 9.1 alone, cut and paste that here and
make the changes here just in case you need to refer back to your original draft.

My personal reflection/teaching philosophy (Draft 2)

“Education is not the filling of the pail but the lighting of the fire”

William Butler Yeats

I believe good teaching is about understanding the individual needs of students, and
ensuring that the interactions that I have with students are positive, and that I as a teacher
provide an environment that is conducive to learning, and a teaching that is concomitant
with student engagement and success. I believe that classrooms are places where every
student feels a sense of belonging, which means that the classroom is an engaging and
inclusive space that supports students. I believe that good communication between teacher
and student is vital to a positive classroom climate because it is necessary that conversation
is not one-sided in the classroom. Good communication allows for students to have a voice
in the classroom, and in their own learning, which is needed so that reciprocal interactions
can occur. Therefore, I will make sure that I employ the use of active listening, non-verbal
clues, and work toward building positive relationships with students. The classroom should
be a warm and inviting environment, whilst remaining uncluttered. The reason for this is
that it is important that the room is not sterile, but also that it feels welcoming to students.
Using the PIR cycle means that in the initial phase of planning a program, setting clear
learning intentions and success criteria is necessary. I will go about this by ensuring that
students are aware of what they are supposed to be learning. This includes motivating
students, and engaging them in the learning. Through this, students will also be supported,
so it is necessary that planning considers the capabilities of students and that necessary
scaffolds are provided to assist them. Assessment is important as it allows for an
understanding of whether students are reaching outcomes. More than this, assessment
allows for the teacher to evaluate teaching programs, allowing for skills and knowledge of
students to be tested, so that teaching programs can be evaluated on their efficacy. The
types of assessment that I will develop will be baseline, summative, and formative. Baseline
assessment allows for me as a teacher to understand the level that students are at before a
unit of work. Formative assessment allows for on-the-go assessment of students, which
allows for changes to teaching programs to be made if students are not meeting outcomes.
Summative assessment allows for student learning to be assessed, which is also indicative of
the quality of assessment and whether it was adequate for the students.

I believe that students best learn through reciprocal interactions, and a student-centred
approach that puts them in the driving seat of their own learning. Therefore I will use
strategies that will place students in control of their own learning. I will use strategies that
give students a voice, and provide many differing options for completing tasks, and
achieving outcomes. This is based in Multiple intelligences, as different students learn
differently. I only selected one theory, although I can see myself using a variety of
behavioural intervention strategies, as this will allow for me to garner a holistic view of the
issues that are occurring in the classroom. I will also use functional behaviour assessments
with this, as this will allow for an understanding of why there is misbehaviour in the
classroom. If intervention for behaviour management is needed, I believe that firstly it is
important to conduct a functional behaviour assessment, so that the issue can be
understood from a holistic viewpoint. Through following this, it will allow for a greater
perspective over issues. Secondly, Glasser’s Choice Theory will be used, as this will allow for
a greater understanding of why the misbehaviour is occurring in the classroom. After this, a
strategy that is suitable to students can be implemented. Rules will be established at the
outset of every lesson, there will not be a huge number of rules, and they will be framed
positively, rather than negatively. The reason for this is that I believe it is important to
model the behaviours that I want to be presented, instead of stating what I do not want.
Rules will be enforced through frequent referencing of rules, and through praising the
correct behaviour. When students misbehave, a quiet talk with them, in a non-
confrontational manner will be employed, which will include rephrasing the rule. Similarly,
consequences for misbehaviour will be dealt with in a way that does not draw attention to
the misbehaviour.
In line with this thinking, I will put the above into practice by using a range of strategies, and
using multiple theoretical approaches to understand and find solutions to the problem. This
will involve using collegial, and research based information to inform decisions, as well as to
understand whether issues are occurring only in my classroom, or in another teacher’s.
Reflexivity, and daily logs of the intervention will allow for understanding of how well the
approach is working, allowing for changes or a new intervention to be introduced. I believe
professional reflexivity is important to my teaching because If you do not look back at what
happened, you will never learn from mistakes, or realise what worked well. Through
reflection, a teacher may realise that misbehaviour is occurring because of a particular
aspect of the lessons, which allows for the teacher to then implement strategies to
counteract this. Without reflection, the teacher will continue to do the same thing, and will
miss out on strategies/activities that work, and those that do not.
As a consequence of this belief, I will ensure that reflection is made on each lesson at the
end of every teaching day. This is a good strategy, but on lesson plans, as a teacher I will
write down against activities whether they are working or not on-the fly. This means that
after the lesson, I will be able to look back and remember areas where there were issues or
things were going well, allowing for me to employ reflexivity toward future lessons. This is a
practical means of evaluating and reflecting teaching.

“No significant learning occurs without a significant relationship”

Dr. Comer

Ready to roll …
Now that you have made the changes, read it to yourself. How does it read now?
If you are happy with the result, you have your first teaching philosophy. Congratulations!
You have done it! Now it’s time to prepare your final submission. Look at the Unit Learning
Guide and now write your own personal reflection and philosophy Ability to clearly and
coherently reflect on specific learnings in this unit and their implications for their personal
philosophy in relation to the management of student’s challenging behaviour, learning and
wellbeing in a positive learning environment.

Into the future!

However, please be aware that your philosophy may well change as you gain experience in
teaching and are exposed to other ideas from your ongoing professional development, your
interactions with peers and other sources of inspiration. It will be an interesting task for you
to go back to this philosophy you have just completed in 10 years’ time and compare it to
the one you have then. Will it have changed much? How have your approaches evolved?
What kind of teacher have you become?