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Kelsie Weyer
Regent University
CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT 2
Introduction
It is impossible to anticipate every situation that will occur in your classroom, so it is essential to
have systems in place to be proactive instead of simply reactive to behavior management. In this
management systems that would encourage students to behave in the first place.
Elementary, is the woodchuck, so part of the school and classroom token economy system are
chuck bucks. This fake monetary system is a way of rewarding students in an effort to encourage
positive behavior. The school enforces the “Woodstock Way” which is to be respectful, be
responsible, and be safe. When children go above and beyond the requirements, they are
rewarded with these chuck bucks. With their money, they are able to trade in with their teacher
to buy prizes, have special seating, or even become the principal’s assistant for a day.
As part of my classroom, I reward with chuck bucks for achieving certain academic
goals. Every week, I check through their work they have completed and turned into my basket.
For the students who have turned in all their work, they receive a $5 chuck buck for their
consistent effort to stay focused and finish their work during independent time. If they score a
100% on their first try of an Achieve 3000 article quiz, then they receive $5 chuck bucks and
they put their name on a tally board in the main hallway of the school. I also will hand out chuck
bucks to students if they make a great connection to prior learning during a lesson. I also
personally will reward students for acts of compassion, such as helping a student who dropped
CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT 3
their binder and is picking up their papers. This is the type of behavior and attitude I want to
took over full responsibility for classroom instruction, I immediately rearranged their assigned
seats. It was apparent that some students had been sitting with some other classmates for far too
long and this was causing unneeded tension or distracting chattiness. When considering the best
seating positions for their new assignments, classroom behavior was one of my top priorities.
First, I separated my most talkative students and then I made sure to spread out students who
were having confrontations with each other. I filled in the rest of the spaces with students who
Every whole group instructional period I plan has ample time for discussion, whether
with a partner or the entire table. I needed to ensure that these conversations would be healthy
and productive by not placing students who would pointlessly argue or distract each other at the
same table. With my seating arrangements, each table had a diverse group of learners from
different cultures, ethnicities, gender, and levels of learning that contributed to better class
The key to a token economy is not to create a dependency on the token for students to
exhibit the preferred behavior. To ensure students are not over-incentivized, it is necessary to
“gradually fade the use of tokens from a continuous to an intermittent schedule of delivery” as
students begin to more habitually display the skill or behavior being reinforced (Token, n.d., p.
5). The positive behavior interventions and support (PBIS) system of Woodstock elementary also
CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT 4
helps “reduce disruptive behavior problems through the application of behavioral, social
Many theorists also stress “positive relationships between students and teachers” as an
integral element to an effective classroom management plan (Kaliska, 2002, p. 1). As a Christian
educator, I believe in the power of relationship. Some of my most effective conversations with
students who have reoccurring defiance issues have been when I pull them aside and discuss
their ability to succeed. I ask them, “What can we do?” This helps them understand that I want
them to work with me, not simply for me. It takes the pressure of these students who do not have
support at home and feel like they are drowning under all this responsibility. They realize that I
However, it is extremely difficult to determine when to give a second chance for the fifth
time and when to come down a little harder. This line between mercy and justice is challenging
to understand, especially as a new teacher. Part of distinguishing between the two is discovering
the “causes of misbehavior” and not simply treating all interruptions as malicious in intent
(Responding, n.d., p. 50). I truly believe that however you treat a child as they walk through your
door in the morning is going to greatly affect their attitude for the rest of the day. However, even
the best students will have their “off” days and must be addressed. If students begin to shut
down, then teachers must implement a new plan to reach that student and whatever is burdening
As a Christian educator, I believe every child is worthy of being afforded the chance to
make a new decision each day on they are going to enter my classroom. No matter what occurred
the day before, children must be give the opportunity to make new and better choices. Rather
CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT 5
than holding grudges against these students for past behavior problems, we should show mercy
towards any effort shown towards becoming a different person. Just like the Father forgives us
and allows us to walk anew in His grace and mercy, we should strive to do the same for our
students.
We are also called to have a sense of peace and patience with children in our classrooms.
Proverbs 15:18 proclaims, “Hot tempers cause arguments, but patience brings peace.” (The New,
2005) Rather than feeding into the chaos of moments of behavior issues, I believe we should do
our best to remain calm and channel that student’s attention somewhere more beneficial. Instead
of jumping at the chance to have a troublesome student sent away from the classroom, we should
be seeking those opportunities to help that child grow and learn. I truly believe students can be
completely changed through the power of calmness and prayer. As educators, we must model for
References
Bradshaw, C. (2008). The impact of school-wide positive behavioral interventions and supports
The New American Bible. (2005). Huntington, IN: Our Sunday Visitor.