Running head: Classroom Management Philosophy 1

Classroom Management Philosophy

Raelyn Davis

University of Arkansas CIED 4213

December 3rd, 2018

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Part I: Introduction

“My teaching philosophy is characterized by the belief that where my student starts does

not dictate where they will end up.” (Schwartz 2016, pg. 173)

The Charlotte Danielson Framework of Teaching provides educators an organized way of

understanding the complexity of teaching. In particular, Danielson’s Domain 2, explains in detail

every realm of classroom management. In creation of my philosophy of classroom management,

I based my ideas from the outline of Charlotte Danielson’s Framework of Teaching. While my

classroom management philosophy is still growing, this paper outlines my personal beliefs for an

effective classroom.

Part II: A Plan for Prevention in a Culture for Learning

Providing students with an environment that promotes; respect and rapport, a physical

space for positive learning and behavior, and clear expectations and procedures can help prevent

any disorganization from occurring within the classroom. In my future classroom, I plan to cover

all these different aspects in order to help my students succeed to the best of their abilities.

Beginning with promoting an environment for respect and rapport; I plan to have the students

create a list of what respect looks like. I think defining the term respect as a class is essential to

building classroom community. In addition, the first days of school, are essential to promoting

respect and rapport in the classroom. Students need to interact in respect with their peers and

myself. This dates back to the principles of Lev Vygotsky whose philosophy encompasses that

social interaction leads to cognitive development. Positive interaction begins with me, the

teacher, modeling what appropriate respect and rapport should look like.

The physical space of the classroom is essential for prevention. I view my future

classroom as being a space that embodies interaction between students. This may look like
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having desks grouped together, a reading carpet, or different areas of the room for student

learning. I believe every single area of the classroom should be functional for students to use use

while learning. My idea for the physical set up of my classroom depends on the grade level that I

will be teaching. A kindergarten set up will look a lot different than a sixth grade classroom. I

also find the use of learning centers (for all grade levels) as a great way to build student

knowledge using the physical space. The use of learning centers provides all students an area to

grow their academic knowledge.

Giving students clear expectations and procedures, for my classroom, can help prevent

any derangement from occurring throughout the school day. I believe that there are procedures

for everything in the classroom. Students should know the expectations in order to facilitate the

different procedures. I envision my expectations to be called the “Be Attitudes of Learning—be a

good listener, be a hard worker, believe in yourself, be respectful, and be ready to learn.”

Consistency is key when implementing expectation and procedures. If I do not follow through

with my expectations and procedures, then it can cause chaos in every aspect of my classroom.

In a classroom management book titled, Better Than Carrots or Sticks; Restorative Practices for

Positive Classroom Management, the authors make a statement about classroom procedures by

stating, “Procedures do not have to be the same from class to class, but when they are, students

know what to expect from every educator in the school.” (Smith 2015, pg. 57). I find this to be

true for my future classrooms. As an educator it is important to know how your students will

respond to different procedures. As a teacher, you must be aware that not all practices will work

on every group of students. I know that for my future classroom between different years of

teaching my rules and procedures could look differently in order to cater to the needs of my

students.
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Part III: Behavior Management in a Culture for Learning

It is essential to my philosophy of classroom management to know how to respond to the

different behaviors that may occur within my classroom. I find positive reinforcement to be a

helpful way for behavior management. This idea comes from the theorist, B.F. Skinner, who

found that introducing a reinforcing stimuli will in response allow a specific behavior to occur.

In my classroom this could look like a variety of different things. I love the idea of a class

coupon chart. Students that exemplify great behavior would be able to earn fun rewards such as;

eating with the teacher, extra recess, choose your seat for the day, etc. I find that tangible

rewards, such as different treats, should not be utilized in my behavior management system. I

simply believe that bribing students with tangible items will not positively develop their social

skills. I do believe that misbehavior is triggered with something outside of a students control. I

think student misbehavior stems from their environment. Urie Bronfenbrenner, an educational

theorist, created the ecological framework that explains what outside factors influence a child’s

cognitive thoughts. If a student in my classroom has a negative home life experience than that

could trigger their misbehavior. Students tend to misbehave as a way to gain attention. Giving all

my students the proper attention will ensure a less chaotic environment of misbehavior within

my classroom.

Part IV: Cultivating Self Discipline in a Culture for Learning

I find it critical to teach my students different skills that will help them grow as a learner.

Teaching self discipline in my classroom could look like a variety of different things. I first want

my students to understand that no matter where they are academically they can succeed. This is

also known as growth mindset. One of my favorite educational resources is a book called, I Wish

My Teacher Knew. Author Kyle Schwartz says it best, “In the fixed mindset, students believe
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their abilities and intelligence are stagnant: they have it or they don't. In the growth mindset,

however, students realize all people have the ability to improve not only their abilities, but also

their intelligence." (Schwartz, pg. 174, 2016). Having students know that there is always room

for growth will give students the ability to grow in every aspect of my classroom. This could be

academic growth and social growth. Establishing this from this first day of school is essential to

my classroom management philosophy.

I also find it important to teach self discipline in a realm of social-emotional learning.

Teaching students to act kind to themselves and to peers around them will ensure a positive

environment for learning. The Choose Love Program is something I am so passionate about

implementing in my classroom. This program teaches students how to use courage, gratitude,

forgiveness, and compassion in an effort to choose love within any situation. This program, at

the moment, has a free curriculum for educators to use. I would utilize this program to help my

students develop social-emotional learning in their daily lives. My hope is that my students

would be able to choose love with any situation they may face.

Part V: Conclusion

In conclusion, cultivating a culture for learning is the overarching goal for my classroom

management philosophy. Creating an environment that encompasses Charlotte Danielson’s

Domain two is essential for my future classroom to follow. Having an environment that

exemplifies; respect and rapport, a useful physical space, clear expectations and procedures,

positive behavior management strategies, and self circulating self discipline strategies are all

essential in having a well managed classroom.

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References

Schwartz, K. (2016). I wish my teacher knew: How one question can change everything for our

kids. Boston, MA: Da Capo Lifelong Books.

Smith, D., Fisher, D., & Frey, N. (2015). Better than carrots or sticks: Restorative practices for

positive classroom management. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.