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Megan Treloar 142092

01.441 Classroom Management


Dr. J. Kirk
December 5, 2017

My Classroom Management Theory

Classrooms are more than just rooms in schools that are filled with tables and chairs.

Instead, they are places where students and teachers learn, experiment and grow each day and

especially each year. My goal is for my students to see our classroom as a welcoming and safe

space where they can all succeed. In order for this to happen, positive behaviour will be

expected, encouraged and celebrated.

First Steps- Building Community

In order for our classroom to function to its best potential, it is important that everyone

understands what is expected of them and plays a role in the decision making process. To set this

up, in the first week of school I would have my class develop a classroom vision.1 A simple way

to break this down for students is by asking them what they want their classroom to look, feel

and sound like. Once they have all together decided on some non-negotiable classroom “must-

haves”, depending on the grade, we could turn it into a poster or a student pledge.

To learn more about each students needs and wants from their classmates, I will have

them individually work on their own “friend wanted” poster.2 This poster will tell me, and their

classmates what it is they want in a friend. I can post these on the walls to remind all of the

students, and myself, what type of friends we want in our classroom. This will be helpful later on

when problems inevitably arise. I can ask the student if they are acting like the friend they

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PAX Good Behaviour Game
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initially wanted. If they are not, we can work together on ways to get the student back on the

friend track.

I will try my best to make it clear to my students that I learn from them just as much, if

not more, from them than they learn from me. I want them to understand that they can come to

me with questions or comments about school or life in general. To set this up, at the beginning of

the school year, I will have a blank poster that reads “what kind of teacher do you want?” with

markers beside it so the students can answer.3 I will tell them it will stay up for a few days so

they can add new ideas if they think of them later on. This will help me with my lesson planning

by keeping in mind the type of things that are important to my students. Although some of the

answers may be a bit silly, such as wanting a teacher who hands out money, some will be

insightful such as caring, smart or doesn’t get mad when kids fail.4

Preventative Discipline

In my classroom, all of the students will have jobs. This will help us build a sense of

community as we all daily practice working together. It will also help the students develop a

sense of responsibility and hopefully a connection to our classroom as they will begin to see it as

their own. Some of the jobs, regardless of grade level, would include a floor cleaner, teacher

assistant, gardener and daily schedule reader. I would like to have a bulletin board that can be

changed on a monthly basis that students can decorate as they see fit. It could be designed with

quotes or a theme in mind. It could also be used to showcase the class’ work.

A daily class schedule with times listed will help ease the transitions throughout the day.

This should be posted where all students can see it and it will be discussed at the beginning of

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the day. This can be done during the classroom meeting.5 Along with the schedule will be a list

of suggestions for what the students can do if and when they complete their work. Some

suggestions will remain the same throughout the day such as read quietly to self and complete

unfinished work.6

One effective way to reduce the amount of behaviour troubles within a classroom is to

keep the students busy and interested in the subjects they are learning. A simple way to do this is

to show connections between the curricular outcomes and students’ lives and interests. This can

be done through real life application of skills or by bringing in guests to share their experiences

in the given area. 7

I will provide my students with intermittent reinforcement for their positive behaviour.

To do this, I will give them thank you notes or shout outs when they do something positive.8

They will then be able to take these home and show their parents. I believe in giving students the

reward of “brain breaks” if it seems we have worked for an extensive period of time, or that their

attention has begun to fade. These can be as simple as jumping for one minute, going for a short

walk or talking with their neighbor about something not related to school.9

Supportive Discipline

I have found when students get off task, typically all that it takes is a gentle reminder of

what they are supposed to be doing to get them back to work. Other times, when it seems the

majority of the class is off task, call backs seem to do the trick.10 There are many options now for

call backs such as clap or snap patterns, “All Set…” “You bet!” or “Hands on your head… eyes

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Dreikurs’ theory, class notes.
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Canter’s theory, class notes.
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Canter’s theory, class notes.
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Skinner’s theory, class notes.
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PAX Good Behaviour Game
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Canter’s theory, class notes.
on me… if you’re ready say 1 2 3!”. If these tricks do not work, and a reminder has been given,

the student and I would have to move to corrective discipline.

Corrective Discipline

I have found removing students from their peers to discuss behaviour to be the most

important step in correcting behaviour. Without an audience the student is less likely to enter a

power struggle and more likely to regret or at least understand the wrongdoing of their actions. I

hope most of the troublesome behaviour in my class will be able to be resolved through a one-

on-one discussion with the student.11 Depending on the severity of the behaviour, I will possibly

have the student fill out a “Think Sheet”. 12

I find this type of questionnaire more valuable than a simple apology letter as it requires the

student to dig deeper into the decision that they made. It also provides the student with options

for alternative behaviour should the incident occur again. Depending on the child and the

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Dreikurs’ theory, class notes.
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situation they placed themselves in, I may send this sheet home. These are beneficial for when

dealing with parents as they are in the students’ own words and they admit to the incident.

If the troublesome behaviour seems to be consistent I would consult with my colleagues

and Principal on the next appropriate actions to take.

Conclusion

My goal is to make my classroom a safe and welcoming place for students, along with

myself, to learn. I want it to be a place they see as their own. I hope through classroom jobs

including having a say in the décor will help with this. Our classroom vision will provide the

framework for the behaviour we expect in our classroom. Positive behaviour will be expected,

encouraged and celebrated in our classroom.

References
Canter’s Theory, Class Notes.

Dreikurs’ Theory, Class Notes.

Skinner’s Theory, Class Notes.

PAX Good Behaviour Game

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Teachers Pay Teachers

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