Louise Glasgow
February 10, 2015
Philosophy of Classroom Management and Discipline
Teachers use an array of techniques and methods to manage their classrooms and
discipline students when necessary. Needless to say, there’s no “one size fits all” philosophy
about classroom management that we can implement for our students. The best a teacher can do
is consider the spectrum of students within her class and use this knowledge to create a plan that
will best meet their specific needs. Yet every teacher has her own beliefs, values and
assumptions for classroom management that will influence her methods within the class. My
personal beliefs and values deal with building self-esteem, modeling desired behavior,
reinforcement, and appropriate consequences for misbehavior.
It’s my general belief that students learn best when they have positive experiences within
the classroom. To best ensure a positive association with content in the class, teacher should aim
to offer differentiated activities that interest the students. Children should be both encouraged
and prompted to explore by their teacher. Once curiosity is instilled in students they can begin to
discover for themselves, a process much more meaningful than the memorization of facts and
content. In order for a child to reach their highest potential at school, the classroom has to be a
“safe-zone” crafted by their teacher, harboring self-confidence and willingness to take risks. The
physical layout of a room should be meticulously planned by the teacher to utilize the space,
aiding the flow of the day and providing appropriate areas for students to participate in various
activities (such as individual work, group projects, arts, and reading).
For the best chance at academic success, it is my belief that students should behave with
not only respect for the teacher, but their peers and themselves. All of the children should engage
in active listening to ensure the comprehension of directions and content. As a rule of thumb,
students should obey the Golden Rule, treating others as they would wish to be treated. Living by
the golden rule, I would expect students to be supportive and kind to one another, making the
classroom a bully free environment. The goal is to create an environment in which the children
feel safe and are willing to engage and participate without fear of being negatively criticized by
their peers.
The roles of teachers and students within the classroom are different but codependent. It
is a student’s job to follow directions, but these directions must first be made clear by the
teacher. They are expected to make wise behavioral decisions but they must first understand the
expectations a teacher has within the room. Students should always be willing to try their best,
ask questions, and participate, but in order to accomplish these goals, students should feel
encouraged by a safe environment. We aim to have students learn values, morals, self-discipline,
and social skills they will carry throughout life, and it’s a teacher’s job to model and emphasize
the importance of these traits to the class.
Teachers should always model positive behavior for students, no matter how flustered
they feel. When a student is meeting or exceeding expectations by showing admirable behavior,
the student should be praised in front of their peers- farther modeling for the class. If a student is
making poor decisions in regards to their behavior at school, it’s the teacher’s responsibility to
address the behavior, explain why it’s inappropriate, and allocate a fair and consistent
consequence. Self-discipline is more likely to be achieved by a child when they’re spoken to
about their actions, the related consequence, and what choices could be made differently next
time they face a similar situation. Effective management isn’t merely punishing an infraction of
rules, but helping students understand the implications of their actions.
As a student, I’ve personally experienced a variety of management techniques
implemented by teachers in the past. My fondest memories consist of the classes in which there
was an emphasis on class discussion. I wasn’t aware as a child, but in order for class discussion
to take place, my teachers had ensured the environment felt safe to all students (no one was
embarrassed or ashamed when their answers varied from that of their peers). Growing up, I
didn’t have many teachers that offered a differentiation of class activities, we typically were
given worksheets, lectured on standard algorithm, read to, etc. It’s possible my teachers chose
more direct methods to ensure control of class behavior (with that in mind, I must remember to
give my students a well-rounded learning experience, no matter how I choose to manage them).
The few teachers I did have that focused less on “teaching to the test” (offering a personalized
curriculum that satisfied our interests) will always be my favorites. These teachers were also
typically warm, compassionate, and fair. Also, I will forever be grateful to the teachers that
praised me when I met or exceeded expectations. This praise, or positive reinforcement, instilled
an academic confidence in me from a young age.
In sixth grade we called my math teacher the Terminator (she earned her name by
terminating all chances at fun we had for the year). She focused nearly all her energy towards
controlling every aspect of class- from her daily, expository teaching style to her preference that
we sat up straight with our hands on the desks at all times. She worried about how we looked,
sat, and spoke (all of which needed to be “proper”) rather than how we thought, learned, and felt
(a characteristic that made her feel more like a drill sergeant than a teacher). The severity of
consequences appeared to depend on her current mood for the given day, which also caused a
daily uneasiness for students. Nonetheless, her teaching style caused a tense environment which
can ultimately hinder learning.
The purpose of education isn’t merely teaching children facts about the water cycle or
multiplication, the purpose is to shape society. From a young age we should be teaching children
(who happen to be our future) how to be respectful, kind, confident, compliant, and to problem
solve. Although these traits may not be specific Standards of Learning, they are vital to
becoming successful in life. By emphasizing these values to our students we’re not only
brightening their future, but society’s as a whole. Another purpose of education is to encourage
students to recognize their potential, meet it, and grow. We are never done learning no matter
how old we may be, there will always be room for more growth. Teaching the whole child
involves insuring the delivery of curriculum, instilling both values and pride, physical growth,
social development, and emotional stability.
My plan for classroom management and discipline mirrors aspects of two preexisting
models: Positive Discipline (Frederic Jones) and Assertive Discipline (Lee and Marlene Canter).
There’s a high degree of teacher control for both theories- teachers provide students with a set of
rules and allocate positive or negative consequences fairly and consistently. Yet, this teacher
control is far from a dictatorship. Personally, I would hope my required degree of control would
become less overbearing as the year progresses (due to students becoming more familiar with the
rules and acquiring a respect for).
The positive discipline model promotes positive instructional support, in which a teacher
praises, prompts, and then leaves the student. This practice could be particularly helpful within
the classroom because it allows students to explore and discover for themselves. This model also
advocates assigned seating, a tool I think teachers should utilize. Assigned seating gives the
teacher a chance to strategically place students where she thinks they’ll be most successful. This
organized environment can be especially useful in catering to students with special needs such as
a vision impairment or a short attention span.
The assertive discipline model aligns most closely with my beliefs. In fact, I’d been using
aspects of the model with tutoring groups without even being aware that the practices were part
of the theory. For example, I always create rules from the very beginning of my first session with
students; this insures that students are aware of my expectations, and only then would I be
comfortable distributing consequences for infraction. For the same reason, I admire Lee Canter’s
concept that a student shouldn’t receive a negative consequence until at least two of their peers
have gotten a public display of positive reinforcement for desirable behavior.
My methods and assumptions about classroom management are subject to change.
Depending on how receptive a specific group of students are to techniques used, plans and
methods can always be adjusted to better serve a purpose within the classroom. The overall goal
is to provide the most efficient environment for learning and student growth, which means I must
be mindful of how my students learn. As said before, we’re never done learning; meaning I’m
sure as I establish myself in a teaching career, I will continue to learn methods I find useful to
manage and discipline students. Hopefully my philosophy will promote students to behave in a
respectful, positive, and thoughtful manner.