Kalli Hetrick
February 16, 2016
Philosophy of Classroom Management and Discipline
There are many different philosophers who have formulated thoughts and
techniques to help improve a classroom environment. Each of them had the same motive
in mind, “what will better our future generation of students?” Teachers from all over the
country have practiced an array of different methods in the classroom with both positive
and negative outcomes.
I believe the purpose of education is both receiving and giving methodical
instruction for the purpose of development and growth. You can do this in a copious
amount of ways. My strategy is to teach in a fun, creative, effective way. Learning is
more laborious for some children as opposed to others. As teachers, it is our job to find a
lesson plan that fits the needs for all of the students. The goal that I will set for myself at
the beginning of the year is to earn the respect of my students and treat them with that
same level of respect.
After doing much research and observing many scenarios, I have come to the
conclusion that the philosophy, which best suits me as an elementary school teacher, is
Assertive Discipline.
Lee and Marlene Canter are the founders of Assertive Discipline. The main idea
for this philosophy is that teachers should deal with student behavior in a positive rather
than negative consequence. (Canter, 189, p. 58). The idea is to create well-understood
expectations that the teacher desires the students to meet. This will allow the students to
learn in an uninterrupted environment and will prevent stress from both the teacher and
his or her students, as well as alleviate confusion.
This method would be beneficial and extremely helpful in the classroom setting.
These rules and expectations are typically stated to the students the first day of school
and then reiterated throughout the first couple of weeks. The teacher discusses with the
students the consequences that will need to be met if a child does not obey the rules or
expectations. This is a collaborated discussion. Lee Canter discusses the importance of
teacher-to-student communication. This way the students will not be blind-sided if there
is an expectation that is not met, especially if there is to be consequences that follow.
The teacher’s degree of control should be higher than the students’ control. This
should be well maintained throughout the school year. The teacher will create the rules
and ultimately have the last say with the consequences if the rules are not followed. Each
teacher has his or her own teaching techniques. I want to have an enjoyable yet proactive
learning environment for my students.
The student control is lower because the children must follow the rules that have
been set and their actions will correlate with negative or positive consequences. In any
classroom setting I think there should be high teacher control and low student control.
It is inevitable that students will misbehave. It is how we deal with that
misbehavior that will create a good or bad learning environment. Children learn from
direction. If students help make the rules and consequences, they will know what to
expect and what will be expected of them.
It is crucial that there are no exceptions to the rules. If the teacher decides to show
one child mercy but not another student, the children may see this as the teacher not
taking what they said serious. This could cause the students to test and/or lose the respect
for the teacher.
Another key factor in making this method successful is to make sure that the
teacher has good communication with the parents. If the parents have a list of the rules
and consequences at the beginning of the year, and are invited to add their input as well
as ask questions, I believe they will help reinforce the expected behavior at home. In this
way the teacher, the parent, and the student will all be working as a team. If a classroom
has a healthy, controlled atmosphere, it only enhances the learning experience. The
ancient Greek philosophers used to say, “Without law there is no real freedom.” I believe
this is true, even in the classroom. There is security in knowing there are boundaries, and
with this safety net children have the freedom to think clearly, explore beyond their
imaginations, ask questions without fear, and learn more than they may have ever thought
possible. It is in this type of environment a student will discover a love to learn.
Every classroom is different. It is important that each teacher finds the philosophy
that works best for him or her depending on the students, the grade level that is being
taught, and the school itself. After a few tweaks here and there, I feel that this philosophy
will be the best fit for me. I am looking forward to applying everything I have learned
(while researching these philosophies) in my classroom when I am a teacher.
Work Cited:
Assertive Discipline and being a Status Master - Behaviour Management Secrets. (n.d.).
Retrieved January 28, 2016, from http://www.teachingstrategies-for-classroomdiscipline.com/assertive-discipline.html
Canter, L. (1988). Let the Educator Beware: A Response to Curwin and Mendler.
Educational Leadership, 46(2), 71.
Canter, L. (2010). Assertive Discipline: Positive Behavior Management for Today’s
Classroom. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.