EDEX J640 | Dr. Mitchell Yell
Classroom
Management
Portfolio
University of South Carolina | College of Education
Jennifer Louise Barkevich
12/1/2011
Introduction
During this semester, I have learned there are many variables that contribute to a successful
teaching experience. These variables include a warm, friendly, and well-organized classroom
environment structured around rules, procedures and expectations, actively engaged and wellbehaved students, as well as efficient communication skills presented by the teacher, the
paraprofessional, and other professionals working with the teacher and the students.
As a future Special Education Teacher, and possibly a Resource Room Teacher, designing my
classroom space will be contingent upon whether or not I am sharing a classroom with a General
Education Teacher. Ideally, I would like to work in an inclusive classroom; however, for the
purposes of this portfolio I will assume I am a teacher in a resource room with my own space. I
will discuss my teaching philosophy, the learning environment I will create, what strategies I will
implement, and how I will prepare to handle any crises. I will use our textbook, Classroom
Management for Elementary Teachers by Carolyn M. Evertson and Edmund T. Emmer, the IRIS
Center Star Legacy Modules, and any notes provided by Dr. Yell as my primary sources of
reference.
Program Philosophy
Before I outline my specific philosophy, I want to recap that a teaching philosophy is a personal
statement made by the teacher and reflects what beliefs and values he or she regards as being
important to the classroom environment. The classroom atmosphere not only affects the
teachers’ ability to effectively interact and teach students, but it also affects how students
respond to the teacher and the learning activities.
My teaching philosophy is as follows:
My goal as a Special Education Teacher is to help each student realize their greatest personal,
academic, and social potential by offering the appropriate level of support and concern needed.
As a teacher, I believe it is important to respect others as human beings with feelings and
experiences that make us unique and different. I value the diversity encompassing young students
today, and will work to communicate and share these experiences with my students during the
course of the school year.
I believe in hard work and preparation and promise to be a positive, encouraging, and patient
teacher. I will use research-based methods when creating my lessons and will use explicit and
direct instruction when teaching my students. I will strive to maintain a positive balance between
being open and flexible and serious and structured during important learning activities. I will
offer a variety of learning experiences including, but not limited to, activities that include handson opportunities using manipulatives, computer-enhanced practice to boost accuracy and
fluency, and an assortment of exercises to keep students engaged and interested in learning.
Since students are their own best advocates, I am a big proponent of self-management
techniques and will implement peer-tutoring and collaborative learning strategies to help foster
independence. As a new teacher, I will be proactive in my efforts to get to know my peers and
collaborate with them to make sure I am meeting the needs of my students. I will talk with my
students and get to know them and their likes and dislikes which will help guide my planning and
teaching. I will challenge my students to be the best person they can be academically,
behaviorally, and socially by using positive reinforcements, praise, and corrective feedback.
Most importantly, I will create learning experiences that are interwoven around reading,
writing, and math and provide real-life applications so my students can see that learning is
important and fun!
Learning Environment
Classroom Organization
It is so important that a significant amount of planning and preparation take place before a single
student steps foot through the doors of the school and my classroom. Each year, I will spend a
great deal of time coordinating with general education teachers to create a class schedule that
accommodates the needs of the students as outlined in their Individualized Education Plans
(IEPs). As a new teacher, I will rely heavily on the South Carolina State Department of
Education website for information on standards for each grade level and content area. Once that
has been established, I will review each student’s IEP goals and evaluate how the student and I
will achieve the desired outcome. In addition to the academic concerns, I will need to consider
how I will address any potential behavior issues that may arise as result of the academic
challenges the student faces while at school.
At the beginning of the school year, I will collect data on each student which will give me a
baseline from which to develop quality content instruction and decide how often to monitor
progress. Collecting data helps me determine what type of supports or interventions my students
need in order to be successful in the classroom. Response-to-Intervention (RTI) is a multi-tiered
prevention system that is beneficial in identifying students with learning disabilities and
preventing future academic failures. RTI universally offers a continuum of support for all
students and staff in a school setting, known as tier 1; however, RTI helps identify students with
at-risk behavior, who need tier 2 support, and students who exhibit a high-risk for problem
behavior, or those who need tier 3 support, and get them the interventions and supports they
specifically need. In any given school setting, approximately 80 percent of the students fall into
tier 1, with 15 percent falling into the tier 2 category and roughly 5 percent falling into tier 3. As
a resource teacher, I will be working with the students whom tier 2 and tier 3 interventions were
unsuccessful and require additional special education services.
In order to better assist these students, I will need to make sure all of my lessons and activities
are interesting and engaging so students will spend more time on task and less time preoccupied
with academic and/or behavior concerns. For those students who pose a problem in the
classroom, I will be sure to establish an open line of communication with their parent(s) and/or
caregiver(s), discuss with them what behaviors I have witnessed at school and ask if they have
noticed anything that may contribute to the problem. I will share with the parents and/or
caregivers what supports I have in place in my classroom, and also what supports are in place in
the school, to help manage the problem behaviors.
There are two other pieces of the information I will have in place prior to the first day of school
which include a crisis plan (to be discusses later in my portfolio) and clear and concise notes that
can be easily retrieved and read by my classroom aide or a substitute teacher.
Classroom Structure
How I organize my classroom will depend largely on how many students I have in my class at
any one given time. Once I know how many students I will have then I can work closely with the
general education teachers to create a schedule for students needing services in similar content
areas. I am going to say that I will have approximately five or more students in my class for
approximately a fifty minute period of time. With that in mind, I will arrange my room keeping
the four following guidelines in mind: 1) keep high traffic opens for students to travel through
with ease and little distraction, 2) make sure I can see students from all areas at all times, 3)
make materials and supplies easily accessible, and 4) make sure students can easily see the
SMART Board, white board, or any other presentation materials I use during class.
I am a very organized and neat person and I know these characteristics will carry over into my
classroom. I will model the same organizational practices I expect my students to follow. I will
have areas, materials, and supplies clearly labeled at the appropriate eye level for students so that
it is easy for them to read. Before explaining the physical layout of my classroom, I would like to
first describe some of the basic elements in a classroom that often get overlooked. The clock, the
school days countdown calendar, the daily schedule, and bulletin board of completed work all
need to be strategically placed. The clock needs to be visible only to the teacher and not the
students so they are not inclined to dawdle and dwell on the amount of time left in class. The
countdown calendar needs to be posted in place that does not serve as a distraction and potential
topic of routine conversation. The daily schedule needs to be written on the board or flip chart
and placed in the main instructional area so students can preview it and know what to expect.
You could even post this on the SMART Board for students to read as they enter the classroom
and include pictures so younger students can understand it. Finally, the bulletin board containing
work completed in class needs to be displayed in a high volume area so other teachers, students,
and parents entering can see it and make comments. I would be sure to present work that reflects
a students’ hard work because the goal is to boost the students’ confidence and reward them for
their effort. The bulletin board also will be used to display the class rules and emergency escape
routes.
In an effort to make the main instructional area feel more intimate, I would like to section it off
some by placing a rug on the floor to outline the actual space. The desks would be arranged in
two staggered rows facing the main board which will help prevent anyone from kicking another
student’s chair or from having a head block someone’s view. I will have a small workstation set
off to the side which will include a laptop, printer, and any other applicable equipment necessary.
I will have a reading corner complete with a rug, two or more bean bags chairs, and a couple of
bookshelves filled with various leveled books. I also will have a small group table for more
intense instruction or even one-on-one support. In the corner, I will have my main desk and at
least one tall filing cabinet to house my IEP folders and student-specific binders containing
progress monitoring materials and notes. Adjacent to my desk will be a small desk for the
classroom aide to store some of her notes and other applicable materials. Along one of the walls
opposite from the main instructional area I will have a bank of at least three or more computers.
One of the computers will be designated as the listening station for those students who need to
use audio books, etc. If space allows, I would like to designate an area as a math and/or writing
center which would be a great quiet space for students to work, as needed. The center would
include one or two desks facing away from the common area and include on the wall the math
and writing strategies we use in class as well as a high-frequency word poster. Below is a general
outline of my classroom and under ideal conditions I would be able to adjust my classroom this
way. I will have to consider the size of the room, location of outlets, and availability of desks,
tables, and bookshelves. I want to make sure students are able to move about in the classroom
quietly and with ease. My main goal is to arrange my classroom so that it promotes acceptable
behaviors that encourage learning.
Classroom Expectations
Since I have many students coming in and out of my classroom at different points throughout the
day, I think it would be best for me to provide a list of rules on the board and let the students in
each class discuss and vote for which one’s they feel are the most important to them. Getting the
students involved in creating the rules helps provide them with a sense of ownership. From their
responses, I will guide them in narrowing down five rules I feel accurately reflect the
expectations I have for my students. Since I will be working with students from a wide range of
ages, I want to make sure the younger students understand the rules as well as the older students.
The rules I have outlined below are clear, easily understood, and observable.
The 5 “Bee” Rules for Mrs. B’s classroom
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Be responsible – arrive to class on time and with your materials
Be aware – keep your hands and feet to yourself
Be nice – respect yourself and others
Be patient – raise your hand and wait to be called on
Be smart – by doing your best and making good choices
Simply stated, procedures are the patterns for accomplishing classroom tasks through an action
plan. Rules and procedures, coupled with a sound classroom structure, explain how I convey and
support my classroom expectations. I want to establish a warm, caring, safe, and friendly
environment by creating procedures developed around respect for oneself and for others and
includes valuing personal space and goods such as backpacks, physical materials such as
personal notebooks and writing utensils. During the first few days of a new school year, I would
spend some time each day covering and reviewing the rules and procedures. Listed below are a
few of procedures I would implement:
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Entering the classroom
o Students will be expected to place their books bags on the hooks, or in the bins, by
the door, grab their applicable folder and take a seat at their assigned desk. Next,
students will take out a sheet of paper (blank paper will be kept at each desk for
writing assignments or to be used as scrap), read the “Question of the Day” on the
board and begin writing or drawing a response for approximately five minutes.
o The question of the day prompt will change every day and gives students something
to focus their attention on as they enter my classroom. For students who do not
perform well on writing assignments, I have adjusted the task to include the option of
drawing a picture to represent an answer. Provided the writing prompts are fun and
motivating, then the five minutes of writing or drawing will give students a chance to
clear their heads and reset before beginning a new instructional period. The questions
are not graded and simply serve as an informal way for me to get to know my
students. The students would be encouraged to share their writing or drawing and I
could even assign a student to a day so that every Wednesday the same student gets to
share his or her work with the class, if interested. The writing prompts could be
linked to something the students are learning about in science or social studies, it
could be linked to current events, it could be linked to reading or math, or it could be
simply be something fun and whimsical.
What to do if your pencil breaks
o Place the broken pencil in the “Needs Sharpened” bin and grab a fresh one from one
of the many pencil cups located throughout the classroom.
o Do not sharpen your pencil during class.
Using the restroom
o Please raise your hand and ask for permission to use the restroom. I may ask you to
wait a few more minutes until we are at a natural stopping point in the lesson.
Independent seatwork
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o Work quietly at your desk on your own worksheet. You may not talk with a friend or
neighbor. When you have completed your worksheet, then turn it over on your desk
so that I know you are finished.
o If a larger amount of time is allotted to complete a worksheet then I may allow you to
take out a book or magazine and read quietly. I may even have a few educational
magazines, such as National Geographic Kids or Kids Discover, located near the
desks for students to pick up and browse during down time.
Peer/group activities
o I will ask one person from the pair or group to fetch the materials. Students will be
assigned a specific location and will use that same location for each peer or group
activity unless otherwise instructed by me.
Transition times
o If you need to leave the resource room during the middle of the class, then please do
so quickly and quietly.
Acknowledgement System
I love the innocence many young, elementary school-aged children bring to a classroom. Some
students come from background that value good manners and being polite to others. However,
other students do not get the same social skill experiences from home which is why it is so
important for schools, teachers and staff to provide that type of support to all students at school.
Implementing a School-wide Positive Behavior Supports (SWPBS) is a proactive approach to
recognizing the behaviors you expect to see from students while at school. SWPBS is an
evidence-based practice that effectively focuses on preventing and correcting problem behavior
before it happens. Using a positive approach such as SWPBS places less emphasis on negative
comments and tactic and more emphasis on the positives in order to reduce problem behavior.
The best way to establish a positive school climate and culture is to encourage all teachers and
administrators, as well as all students, to model excellence by working as a team.
Praise is another form of acknowledgement and is a functional tool that can be used to increase
academic and social behaviors while effectively increasing student motivation. When a student
places more energy on making smart choices they tend to engage less in undesirable behaviors.
For praise to be effective it must be given immediately in a gentle and sincere tone and it must be
specific, concise, and describe the accomplishments or behavior just witnessed. As the teacher I
will focus on making four or five praise statements for every one reprimand. I will not be stingy
using praise with my students. Praise also can be used to acknowledge students who show
accountability for realizing desired outcomes such as progress made on Curriculum Based
Measurements (CBMs) or a reduction in unacceptable behaviors.
Precorrection Procedures
The primary purposes of precorrection procedures are to identify the times and contexts in which
problem behavior is most likely to occur and proactively act to prevent it and to identify the
specific triggers that set the occasion for problem behavior to occur and then proactively act to
prevent it.
Catching a student before they make a mistake and act out or say something they should not say
is an example of a precorrective action. My job as a teacher is to educate students on what
behaviors are expected at school and in class, and to offer positive feedback which will help
bolster the expected behavior.
One way a school can help precorrect minor and major behaviors is through the use of a
Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP) which specializes in providing an intense, one-on-one
intervention to students at the tier 3 level. Tier 3 students display chronic, yet mild, acting out
behavior and by participating in a BEP are given the opportunity to redeem themselves.
Procedures for Discouraging Inappropriate Behaviors
For a classroom to run smoothly, a teacher must possess “withitness” which is the ability to scan
the classroom, detect any inappropriate behavior early, and maintain proper proximity and
awareness of what is going on all at the same time. Basically, I need to have eyes in the back of
my head which will not be a problem because I have two small children of my own and use my
“extra” pair of eyes all the time. Another very important skill I must possess is the ability to
attend to more than one student at a time, or overlapping. As a resource teacher, I will constantly
be assisting students as they work on a variety of assignments and tasks. I need to be able to give
a lesson to a whole-group while discretely addressing a student who entered the class a few
minutes late. I am confident in my overlapping abilities because I have two girls at home who
like to talk to me at the same time so I get plenty of practice.
By discouraging inappropriate behaviors you increase student engagement and the time allotted
to a task. Loss of instructional time generates too many potential off task behaviors such as
inattention, unnecessary talking, and inappropriate social behavior and detracts from important
instructional time. In order to increase student engagement, I understand how important it is for
me to use explicit instruction with my students. During explicit instruction, I will serve as the
primary provider of knowledge by offering extensive supports (scaffolding) to help facilitate
learning. Using explicit instruction helps promote student mastery of the content because they
are able to focus their attention, concentrate on the task at hand, and stay motivated to work
through a problem without getting distracted or frustrated.
Lastly, it is so very important that I follow the rules and procedures I have in place with the
greatest level of fidelity. The class expectations were established so all students understand what
behaviors are appropriate in my classroom, and for those you do not wish to follow them there
will be consequences. Certain inappropriate behaviors, such as chronic outbursts or bullying,
need to be immediately addresses because they pose a huge threat to other students in the class.
Chronic outbursts are distracting to the class and take away from very important instructional
time devoted to teaching. Bullying affects students both physically and emotionally and can be
hard to detect, depending on how sneaky the student doing the bullying is, so I will make sure
my “withitness” radar is on at all times.
Strategies
Procedures for Increasing Behaviors
As a new teacher, I am inclined to begin the school year without immediately implementing a
reward system. I want to spend some time focusing on the rules and procedures, getting to know
my students, and making notes of the different types of behaviors exhibited by students
throughout the day. I first have to figure out what types of behaviors are being displayed and
determine what each student finds motivating and reinforcing.
After getting to know my students better, I will be able to create a class wide “Rewards List” that
includes activities and tangible reinforcements. Some possible activity-based rewards may
include passing out or collecting papers, sharpening broken pencils, using the classroom library,
using the computer to play educational games, or even an extra five minutes of free time.
Additional free time is a difficulty reward to implement all of the time due to the limited amount
of time I have to work with the students. I could possibly allow the extra five minutes of free
time option to be used once a month. Whichever type of reward system I decide to use, I am
interested in using an approach that focuses on techniques that foster self-management.
Ultimately, I want my students to be able to independently perform tasks without relying on me
to reward them for achieving their desired outcome.
One acknowledgement system that will always be in place in my class is student recognition. In
the “Classroom Structure” section I briefly mentioned the bulletin board, located by the door in a
high traffic area, I will use to recognize the work students are especially proud of completing.
Examples of student work include a math assignment or test that showed significant
improvements, a writing sample that had most, if not all, of the words spelled correctly, and so
on and so forth. Some students do not respond well to noticeable displays of recognition so for
those students I will find a more subdued method to reward them, a method that better meets
their needs.
Another recognition reward I will most definitely implement is the “Super Star of the Week.”
Instead of listing one behavior I would like the entire class to focus on, I will tailor the desired
behavior to each individual student, as need. For example, Halloween was on a Monday this year
and, between the lack of sleep and the excessive amounts of sugar, students’ energy levels were
off the charts with no little or no interest in paying attention. In this instance, I would ask some
students to focus on decreasing off task talking and for other students I would ask them to
increase their ability to stay on talk and engaged. With the “Super Star of the Week” reward I am
able to recognize all students to exhibit appropriate and student-specific desired behavior.
Procedures for Decreasing Behaviors
Many children today experience extreme levels of stress which can be attributed to temporary
stressors such as divorce or a death in the family, or at-risk stressors such as poverty or coming
from a culturally or linguistically diverse home. Even students knowing they have a learning
disability can lead to elevated levels of stress and anxiety. If left unnoticed, these stressors can
escalate and cause students to act out. Before intervening to prevent or decrease behaviors, I first
need to understand the acting out cycle which I will discuss later in my portfolio.
Evertson and Emmer (2009) noted four major categories associated with problem behavior
which includes nonproblems, minor problems, major problems limited in scope, and escalating
or spreading problems. When responding to any problem behavior, you want to decrease it as
quickly and efficiently as possible. In order to maintain the classes’ attention, I want to privately
address the student performing the inappropriate behavior. I do not want to call attention to the
matter and risk losing control of the lesson and the other students’ attention. As a teacher,
proximity control is a great strategy to use to curb inappropriate behavior quickly. If close
proximity to the student does not work, then I will give a private verbal redirect and wait to see
what happens. Ideally, I want the student to be able to control their behavior and make the
independent decision to get back on task. If that happens, I will immediately acknowledge the
student’s decision and praise him or her for making good choices.
A written contract is another great strategy used for decreasing behaviors. A contract is a written
agreement made between the student and the teacher and targets specific behaviors the student
needs to improve. Contracts are a great way to gain student input and to help foster selfevaluation. Once a contract has been written, agreed upon, and signed by all parties then it is up
to the student to fulfill the agreement. If the student is successful, then they will be immediately
rewarded. When using contract’s, progressively reward the student’s behavior and make sure the
contract is a good fit for the student and the circumstances.
Crises
A crisis indicates a period in time when an important decision must be made regarding the safety
of the student(s) in danger. We live in a society where people are weighed down by financial
concerns, discouraged by employment opportunities, overstimulated by technological activity,
and worried about the fate of the future. These seemingly adult concerns are, often inadvertently,
projected onto the youth of today. Children face many challenges growing up including the
pressures of doing well in school, the anxieties of making and keeping friends, and the physical
changes associated with development. In order to deter any crisis behavior from happening either
by my students or to my students, it is so very critical that I remain alert at all times. Preparation
is the key to a situation getting resolved quickly and safely.
Procedures for Managing Minor Misbehavior
The key to managing minor misbehavior is to have a game plan and consistently stick to it.
Before I discuss what procedures work best for addressing minor problem behavior, I want to
first state that ignoring a student is highly ineffective and may encourage the student to escape or
avoid the task at hand because they are spending so much time trying to get the teacher’s
attention. Also, a teacher should not natter, yell, or threat a child under any circumstances.
Instead, the objective should be to stop the inappropriate behavior while maintaining order in the
classroom. The majority of minor problem behavior consists of students talking and goofing off
in class. By developing and reinforcing classroom rules and procedures, students will be less
inclined to engage in inappropriate behaviors because they see appropriate behaviors being used
on a daily basis. I also should consider the structure of my classroom, look for ways to enhance
the learning environment, and make any minor modifications to the classroom layout or to my
lesson plans. Once I am confident my instructional activities are sound I will want to evaluate
my precorrection procedures. If a situation occurs that requires my attention, I will be sure to
address the student privately rather than publicly which will decrease the likelihood that the
student will be reinforced by peer attention; it will also prevent any disruption to the class and
lessen the likelihood of a power struggle between the student and me, the teacher. I do not want
to give off the impression that I am trying to embarrass the student. As I stated earlier, when
responding to any type of problem behavior I want to do so with consistency and fairness. All
children deserve the same level of respect no matter what academic or behavioral difficulties
they are trying to work through. When giving a directive to a student, I will be sure to use an
alpha command, a short and clear statement that is easy for the student and others to understand.
Although it will be difficult at times, I must always maintain a calm attitude and demeanor. As a
teacher, it is so very important that I model the same behavior I would expect of my students.
One final procedure that is very effect with all students is proximity control which gives students
the chance to correct their own behavior. Again, I will always try to catch the student making
good behavioral choices and recognize them accordingly for it.
Procedures for Managing Noncompliance
While many behaviors are highly disruptive to the class, other behaviors have a more negative
impact on students’ learning. Noncompliant behaviors can impede student progress in a
particular academic area and lead to troubling consequences such as problems with high-stakes
testing. One of the IRIS modules listed two strategies for increasing initial compliance which
include high-probability (high-p) requests and choice making. As a resource teacher, I will be
working with students who, for good reason, have developed a dislike for school work. Students
with low academic achievement struggle so much to complete a task that the task itself has
become aversive. I am interested in using high-p requests but will need to practice using it before
the process appears seamless and inconspicuous. Until I feel comfortable using high-p requests, I
will rely on choice making which will be a great way of gaining momentum with my students
and getting then to participate in instructional activities. Providing students with choices follows
the self-management principle which allows the students to gain a sense of control over their
own learning. With a little bit more planning, choice making is a very doable and realistic option
to use with students at all elementary grade levels.
One last technique for managing disruptive and noncompliant behaviors involves the use of
differential reinforcement which relies on positive reinforcement to decrease unwanted
behaviors. When using differential reinforcement, I must first determine the target behavior that I
want to decrease. Next, I must define an appropriate behavior that is incompatible with the
problem behavior so the behaviors will not complement one another. The goal is to catch the
students doing something good and immediately praise them. Of the many advantages to using
differential reinforcement, a positive reinforcement strategy, I am particularly intrigued by its
ability to improve relationships and reduce possible confrontations.
Procedures for Managing Severe Acting-Out Behavior
Any serious acting-out behavior always starts with my students, even red zone students, working
on task when suddenly the behavior escalates through a series of phases and progressively gains
momentum. When managing serious acting-out behavior I need to be able to assess any
indicators of agitation, control successive interactions, and then refrain from trying to coerce the
student. The goal in this situation is to prevent the behavior from escalating and keeping the
student calm.
The seven phases a student can progress through during their disruptive behavior episode include
calm, triggers, agitation, acceleration, peak, de-escalation, and recovery. In a cooperative and
goal-directed environment, many students will remain in the calm stage due to the sound
classroom structure, a good lesson, and a warm and responsive teacher. Some students have hot
buttons, or triggers, that can agitate them and include school-based triggers or non-school-based
triggers. I will need to pay close attention to how both types of triggers alter a students’ mood or
ability to concentrate. The third stage, agitation, often takes places for a long period of time and
is can often be demonstrated by the student rapidly darting their eyes around the room or
disengaging from the group. If at all possible it is absolutely necessary to identify and interrupt a
student during this stage. Otherwise, the student will progress into the acceleration faster than
you can blink an eye. Unfortunately, the agitation stage is often the first time teacher’s recognize
a problem with their student. When a student progresses to this level, he or she will become very
intent on trying to engage the teacher. Avoid a power struggle at all costs and do not become
entrapped in an argument with the student. The best course of action is to offer a request and
then walk away giving the student time to think about it and offer a response. If the student
makes an appropriate choice then immediately reinforce their decision as soon as you see them
engage in the correct behavior letting them know you appreciate them getting back on track. The
most unpredictable and out-of-control phase is when the students’ behavior peaks. At this point,
all you can do as a teacher is deal with the behavior. On the good side, this phase tends to end
quickly. The second to last phase involves the student coming out of the peak phase, or deescalating, which means he or she will be confused and/or disoriented. You may find the student
is disinterested in talking about the incident but will listen to directions. This a good point for
teachers to regain control of the situation by moving the student to a different, and possibly quiet,
location to decompress. The final stage is recovery and the best opportunity to debrief the student
about what just happened. After debriefing the student you may want to debrief the class to
explain what went wrong. Let the class know the student may feel a bit embarrassed when
returning to class, but we respect others and their differences so remind them to be kind and
patient.
Summary
Dealing with problem behaviors is one of the toughest challenges I will face as a new teacher.
Clearly communicating my rules and procedures will let students know what expectations I have
for them which will, in turn, reduce the likelihood of inappropriate behaviors from occurring at
all. If I make a conscientious effort to constantly monitor the conditions surrounding my
classroom, and react proactively toward making any modifications, then I am one step closer to
providing a strong and effective level of support and respect. The ability to respect students for
their own individual uniqueness is what makes a good teacher go the extra mile to become a
great teacher.
“The secret of education lies in respecting the pupil.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson