Creating Community: A Philosophy on Management
Context:I wrote this Classroom Management Plan during my third quarter of the Teacher Education Program at the University of Washington. It describes my personal philosophy on management and provides examples of the practice of classroom management, such as room set up and other organizational issues. I have also included a sample parent letter, which briefly outlines my philosophy and example practice within the classroom.
UW TEP Goals and Targets:
Goal 3: Creating a Positive Learning Environment
Learning Target 3A: Communication Strategies
The TEP student will understand and use effective verbal and nonverbal communication techniques that encourage learners to work effectively as individuals and in groups.
Communication is one of the single most effective management techniques. If students clearly know ahead of time what is expected of them, behavior problems are minimized. When issues do occur, being able to openly communicate about the problem and how it is best solved is essential. One-on-one teacher and student communication and discussion, both in taking the time to get to know each student and in dealing with behavior or academic difficulties is crucial to letting students know that you care about and support them. Communicating respect sets an example that all students will learn from and appreciate. Many aspects of my management plan point to different communication strategies that encourage and require students to be involved in their own behavior management.
Learning Target 3B: Classroom Management
The TEP student will understand and use classroom management strategies that encourage learners to work effectively as individuals and in groups.
My philosophy on classroom management is centered around empowering students to act responsibly in a community in which they are invested. This includes involving students in setting up their own class standards and expectations, creating meaningful routines that encourage positive behavior, and being aware of any needs that students bring to the classroom that require my attention and support. Effective classroom management is multi-tiered, and through the following reflection and management plan, I have attempted to show the many aspects and procedures that I have considered.
Reflection:
After re-reading my management plan once again, I realize that a large part of what I believe about making a classroom work is absent. Without a doubt, it is important for a teacher to be aware of the needs of her students and to provide for them an environment that is organized and stimulating. However, if the students have no investment in that environment, if they do not feel the sense of belonging that emerges from a well developed, caring community, then security and social responsibility may be sacrificed. By this, I mean that children need to feel safe in their environment in order to be themselves. If security is not present in a classroom, it may result in more behavior problems, as safety is a basic psychological need for many children. In addition, if students do not feel that they belong or are accepted in the classroom, they will in turn feel no responsibility to do their part in making that classroom a better place. It is this investment in the community and the responsibility felt toward it that may make the difference in some students' actions and behaviors.
I have noticed several challenges to classroom management in classrooms where there is not a strong sense of community and belonging. The main two are these: exclusion and competition. Both exclusion and competition affect the way certain children are treated at school by their peers, causing many hurt feelings and insecurities that can result in behavior and academic problems. Allen Mendler (1992), who found that ''children with behavior problems act out to satisfy their basic human needs'' noted that the first two of these needs are ''1. To feel and believe they are capable and successful'' and ''2. To know they are cared about by others'' (p. 2). When a learning environment is structured competitively, ''students are required to compete for what appears to be limited rewards or praise'' (Sapon-Shevin, 1999, p. 21). The result of competition is that someone always is left feeling not good enough or smart enough, not capable or successful. When exclusion is part of the learning experience, certain students are ''not allowed to participate fully'' (Sapon-Shevin, 1999, p. 19) and the message is that they do not belong and that others do not care about them. Even more challenging, is that many schools and societies are structured around exclusion and competition, making true community formation difficult and allowing many needs to go unmet.
In creating effective classroom management, I see the beginning of the school year as crucial to building an environment that students want to be a part of. Perhaps this means creating a cohesive community with a shared identity that students feel connected to and proud of. Perhaps it means fostering interdependence that embraces peer support and responsibility for ones' actions. It is this joint effort to construct a standard for living their school lives together that may help students ''meet their needs to belong, to be active, to have control, and to experience sense and meaning in their lives'' (Jones and Jones, 2001, p. 65). Through extensive community building and positive experiences in school and in learning, my students will grow to be responsible participants in future communities who care about themselves and about their peers and who understand that their actions do matter.
 Classroom Management Plan |
Family Letter |