My thoughts on what to do in a classroom!

I cannot say this is what one should or should not do as I do not have the experience or being in my own classroom. But, I have been a student for almost 19 years and have this experience on my side. I think that rewards are excellent for classroom management but they have to be used with caution. Some students may not want the reward offered and may still misbehave and ruin the reward for others, this leads to tension between the students. Speaking softly but firmly always works as well. This way there is not fear present but it lets the students know when the teacher is serious. My mom was a grade one teacher for over 30 years and she has never raised her voice in the classroom (nor at home for that manner), but she has a certain tone and it lets you know when she means business! A big part of classroom management is respect, if the teacher does not show respect and understanding for her students then the students will not show respect for the teacher. It is a two way street. As I have said before I have not had my own classroom yet, so my comments my not hold true when I begin teaching. However, for now I have only the perspective of a student and these are things that I consider important!

My thoughts on what not to do in a classroom!

After spending almost 19 years in school I have my own views on classroom management. I feel that a teacher should not yell or raise their voice, have a reaction when a student acts inappropriately, and single students out for bad behaviour - just to name a few. When a teacher yells and raises their voice it does nothing but frighten timid students and reinforce negative behaviour in students who are misbehaving. Yelling and raising voices ties in with having a reaction to inappropriate behaviour. When a teacher has a reaction it lets the misbehaving student know that what they have done will get a rise out of the teacher and will continue to do this and therefore reinforcing negative behaviour. Singling students out for bad behaviour may make the person feel insecure and embarrassed. By doing this the student may continue to lash out and it makes matters worse. In my own personal opinion these are a few things that are very ineffective for classroom management.

Observation Days

Observation days are a part of our curriculum where we go to a school in our area and observe a class for one day a week. We have the opportunity to see various grade levels and different teachers within the same grade level. So far I have witnessed two grade five teachers, a grade one teacher and a special needs teacher. The two grade five teachers I have witnessed have two totally different classroom management techniques. One yells and is very stern, she had a little control over her classroom; the kids did not seemed to be bothered by her. However, the other raises her voice but is firm and although she has a bigger class with more difficult students she has a lot more control. The grade one teacher has an amazing amount of classroom management. Her voice is low (to the point where I found it difficult to hear her!) but she has complete control and the attention of her students at all times. For grade ones they are extremely well behaved - they sat in their seats for 15 minutes doing work without talking to each other. When she speaks they listen, and she never raises her voice. I had commented on how good they were and she replied by saying that they were not like this when they came to grade one. She has developed excellent classroom management. From her I took numerous little tips on how to manage my classroom!

Why I chose Classroom Management

I have chosen classroom management for my blog because I feel that it is a very important aspect of teaching. A teacher can have numerous, ideas and resources but it will not matter in the classroom if they do not have good management skills. If a teacher does not have control of their classroom then it will be impossible to teach effectively. Teachers can learn how to teach lessons but managing a classroom is something that will be learned from experience. By creating this blog I hope to help inexperienced and experienced teachers to gain knowledge and ideas about how to effectively manage their classroom. Hope this helps!
Stephanie