Philosophy Statement
Mission Statement
“In our class, we are a community of leaders that strive for success. Nothing is going to stop us from following our dreams. Through instructional support and modeling from the teacher, anything is achievable!”
Classroom Management Philosophy
I like to compare classroom management to a well oiled machine; if done correctly and practiced daily, students will be able to accomplish simple tasks on their own. Without effective classroom management, children would not learn effectively and efficiently, and most teachers would quit their jobs within the first week of school. Classroom management is much more than posting a set of rules for students to follow, but rather, practicing and modeling everyday what good behavior and high expectations look like within the classroom. In my personal classroom management philosophy, I believe that a teacher must always take learning in strides and they must effectively model anything and everything they expect their students to accomplish. My own philosophy has been created and shaped through the study of various theorists and researchers, but also by putting my abilities to practice in the classroom. Through my findings, I have learned that procedures need to be taught and focused on in the beginning of the year, my classroom rules need to be created by the students, and to use cooperative grouping within my classroom to actively engage students in their learning. When all three of these theories are put together, a classroom is able to work as a well-oiled machine.
Theorist, Wong, once stated, “Do it right, or do it all year long” (Wong, 2004). Teaching procedures is a classroom management task that needs to be taught in the beginning of the year and practiced constantly until the students have effectively put the procedures into practice. Classroom procedures are what a teacher wants done, and if taught successfully and practiced, it will form into a routine for students, which is the goal for any teacher. In order to have a smooth running classroom, it is the responsibility of the teacher to teach the students the expectations and routines, and that is done through constantly modeling what good procedures look like. Wong stated, “Never assume students “should know by now’ because you are different from every teacher they have ever had” (Wong, 2004). I plan to hold Wong’s philosophy to be near and dear to me. I will never assume that my students know how to perform a task or procedure in my classroom and will always provide them with the tools to be successful on their own. When classroom procedures are implemented correctly, it will allow me to have more time within my classroom for many different activities to take place at once with a minimum amount of wasted time, it will increase the on-task time and greatly reduce classroom disruptions, and it will overall reduce discipline problems.
Besides teaching classroom procedures at the beginning and throughout the school year, creating a set of classroom rules is essential for a well working classroom. According to theorist Kagan, a set of classroom rules should be no more than 3 to 5 rules long and the students should be involved in creating the rule setting, design, and implementation (Kagan, 2004). When the students have input in how the classroom functions, they gain a sense of ownership within the classroom. I want my students to feel that they are a part of a working community that is in the journey together. I plan to post the classroom rules in a prominent place within the classroom so that it can be referred back to constantly throughout the day and act as a reminder to students of the expectations they have created for their classroom. If students have a clear understanding of the rules and expectations that need to be followed, less conflict will occur. Just like procedures, the classroom rules need to be constantly referred to and modeled so that students have a clear understanding of what they are being held to.
The culminating theory that I will instill in my classroom is the use of cooperative grouping and learning. Cooperative learning cannot be successful without having strong procedures and rules put in place. Just like theorist Wong mentioned before, teachers cannot assume that their students know how to collaboratively work together to accomplish a task (Wong, 2004). Before I have my students work in collaborative groups, I will model to them what good behaviors are when working within a group. It is important to stress that each team member is responsible not only for learning the content, but also for helping teammates learn, thus creating an atmosphere of achievement (Kagan, 2009). Cooperative grouping allows for the teacher to be the facilitator, while the students learn from one another and are driven through being actively engaged. Research has shown that cooperative learning techniques have increased learning and achievement, enhance satisfaction, help students develop social skills, and promote diversity within the classroom (Kagan, 2009). Students are more motivated to learn through active engagement with their peers than they are during direct instruction. It is important to stress team-building and class-building exercises before the students jump right into working with one another, because if they do not feel a connection and understanding with their peers, then their group will not be successful.
A well-working classroom does not happen overnight. Many different aspects need to work cohesively together in order for a success. In the beginning of the school year, teachers need to teach classroom procedures and establish a set of classroom rules that the students can follow. These two steps are crucial components that help support that structure of the classroom. Lastly, the teacher needs to implement collaborative learning within the classroom, but after team-building and classroom-building has been established. When all of these components tie together, students are guaranteed to be a part of a successful community of learners that will shine brighter than any other classroom around.
Kagan, S. & Kagan, M. (2009). Kagan Cooperative Learning. San Clemente, CA: Kagan Publishing.
Kagan, S., Kyle, P., & Scott, S. (2004). Win-Win discipline. San Clemente: Kagan Publishing.
Wong, H. K., Wong, R. T. (2004). How to be an effective teacher: the first days of school. (3rd ed.). Mountain View, CA: Harry K. Wong Publications, Inc.
