ABOUT THE AUTHOR
My name is Ashley Mahar and I am a junior at Hope College studying special education with an emphasis in learning disabilities. I have been placed in many different schools and have gained amazing experiences through my interactions with students. I have learned so much about effective teaching and communications skills throughout the process. This website was made for my Classroom Management course with Professor Arsenault. I enjoyed making the website and hope it is a useful tool for your use!
My name is Ashley Mahar and I am a junior at Hope College studying special education with an emphasis in learning disabilities. I have been placed in many different schools and have gained amazing experiences through my interactions with students. I have learned so much about effective teaching and communications skills throughout the process. This website was made for my Classroom Management course with Professor Arsenault. I enjoyed making the website and hope it is a useful tool for your use!
classroom management philosophy
A teacher’s classroom management style and philosophy is an important factor in defining his or her teaching identity. Maintaining a respectful atmosphere while holding an authoritative demeanor is necessary to have a successfully run classroom. A loose and abstract management style will let students have control of the class, while having an overly strict management style might hinder student learning and creativity. It is important to develop a classroom management style in the middle that makes the classroom a safe and welcoming learning environment that promotes student learning and creativity. As a future teacher, I plan to have a management style that has clear rules and expectations to foster a classroom appropriate for learning. Furthermore, I have learned many strategies to build rapport with students in a way that will help them build a relationship with you as a teacher to make the classroom friendly and welcoming.
Additionally, another important attribute in classroom management is the teacher’s ability to establish positive relationships with his or her students. In order to gain a positive rapport, strategic communication tools might be used to enhance the teacher-student relationship. One strategy I plan to use in my future classroom is to communicate positive expectations with my students. I believe this is an important strategy because, “Research on teacher expectations and student achievement has shown that expectations have a dramatic impact on student academic performance” (4). Furthermore, it is important to positively communicate one’s expectations to all students, not only to those not abiding by the rules. This may be done by the teacher directly stating to students that he or she believes they have the ability to do well, which will inspire their success. Another strategy I plan to implement is to call on all students equitably in order to communicate my confidence in each student. Calling on the same students over and over is ineffective and lets others feel it is appropriate to “zone out” because they believe they won’t be called upon. By calling on each and every student equally, more students will be attentive as well as developing feelings of self-confidence in their own academic abilities. I plan to monitor this strategy by keeping a checklist of the students that have been called on throughout the school day. Although this is a time consuming strategy, it is helpful in the long run to determine which students need more inclusive activities to learn content. Thirdly, I plan to give students enough time to answer questions. Research supports that the amount of time given to students to answer questions is directly related to the level of confidence his or her teacher has in them. Using this technique will enable me to communicate to my students that I have positive expectations for every one of them. Finally, I will communicate positive expectations to my students by giving hints and clues. This strategy pertains to low-performing students in that it will build a positive teacher-student relationship. It is important to use these hints and clues with all students in order to communicate the fact that I have high expectations for the entire class.
In order to work effectively with parents, my main goal will be to positively communicate regularly with the parents about their student. I will not only contact parents when their student does something wrong, but also when they do something wonderful! It is important to work together with the students’ parents to foster good communication and appropriate interpersonal skills. I plan to communicate with an initial letter at the beginning of school, emails throughout the year, phone calls when necessary, and conferences or meetings as time is available. When speaking with parents, I will use a pleasant, yet firm voice to convey that I am a professional and have their son or daughter’s best interest in mind. Another tactic I plan to implement is having the right attitude when communicating with parents according to their culture. I will research the proper communication style and guidelines of cultures before I initially make contact in order to be proper and not offensive. One strategy I plan to use at the beginning of the school year with parents is to provide a questionnaire or form for parents to ask me any questions they have pertaining to their student. This will be an informational page where the parents can share information regarding their child so that the teacher has a better understanding of the student. I will also have a space on the handout for parents to tell me what strategies they have seen work for their student and any other information they think is necessary. I believe this will eliminate stress and put the parents at ease knowing that their son or daughter’s new teacher knows some background information on their learning from their own perspective.
Rules are very important to have in place on the first day of school. I believe the most effective way for students to abide by the rules is for students to work together with the teacher to brainstorm a list of rules they want in their classroom. Typically, a large list will follow and can be put into simpler, comprehensive categories. I plan to only have five rules in my classroom in order to not overwhelm students or seem overly strict. I plan to lead the brainstorming process into a smaller list of the following rules: (1) Be respectful to everyone and their opinions, (2) Be prepared for class, (3) Maintain a positive attitude, (4) In class use technology appropriately, and (5) Raise your hand to talk. For rule one, I plan to explain what respect is to the students and we can then discuss ways they think they can show respect in the classroom. I will also add that it is important to call everyone by his or her name in my classroom. When you address someone by name, you are treating that person with dignity and respect. In rule two, it will be explained that I have so many fun things to do every day! In order to be able to do these fun activities at school, students need to come prepared so that they can learn. The third rule is equally as important because a positive attitude is contagious! Students will feel welcome and relaxed in my classroom in order to feel loved and foster a positive learning environment. In today’s society, technology is available to everyone! Rule four is important because of dangerous websites and other inappropriate things available to students on the Internet. In my class and at school, it will be a rule to only use technology when it is appropriate and to only visit school approved websites. The fifth rule is also important because in order to hear everyone in class, students have to speak one at a time. In order to do this effectively, students must raise their hand when they have something to contribute to the class discussion so that they are heard and everyone is listening to what he or she has to say.
Procedures are important to implement in the classroom because they provide a consistent schedule for students. For example, in my future classroom I plan to have a different warm-up activity to start each day. On Mondays there will be a math problem pertaining to newly learned material. Tuesdays will have a warm up activity incorporating technology. Examples of this could be an online poll question, an iPad application, or an activity on the computer. Wednesdays will incorporate a science based warm-up activity, which can relate to the curriculum or could be a popular topic in science in the real world. On Thursdays there might be a Daily Oral Language (DOL) or quickwrite activity for students to work on their writing and literacy skills. Finally, on Fridays we will do a fun Brain Gym activity for students to learn and practice to stimulate the mind and use both hemispheres of the brain to increase focus. Another general procedure I will implement in my future classroom is to have a turn-in tray for work and a graded tray for students to pass back work to students that has already been graded and recorded in the grade book. In addition to these trays, there will also be a tray for late work to be handed in so that it stays separate from the work that has been turned in on time. Lastly, after the daily warm-up activity, I will read the agenda for the day aloud so that students can picture the schedule and know what to expect throughout the school day.
Enhancing students’ motivation in the classroom is very important to have students positively embrace the learning process. Upon further research, I found a helpful article with ten tips to enhance student motivation at school. Firstly, it is important to ensure that your students can understand how the subject manner they are learning connects to their real lives. Next, it is important to use a variety of teaching tools to keep many students engaged with different learning style preferences. For example, if a student is a visual learner, a teacher might use graphic organizers, posters, Power Points, or other visually stimulating strategies to teach content. Thirdly, to enhance students’ motivation it is useful to offer incentives for completed homework or classwork. The class may decide the incentive and it helps the entire class to behave with good manners to gain the incentives. The fourth tip is to make sure that the rewards given from teachers to students are varied to promote good behavior in the classroom. Fifthly, gaining positive relationships with your students is a main factor in enhancing motivation. The sixth tip is to create a positive classroom climate, which promotes learning and motivation in a very significant way. Creating this environment is important and can be done through bright, welcoming colors on the walls, special lighting techniques, a comfortable temperature, and warming scents. Next, it is important to teach a challenging curriculum to promote a hardworking environment for students to reach their full potential. The eighth tip to enhancing motivation is to intrinsically develop a motivation in students, which provides a genuine desire to learn and do well in the classroom. For example, I plan to have students self-monitor their test score progress. Students will have a line graph where they can plot their points, connect the dots, and see their progress throughout the year. Also, creating an atmosphere which is both challenging behaviorally and academically. Lastly, as a teacher it is important to keep your energy level high because if you are energetic and motivated, it will be contagious to your students.
Additionally, another important attribute in classroom management is the teacher’s ability to establish positive relationships with his or her students. In order to gain a positive rapport, strategic communication tools might be used to enhance the teacher-student relationship. One strategy I plan to use in my future classroom is to communicate positive expectations with my students. I believe this is an important strategy because, “Research on teacher expectations and student achievement has shown that expectations have a dramatic impact on student academic performance” (4). Furthermore, it is important to positively communicate one’s expectations to all students, not only to those not abiding by the rules. This may be done by the teacher directly stating to students that he or she believes they have the ability to do well, which will inspire their success. Another strategy I plan to implement is to call on all students equitably in order to communicate my confidence in each student. Calling on the same students over and over is ineffective and lets others feel it is appropriate to “zone out” because they believe they won’t be called upon. By calling on each and every student equally, more students will be attentive as well as developing feelings of self-confidence in their own academic abilities. I plan to monitor this strategy by keeping a checklist of the students that have been called on throughout the school day. Although this is a time consuming strategy, it is helpful in the long run to determine which students need more inclusive activities to learn content. Thirdly, I plan to give students enough time to answer questions. Research supports that the amount of time given to students to answer questions is directly related to the level of confidence his or her teacher has in them. Using this technique will enable me to communicate to my students that I have positive expectations for every one of them. Finally, I will communicate positive expectations to my students by giving hints and clues. This strategy pertains to low-performing students in that it will build a positive teacher-student relationship. It is important to use these hints and clues with all students in order to communicate the fact that I have high expectations for the entire class.
In order to work effectively with parents, my main goal will be to positively communicate regularly with the parents about their student. I will not only contact parents when their student does something wrong, but also when they do something wonderful! It is important to work together with the students’ parents to foster good communication and appropriate interpersonal skills. I plan to communicate with an initial letter at the beginning of school, emails throughout the year, phone calls when necessary, and conferences or meetings as time is available. When speaking with parents, I will use a pleasant, yet firm voice to convey that I am a professional and have their son or daughter’s best interest in mind. Another tactic I plan to implement is having the right attitude when communicating with parents according to their culture. I will research the proper communication style and guidelines of cultures before I initially make contact in order to be proper and not offensive. One strategy I plan to use at the beginning of the school year with parents is to provide a questionnaire or form for parents to ask me any questions they have pertaining to their student. This will be an informational page where the parents can share information regarding their child so that the teacher has a better understanding of the student. I will also have a space on the handout for parents to tell me what strategies they have seen work for their student and any other information they think is necessary. I believe this will eliminate stress and put the parents at ease knowing that their son or daughter’s new teacher knows some background information on their learning from their own perspective.
Rules are very important to have in place on the first day of school. I believe the most effective way for students to abide by the rules is for students to work together with the teacher to brainstorm a list of rules they want in their classroom. Typically, a large list will follow and can be put into simpler, comprehensive categories. I plan to only have five rules in my classroom in order to not overwhelm students or seem overly strict. I plan to lead the brainstorming process into a smaller list of the following rules: (1) Be respectful to everyone and their opinions, (2) Be prepared for class, (3) Maintain a positive attitude, (4) In class use technology appropriately, and (5) Raise your hand to talk. For rule one, I plan to explain what respect is to the students and we can then discuss ways they think they can show respect in the classroom. I will also add that it is important to call everyone by his or her name in my classroom. When you address someone by name, you are treating that person with dignity and respect. In rule two, it will be explained that I have so many fun things to do every day! In order to be able to do these fun activities at school, students need to come prepared so that they can learn. The third rule is equally as important because a positive attitude is contagious! Students will feel welcome and relaxed in my classroom in order to feel loved and foster a positive learning environment. In today’s society, technology is available to everyone! Rule four is important because of dangerous websites and other inappropriate things available to students on the Internet. In my class and at school, it will be a rule to only use technology when it is appropriate and to only visit school approved websites. The fifth rule is also important because in order to hear everyone in class, students have to speak one at a time. In order to do this effectively, students must raise their hand when they have something to contribute to the class discussion so that they are heard and everyone is listening to what he or she has to say.
Procedures are important to implement in the classroom because they provide a consistent schedule for students. For example, in my future classroom I plan to have a different warm-up activity to start each day. On Mondays there will be a math problem pertaining to newly learned material. Tuesdays will have a warm up activity incorporating technology. Examples of this could be an online poll question, an iPad application, or an activity on the computer. Wednesdays will incorporate a science based warm-up activity, which can relate to the curriculum or could be a popular topic in science in the real world. On Thursdays there might be a Daily Oral Language (DOL) or quickwrite activity for students to work on their writing and literacy skills. Finally, on Fridays we will do a fun Brain Gym activity for students to learn and practice to stimulate the mind and use both hemispheres of the brain to increase focus. Another general procedure I will implement in my future classroom is to have a turn-in tray for work and a graded tray for students to pass back work to students that has already been graded and recorded in the grade book. In addition to these trays, there will also be a tray for late work to be handed in so that it stays separate from the work that has been turned in on time. Lastly, after the daily warm-up activity, I will read the agenda for the day aloud so that students can picture the schedule and know what to expect throughout the school day.
Enhancing students’ motivation in the classroom is very important to have students positively embrace the learning process. Upon further research, I found a helpful article with ten tips to enhance student motivation at school. Firstly, it is important to ensure that your students can understand how the subject manner they are learning connects to their real lives. Next, it is important to use a variety of teaching tools to keep many students engaged with different learning style preferences. For example, if a student is a visual learner, a teacher might use graphic organizers, posters, Power Points, or other visually stimulating strategies to teach content. Thirdly, to enhance students’ motivation it is useful to offer incentives for completed homework or classwork. The class may decide the incentive and it helps the entire class to behave with good manners to gain the incentives. The fourth tip is to make sure that the rewards given from teachers to students are varied to promote good behavior in the classroom. Fifthly, gaining positive relationships with your students is a main factor in enhancing motivation. The sixth tip is to create a positive classroom climate, which promotes learning and motivation in a very significant way. Creating this environment is important and can be done through bright, welcoming colors on the walls, special lighting techniques, a comfortable temperature, and warming scents. Next, it is important to teach a challenging curriculum to promote a hardworking environment for students to reach their full potential. The eighth tip to enhancing motivation is to intrinsically develop a motivation in students, which provides a genuine desire to learn and do well in the classroom. For example, I plan to have students self-monitor their test score progress. Students will have a line graph where they can plot their points, connect the dots, and see their progress throughout the year. Also, creating an atmosphere which is both challenging behaviorally and academically. Lastly, as a teacher it is important to keep your energy level high because if you are energetic and motivated, it will be contagious to your students.