Classroom Management

Here are three classroom management techniques that I use/plan to use in my classroom while student teaching and in the future in order to promote an enriching and safe learning environment for my students.

1. Start class on time

This is something that I have practiced from in my classrooms from the first time I started teaching them. Immediately when the bell rings, I start taking attendance that way the students know the class period has begun and it is time to quiet down and get ready to work. Many times the computer is very slow and it takes a while to take attendance on ClassXP, so I assign my students something to get started on like a “bell-ringer” activity to work on while I get things ready the lecture or activity that we will be doing that day.


2. Set clear expectations and guidelines

I think this is very important to do on the very first day of class. If you wait and set guidelines or rules as you go then odds are students will not take them seriously. Students need structure and routines. They need to know the policy for late work, making up tests, and turning in homework everyday. They also need to know from the beginning what is expected of them. Teachers should always create high expectations for their learners.

3. Set-up of classroom

An extremely important factor in classroom management is they way you arrange and structure your classroom. Simply organizing desks a certain way can cut back on cheating, talking, and other disruptions. I think seating charts are always a good idea as well, especially to anticipate and prevent any kind of disruption between students. If you know that these two girls talk all the time, to get rid of it you just assign them seats far way from each other.

This I Believe...(2nd time)

I believe that every person can make a positive difference in the world, big or small. Where this belief comes to play with my life involves my career goals. I am currently on my way to becoming a teacher, and teachers have the great opportunity of making positive differences in the lives of their students each and every day.

Looking back through my childhood and adolescence, I find that the people who I remember as making a difference in my life are my teachers. My first grade teacher, Mrs. Traynham, made me excited to come to school everyday and worked afterschool with me to improve my reading skills. My 7th grade teacher, Ms. Bramlette, inspired to become more involved with writing, and as it turned out I was the chief editor of the newspaper staff my senior year of high school. My 9th grade english teacher, Mrs. Mason, was the first one to show me that my parents were not the only ones who cared about my grades and achievement.

I have had many teachers over the years and although teachers may not think it is apparent, students can easily point out the teachers that care and the teachers that don’t. The last thing I want to be is a teacher who seems like they do not care. Children have just as many everyday struggles as adults do, with things like fitting in, accepting and expressing oneself, making good grades, pleasing their parents, and finding who they really are and what they want to do in this life. That is why in my future classroom I plan on using uplifting words of praise and encouragement, instilling in my students a sense of self worth, providing assistance and support consistently, and making them believe that they can be whatever they want to be in this life.

I believe that educators have been given the gift of making differences in the lives of their students, no matter how young or old, smart or not smart. I believe that simply showing you care, no matter what profession you are in, can be the ultimate difference on how people view themselves and the world that we live in.

Action Plan

Suggestion 1: Use short bulleted points instead of long sentences on PowerPoint slides, and have something for students to fill out.
I plan on using PowerPoint a great deal in my future classroom. Using bulleted lists as would be easier for the students to read and write down the important information. Also, if budget cuts weren't occurring in Pickens County, and are not at my future school of employment I would make guided notes out of my PowerPoint presentations so they students have to follow along and fill in the blank points.

Suggestion 2: Incorporate more photos and images into PowerPoint presentations.
I think it is important to keep kids focuses and interested in the material being presented. By adding interesting photos and images throughout a PowerPoint presentation, you can keep the students engaged in the lesson because photos tend to grab their attention. I plan on incorporating as many captivating images as possible into my presentations in order to keep the students attention, but also to aid in the understanding of the material because some can remember photos easier than long sentences.

Suggestion 3: Ask questions about what type of source students are analyzing.
I plan on using a variety of sources in my classroom while teaching Social Studies. It is important that my students understand what type of documents that they are using and analyzing. It is imperative that they know and understand the differences between primary and secondary sources.