Classroom Management Strategies Reflective Task by Rochelle Coleman Part 1 There are a number of student behaviours that I anticipate

will occur during my practicum. These behaviours vary in severity and include incidents such as students talking out of turn; getting out of seats; swearing at teachers or other students; throwing objects or furniture; refusing to follow instructions; leaving class before being dismissed; being unprepared; sleeping in class; tapping a pen; making silly noises; cheating; and rocking on his or her chair. None of these behaviours seem too severe in isolation, however, they can prevent learning objectives from being achieved. Part 2 Low-key responses to student misbehaviour are preferable to more visible responses as they can be employed without interrupting the lesson. They also give students the opportunity to back down without compromising their reputation. An effective low-key strategy that I employed on my practicum to prevent or respond to unproductive student behaviour was the use of proximity. During my practicum, I used proximity to deal with a number of student misbehaviours. One example of this was when dealing with students who were talking out of turn. After signalling to start at the beginning of the lesson and gaining the attention of students, I commenced instruction. Two students started talking at the same time as me, so I moved in front of their desks and placed my hand lightly on the desk to get their attention. I did this while I continued my instructions to the class. Part 3 Proximity is a tool that I feel comfortable using in my teaching practice. While I had used proximity as a tool in my last practicum period, I feel that I am become more comfortable using it in my practice. I now employ proximity not just as a response to student misbehaviour, but also to proactively manage disruptive or off-task behaviours. For example, I am now comfortable at walking around the classroom and examining students notebooks a nd laptops to ensure they are on task. Additionally, I feel that I am improving at using proximity with a student without sacrificing my with-it-ness. There is a danger that, while I am employing proximity as a response to student misbehaviour with students on one side of the room, I may miss student misbehaviour on the other side of the room. I must continue to ensure that I maintain awareness of all students in the room.