Philosophical Statement on Classroom Management

The foundation of my belief on teaching and classroom management comes from the
quote by Alexandra K. Trenfor. The best teachers are those who show you where to look, but
dont tell you what to see. This quote really hit home with me. I could stand in front of my
students and teach them all day without them actually learning something and taking something
away from the lesson. It is a teachers job to give a student the tools and opportunity to learn, but
it is up to the student to implement those tools and apply themselves in their learning
environment.
My teaching style is very student directed. I want to be there to guide them, inspire them,
and prepare them for learning, but I want the students to teach themselves and their peers. I
believe in engaging hands on lessons. Children learn much more efficiently by using kinesthetic
learning rather than visual or auditory. I want my students to be excited about coming to school
every day. I want to be more than just a teacher to my kids; I want to be a mentor, someone they
feel comfortable with and someone they can come to anytime.
I want having a relationship with my students parents to be a fundamental aspect in
classroom management. I will engage the parents in everything possible to keep them interested
and up-to-date on their childs work and progress. Parent-teacher conferences are very important
in keeping a good relationship with the students parents.

Classroom Rules
There will be 3-5 specific rules posted in the classroom at all times for the children to
follow. A copy of the classroom rules and any other information regarding consequences and
management will be given to the parents, in paper and by email. There will also be another set of
rules put together by the students. These rules will be more general and more for the students to
feel involved rather than actual classroom management. Examples of these rules could be be
polite to your classmates, or, take turns with the crayons. It is crucial for the children to feel
involved in the decision making for them to feel comfortable and fair in the classroom.
These will be the basic classroom rules:
Follow directions
Raise hands
Inside voices
If you have nothing nice to say, dont say anything at all
Treat others as you want to be treated

I will also implement the school/county rules, but these will not be taught or posted.

I do not believe in punishing children because they are still learning and growing.
However, if the behavior is repetitive, disruptive, or unsafe there will be consequences. My
consequence system is as follows:

1
st
offense- redirection and verbal warning
2
nd
offense- take child aside and speak to them
3
rd
offense- fill out an action plan
4
th
offense- kept in at recess and phone call home
When students act out in class there are many contributing factors. The student might
have too much energy and need some time to sit alone until they are ready to learn, they may be
having some problems at home, or they might just be having a bad day. I believe every problem
can be worked out in class or during recess so the child can continue learning. I do not believe in
behavior charts as they are ineffective. I will only use the Principal or office as a last resort.
I will not give material things like candy or stickers as rewards, Ill give compliments and
praise instead as these are more valuable to the children in the long run. When a student has
shown good behavior throughout the day, or done something nice, I will write a note to the
parents telling of their good behavior. If the entire class has behaved all day Ill give them free
time, or game time at the end of the day. Field trips and movie days will be monthly rewards for
good class behavior.

Classroom Procedures

Classroom procedures are very important to children because they need a routine to feel
comfortable and safe. I will always keep the daily routine posted in the classroom as well as
given to the students and their parents. The children will be able to look at the board and see
what they are doing next, along with the corresponding time periods.
Every morning as the students are arriving it will be journaling time, followed by
each student sharing what they have written. This gives the students time to
mildly socialize with their friends and get ready to learn.
To begin each lesson as a class we will review what was learned the day before.
To end each lesson as a class we will each share one thing that was learned, or
that the students found cool or interesting. This helps review what was learned.
If a student has completed their work early I will have choices of things they can
do. These include appropriate games, journaling, and reading.
When a student is absent I will have put missed work in their cubby and will catch
them up during free time or recess.
When grading the students work I will do so every day so the class can have a
discussion about things they didnt understand or need more review with. I will
always send all work home to the parents.
Homework will not make up a large portion of the students grades as it is used
more for practice. The students will be graded on classwork, including projects
and group work, as well as quizzes and tests. Late work will be excepted if there
is a valid excuse, if not, points will be deducted.
I will make an effort to send home a note to each parent every Friday to let them
know how their child did that week in class.



Classroom Arrangement
I want my classroom to feel very safe and home-like for the students. I also want it to be
a fun environment where they will feel stimulated and excited about coming to school every day.
My classroom will directly reflect my teaching style.
The students tables will be arranged in groups facing the desk that I use for
working with students. My private desk will be in the back corner of the room
and will only be used when I need to use the computer (attendance, power
points).
Three children will sit at a table to promote cooperation, peer-teaching, and
social development.
The white board will be behind my working table, facing the children. There
will be a carpet there for morning circle, but the carpet will not be used much.
On the opposite wall there will be a reading area, which will be the main focus
of the classroom. There will be many shelves of books and pillows/bean bags to
make the area more comfortable.
The walls will be covered in fun and stimulating posters that the children can
use as reference.
There will be vocabulary words posted on the walls, as well as a list of the
classroom rules and a job board.
I will have a basket on my work desk for the students to put homework and
classwork into.
The students will have cubbies for their backpacks, and will keep their materials
in baskets on the tables.
There will be many lamps to give the classroom a home-like feeling.