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Lindsey Clayton
Philosophy of Management Statement

As I have been engaging in internship and my courses this semester I have

been engaging in activities to challenge me to think about my own philosophy of
management statement. Through my experiences I have been exposed to many
different management styles and I have started to form my own taking a little bit
from each. As a pre service teacher this philosophy of management works for me,
but of course it may evolve, as I become a more experienced teacher.
In my philosophy of management, I believe that the teacher and the students
both have primary responsibility for managing student behavior. It is both the
teacher and the students responsibility to take ownership of student behavior. If
the teacher is working with the students together to manage behavior I think there
will be less emphasis on the students behavior, and more emphasis on the lessons
happening in the classroom.
In the beginning of the school year, the teacher and students will work
together to establish the rules and procedures of the classroom. They will discuss
rules and agree as a classroom. It is important for students and teachers to agree as
a class because according to Albert in Cooperative Discipline, when teachers work
together with their classes to establish a classroom code of conduct which specifies
how everyone is supposed to behave and interact, including the teacher (p.76) then
everyone will be held accountable for their actions. I believe it is very important for

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the students and the teacher to be held accountable for their behavior in the
classroom.
After the entire classroom works together to agree on a classroom conduct
including rules, procedures and appropriate behaviors, then it is the responsibility
of everyone in the classroom to behave appropriately.
My primary goal when establishing a classroom-learning environment is to
create an environment that involves the entire classroom, teacher and students, as a
community. My established classroom-learning environment should be a place
where the students feel connected with the other students and the teacher in the
classroom. If a student is connected, then they are comfortable with themselves and
comfortable expressing their ideas, thoughts and feelings openly in the classroom.
The next part of establishing a community is making sure students feel capable.
They should be confident in their capabilities in the classroom. The last part of
establishing a sense of community is fostering students that contribute. I would
establish my classroom-learning environment based on a sense of community and
the three Cs- capable, connect and contribute- because with the three Cs in place,
the incidence of misbehavior drops dramatically. (Albert p.69)
Time spent on behavior issues and problems is always necessary. It doesnt
matter what grade the students are in, as a teacher you will always have to spend
some amount of time on behavior issues and problems, especially in the beginning
of the school year when you are establishing specific rules and procedures. When a
student misbehaves, it is my primary goal as a teacher to address behavior issues so
that the students know what is expected from them and they can learn from their

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misbehavior. After the teacher has established the classroom management in their
classroom, then time spent on misbehaving really should be minimal. If a teacher
spends too much time focusing on misbehaving, it takes away from essential
learning in the classroom. I think that when a student misbehaves, it should be
addressed quickly and quietly by the teacher and then moved away. According to
Albert in Cooperative Discipline When conflicts occur between teachers and
students, the teacher should remain cool and relaxed. Teachers should adopt a
businesslike attitude and use a calm but firm tone (p.69).
When dealing with a student who is misbehaving, I think it is important to
provide an intervention that is appropriate to the misbehavior. Some behaviors may
need a more severe consequence than others. I would like to make sure to abide by
the agreed upon consequences unless it is no longer an appropriate intervention.
In my classroom, students will have a choice to an extent. I would like
students to be able to feel like they have a choice and a say in the rules and
consequences of the classroom. During certain lessons, if it is applicable, then I
would like students to have a choice, but I think that ultimately the teacher must
have to make the final decision because they are the teacher and they do usually
know what is best for the students. I believe the amount of choice also depends on
the student; some students do well with choice, other students cannot handle it.
Students differences are of huge importance to me. Every student is
different. There are different cultures and each student has different strengths and
weaknesses, which greatly influence him or her as a student. It is important that I
know the differences between my students because it will affect the way I need to

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approach and interact with them. In my internship classroom, I have established
different relationships with each of my students. I know which students to approach
one-way, and there are some students which I must approach a very different way.
The way you interact with a student could greatly impact the sense of community
you create in your classroom.
My management style falls in the Referent power and expert power authority
bases. In the referent authority base, the students will behave as the teachers wish
because they like her as a person. Based of my classroom-learning environment as a
community, I would like students to like me as a person and feel comfortable with
me as their teacher. I want every student to feel that I care about him or her as a
student. In the expert power authority base, students behave because they think the
teacher is knowledgeable and they want to learn from them. I want to provide a
learning experience for each of my students that they enjoy and enrich their
thinking beyond the textbook curriculum.
My philosophy of management focuses on a classroom that is built with a
sense of community and connectedness. The students and teacher are engaging in a
cooperative learning experience. My philosophy of management focuses on creating
an environment where the students and the teacher work together to solve
problems and learn and grown from their misbehavior. My philosophy of
management includes a teacher that encourages and inspires each of her students
through a cooperative management style.

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