Angela McGee

Focus Topic Paper

The question posed for my focus topic paper is, How do you effectively manage
misbehavior in your classroom. I chose this topic because I am intolerant of
misbehaving students because of my personal experiences and viewpoint of education.
Although I am from an urban city and received a public school education along with
many disruptive students, I am a vicarious learner. I learn from the mistakes of others and
for that reason, I have always been a well-behaved student and did not need the coercion
of my teacher to keep me on task. Therefore, I have trouble motivating students to behave
properly because I just expect that they will do better for themselves. However, an
experience with some students over the summer showed me that many students do not
think in that manner. Therefore, the information compiled from conversations with
trusted music educators have given me a new perspective of classroom management. The
people I interviewed for this paper are Krista Mulcahy, band and music theory teacher at
Burris Laboratory School, and Amanda Ellerbe, violin instructor at St. Andrews
Academy in Richmond, Virginia.
Mrs. Krista Mulcahy has been teaching music for 19 years. Over the course of her
teaching career, her classroom management skills have evolved as her teaching goals and
the needs of her students have changed. I would describe Mrs. Mulcahys classroom
management approach as preventative. If one were to visit her band classroom today,
they would observe a productive rehearsal with well-behaved student. Mrs. Mulcahy
attributes this success to two things- high expectations and pacing. Mrs. Mulcahy sets
high standards for her students. These standards are set from the first day of instruction so

that the students do not develop habits that she does not agree with. Furthermore, these
standards not only span behavior but work ethic as well. My high school band is playing
two grade 6 pieces, states Mrs. Mulcahy. Most high school bands do not play music of
this caliber. Her reasoning behind choosing music that is above her students ability level
is that her students will always be challenged. If the students are challenged musically,
they do not have time to misbehave. Also, the students tend to rise up to meet the
challenge, building their work ethic. Concerning time, Mrs. Mulcahy paces her lessons
quickly that she may use all her allotted teaching time effectively. I stay at least one step
ahead of the students. While the students are playing the last few measures of a piece, I
have already thrown that score into a pile and opened the score to the next piece, says
Mrs. Mulcahy. Because she is always ahead, her students have to catch up to her. As a
result, there is no time for being off task. Mrs. Mulcahys approach to classroom
management does not always work for all students but consequently; she does not have to
send many students to visit the principal.
Like Mrs. Mulcahy, the other person I reference for this paper, Ms. Amanda
Ellerbe believes in keeping a fast paced class. Amanda Ellerbe is a newer teacher but has
a firm grasp on the concept of classroom management. Three things that Amanda
believes in that makes her effective in classroom management is keeping her students
engaged, applying real world situations to classroom problems, and allowing time to
solve (some) problems. Concerning engaging students as it relates to pacing, Amanda
asserts, I think lots of content can be engaging on its own, given that students aren't
stuck in a ton of idle time. Teachers can and should be engaging, but it can be more
effective to engage them with subject matter. In the matter of classroom disruption,

Amanda is very calm and resolves to talk to her students about how their actions will
impact them when they get older. I think its best to consider how situations reflect the
real world; for example, if someone is a bad audience in the adult world, they might be
asked to leave the performance. So if a student is disrespectful to other students during a
performance, they might be asked to leave (or not allowed to perform). If a kid is being
annoying (loud, distracting), this is different than "crossing a line". In the real world if
you are annoying, some people may not want to hang out with you, says Amanda.
Although Amanda works with elementary students, she believes that these situations can
be explained to children. As a result, she sees a change in her students behavior. The
final thing that Amanda does to handle classroom disruption is allowing problems to
work themselves out. Sometimes kids just need a break, so giving them some time can
often solve problems, state Amanda. A concept that is popular in responsive classroom,
it allows Amanda to continue teaching while the student resolves his or her own
problems.
From my research, I have come to understand that as a teacher, although the ideal
classroom is one where discipline problems dont exist, I should be able to handle them if
and when they do occur. In my opinion, the best way to deal classroom management is to
expect and plan accordingly. In other words, use preventative measures to ensure that the
students not only know the consequences of their actions but also arent put in situations
that would allow them to act unruly. This means that I must pace my lessons well and
ensure that it is engaging. This is a problem that I have come across when I teach. I allow
students time to busy themselves with other things and people. In the future, I plan to
work on this issue by being a step ahead of my students, planning transitions, and making

my expectations know upfront. In the event that misbehavior does happen, I will talk to
my students not only of the repercussions of their actions in my classroom and the school,
but also in society. Depending on the situation, I may allow the student to have some
time alone. The finding of my research have equipped with the knowledge I need to be
successful in classroom management.