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Classroom Management Philosophy

Estephania Cortez
Texas State University

Texas State University

Round Rock Higher Education
November 24, 2015

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I want my classroom to be a place where students feel safe, are motivated and constantly
engaged in the classrooms curriculum. In order to accomplish this, I believe building a sense of
community in the classroom is the main component of my educational management plan. I
believe that when students feel comfortable when sharing their opinions and ideas, learning takes
place (Kohn, 2006 as cited in Burden, 2009). I will need to know each and every one of my
students, their needs and interests. I believe that when a teacher takes the time to get to know his
or her students, the students feel acknowledged and respected. I will do this by carrying out
getting to know you activities at the beginning of the year and giving them pre-assessments
before a new unit, so I can learn about their prior knowledge. One of the best things a teacher can
do to get to know their students is just to listen to what they have to say. When a teacher takes
the time to listen to what students have to say, they will start to trust their teacher and realize that
they will not be judged when sharing their opinions or ideas (Kohn, 2006 as cited in Burden,
2009). I believe communication is key, especially in diverse classrooms. By listening to my
students and communicating with them, I will be able to build student-teacher relationships that
will help create a safe environment for everyone. My attitude towards them will be a respectful
one, where I will be calm but firm while recognizing them as individuals with different interests
and needs (Nelson, Lott, & Glenn, 2006 as cited in Burden, 2009).
I would also like to give them the freedom of choice. By creating a sense of community
in my classroom, I will also be considering their interests by letting them participate in solving
classroom problems. When students needs are not met, that is when behavior problems arise
(Mendler, Curwin, & Mendler, 2008 as cited in Burden, 2009). That is why it is important for me
to implement the freedom of choice in the classroom because when students get to choose the
classrooms expectations, some of the assignments, rubrics, and so on, that is when they become

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motivated and eager to learn. I will get to know my students and incorporate their needs and likes
in the curriculum. I want them to be able to relate to the content because it is important for them
to have a purpose for learning the material. I want to empower my students by giving them the
freedom to think and act (Coloroso, 2002 as cited in Burden, 2009). I will see my students as
individuals, who are soon to be adults and need to learn how to develop different social,
academic and life skills in order to be successful in the real world. I will make my instructional
activities relatable and enjoyable but also challenging enough so students are able to develop
their critical thinking skills. Therefore, when giving them the freedom to choose, I want to be
part of that process. I believe I should guide and advise them when making choices. I believe
some students need help when making choices and if left to choose for themselves, they might
become overwhelmed and frustrated. That is why I think it is important for students to know that
I will be working with them when coming up with long-term goals for our classroom (Mendler,
Curwin & Mendler, 2008 as cited in Burden, 2009). I want students to know that I am not in the
classroom to control them but to support them and help them improve in managing their own
behaviors.
Giving them the freedom of choice and effective teaching go hand in hand (Mendler,
Curwin & Mendler, 2008 as cited in Burden, 2009). For me, effective teaching means being able
to differentiate the curriculum by including the students needs and interests in everyday lessons
(Tomlinson & McTighe, 2006). Effective teaching is being able to implement different strategies
in the classroom. I want my classroom to be a safe, engaging place where all students are
motivated to learn. This includes having different posters and images around the classrooms
walls that are related to the unit of study. I believe having colorful and relatable images will help
pique the students interest in the curriculum. I want my classroom to feel welcoming and this

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includes everything from how the walls look to how the desks are arranged to what type of
lighting there is in the classroom. I want to arrange my classroom where desks are grouped and
students are facing each other, which helps them learn how to work in groups. In a science class,
being able to communicate with others and engaging in classroom discussions is essential for
learning. I also believe in having different types of supplemental materials that are more
enjoyable to read compared to a textbook. I want to integrate literacy, art and other disciplines in
my classroom lessons, because this will help the students become engaged and relate to the
content of study. If the students are motivated and engaged then problematic behaviors will
decrease.
When trying to create a safe and engaging environment for all, I will help students come
up with a set of classroom expectations at the beginning of the year. I believe letting students
take part of the decision-making process helps them have some control in their lives and keeps
them engaged in solving problems. Having classroom meetings when these expectations are not
working helps resolve any conflicts that may arise (Nelson, Lott, & Glenn, 2006 as cited in
Burden, 2009). Not only will students get to talk about important classroom issues but they will
also get to build interpersonal and intrapersonal skills. Like I stated before, discipline problems
arise when students are given unclear goals, lack communication or when they feel powerless.
When the teacher and students work together to implement classroom expectations, the students
get the responsibility of deciding their own behaviors but also realize that the teacher has
knowledge and rights just like they do. Therefore, even if students do not get their way all the
time, they will feel assured because they helped create the classroom expectations (Mendler,
Curwin & Mendler, 2008 as cited in Burden, 2009). One way that I will help them reach
solutions for behavior problems is to check for understanding. Students will get to share their

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ideas and I will ask them to reflect on what worked and what did not. This will also help create
an environment where students do not feel like they are being treated unfairly.
When trying to come up with expectations as a class, students need to be aware that there
are consequences to their actions. I do not believe in punishing or rewarding students. Someone
other than a student uses punishment as an external force in order to embarrass this student while
teaching him or her how to be compliant (Kohn, 2006 as cited in Burden, 2009). On the other
hand, a natural consequence is an effect caused by the actions of the student (Nelson, Lott, &
Glenn, 2006 as cited in Burden, 2009). For example, if a student does not study for a test, the
consequence will most likely be that they will not pass. This is not a punishment but is the reality
of how the world works. What I will do as a teacher is to work with them towards solutions when
discipline problems arise. The consequence will be directly related to the students actions. For
example, if a student fights with another student a punishment would be to take one of the
students privileges away. A natural consequence will be to have a conversation where I address
kindly but firmly the misbehaviors with the student and help them reflect on the proper
behaviors. I believe that students learn best from their mistakes, so I think it is reasonable to not
rescue them and let them fail and experience the consequences of their own decisions (Coloroso,
2002 as cited in Burden, 2009). I also do not believe rewards work in the long run. Desired
behaviors are present only when the reward is also present (Kohn, 2006 as cited in Burden,
2009). I believe in positive, constructive feedback instead of rewards. For example, a simple
Good Job! will teach nothing to the student about what it is that they did correctly. If
misbehaviors do arise, I do not believe in removing students from the class unless they pose a
threat to others. Instead, I will meet with the student and focus on the positive behaviors and
come up with solutions to the misbehaviors. I want them to learn how to reflect on their actions

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and for them to see how these misbehaviors affect them and others (Marshall, 2007 as cited in
Burden, 2009).
In conclusion, I hope to create a safe learning environment where students are motivated
and constantly engaged. By giving students the freedom of choice, implementing effective
teaching strategies, classroom meetings, and having good rapport with my students I hope to
build a sense of community in my classroom, which will help manage behavior problems.

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References
Burden, P. (2009). Models of Discipline. In Classroom management: Creating a successful K-12
learning community (4th ed., pp. 15-38). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.
Tomlinson, C., & McTighe, J. (2006). Integrating differentiated instruction & understanding by
design: Connecting content and kids. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and
Curriculum Development.