CarlyWelch

5December2016
ProfessorSjoerdsma
LeadingandManagingaClassroomLearningCommunity
AsafutureChristianeducator,Iwillalwaysbefacedwithquestionsabout
relationships,teaching,learningandbehavior.AsmyeducationalcareeratCalvinis
slowlycomingtoaclose,Ihaveshiftedmyinwardfocusonstudies,academics,and
collegeactivities,outward.AsIhavespenttimeintheclassroom,Ihaverealizedthat
thereissomuchthatateacherisresponsibleformoresothanjustteaching.Education
todayalonewilldeterminethetypeandscopeofgovernment,thequalityofculture,the
influenceofthechurch,thestrengthofthefamily,andthehealthoftheeconomyof
futuregenerations.Iamgoingtobeateacher:amanager,apersonofcompetence,a
motivator,andamodelofChriststeachings.Proverbs22:6says,Startchildrenoffon
thewaytheyshouldgo,andevenwhentheyareoldtheywillnotturnfromit.Itismy
dutyasaChristianeducatortohelpstudentsfindtheirwayinthisbigworld,andto
preparethemforwhatliesaheadwhetherthatbeinacademics,personalrelationships,
ortheirwalkwithGod.
Aquestionthatlingersinmymindwhenthinkingaboutmyfutureasaneducator
is:whatisknowledge,andwhatisworthknowing?Ithinkthatthereasonthisquestionis
difficulttoanswerbecausewhatisworthknowingandlearningiseverchanging.Thereis
notoneparticularsetofinformationoracademicknowledgethathasbeenoreverwill

workfromdecadetoanother.Societyisconstantlychanging,whichchangesthe
expectationsofwhatstudentsshouldknow.
Whatisworthlearningisnotonlywhatispertinentinsociety,butalsowhatis
importanttoindividuals.Teachershavealways,andmostlikely,willalwaysteachwhat
isimportanttosociety.However,Ithinkitisundeniablyimportantthateveryteacheralso
focusesontheindividualinterestsoftheclass.Ifateacherconnectsasubjectto
somethingthatthestudentenjoysorshowinterestin,thereisagreaterchancethestudent
willlearntotrulylovelearning.Ibelievethatitisateachersjobtofindthepassionsof
studentsandinfluencepassion.Goodteachingisasmuchaboutpassionasitisabout
reason.Itsaboutnotonlymotivatingstudentstolearn,butalsoteachingthemhowto
learn,anddoingsoinamannerthatisrelevant,meaningful,andmemorable.Itsabout
caringforyourcraft,havingapassionforit,andconveyingthatpassiontoeveryone
mostimportantly,thestudents.
Ithinkthatcontentneedstobeconnectedtostudentinterestinordertoinstilla
loveoflearningintostudents.Ialsobelievethatbehaviorshouldbehandledcarefully,
andthatpositivereinforcementshouldbeusedmoreconsistentlyratherthannegative
reinforcement.Allofthesethingswillhelpbuildthecommunityintheclassroom,
creatingarespectforeachotheranddrivingstudentstolearnmoreandgrowtheir
individualpassionsforlearning.
Whenlookingataclassroomthatbestfacilitatesandsupportslearning,Ibelieve
thatthemostimportantaspectofaclassroomisforminghealthyrelationshipsbetween
theteacherandthestudents,aswellasrelationshipsbetweenstudents.Frommyown

experience,whenstudentsknowthattheschoolandtheclassroomisasafeplace,
learningisenhanced.Inorderfortheretobegoodleadershipoftheclassroom,the
teacherneedstorespectthestudentsandthestudentsneedtorespecttheteacher.While
fosteringhealthyrelationshipsintheclassroom,ateacheriscreatingamanageableand
positivelearningenvironmentforeveryone.
Intermsofmanagement,teachersneedtofocuson:content,covenant,and
conduct.Teachersneedtobeconstantlythinkingaboutmanagementbecausethethreecs
areimportantforstudentlearning,andthelearningenvironment.Covenantmanagement
hastodowiththepersonalrelationshipsamongtheclassandtheteacher.Itiscrucialthat
theteacherwillcreateaclassroomenvironmentwherestudentsareacademicallyengaged
andsociallycomfortable.Someofthethingsthatcanbeimplementedtohelpstudents
cometogetheraregrouprewardsandgroupconsequences(Oakes,Lipton,Anderson,&
Stillman,1999,p.198).Forexample,ifafewstudentsarenotlistening,andtheteacher
hastoaskstudentsmultipletimestopayattention,thewholeclasscanbeaskedtoput
theirheadsdown.Studentsareexpectedtofollowtheclassroomrules.Eventhoughthe
majorityofthestudentsweredoingwhattheywereaskedtodo,theclasswilllearntodo
whatwasaskedofthem,andrealizedthattheclassisinthistogether.Althoughtheclass
willbedisciplinedtogether,theywillalsoberewardedtogether.
Inmyplacement,mymentorteacherwouldoftenusewholeclassrewardsto
motivatethewholeclasstomakegooddecisions.Forinstance,Mrs.Barberwouldgive
outstarticketstostudentswhomadegoodchoices,andwhentheclassroomhadonefifty
starticketscollectively,shewouldbringinamovieandbaketreatsforthestudents.By

usingbothgroupconsequencesandrewards,studentslearntorelyononeanotherandare
forcestoholdoneanotherresponsiblefortheiractionswhichhelpsbuildclassroom
community.
Content,orteachingandlearning,alsorequiresmanagement.Unlikecovenant,
wherestudentscanbesomewhatresponsiblefortheirchoicesandbehavior,the
responsibilityforcontentfallsontheteacher.Teachersareexpectedtobepreparedahead
oftimewithlessonsandactivities.Whenateacherisntprepared,therecanbean
eruptionofmisbehaviororlackofinterestinlearning.Itissocrucialthatthefirstfew
weeksstressproceduresandrules.Oncerulesandproceduresarelaiddown,preparation
forlearningcanoccur.Studentsareexpectedtobeastudentandworkhardtolearnthe
curriculum.Duringthelearningprocess,studentsareexpectedtolisten,participate,and
followtheclassroomrules.Studentsarealsoexpectedtoalwaysdotheirbest.
Theteacherwillhaveallstudentsonorabove(insertgradehere)levelbytheendofthe
year.Contentmanagementiscrucialbecauseitisthefoundationoftheclassroom.
Conductandbehaviormanagementisoftenviewedasthemostchallengingand
difficultaspectofteaching.Becauseeverygroupofstudentsaredifferentandhave
differentlearningbehaviors,socioeconomicbackgrounds,culturalbackgrounds,andso
forth,somemanagementstrategiesthatworkedforoneclass,mightnotworkforanother.
Tohavesuccessinmanagingthebehaviorofaclassroom,ateachermustexhibit
assertivebehavior.Assertivebehaviormaybedemonstratedthrough,bodylanguage,
clearlearninggoalsandobjectives,andpracticalandconsistentrules.Itisimportantthat
thestudentsunderstandthattheteacherisanauthoritativefigure.Studentsareexpected

tofollowclassroomrules,treatotherpeople,theirschool,andthemselveswithrespect.If
studentsdonotfollowclassroomrulesandguidelines,theyareexpectedtotakethe
consequenceoftheiraction.

Inmyplacement,misbehaviorisatypicalproblem.Ithastakenmymentor
teachertimetofigureoutwhatmethodsworkbestforherclass.Atthebeginningofthe
year,mymentorteacherusedachartontheboardthathadapictureofeachstudent
attachedtoamagnet.Atthebeginningoftheday,eachstudentstartedatreadytolearn.
Ifastudentbehavesormisbehavesheorsheiseithermoveduponthechart,ordown.
Whenstudentsreachthetop,theyreceiveareward.Whenstudentsreachthebottom,
theirparentgetscalled.Althoughthisapproachworkedforsome,itdidnotworkforthe
majorityoftheclass.Afterafewweeksofmymentorteachertryingthisapproachand
noticingthatitwasnthavetheimpactthatitshould,shechangedit.Insteadofpunishing
studentsdirectly,andinfrontofthewholeclass,Mrs.Barberwouldpullthestudents
asideandtalktothemabouttheirmisbehavior.Thisapproachhasworkedleapsand
boundsbetterandhasallowedMrs.Barbertogaininsightonwhysomeofthestudents
actoutinthewaysthattheydo.
Mrs.Barber,unknowingly,hasadaptedtoapracticethatWoolfolkarguesisa
goodwaytocombatmisbehavior.Woolfolkhasafourstepplantodissipatemisbehavior,
whilekeepingcontroloftheclass.First,hesaystoseparatethestudentfromtheproblem.
Thisallowstheteachertounderstandthattheproblemisnotthestudent,butthe
behavior.Next,theteachershouldemphasizethatstudentscanchangetheiractions.The

thirdstepistoencourageselfreflection.Theteacherwillallowthestudenttothinkover
theiractionandrecognizewhattheydidwrong.Finally,theteacherwillhelpthestudent
comeupwithanalternativeresponseratherthanthemisbehavior(Woolfolk,2013,p.
479).
Therearemultiplefacetstomanagementandtheintricaciesthatcomewith
leadingandmanagingaclassroom.Managementisaverycomplextask.Although
teachersmaynothaveallthecorrecttheoriesoranswerstoproblemstheyfaceinthe
classroom,itisimportantthatteacherscomeasbestpreparedastheycan.Themost
importantthingthatateachercandoissetuprulesandproceduresandstrictly
implementsthemthefirstcoupleweeksofschool.Itisimportantthattheteachersetsup
clearanddefinedexpectationsforthestudents.Theidealwaytomanageproblems,of
course,istopreventthemfromhappeninginthefirstplace(Woolfolk,2013,p.485).
Thisreiteratestheideaofhowvitalitisthattheteachersetsupguidelinesonthevery
firstday,andthereafter.Ifnot,studentslearnthattheycangetawaywiththings,andthe
classroombecomesineffectiveforlearning,developing,andcultivating.

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ReferenceList
Oakes,J.,&Lipton,M.,Anderson,L.,Stillman,J(1999).TeachingtoChangetheWorld.
Boston:McGrawHillCollege.
Woolfolk,A.(2013).EducationalPsychology(12thedition,pp.470485).N.p.:Pearson.