“At the heart of education, is the education of the heart”

I heard this quote during the current semester (1H 2019) and it truly resonated with me to
the point where I had to write it down. At the beginning of my Master of teaching secondary
degree I did not comprehend teaching past learnt content and students learning this
content. But the beauty of my progression throughout this semester has shown me the
complicated, multi-dimensional layers in which school, teaching and students reside, and I
have only started to scrape the surface.

Although from my time at school, I believe a good teacher is an educator who excites their
students about the wonders of learning and knowledge. They are also someone who
believes in their students’ ability and helps them to recognize their ability in themselves and
aids in them achieving their best.

Some key considerations when planning a strategy for classroom management are;
• Knowing your students and how they learn
• The effects of certain behavioural management techniques on your classroom
environment and other students
• Investigating the root cause of the disruptive behaviour
• Reflecting on lessons and behavioural management techniques

I believe a positive learning environment is about fostering relationships and mutual

respect. I feel classrooms should be places where all learners demonstrate respect,
responsibility and a willingness to develop relationships. This respect should be reciprocated
between the teacher and student and amongst the students themselves. All learners take
responsibility for their own learning and behaviour and work on regulating their own
behaviour, teachers should model this. While those who are successful in regulating their
behaviour and demonstrate effort in their learning are praised through teacher recognition.
I believe this shows that my teaching style leans towards that of behavioural theory and
some choice theory.

Many teachers enter a classroom with a large life behind them and many assumptions or
personal beliefs that may not be reciprocated in the classroom or may not represent the
students you have in front of you. It is important to remain professional and put our own
personal beliefs aside to allow ourselves to not only teach students but learn from them
also. We need to remember that just like each teacher has a life outside the classroom so
does each student and we should not enforce our own personal beliefs on others. The
beliefs that should take precedents above all else is that of the school values.

I believe professional reflexivity is important to my teaching because without reflexivity my

ability to teach will not grow or develop beyond what I currently know. Being able to
professionally reflect means I have the ability to better my practice, my relationships with
students and my ability to teach content effectively. As a consequence of this belief, I will
internally reflect on my own lessons, looking at the lessons that worked well and the ones
that did not and how I can adapt and change to make the poorer lessons more successful.
Creating a reflective journal can assist with this to also show my growth over time. I would
also reflect with fellow teachers around me to discuss and collaborate.
I think it is important to stay up to date with the reviews and changes made to curriculum so
that teachers stay aware of what is expected in their teaching programs. This could be
achieved through monitoring your NESA profile for any updates and staying up to date with
professional planning and staff collaboration to inform one another. Further, when planning
it is important to understand what students are expected to learn in order to be successful
in completing the assessment assigned to the unit of work. A program should be designed
around the assessment in order to cater for it. The implementation of the program is the
lived experience of the unit and will allow students to learn and engage through explicit
teaching, formative assessment and feedback. Some changes may need to be made in order
for the content to be applicable and accessible to students. This reflection and ability to
adapt the program may also be done at the end of the program in order to improve for
future students.

I believe that students best learn through accessing knowledge with the assistance of the
teacher and given the opportunity to question and deconstruct what they have been taught.
Once they understand what they have been taught they may apply this knowledge through
adaptation, recreation or reflection. This can be supplemented with teacher feedback and
formative assessment to confirm student understanding. Student-centred learning may
mean students bring forward information which is shaped and formed with the assistance
of the teacher. Therefore, I will use … Discussion, group work, paired work, reflection,
teacher-focused and student-focused learning

Values that I hold as important in establishing an orderly, productive and positive classroom
include;
1. Student/teacher centred expectations
2. Orderly routine for entering the classroom and beginning work
3. Open communication
4. Regular reflection
5. Following the REACH mantra for positive behaviour for learning. This includes;
• Respect
• Excellence
• Act safely
• Cooperation
• Honesty.

These expectations will be implemented at the beginning of each school year and re-
affirmed through the year by having them displayed in the classroom and referring to these
expectations when some behaviour is not desirable.

As a teacher I am a mandatory reporter and if I feel or am told of student’s mental unease

or struggles it is my duty to listen, report to the principal and also report this further using
the Mandatory Reporters Guide. Reporting shall allow students with mental health issues to
either receive internal (school-based counselling) or external mental health assistance.
Other than what I have already mentioned so far in my philosophy, other classroom
management strategies I would implement include strategies of prevention, rather than
consequence when dealing with issues of behavioural and classroom management.
Preventative techniques could include;
1. Strategic seating plans
2. Choosing groups for group work strategically
3. Planning class timetables that do not put problematic students together in a
classroom
4. Collaborating with teachers on strategies that work for particular students
5. Speaking with the student before class, if you are aware of something that may have
happened before class time, or just in general to prevent any misbehaviour
6. Using settling techniques for classes after recess and lunch
7. Using some mindfulness activities
8. Teaching positive behaviour for learning such as what is respectful behaviour and
what is not etc.