RUNNING HEAD: CLASSROOM AND BEHAVIOR MANAGEMENT 1

Savannah Torrance

Classroom and Behavior Management

Regent University

In partial fulfillment of UED 496 Field Experience ePortfolio, Fall 2019.

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Classroom and Behavior Management

Introduction

The atmosphere of the classroom is one of the most important aspects of successful

teaching. Having a positive learning environment is essential for students’ learning. While the

atmosphere is made up of several aspects out of the teacher’s control, there are plenty of

strategies able to assist the teacher in maintaining control. Student seating and discipline are

huge factors in managing behavior. This paper looks at strategies for those two aspects of

management.

Rationale

I have chosen to use an email I sent to the football coach as one of my artifacts for this

teaching competency. While I was in my daily study bell one of the days my teacher was out, I

was struggling to maintain control. The primary rule of their Salem (study) bell is they are to be

silent, and this rule was being blatantly ignored. I had reminded them several times that they

needed to be silent and if they continued, there would be consequences to their actions. It worked

for several minutes until two of the football players decided to continue. I immediately kicked

them out of the classroom. Following that, three more football players laughed and became

rowdy; I kicked them out as well. Because athletes tend to be leaders in the classroom, their

removal lead to a completely silent classroom for the rest of the bell.

At the end of the day, I spoke to the assistant principal to ask for his advice as I did not

want to give detention, but I knew I needed to do something to follow through. He suggested I

email the football coach. The coach told me he would talk to the boys and assured me I would

not have an issue again. The next class, the boys told me they had to run extra laps and they were

annoyed but very grateful to not have detention; they were much better behaved and only needed
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simple reminders to quiet down. Upon researching discipline methods for student-athletes, I

found that speaking with the coach is very effective, especially on male, African American

students (which fit all the kids I kicked out). I found that “coaches can be instrumental in helping

ensure that their participation be a mobilizing mechanism as opposed to an exploitative one…

coaches are likely to have the undivided attention of this group and can therefore facilitate

development across a number of domains…” (Harris et. al). Due to the effectiveness of this

discipline technique, I have chosen to use the email as a demonstration of a new strategy for

classroom management.

For my second artifact, I have chosen to include pictures of the flexible seating layout in

my classroom and the flexible seating contracts students sign. Flexible seating is debated among

educators because studies have shown negative and positive results. I found, when used

effectively, “flexible learning spaces provide learning environments where students can

experience increased autonomy to make a variety of choices about their learning in a way that

fosters self-regulation, collaboration and interaction, whilst ensuring their wellbeing,”

(Kariippanon et. al). Flexible seating also offers opportunity for metacognition as it encourages

students to think about where they can best perform.

In addition to the flexible seating, my teacher instituted the VIP desk. This was a special

desk for a student who participated, was respectful, and worked hard. The student was able to sit

at the desk all week and they had special supplies and status as well as a personal card from my

teacher and myself thanking the student for their dedication to learning. This desk was very

helpful in boosting morale and rewarding positive behavior. This is a very effective way to

incorporate PBIS in classrooms. PBIS has also been shown to increase good behavior in students

and over time, it can drastically help with classroom management (Albrecht et. al).
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Reflection

I have to admit, when I first emailed the coach about the football players’ rowdy

behavior, I wasn’t sure if I was doing the right thing. I wanted my students to respect me and not

feel that I had to rely on another teacher to handle discipline for me. I knew it was effective and

that my collaboration with the coach had worked, but I was afraid it worked for the wrong

reasons, like when your mom tells you to wait for your dad to come home. I spoke with the

coach a second time, after the students were in my class again. He asked about their behavior and

I told him they straightened out. He told me that it’s good to have open communication with the

coach about players’ behaviors because it allows for the coach to have an opportunity to connect

with the players and talk candidly about their behavior. My research defended that. After several

more classes, I realized the students did respect me. They apologized and told me they were

working on their behavior and that they did want to learn. They still asked me for my help and

for my opinion on their work. It was a good example of collaborative discipline and I feel it is a

strategy I can utilize in any school.

On the other hand, when it comes to flexible seating, I do not think I will have a

classroom like my cooperating teacher’s. The classroom often felt chaotic and students needed

moved many times to keep them from talking. While some students were able to evaluate their

own needs for learning, others chose their friends over a good spot for learning. In my future

classroom, I definitely want to have the VIP seat as I did find that to be helpful. I also want to

implement a little bit of flexible seating options. Students seemed to do well at the table and the

barstools, and I do like giving students a little bit of an option. Whatever I do, the flexible seating

will be at a minimum as I found that some is helpful but too much is chaotic, and it takes away
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from learning instead of adding to it. Perhaps in an advanced high school class it could work but

utilizing flex seating will depend on the class and my discretion.

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References

Albrecht, N. M. R., & Brunner, M. (2019). How positive behavioral supports and social-

emotional curriculum impact student learning. The European Journal of Social &

Behavioural Sciences, 24(1), 2789-2804.

doi:http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.regent.edu:2048/10.15405/e1sbs.245

Harris, P. C., Hines, E. M., Kelly, D. D., Williams, D. J., & Bagley, B. (2014). Promoting the

academic engagement and success of black male student-athletes. The High School

Journal, 97(3), 180-195. Retrieved from

http://eres.regent.edu:2048/login?url=https://search-proquest-

com.ezproxy.regent.edu/docview/1518519743?accountid=13479

Kariippanon, K. E., Cliff, D. P., Lancaster, S. L., Okely, A. D., & Parrish, A. (2018). Perceived

interplay between flexible learning spaces and teaching, learning and student wellbeing.

Learning Environments Research, 21(3), 301-320.

doi:http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.regent.edu:2048/10.1007/s10984-017-9254-9