Timothy Roberts

10/9/2019

Dr. Lemay

Classroom Management Model

Expectations for Classroom Conduct

All people present in my classroom will be expected to…

1. Be quick to listen to all voices of the classroom

We all are in a constant state of learning. By seeking to be quick to listen, we have the opportunity to

promote a continuous educational environment. We learn from people- their thoughts, actions, and

words. This class rule allows us to focus less on ourselves and more on another individual whether it be

a parent, teacher, student, etc.

2. Never blindly accept truth

Yes, I desire for students to learn and develop new truth. Students however should be led on a path of

self-discovery. By always seeking to ask thought provoking questions, we accept the fact that 1) none of

us know everything and 2) we are all equally on the quest of understanding truth.

3. Approach the usage of their electronic devices in a respectful and professional manner

The radical transformation of technology in our society has aided us greatly. We have so many resources

at our fingertips to promote educational growth. For this reason, I see the use of electronic devices as

quite beneficial. However, like in all things, we must not abuse this freedom in a manner that does not
show respect to individuals in the classroom (parent, teacher, student, etc.) These signs of disrespect

would take away from the overall promotion of the educational environment.

4. Always seek to serve

We live in a very selfish society. When we deviate from that worldview, we begin to see mutual benefit.

Serving can be as simple as grabbing a chair or helping a student answer a question. These small acts will

promote community amongst the classroom, increase student self-efficacy, as well as increase the

efficiency of class learning.

II

Student misbehavior is inevitable. We all are guilty of misbehavior- it is an unfortunate fact of

our being. Rather than enforcing behavior by means of fear (ie. Take-aways, immediate disciplinary

actions, etc.) I feel we must come alongside these students in a manner that seeks to understand

empathize for both why a student misbehaves and how they can understand that it is not good for them

to act as such. It is this thought that leads me to believe that one-on-one interaction is the best means. I

feel that if at all possible, a teacher should converse with the disruptive student alone. This not only

addresses the issue in a manner that makes it known to the student, it also does so in a way that does

not disrespect or shame that student or the classroom environment. This course of action will also

promote and build a relationship with that student. We should all seek to connect with each one of our

students to best know how to serve them educationally.

I understand and acknowledge though that this approach to “discipline” will not always be

available as there are many students who deserve an uninterrupted educational environment. Rather

than sending a student to the office, I believe it is to much more benefit of the student to send them to
the school counselor. A good standing relationship would need to be built with the school counselor, but

those individuals would have the proper training and mindset to best be there and understand the

thoughts, desires, even needs of the student. It also shows respect for the student and their well-being.

If neither of these actions help resolve an issue, a one-on one meeting with the student should be

organized to plan and create agreeable goals and actions to take to prevent future mistakes.

Finally, I do not believe that such misbehaviors are only limited to being between one student

and the teacher. They affect the class as a whole. Because of this, I seek to create an environment where

students take ownership of the classroom conduct. When one is acting out, I would expect my other

students to serve that individual by kindly and respectfully making it known that it is bothersome to the

class. This sense of ownership will increase student engagement as well as benefit the behavioral

management of the classroom.

III

Background Information

Isaiah is a private drum student. He is four years old and has the tendency of viewing his lesson as a

personal playground. Isaiah also has a temper issue. He is a perfectionist. His ear is great, which causes

him to be very aware when the sounds he creates do not match the modeled teacher instructions. Isaiah

often gets himself too worked up when this happens, which causes him to either run away from the

drum set or shut down and not desire to listen to the teacher anymore. He becomes very

argumentative.

Description of Incident

Today, Isaiah did not quite perform his basic rock beat. As the teacher began to provide feedback and

instruction, Isaiah realized he did not do a good job. As a result he fought with the teacher insisting he
did do it right. When the teacher began to explain ways to improve his rock beat, Isaiah hit him with his

drumsticks. The teacher immediately took the drum sticks out of the students hands and explained that

he should never hit anyone with a drum stick.

Discipline Measure Used

After explaining this, the teacher asked why the student hit him? Isaiah did not want to respond. The

teacher slowly worked with the student until they heard the student explain why no one should ever hit

another with a drumstick. After this, the teacher confiscated the drumstick and they did the rest of their

lesson with their hands.

Assessment

Because of the frustrated nature of the student, I was very much prepared to shift the lesson into a

completely different way. This flexibility allowed me to quickly think to grab the drumsticks and have a

conversation. I wish I was less firm in the moment. I was clearly frustrated and my words were firm. I do

not believe this is the best thing for a four-year-old. I also wish I involved the parent more in that action.

It was something that would have been worth sharing with them. That being said, I do believe the

conversation and confiscation of the drumsticks were very appropriate given the situation. When the

physical well-being of an individual the classroom is at risk, it is good to remove that danger from the

situation.