Classroom Management

Taylor Martens

Classroom Management is a key factor in making sure your classroom succeeds! If you

do not have a clear vision for your classroom then you are going to have a hard time allowing

your students, the freedom to learn in an environment that is beneficial for them. There are four

main parts in a successful classroom. I am going to talk about the four main points starting with

the fourth most important and then ending with the one that I believe is the most important for a

successful classroom. With that being said each of these components is crucial for a well-

managed classroom.

The first area I want to talk about is engagement and participation. I have learned

throughout my schooling that it is important to have lessons that are going to excite the students.

You do not want to just be teaching them through lectures and written assignments day in and

day out. I think it is important to do fun and engaging activities. You can do that by getting all of

the students involved. It is important for the students to feel like their voices are being shared and

that the work they are doing matters. You can do this with simple activities like pair and share or

group work. Allowing the students to share their work at the end of a long project or even a short

writing assignment can help show them that what they do matters. Participation from students is

important so try and get them all involved.

The next component that I want to focus on is behavior intervention/consequences. Kids

are going to mess up and that is part of them growing up. We cannot expect them to be perfect

all of the time. Therefore, when things happen, we need to figure out ways to get them back on

track and ready to learn. If you have to get after the students, you should make sure to use a
calming voice with the students because you do not want to escalate the situation. I believe that

choices are important for students because they are not always going to have someone there

telling them what to do. So, give them a choice and let them know that if their actions continue

then they can either do option one or option two. Do not allow them too many options because

they will not be able to pick one quickly instead only give them two so they can pick quickly and

move forward. It is important that the students know you are in charge while still feeling like an

equal in the classroom.

Procedures, structures and routines is the next area that I want to talk about. Figuring out

what procedures work with your students can make or break the flow of your classroom. The

routines you choose are going to help the class continue moving throughout the day. There are so

many options that work so it is important to pick the routines that work best for you. For

example, I think it is really important to start the day having the students check in and see how

their night before went. In my current classroom the students get to share 30 seconds of their

night before. This is important because you can build a relationship with the students as well as

allow them to get to know their fellow classmates as well. As the day continues on it is important

to check in with the students to see if they are understanding what you are teaching. The most

important thing with procedures and routines is to be clear and make sure the students really

understand what you are talking about. If your directions are not clear, then the day is not going

to go as smooth as you would like it. I am looking forward to figuring out what procedures work

for both myself and my students.

The area that I think is the most important is rapport/connections! I have always believed

that if you do not make a personal connection with your students then you are not going to have

the cooperation with them. There are so many activities that you can do in the classroom in order
to build a connection with your students. Whether it is playing games at the beginning of the year

or going to their activities throughout the year you can really show them that you care. If you

only worry about the negatives with your students, you are going to think the worst of them, so it

is important to try and find the positives in them each day! You should not expect students to

show you respect if you cannot give them the respect they deserve as well. When I think about

my own experience throughout school the classrooms that I remember the most are the ones that

I had the best connections with my teachers. I still go back and talk to these teachers when I need

help with school or life. I want to be that teacher the students are excited to see when they come

to school because if they are not excited to be at school then they are not going to get anything

out of the content.

Overall, I am so excited to have my own classroom and begin the procedures that I think

will work best with my students. I know especially within the first couple years there will be lots

of trial and error but eventually things will fall into place. I think as long as I give the students

the benefit of the doubt and build a special rapport with them, we will have a successful

classroom together.