Throughout this course, I have learned about the four areas of successful classroom

management including procedures/structures/routines, engagement and participation,

rapport/connection, and behavior intervention/consequences. I have also been provided an

opportunity to practice strategies in each of these areas during my student teaching placement.

The material that I learned in this course has provided me knowledge and skillset that I can bring

with me to my future positions in the classroom and school setting. In addition, I have learned

that while I have this foundation, I can constantly reflect, reevaluate, and reintegrate based on the

needs of my individual students and classroom.

The first area of successful classroom management that I learned about and was able to

experience was procedures/structure/routines. I believe this area is one of the most important

areas because it is truly the foundation of the classroom and determines the way the classroom is

ran. If procedures, structures, and routines are not put in place, the classroom simply cannot

function successfully. If appropriate behavior is not outlined for procedures that make a

classroom run smoothly like what to do at the beginning of class, transitioning, sharing out in

class, lining up, and more, the students will not know what is expected of them. In turn, not

knowing exactly what to do could potentially cause students to engage in unwanted behaviors

that disrupt learning. On the flip side, if these procedures, structures, and routines are clearly

outlined, modeled, and the students are given time to practice them, the students will know what

is expected of them and with time, it will become automatic. In my future classroom, I plan to

teach procedures and routines in order to gain the structure that I want for my classroom. My

students will know what is expected of them and they will be given time to practice daily in

order to create automaticity as well as facilitate an environment where learners can learn, feel

safe, and have a sense of normalcy.

 The second area of successful classroom management that I learned about is engagement

and participation. I feel like this area piggybacks with procedures/structure/routines because

without a foundation set in place, the students will not feel safe enough to participate. In

addition, engaging activities cannot occur unless procedures and routines are clearly outlined. I

believe that participation is extremely vital to the classroom because this allows students to take

control of their own learning as well as learn from others. I also believe that engagement is

extremely important because it creates a sense of wonder and excitement within the students that

sparks learning. In my future classroom, I plan to incorporate participation and engagement by

instructing my students using a strategy that involves explaining, modeling, providing guided

practice, and pushing for independent practice. I think that this strategy gives students the

opportunity to feel confident in their learning because they are supported and given time to

participate in practice. I also want to create a classroom that is rigorous and collaborative. I

believe that these two components allow students and their learning to be extended because they

are being pushed and given the opportunity to gain new viewpoints from others.

The third area of successful classroom management that I was able to learn about and

implement into my student teaching placement was rapport and connection. I believe that this

area is one of the most important things a teacher can do in her classroom. Building connections

and creating rapport allows teachers to interact with students in a way that can’t be done if there

is no relationship or bond. Rapport and connection are not only important in making students feel

respected, valued, and enjoyed, but it is especially essential when things aren’t going right, and

tough conversations or disciplinary action needs to be taken. In my student teaching placement, I

have been able to implement strategies in order to build rapport, connections, and relationships

and I have witnessed the benefits of doing so. In my future classroom, it is going to be my duty
to build relationships with each student in order to create connections and gain rapport. I plan on

doing so by being friendly to my students so they feel like I am approachable, brining excitement

and joy to my classroom daily, learning student backgrounds and interests so I can connect and

talk with them, showing respect, and encouraging students regularly.

The fourth area of successful classroom management that I have learned about, been able

to witness, and implement in my student teaching placement is behavior

intervention/consequences. Like I mentioned briefly in the previous paragraph, this area is

extremely reliant on connections and rapport in the classroom. Without strong student-teacher

relationships, it can be difficult to intervene when behaviors occur, and it can also be hard to

implement consequences without more intense behavior occurring after. A teacher can more

easily redirect, give choices, and choose consequences when students know that it is done with

fairness and compassion in mind. In my experiences, I have noticed that behavior intervention is

accepted more readily when I give gentle redirects, am soft yet firm, and give choices that are

reasonable and agree with the individual student. In my future classroom, I want behaviors to be

limited and for students to be respondent on subtle cues like proximity, eye contact and

warnings. If more intense action must be taken, I want students to see that I am consistent yet fair

and am only doing what is best for the student, their learning, and the learning of others.

As you can see, I have learned an abundance of information about

procedures/structures/routines, engagement and participation, rapport/connection, and behavior

intervention/consequences. Throughout my student teaching placement, I have been able to

witness and practice strategies in each of these areas and see what works best for me and the way

I choose to run my classroom. In doing so, I have also gained a philosophy in successful

classroom management that I plan to carry with me into my future teaching career.