This I Believe…My Classroom Management Philosophy

Alexa Keppley

Coastal Carolina University

 As a teacher, it is important to implement classroom management strategies that work for

me and that reflect my own philosophical beliefs. In this statement, I will describe my strategies

for establishing and maintaining a well-managed environment to optimize student learning. My

strategies are highly influenced by Jacob Kounin, Carolyn Evertson, and Alene Harris. Like

Kounin, Evertson, and Harris, I believe teachers’ behavior and instructional practices influence

student behavior. Having the right environment and engaging instruction is my major goal of

implementing good classroom management.

In order to manage a classroom properly, I must first create a positive classroom climate.

A positive classroom climate feels safe, respectful, welcoming, and supportive of student

learning. To make my students feel welcome and comfortable, I will greet my students at the

door each day, get to know their interests, and I will be supportive and approachable. I will treat

all students equally and interact with them to make them feel listened to, cared for, and

respected.

My classroom layout will also add to the positive classroom climate. My room will be

neat, organized, and attractive. Although my walls will be painted a neutral color, I will add

color throughout the room with posters and student work. The students will sit in rows of 3 that

face the front board. This desk arrangement allows me to see what every student is doing and

makes it easier for students to work in pairs or groups of three. There will also be a table in the

back that I can use for small group instruction. My desk will be placed in the front corner of the

room and will be used mostly for administrative tasks during planning periods. All the contents

in the room are strategically placed so that everyone can move around easily.

The instructional practices I implement will also play a key role in successful classroom

management. To maximize student behavior, I will implement some of Kounin’s strategies to

elicit high levels of work involvement and low levels of misbehavior. These strategies include

withitness, overlapping, smoothness and momentum, and group focus. These tools will help me

maintain the flow of instruction and will keep my students engaged.

Establishing rules and expectations is another important aspect of effective management.

On the first day of school, I will communicate my rules clearly and directly to the students, as

well as send a handout of them home to parents/guardians. The rules will be posted on the wall

where all the students can see. Throughout the year, I will review the rules periodically and

revise them if needed. On the first day of school, I will also communicate my expectations to the

class. Each day, my students will be expected to come into the classroom quietly and get started

on the warm-up immediately. During class, I expect them to participate in lessons, ask questions,

and put forth their best effort. I expect them to be respectful of me, themselves, their classmates,

and the tools they use. Also, at the beginning of the year, I will ask students what they expect

from me as a teacher. As a class, we will generate a list of expectations. This will allow me to

understand what I can do to help my students learn and feel their best.

Daily routines and procedures will also be implemented and posted. This will allow the

children to know what’s expected of them and how to do certain things on their own. I plan to

focus on six different routines and procedures: beginning of day, dismissal, turning in work,

signaling for quiet, restroom use, and emergency drills. Each routine is extremely important to

the environment of the classroom and my classroom management plan.

I feel that my classroom rules, procedures, and classroom arrangement will prevent many

misbehaviors. However, if a student does misbehave, I will use a process-outcomes approach

like in Evertson’s and Harris’s model. I will quickly determine the severity of the behavior

offense and then determine the needed intervention. I will handle most undesirable behaviors
with minor intervention techniques such as maintaining eye contact, reminding students of

appropriate behavior, and providing needed assistance. More serious misbehaviors will require

moderate interventions such as withholding a privilege or isolating or removing a student. In

extreme situations, more extensive interventions are necessary. This might include conducting

conferences with a parent or guardian or the development of an individual behavior contract with

the student. Positive reinforcement will be used in my classroom to focus on the positive aspects

of a student’s behavior. This will be done through praise or by sending a letter or email to a

parent or guardian informing them of their student’s good behavior.

My classroom management plan reflects both classroom management theories that I have

learned about and my experiences at my field placements. At Ten Oaks, my cooperating teacher

prevented many misbehaviors by keeping her students engaged. Like in my philosophy, my

cooperating teacher believed in having a classroom that is varied in activities yet remains mostly

standard in terms of daily procedure. She dealt with any misbehaviors swiftly and uniformly.

Throughout her lessons, she moved around the room and often redirected behavior through

simple proximity to the students. She also would give reminders or warning of the rules.

Good classroom management is the key to having a successful school year. A thought-out

classroom arrangement, an easily understood set of expectations, fair dealings with misbehavior,

and an engaging curriculum are the core of solid classroom management. If these elements are

present, and learning is taking place in a safe, enjoyable, and exciting environment, then

inappropriate behavior will not be a consistent problem.