Running head: CLASSROOM & BEHAVIOR MANAGEMENT 1

Classroom & Behavior Management Teaching Competency

Kelsey J. Hayes

Regent University
CLASSROOM & BEHAVIOR MANAGEMENT 2

Classroom & Behavior Management Teaching Competency

Introduction

Proverbs 22:6 commands us, “Start children off on the way they should go, and even

when they are old they will not turn from it” (New International Version). Scripture calls adults

to set out the path and guide youth to follow whatever God’s will may be, so that when they

become adults they will still know how to follow authority and know right from wrong. As an

educator, my role and responsibility is to train young people on how to treat others. Mark 12:31,

for instance, calls believers to “‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” Jesus believes this is the

second greatest commandment, and this is one that I believe is important to instill in young

people, even in a public school setting. Our purpose as human beings is to love God and to love

each other. I may not be able to preach the Word of God in school, but I can teach the love that

God calls us to have for one another. During my time in student teaching, I have had the

opportunity to prepare my students for adulthood and to teach them how to treat others.

Artifacts’ Rationale

Google Docs: Study Copy of Week 5 Daily Task Sheet

For my first artifact, I selected a student copy of week 5’s daily task sheet. The daily task

sheet is something that I started with my students as of week 4, and it has continued since then.

The daily task sheet is created using Google Docs and posted on Schoology, so my students can

have access to their own copy of this assignment. This assignment is an easy A for students

because it simply requires them to complete their work; on the contrary, this may be challenging

for students who do not complete their work, but it is a method to keep them accountable and

make them responsible for their own work. The daily task sheet lists all of the assignments that I

am grading for the week. Even though we may have additional assignments throughout the week,
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the daily task sheet only keeps record of that which is getting graded. In essence, the daily task

sheet is like a to-do list to help promote autonomy amongst my students. At the top of the sheet, I

ask students to highlight the assignments they have completed; not all students follow these

instructions exactly, but I mainly look for that they submitted all the assignments and answer any

of the questions listed below some of the assignments. This daily task sheet strategy is aligned

with the self-determination theory, which Koth (2016) claims “the three elements necessary for

motivation are autonomy, competence, and connectedness” (p. 59). By routinely having students

document their work, this motivates them to complete their work and take responsibility for their

own actions. The daily task sheet is an excellent tool for classroom management, and it will

teach my students to stay organized and hold themselves accountable now and later in life.

Google Sheets: Contact Log

As for my second artifact, I included my parent contact log, which keeps a record of any

contact I have with parents, aside from emails to all parents. On my contact log, I keep track of

the date, who I contacted, the mode of communication, and the details of my interactions with

them. Parent communication can sometimes get complicated or misconstrued, so it is important

to keep a paper trail of all interactions to protect myself. Not only this, but the contact log also

shows evidence of parent involvement in their child’s education. If I have a child who is not

participating, not submitting work, or causing issues in class, then I will contact the parent, as

necessary. Additionally, I will contact the parents for positive reports or for updates on how their

child is doing in my class. Communication with the parents typically looks like either a phone

call or an email, depending on the issue and the parent’s availability. Parent communication is a

key part of behavior management for me. I am not one to jump immediately to calling or

emailing parents every time a child presents an issue in class, for I typically address it in class,
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then I will speak to the child one-on-one if I need to; after trying to handle it in class and one-on-

one, if that does not work, then I will contact parents. Contacting parents is extremely important

right now, especially, because sometimes I cannot get a hold of the students. Oftentimes,

students will walk away from their laptops or mute the class and play video games while I am

teaching, so the only way to get their attention is by having their parents physically disrupt

whatever they are doing. According to Michael Romano (2012), “Making phone calls to parents

can be uncomfortable for even the most seasoned teacher, but it’s an important part of the job”

(p. 14). Parent communication can be intimidating, at first, but it is an essential part of behavior

management and learning more about my students and their home lives.

Theory to Practice Reflection

Through my time at Regent University, in student teaching, and working with youth over

the years, I feel prepared for classroom and behavior management. In my own way, I was trained

up in the way I should go, so I can now effectively train the next generation. My goal as an

educator is to teach my students how to treat people with love and respect. In the classroom, I

allow my students to have a safe place to joke and have fun, yet I am not afraid to shut down

inappropriate jokes or comments. I have had students make homophobic and homosexual jokes

in the classroom, and I immediately shut down these interactions and let them know that

comments like this are not okay. I have developed a relationship with my students based on

mutual respect, which is something I have emphasized from the beginning. My students know

that I care about them, and this is why I push them. Because of this, I have had few to no major

behavioral issues. Part of managing issues as they come is building that rapport, or relationship,

with students first. As I go into my own classroom, I believe a relationship with administration is

a huge factor in classroom management as well. Sometimes situations can get out of hand, with
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parents or students, and teachers need to feel like administration is approachable and willing to

have their back. However, it is important as a teacher to advocate for change in my own

classroom before taking it to administration. Walker et al. (2021) emphasizes, “teachers are more

positive about making changes when they initiate the changes rather than when changes are

imposed from administrators” (p. 221). To avoid getting frustrated with administrators for issues

I could have eliminated myself, I think it is important to continue advocating for ways to make

my classroom better. Throughout the rest of my time in student teaching, I would love to

continue pushing my students to be more independent, loving, and respectful.

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References

Koth, L. J. (2016). Motivation through routine documentation. American Secondary Education,

45(1), 59-69. http://web.a.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.regent.edu/ehost/detail/detail?

vid=21&sid=65b05493-4786-44a0-b875-0f0b870024ae%40sdc-v-sessmgr02&bdata=

JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#AN=119642004&db=a9h

Romano, M. (2012). The dreaded (sometimes delightful) parent phone call. Science Teacher,

79(1), 14. http://web.a.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.regent.edu/ehost/detail/detail?

vid=18&sid=65b05493-4786-44a0-b875-0f0b870024ae%40sdc-v-sessmgr02&bdata=

JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=a9h&AN=69915854

Walker, J. D., Johnson, K. M., & Randolph, K. M. (2021). Teacher self-advocacy for the shared

responsibility of classroom and behavior management. Teaching Exceptional Children,

53(3), 216-25. https://doi-org.ezproxy.regent.edu/10.1177/0040059920980481