Running Head: PHILOSOPHY OF CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT 1

Philosophy of Classroom Management

Jerrid W. Gift

Grand Canyon University: SEC 510

April 22, 2020

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Philosophy of Classroom Management

How does an educator create and maintain the desired culture of their classroom? To

establish a strong and positive culture, a teacher must create their own philosophies of effective

classroom management. The culture of a classroom plays a major role in students’ cognitive and

socioemotional development. The right classroom environment can help students feel safe,

valued, and successful. When creating their philosophies, teachers should consider how their

organization and coordination of time, space, and student attention correlated to the targeted

classroom culture. They should also reflect on what their role will be within the classroom and

the students’ role. Likewise, there are various outside factors that may influence an educator’s

classroom management philosophy. The purpose of this paper is to examine personal

philosophies of classroom management, student engagement, and motivation. The nature of this

topic explores the benefits of effective classroom management, the effects of school variables,

personal experiences, and the role of technology.

Classroom Management

To establish an ideal classroom culture, an educator must have the students buy into the

standards and invest in that culture. For that to happen, the teacher must first invest in the

students through the classroom management. Simon Sinek has a great philosophy of obtaining a

positive culture and becoming an effective leader. He speaks about how “why” is more important

than “what.” Instead of a leader explaining what they are doing, he or she should explain why

they are doing it ("How Great," 2009). In an educational setting, this can be implemented into a

teacher going over expectations and standards. The teacher should explain to the students the

purpose of the standards and why it is important to perform at those levels. Sinek explains how

individuals are more likely to buy in when leaders have this “start with why” approach.
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The next step in establishing a positive classroom culture is creating an environment

which all students feel safe and valued in (Jones & Jones, 2016, pp. 7-8). When the standards

and this environment are in place, students can feel comfortable to engage in lessons and

activities. To encourage student engagement, teachers should make clear connections between

content and the students’ lives (Maiers, 2014). Students will be more willing and motivated to

learn and participate. These factors are likely to create a sense of camaraderie within a

classroom’s culture, resulting in more opportunities for class discussions, group activities, and

partner projects. Thus, promoting the growth of socioemotional development within the students.

Technology is one method to connect content to the students’ lives and presents many

strategies to promote creativity. Innovations in technology have led to world-wide connection

and improved learning. Online classroom platforms have provided students with a new style of

learning. Students can now learn content, study material, and complete assignments at any place

and at their own pace. Technology, by default, is neither positive nor negative in a classroom

setting. The effectiveness relies on an educator’s incorporation of technological tools into their

lessons.

Another factor of increasing student engagement is through motivation, which drives

students to guarantee success by actively searching for resources and carrying out their plans

(Cerdan, 2017). Motivation is an impulse within a person that brings them to complete action. If

there is no motivation, then there will be no action. Intrinsic motivation, which is more beneficial

to student development, is an individual’s internal drive to complete something because it is

import or enjoyable to them. Extrinsic motivation is driven by an external factor, such as a

reward or punishment. This can be an effective form of short-term motivation but may not

improve the overall culture of the classroom.

Personal Experiences
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I feel like if I had updated my philosophy throughout various stages of my life, then it

would have changed over fifty times. My upbringing was structured in the sense of punctuality

and discipline. We were always on time to events and by that, I mean that we arrived at least five

minutes early. It was safe to say that my parents and grandparents were strict and traditional with

punishments. While I do still keep those traditional values, college education and working at the

Lena-Winslow school district has relaxed some of that structure. I am, without a doubt, much

more laid back after learning lessons from co-workers and co-coaches. I work with some great

and intelligent individuals, who have taught me many valuable lessons pertaining to classroom

management, teacher-student relationships, student psychology, etc. That knowledge and my

traditional values have molded my current educational philosophies.

Benefits of Effective Classroom Management

Supportive and effective classroom management plays a major role in student behavior,

development, and success. An educator’s management of their classroom directly reflects the

culture of that classroom. If the classroom culture is positive and safe, then the students will have

more desire and willingness to engage in lessons. When students feel safe and valued, then they

can maximize their learning of crucial social and academic skills (Jones & Jones, 2016, pp. 7-8).

Likewise, effective classroom management commonly improves students’ sense of ownership

and accountability. Safe and comfortable classroom environments, where the students know that

they are loved, cared for, and valued, will decrease the frequency of behavioral conflicts.

A negative classroom culture may result in students struggling to learn, stay motivated, or

succeed. Likewise, students surrounded by such culture will also lack the behavioral and

socioemotional skills required for positive development (Jones & Jones, 2016, pp. 18-19). Poor

classroom management can limit a teacher’s use of instructional methods to engage students in

academic learning, which may decrease the students’ sense of significance and belonging. As a
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result, student engagement may dwindle, and some might think that the teachers do not care

about them.

School Variables

While an educator can control most aspects of their classroom management philosophy,

they will encounter some uncontrollable factors (e.g., class size, student achievement and

discipline, environment, etc.) that affect student behavior and learning. The culture of the

classroom will be reliant on how an educator can adjust and adapt to these variables. According

to Thing (2016), programs with smaller class sizes are more likely to have better qualified

teachers with a bachelor’s degree or higher. These teachers also experience fewer behavioral

challenges within the classroom. Teachers of higher class sized are commonly less qualified,

which disrupts student learning and development.

Another school variable is the environment surrounding the students. According to

Pappano (2014), sixty-eight percent of children have experienced a traumatic event by the age of

sixteen. Likewise, twenty-five percent of children have witnessed violence and ten percent has

witnessed assault between family members (Finkelhor, Turner, Ormrod, Hamby, & Kracke,

2009). This trauma can take a large toll on a child’s cognitive and socioemotional development.

These students face a greater risk of academic failure and need a stable, supportive environment

(Jones & Jones, 2016, p. 16).

Conclusion

Overall, the classroom management philosophies, influenced by my life experiences,

improves student’ cognitive and socioemotional development. This classroom management

encourages student engagement and advocates effective motivation. Students in this classroom

environment will feel loved, valued, and successful. These factors will help me establish and

maintain a strong, positive classroom culture.

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References

Cerdan, A. G. (2017, October 30). The importance of motivation: What is it and tips to promote

it. Retrieved April 21, 2020, from CogniFit website:

https://blog.cognifit.com/importance-of-motivation-learning-tips/

Cox, J. (n.d.). How to write a classroom management philosophy. Retrieved April 21, 2020, from

http://www.teachhub.com/how-write-classroom-management-philosophy

Finkelhor, D., Turner, H., Ormrod, R., Hamby, S., & Kracke, K. (2009). Children’s exposure to

violence: A comprehensive national survey. Washington, D.C.: Office of Juvenile Justice

and Delinquency Prevention: U.S. Department of Justice.

How great leaders inspire action [Video file]. (2009, September). Retrieved from

https://www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspire_action

Jones, V., & Jones, L. (2016). Comprehensive classroom management: Creating communities of

support and solving problems (Eleventh ed.). Retrieved from

https://viewer.gcu.edu/xRcgNm

Maiers, A. (2014, March 12). 26 keys to student engagement. Retrieved April 22, 2020, from

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/26-keys-to-student-engage_b_4939122

Pappano, L., (2014). “Trauma-sensitive” schools: A new framework for reaching troubled stu-

dents. Harvard Education Letter.