Classroom and Behavioral Management

Ashlee Dillingham

UED 496 Field Experience/E-Portfolio

Classroom and Behavioral Management Rationale Paper

Regent University
Classroom and Behavioral Management

Introduction

Classroom management is the foundation of effective teaching and learning. It is

arguably one of the most imperative aspects of maintaining a well-working classroom

environment. Educating students can become more arduous if one finds difficulty in managing

the daily endeavors that occur within the classroom, from negatively impacting choices from

students to a lack of focus during instruction. As an element of teaching that I have found

requires the most patience and diligence during my student teaching experience so far, I have

strived to integrate the management artifacts I chose while ensuring each child feels welcomed

into an environment of positivity and cooperative learning as each day has progressed.

Rationale and Selected Artifacts

Artifact One

The first artifact I chose is the verbal motivator “Eyes on me, Ears Turned Up, Thinking

Caps On!” This is a re-focus technique that encourages students to gather themselves and get

ready to use their “super smarts,” as I describe to them, to learn something new. I chose this

because this is a daily technique I established that the kids enjoy as they follow along with the

hand movements and gestures. “Eyes on me” alerts students to practice respect for who is

speaking and promotes attentiveness. “Ears turned up” implies that the students are about to hear

some news or information that they definitely do not want to miss. “Thinking caps on” makes the

students aware that it is time for their ‘brains to grow’ because now they will be learning

something that they have not known before. I created this verbal tactic as a means of classroom

management to bring the students together to prepare to learn or hear an imperative message.

This strategy is effective in the classroom by encouraging students to understand the process of

transitions, following directions, and showing respect. This correlates directly with the statement

that reads, “Students should be able to carry out their maximum potential, which allows students
Classroom and Behavioral Management

to develop appropriate behavior patterns (Sieberer, 2015).”.” Incorporating this pattern of

following directions on a daily basis encourages students to reach their full potential and learn

effectively.

Article Two

I chose the “Students Vs. Teachers!” whole group classroom initiative as my second

artifact. This strategy was designed to promote good work ethic and cooperation as a team

amongst the students through positive reinforcement, in addition to the raffle ticket handouts that

are already established within the classroom for good behavior. The initiative is simplistic and

effective, as the students earn points throughout the day on a weekly basis for positive behavior,

following directions the first time given, and completing classwork. The teachers will earn a

point if the students exhibit negative behavior or do not follow directions. As a reward for the

students if they ‘beat the teacher’ by the end of the week, my students are awarded with time for

“Fun Friday'', a time period at the end of the day in which students are allowed to play games or

watch a chosen movie. This entertaining game motivates my students to do their best and

understand that not only do their actions have consequences, but their behavior and actions can

affect the entire class, thus creating team building and responsibility skills.

Reflection on Theory and Practice

The courses I have attended at Regent that correlate with classroom management have

prepared me to lead a classroom and mitigate negative behavior in an effective, endearing, and

faith-integrating manner. I have found through both my courses and the student teaching

experience so far that “Teachers must deal with unexpected events and have the ability to

control student behavior, using effective classroom management strategies (Sieberer, 2015).”

The “Eyes on me, ears turned up, thinking caps on” verbal motivator as well as the Teachers
Classroom and Behavioral Management

vs. Students strategy intertwine with each other to promote an environment of positivity,

emotional and academic support, as well as effective behavioral skills. The correlation between

effective classroom management and the class-wide strategy “Students versus Teachers'' stems

from the technique’s effectiveness in developing accountability and responsibility skills within

each individual student and as a whole within the learning environment. The classroom

disruptions and individual behavioral mishaps are mitigated with the Students versus Teachers

strategy, and each student has a thorough understanding of how their actions can affect the

entire flow of the classroom procedures. The ultimate goal at hand is that, “By using research

based strategies combining appropriate levels of dominance and cooperation and an awareness

of student needs, teachers can build positive classroom dynamics (Marzano, 2003).” 1 Peter

3:8 comes to mind when I think of the structure and my representation of Christ in the

classroom, as it states, “Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a

tender heart, and a humble mind.” I want to continue to express love, humility, and

forgiveness to my students, even when they make mistakes just as God would do for me. My

strategies learned within Regent’s courses as well as the strategy enacted upon within my

classroom demonstrates effective class management and positive reinforcement. From what I

have experienced and learned so far, I plan to utilize both effective strategies in my future

classroom as well as my faith to promote productive learning and positivity while effectively

managing the classroom environment.

Classroom and Behavioral Management

References

Marzano, R. J. (2003, September). The Key to Classroom Management.

ASCD: Professional Learning & Community for Educators.

https://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/sept03/vol61/num01/The-Key-

to Classroom-Management.aspx

Sieberer, K. (2015, December 14). Effective Classroom-Management &

Positive Teaching. ERIC - Education Resources Information Center.

https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1087130.pdf