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CLASSROOM AND BEHAVIOR MANAGEMENT

Anna Whalen

Regent University

In partial fulfillment of UED 495 Field Experience ePortfolio, Spring 2021

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Introduction

One of my favorite movies is Kindergarten Cop. In this entirely underrated Arnold

Schwarzenager film, a seasoned teacher gives Arnold’s character a quick piece of advice just

outside of his classroom, warning him, “kindergarten is like the ocean- you don’t want to turn

your back on it.” No, I am not basing the entirety of my classroom management practices on

what I saw in a movie, but this piece of advice truly is applicable and valuable. One should never

turn their back on the ocean because it can change in a moment without notice; if you are not

watching it, looking for cues and warnings, and then preparing to react accordingly, you will get

swept away. Applying this idea to the management of a kindergarten classroom, a teacher has to

be able to watch their students, read the emotions and temperament of the class (both as a whole

and students individually), and lead the class in a way that effectively maneuvers around any

obstacles to deliver the day’s content. My classroom and behavior management strategies include

a variety of methods: positive reinforcement, chants, clapping patterns, end of the week rewards,

and popsicle sticks to name a few. The two methods of classroom and behavior management I

want to highlight today are the use of music throughout the day and the use of task slides while

students complete their independent work. These two methods in particular have helped me

foster a positive learning environment in my classroom, allowing me to effectively use

instructional time and create more independent learners.

Rationale for Selection of Artifacts

The first strategy I am choosing to highlight is the use of music in the classroom and the

multiple ways in which I use it. The first is through what we refer to as wiggle songs; these are

typically silly songs or even kid covers of popular songs with choreographed dance-alongs that

the students can dance along with. When I first started journaling about my experience in the
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classroom, I set a goal to more effectively manage my instructional time when it came to the

amount of time we waste simply handing out papers to a class of now twenty three students. My

cooperating teacher used wiggle songs throughout the day to help break up the monotony; I use

wiggle songs to do that, as well as to give me a chance to handout the next handout/craft/activity

with the students actively engaged in something productive. The wiggle songs provide my

students the opportunity to get up out of their seats and move while I pass out whatever is needed

for the next activity. On days we don’t have PE, half of my students do not get to leave the

classroom until it is time for recess at 12:45pm (if the weather is nice enough). The use of wiggle

songs gives them the opportunity to recharge and stretch, resetting their attention span for the

next lesson while I have three to four minutes to prepare for that transition from one lesson to

another.

Another way I use music is what I refer to as “thinking music.” When the students are

completing their independent work, I am typically working one-on-one or in small groups with

other students, along with the other educators in the classroom. Thinking music not only gives

the students some sort of background noise to drown out whatever conversation might be going

on in small groups, but it also helps maintain a low noise level in the classroom. I found a

playlist on YouTube of Disney songs played on the piano without lyrics. I found this kind of

music worked best because it was recognizable enough to students so they actually want to be

quiet enough to hear the music; the first playlist of background music I found did not have the

same effect. After explaining the tasks students are to be working on, I will start the music,

turning the volume loud enough that the students in the back of the room can hear it, but quiet

enough that students cannot hear the music if they start talking. Students will often check

themselves and their peers when they realize they cannot hear the music because they are talking.
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When this does not happen, I only need to stop my small group long enough to mention,“I

cannot hear the music,” and suddenly the entire class will go silent.

The second method for classroom and behavior management that I am choosing to

highlight is the use of an agenda or task slide. Every morning, students come in and follow the

same routine. They come in, put their lunch, backpack, and jacket in the appropriate spot, turn in

their folder, and then they have morning work to complete ready on their desk. Students filter

into the classroom from 7:15am up until 7:40am, some even later. What I found my first week

was I was repeating the instructions almost as much as I was greeting students in the morning. It

was redundant and overwhelming for me, and added to the chaos of a steady flow of little people

trickling into the room. It also encouraged students to depend on me to answer the question “so

what do we do?” instead of encouraging them to figure it out. I decided one day to start adding a

morning work list to the beginning of my morning meeting slides for the day. I began telling

students to look at the board, and encouraged them to tell their peers to do the same. Some

students still struggle with their reading and comprehension, so I try to use the simplest and

easiest to understand words possible. Most of the activities the students do are versions of past

worksheets, so I sometimes do not even need to list instructions with the title of the worksheet. If

a student struggles with reading, I’ll help them sound out the words.

During the first week of implementing the morning task slide, I still had a lot of students

come to me asking what morning work was supposed to be. Now, most students are able to read

the board and figure it out, or they ask another classmate for help. I still have the occasional

student ask me for help understanding, but overall the students are learning to be more

independent with beginning their work in the morning. Often, we have something projected on

the board for one of our jobs, so instead of a slide I write the jobs they need to complete on the
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board in dry erase marker. This is just a simple reminder to students what the two or three tasks

they are to be working on while they wait for their small reading group time. This list helps keep

students on task and aids in minimizing disruptions while the teachers in the room work with

other students.

Reflection on Theory and Practice

There are many parts to classroom management, and no two classrooms will ever have

the exact same classroom management system. The American Psychological Association defines

classroom management as, “the process by which teachers and schools create and maintain

appropriate behavior of students in classroom settings,” (Kratchowill, 2010). They further

explain effective classroom management will create and maintain “an orderly environment in the

classroom,” decrease “negative behaviors,” and increase “time spent academically engaged,”

(Kratchowill, 2010). It is also important to note that classroom management, although often

thought of as a more reactive approach, includes what one does to prevent a chaotic classroom

(Kratchowill, 2010). I think both of the strategies I have chosen qualify as effective classroom

management strategies. When I use music for wiggle songs, I am able to actively engage

students in a positive manner while I prepare to transition to the next lesson. When used as a

means to keep the noise level controlled, music helps to promote that orderly classroom

environment.

The benefits of wiggle songs do not just stop at their efficacy as a classroom management

strategy. Wiggle songs also serve as a great way to improve student learning. Dr. Selena Kiser

notes the benefits of brain breaks “include better behavior, increased productivity, enhanced

comprehension, creative thinking, and increased time on task,” (Kiser, 2020). When one is

dealing with an inclusion classroom of 23 kindergarten students, one has to capitalize on any
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opportunity to reset and regain student focus. Especially when half of the students do not get to

leave the classroom until recess most days, the opportunity to get the kids up and move is so

valuable to fostering a productive, positive learning environment. I must note, not every brain

break or lesson transition is a wiggle song; sometimes we have a Cooper Says (Simon Says, but

no one gets “out”) game or a three minute breathe and stretch break. I use wiggle songs often,

but with discretion.

While they might not be as prevalent throughout the day, the task slides are also a key

effective part of my classroom management. Task slides decrease negative behaviors; students

are less likely to get out of their seats to ask questions, then get distracted chatting with their

friends on their way back to their seat. Author Natalie Lewis notes “Pupils may be more

motivated to work and focus more intently if they have a clear understanding of what objectives

matter the most to their teacher” (Lewis, 2015). By clearly listing out my expectations for what

the students should be working on, the students have a clear picture in front of them of what I

want them to be doing. I have seen this in action when students can come to me and point to each

item on the list and show me that they have completed each piece. This strategy is also preparing

students for older grades where this practice is very common. This is important to me because

many of our students are in for a shock when their first grade classroom only has one, maybe two

teachers (if they are in the inclusion class). By challenging my students to recognize and meet

the expectations for that period of time, I am simultaneously effectively managing the class and

preparing them for the next grade level.

In Ecclesiastes 3:4, the Bible tells us there is a time to dance; I think one of those times is

in the classroom. By teaching students singing and dancing are things that are good for your

mind, body, and soul, they can use what we have taught them to celebrate life and God’s gift of
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creation. God gave us this beautiful life; we can thank him through song and dance. Ecclesiastes

3:12 also states, “I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good

as long as they live.” By inserting fun, sometimes silly songs into the day, I can teach students to

approach each lesson with a joyful, happy heart and a positive attitude. This outlook can

eventually become internalized by each student, spreading to how they take on life.
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Artifact #1- Music in the Classroom

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXH0EAKzPcM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJPvEs8qpQc
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DiMoehAeOU&t=2997s
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Artifact #2- Task Slides

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References

Kiser, S. (2020, July 07). What are Brain Breaks? Retrieved April 08, 2021, from

https://www.teachhub.com/classroom-management/2020/07/what-are-brain-breaks/

Kratochwill, T. (2010, February 16). Classroom Management Module. American Psychological

Association. Retrieved April 08, 2021, from

http://www.apa.org/education/k12/modules-classroom-management

Lewis, N. (2015, March). Daily Agendas: The Key to Organizing the Classroom. Retrieved April

08, 2021, from

http://teachingonpurpose.org/journal/daily-agendas-the-key-to-organizing-the-classroom/