Kyndra Braden’s Philosophy of Classroom Management

First and foremost, I believe that determining and establishing norms is essential in
creating a smooth, happy, and comfortable classroom. Setting up these norms and routines
right from the beginning of the year/semester are important for creating the desired classroom
culture and limiting future undesired classroom behaviors. Set the standard for students to
follow and it will be much easier to handle throughout the year. If students know what to
expect everyday when entering your classroom, they will be less likely to test boundaries and
play the “I didn’t know” card. It is also important to not only enforce the guidelines and
expectations, but to include the students in the creation process, as it is the students' class and
experience too. I have found that it is much easier for students to follow rules they created
rather than rules thrust upon them that they may not agree with. I found there to be much less
push back from students when addressing issues and more statements of, “yeah you’re right,
I’m sorry”, and a lack of repeated undesirable behaviors. Lastly, to ensure this successful
outcome, it is important to keep the classroom norms as a living document, one that can be
added to or revised throughout the year/semester. Whenever new guidelines have been
created and agreed upon, it is important to clarify and have students explain what the guideline
would look like in the classroom, and why it was important to add. This last step will help to
minimize unwanted behaviors and comments such as, “I didn’t know what that means”.
Creating informed students that feel safe, included and encouraged in your classroom is the
goal!
Knowing yourself and your students as people in and outside of the education realm as
well as knowing your school is pivotal in classroom management. Treat your students as the
individuals they are and classroom management will become much easier on you, the teacher
and your students. Knowing in advance what classroom management techniques to employ and
when you will handle a situation as well as knowing who to turn to for support and guidance in
your school will limit the risk of teacher burnout. It truly does take a village and you must know
who your supports are and to recognize when you need to turn to them. For example, knowing
who I am as a teacher, I recognize my belief in the importance of using humor (when
appropriate) and following the guided discipline approach when addressing unwanted
behaviors. This form of discipline allows students to take responsibility for their actions and
learn that there are consequences that follow their actions. Each behavior needs to be
individually handled on a case by case basis and the better you know your students, the better
you can successfully deal with each behavior. Knowing that I am not an authoritarian teacher, I
was able to bring up a disappointing behavior by saying, “I see that you are choosing not to
participate today and I am disappointed to not have your energy in class today. Is there a way
that I can support you in choosing to participate instead?” This allowed the student to not feel
like they needed to defend or protect themself and instead felt comfortable enough to open up
and explain what was going on behind the scenes and then contribute as much as they were
able to. As a teacher, I was able to change their level of expectation for the day in regard to the
issue and know that they did end up doing the best they could at that moment. At the end of
the class time I made it a point to say that I was proud of the student for pushing through and
giving me their best that day. The teacher and student left the day less stressed and happier.
To further promote the concept of teaching students not just one’s own content area, it
is important to teach them life skills. For example, learning to understand their reasoning and
emotions is an important life skill we need to be teaching teens, especially during these years in
which their emotions are all over the place and constantly changing. The most beneficial way to
do so is by encouraging positive behavior using the PBIS model (Positive Behavior Interventions
and Support). By encouraging students to enact the desired behaviors by way of recognition and
personalized affirmation, they are more likely to continue and encompass the behaviors rather
than when they are making decisions based on fear and doing them simply because they know
it is what is expected. Handling actions in this way also helps students to understand the
importance and results of acting like a caring mature person, the classroom as a whole is a more
enjoyable place and they feel more connected and comfortable in it as well. It is also crucial to
really know each and every student in order to personalize this appreciation and affirmation
and receive the best results. When students feel “seen” and included, they not only learn better
in the classroom, but they respect the teacher and their opinions more too. Due to this, it is
lastly important to model the behavior that you wish to encourage in the students. Always make
sure to check in with the students and have them check in with themselves and make it a part
of the classroom routine. This solidifies those lessons that they are learning and how acting and
being treated in this way feels.
Lastly, another important aspect of classroom management in my opinion is confidence
and following through with what you say. Being prepared and knowledgeable in your classroom
management strengths and skills only mean so much if you are not also clear, decisive, and
carry out what you say. Students should be fully aware of their expectations and what will
happen if those expectations are not met. However, if students know what might happen, but
know that the likelihood of them being enacted is slim, they will walk all over you. In my
opinion, you don’t need to be an authoritarian, but you do need to stand your ground and
implement the consequences even if it isn’t fun being the “bad guy” sometimes.
To summarize my classroom management beliefs in just a few paragraphs is difficult, and
to condense it into an even shorter concise statement is even more challenging, but I am going
to try. Managing a classroom is more than simply keeping order in a physical space, it includes
creating an environment that will foster growth and learning. In order to create this atmosphere
it is important to form relationships based on understanding and respect, being open and
honest with students, including them in classroom decisions, and feeling confident and
prepared as a teacher. It is my belief that these important concepts will form a safe and
encouraging environment that students will in turn respect and grow in.