Jeffrey Douthwright

Professor Phil McPhee-Brown

The Teaching Profession

December 7, 2017

Classroom Management

In a classroom, a teacher must survive by their own wit. When in charge, they may us

various tools and tactics, so they can keep up with their students. A teacher and a classroom of

students is a 2-way road of respect each side must observe. Well known philosophers and

educators of classroom management have published their own concepts and ideas of managing

classrooms. Fred Jones, Ronald Morrish, Spencer Kagan, and Craig Seganti, are a few to name.

The philosophy I admire most, belongs to Marvin Marshall. Marshall is an international author

and presenter of several concepts relating to “discipline without stress.” From parenting to

classroom management, Marshall has had his work published worldwide in discipline.

Marshall’s philosophy working in action of levels, and all depends on the students, and how they

control it. Classroom management is more of the student’s hands, then the teachers in

Marshall’s Hierarchy of Social Development. Most of techniques to classroom management I

agree with, and why I chose him over other well-known philosophers. Marvin Marshall’s

philosophy best lines up with my classroom management system, and I see his philosophy best

working with me, in a classroom.

Marvin Marshall’s believes in four major rules to classroom management:

 1. Let the students know their expectations in behavior.

2. Give the students the power to reach those behavior expectations.

3. Be positive when teaching.

4. Promote the desire to make the right decision, instead of pushing obedience.

Marshall’s hope is to have the students understand more of why the should be more open to

discipline in a classroom, more than enforcing automatically. This allows more freedom, leading

to the teacher to have less stress, and give more positive feedback and reflection, as well as

promotion of stronger will in students. Teachers will also have to rely less on rules, and work

more on procedure. Also, Marshall encourages less ruling, and more procedure. This allows

teachers to be friendlier, and a lot less like an enforcer, which can make relationships with

students even more difficult. With a positive atmosphere, the teacher can promote responsibility

over obedience. Obedience does not create desire, leading responsibility to be much more

effective approach when learning.

In a classroom, Marvin Marshall would describe this in four different scenarios:

1. Anarchy: The lowest level, holding no sense of order or expectation.

2. Bossing/Bullying/Bothering: Students act only when told to do so, and have very little

respect for others around them. Students are much more reactive when told information,

whether that be taught or enforced.

3. Cooperation/Conformity: Here students conform to expectations set by the teacher. They

do this only because of rules, teacher demands, and peer pressure. When you discuss this

level with the students it helps them understand and move beyond it.

4. Democracy & Taking Initiative: Students take the initiative to make the right decision,

and they behave responsibly without having to do so. Marshall says that explaining that
 democracy requires the citizens to make decisions for themselves rather than having other

people make them.

In my own classroom, I would hope I would be doing less management, and more teaching.

I chose Marshall’s philosophy as my own choice because the 2-way road of respect that is set

up with a teacher and student. They focus less on dictation, and more cooperation. Along

with prior knowledge and opinion, I define these rules as my own personal classroom

management rules:

1. Arrangement: I would like to focus on arranging my class with students from physical

arrangement, to classroom rules and expectations, so they feel welcomed and want to

learn, over willing to learn.

2. Goals: My goals as a teacher would be to ensure a student learns the material.

Deadlines and due dates are important, but a student learning the material is much

more important. I would also cooperate with students with goals, and make sure they

are learning the material, compared to repeating the material.

3. Elicit & Responsibility: If I am successful at promoting a positive environment, then

my students should feel to be more responsible and stronger will.

4. Positive Environment & Teaching: In my classroom, I would like a positive vibe, and

no threat of intrusion or worry of dominance. I want to be friendly with my students,

but still be a teacher figure.

5. Reflection: When reaching goals and teaching is effective, reflection will help re-

enforce material, so students can easily recall to it, or remember it, instead of just

regurgitating it later testing.