Area 1: Procedures/Structures/Routines

Making sure to clearly state procedures as well as explaining their role in the classroom
is very important so the students understand why those rules are put in place. Through the
course of my teaching and learning, I have learned that I must set clear expectations with my
students from day one. Before school even starts, it is important for me to have a discussion
with some of the school staff to learn about procedures that students are familiar with from past
years. This way I can use a familiar structure in my classroom to help avoid confusion and gain
confidence in student learning. I would hang multiple visual aids around my classroom to remind
my students of the procedures and how to stay on track. “The tracks of procedure will determine
the direction -and the speed!- of the train of content,” (104). My philosophy would be to respect
others throughout performing routine tasks. Asking my students to please line up for dismissal
and politely asking students to be quiet will create a positive and efficient environment. I would
reinforce procedures that “establish order and focus,” (107), so that students know my intentions
on keeping a respectful and learning-centered classroom. Students will get the opportunity to
share their opinions, as long as they do it in a respectful manner.

Area 2: Engagement and Participation

Throughout college, I learned the key to engaging students is by creating activities that
students want to participate in and are intrigued by. My classroom will be a fast paced learning
environment that incorporates multiple subjects into a lesson. For example, I will be giving
physical education activities to perform while simply learning a new lesson or skill. The ‘i do, we
do, you do’ strategy has stuck out to me from my learnings this past semester and I will be
implementing that into the classroom through my instruction. I can attempt to increase
participation by questioning all students rather than having just one or two answers. The total
participation will increase with this form of questioning by having students journal their answers
or respond as a collective group or small groups. “Providing students with opportunities to work
together can remove the necessity for absolute quiet while increasing attention, energy and
retention,” (177). With that, my philosophy for engagement and participation is to create a
variety of activities based around the students' lives and collaboration in the classroom.

Area 3: Rapport/Connection
This is the area I believe that I possess the most skills in as I am an outgoing
people-person. I want to build a connection with my students based on the philosophy that a
teacher should treat their students as people and not lesser than themselves. I will show my
students that I genuinely care about them and want them to succeed by going out of my way to
try and make the day a little bit happier. Teachers are teaching a lesson just as much as they
are building better humans. That is the whole reason I wanted to become a teacher, to connect
with the future of our country and help them become more respectful and caring to one another.
“…Caring isn’t a strategy; it’s a choice,” (80). I want to let my students know that the classroom
is a safe space for them to fully be themselves and express their thoughts. I will set aside time
to sit down with each individual student weekly in order to learn more about them and build an
effective working relationship. The more enthusiasm and energy I put into my teaching, the
greater positive effects I will have on my students.
Area 4: Behavior Intervention/Consequences
A chapter in the text that really clicked with me was “Assume the Best.” I fully believe
that students want to learn appropriate behaviors and it is a teacher's job to teach them how to
act in and out of the classroom. “When we effectively help our students develop these skills, we
enhance their ability to mature. We thus teach the whole person,” (14). My philosophy on
behavior intervention is that a teacher should guide their students into becoming a better
member of society. I should be teaching my students how to behave based on the rules of the
school as well as the rules of life. By gently guiding my students, I am able to teach them right
from wrong and give them the confidence to do what is right. At times, I may need to suppress
my real emotions in order to have an appropriate response to a student's misbehavior. This is a
part of professionalism and it allows me to have a conversation with a student later in private
rather than airing out a difficulty in front of the class. Consequences should be based on the
severity of the wrong behavior and should follow the school's recommendation. I will
communicate with other staff and a child’s parents if I believe their behavior is getting out of
hand. This way the students' whole team will be involved in helping them find the right path.

Smith, R., & Dearborn, G. (2016). Conscious classroom management: Unlocking the secrets of
great teaching (2nd ed.). San Rafael, CA: Conscious Teaching