Classroom Management

MAT 670
By: Chris Harris
Jan 28, 2018
A little about me
Hi class,

My name is Chris Harris, I’m thirty one and also attended this school. I decided to
become a Spanish teacher for a few reasons. I wasn’t always a great student and
to be honest I’m still working on it. I wanted to be a teacher because I feel that I
have had to work and struggle to be a good student and feel I have some
strategies and shortcuts to help you all to be successful in your future endeavours.
I lived in Spain for five year where I perfected my Spanish and coached football
there, that’s actually how I met my wife. I would like to share with you all my life
adventures which have ultimately led me here to you all. I am an open book and
want you all to feel free to come to me for anything you may need. We are going
to play, work, learn, grow, laugh and finally learn Spanish together. Are you
Classroom Management philosophy
To me classroom management has everything to do with classroom environment.
As an educator in 2018 are responsible for creating an environment in which
students do have to be present but want to be present obviously physically but
more importantly mentally present. When you can create an environment in which
students are happy to be in and want to participate, you’ll find you a no longer
managing the room but more so guiding it in the direction most appropriate for the
course.
Cultivating a classroom environment
I have a strategy that I have used with my students that I have been using for the
last to years that I simply call questions. In my school we have block days where I
am with each class for two hours. In the beginning of each block day during the
first month of school I basically allow the students to ask ANY questions they want
about me or my perspective on things. This allows them to get to know me on a
more personal level and ultimately we can begin to build that trust which is so
important. Another strategy I use which may seem juvenile is to give student an
assignment but sometime leaving certain information without explanation as to
encourage questions as I find many students struggle with simply clarifying
question to better understand what they must do. This is only to begin with, after a
few minutes I will clarify if I don’t have the questions to do so. Finally, my last
strategy is ban cell phone use to suggest social interaction.
Classroom Management Mistake
One specific time where I did not give enough direction was when I was describing
how to conjugate verbs. I realized that my board was littered with steps although
numbered, they were not methodically organized in a way that was easy for
children to understand. After giving out the worksheet and realizing the students
where struggling I quickly realized I had to change the technique.

I then gave a tutorial on two column notes where they would practice writing notes
to my lecture in an orderly fashion. This not only assisted the students in
organizing their not taking but organized my use of the whiteboard. Ultimately this
resulted in better understanding of the course content leading them to successfully
complete their worksheets.
 Teaching Procedures
1)To Present

2) To Practice

3) To Positively Reinforce
Questions
Currently as I mentioned before I have
the first ten minutes of every block period
where I allow students to ask me ANY
questions they want. This activity is
designed so that students may;

Get a real sense of who I am

Allow them to break the ice and get used

to asking me questions that perhaps they
wouldn't in a regular classroom setting

Finally in asking these types of questions

they will also see in what things we may
have in common thus making me a
person and not just a teacher
Online Resources
www.pearsoned.com

www.teacherspayteachers.com

www.teacherhub.com

www.teachervision.com

www.adlit.org