PDF Philosophy of Classroom Management and Discipline

Philosophy of Classroom Management and Discipline

Ever wonder why we send our children to school? The purpose of education is to prepare people at a young age for experiences that they will have in the future. We need to impart to our younger generations the knowledge that they will need to be successful in careers, and in life in general. To further answer the question of why we send our children to school, I like the saying "knowledge is power". If you have the right knowledge I believe you can do anything. If you have the right knowledge you will go far in life.

In order to gain that knowledge we need, we must have a good teacher to impart it to us. What makes a good teacher you ask? A good teacher is someone who respects their students and values their opinions and beliefs. A good teacher is someone who is enthusiastic about learning and who is accessible to their students. Students need to know that they can trust their teacher and go to them with any questions or concerns that they might have. A good teacher views their class as a small community, where everybody is an important integral part. Above all, a good teacher is someone who can successfully manage a classroom. This being said, when it comes to managing children I am very much a believer in being firm but fair. I think the teacher should be in charge but the students should have some input as well. The teacher needs to convey a sense of leadership to the students, however, there should be shared decision making and teamwork. This helps to build a sense of community. The students need to know that the teacher is seriousminded and in control, while at the same time the teacher needs to respect his or her students and not abuse the authority that they have.

If the students have too much control in the classroom then they will end up taking advantage of the teacher and nothing will get accomplished. At the same time too much teacher control does not allow for good relationships to be formed between the students and the teacher.

The control that the teacher and the students have in the classroom should both be moderate. I think that the teacher should hold about sixty percent of the control in the classroom while the students hold the other forty percent.

One thing I think teachers should focus on, is all of the positive things that students do. Teachers should reward those students who do good things. This will let the students who are misbehaving know that what they are doing is wrong and if they want to be rewarded then they need to change their behavior. I think a teacher should never yell at a student. Raising your voice at a student does not accomplish anything. It only upsets the student and wastes class time. There is no need to embarrass a child by reprimanding them in from of the whole class. I also believe that children do not deserve harsh punishments. They are young and are still learning the difference between right and wrong. Using some sort of incentive program to rewards students for good actions, is an awesome technique that should be used in every classroom. It is a good solution to get children to behave without having to punish them.

When looking at my philosophy of classroom management I can see pieces and parts of all the discipline models. If I had to pick just one that my views align with I would have to choose Spencer Kagan's discipline model "Win-Win". Like Kagans model, I believe that both the teacher and the student have moderate control in the classroom. This model believes in cooperative learning and/or multiple intelligences, which builds a community of learners, just as I do. In Spencer Kagan's model I like that he believes all children have basic needs and that they act out when those needs are not met.

A specific strategy of classroom management that I like is establishing an incentive program for students. This strategy can be found in Fredric Jones' discipline model "Positive Discipline". I think rewarding students for good behavior sends a positive message that acting

appropriately in the classroom has positive outcomes. It is a way to get students who are not behaving to change their actions without yelling at the students or causing an embarrassing scene for the child.

When it comes to managing a classroom a teacher needs to be firm but fair. He or she needs to let their students know that they are in charge but at the same time let their student's opinions and ideas be heard. The teacher and the students need to work together as a community but the teacher is the leader of that community. Teachers who can successfully manage a classroom will have the right atmosphere for teaching students the knowledge they need to know, to be successful individuals in society.

 ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download