Blog #2: Classroom Management

 The second educational topic that I want to discuss in my blog is the concept of classroom management. Classroom management can be defined by the rules and procedures put in place by the teacher that creates a positive learning environment and encourages the academic, social, and emotional growth of their students. The idea of classroom management will look different in each class and is really dependent on the goal of the teachers. The rules and procedures will be established at the beginning of the year by the whole class to meet each of their specific goals and be able to support the needs of each individual. One of the major pointers that the article linked above by Edutopia states is that the classroom needs to create a list of agreements that each and every person in the room agrees to follow. These agreements are not only for the students to follow but also for the teacher and any guests who enter the room. Another tip mentioned in this article is to create a set of jobs for your class. In elementary school, it is very exciting to be a leader, and providing classroom jobs for the students, really gives them a sense of pride in their learning environment and encourages them to get their stuff done. Finally, the article encourages elementary teachers to have daily classroom meetings and continuously have whole group check-ins, small group check-ins, and individual check-ins. This will create a kind and respectful environment for the class to know that you care about them and their well-being. When your students know that you are there and care about their lives, they will continue to build that strong relationship with you. These are just three tips from an educational resource that have shown to be effective in the classroom, but like I said before, there are hundreds of strategies that can be used in the class to create the environment that you want to see. 

Four students sit in class working together. 

The topic of classroom management is very important to me because I want to create a class that is very well-managed and productive while also being a place where students can grow and feel supported. I do not want to operate my classroom on rules that only I come up with as the teacher, but I want to work as a whole class to establish these rules and procedures that we can all agree on. I do not want to utilize behavior charts that publically demonstrate the whole class behavior of the students. I feel that when elementary school teachers use these types of charts for their classes, it causes the students to feel embarrassed and ashamed because everyone can see what the teacher is thinking of them that day. I want to work to establish a method that the class agrees with to demonstrate their behavior, such as marbles in a jar, tickets for scratch-off cards, or a treasure box. The methods that I believe I will use for my classroom management are much more whole group centered and wouldn't publically display the student's wrongdoings. Classroom management does not only have to do with their behaviors; it also handles the procedures for how your class is expected to turn work in, will behave during drills or school events, and more. These procedures will be established during the first week of school and covered each week so that the class always remembers what is expected of them. Eventually, these rules and procedures will be second nature for the class, and that is my goal. I want each of my students to know that I will always love and support them while they know exactly what is expected of them.