Classroom Management

There are many duties that make up classroom management, but is something that a teacher must work to perfect and something that I will focus on in order to be an effective teacher. Classroom management is everything you do to organize students, space, time, and materials. It is mandatory for effective learning to take place. Some of the steps I will take in order to have a well- managed classroom are listed below:

· Students will know what is expected
· Establish a productive working environment
· Have a discipline plan and rewards system in place
· Practice procedures until they are routine
· Non verbal strategies to bring the class to attention
· Task-oriented and predictable
· Organized
· Play
· Prepared
· Very little wasted time
· Praise and encourage students


If you show the students you care and are interested in who they are and what they like, then they will be interested in you as well. They will also be more comfortable coming to you for help and will want to come to school and learn. Once the personal relationship is established, I think the other aspects will fall into place. Routines are very important for students to get through the school day. Knowing what is expected of them and how they are to do certain procedures will minimize chaos and confusion in the classroom and maximize teaching and learning. Play is also an important aspect of the day for students. Students can only take in so much information in one sitting and it is difficult for them to pay attention for a long period of time. Being able to release some energy, even if it is only for five minutes, will allow the students to come back to the classroom ready to focus and learn.

Google Tools

I feel Google tools would be very useful to me as a teacher, as well as my students. There are many tools available that I would use for everyday classroom duties such as the documents tool, form builder, spreadsheets, and presentation creator. The best part about google tools is that it is free, so all of my students would be able to use it on the classroom computers as well as on their computers at home. Google tools can be accessed anywhere there is an internet connection. I would allow my students to use their creativity to produce presentations using the presentation creator. They would also be able to use the documents tool to create a story, a poem, write a letter, etc. The students would be able to save their work so it doesn’t get lost and share their work with the teacher or anyone else they wish. Google tools is something new to me, but now that I am using it, I have found it to be a wonderful resource that I will continue to use.

Class Blogs

Another tool I intend to use in the classroom is a blog. I will use it, not only for my benefit, but for my students and their parents. Having a class blog will benefit all involved in many ways. This will give me another means of communication with my students’ parents and my students. They will also be able to contact me when necessary. I will be able to provide information about me and my family, information about the school, information on student work, and student projects.

I will be able to provide each student with a secure login so they may post items that they might only want me to see. I can post a calendar of events and homework assignments so parents will always know what is happening. This will also give parents an opportunity to communicate their feedback regarding certain assignments or concerns they may be having. I could even have a form for parents to fill out and submit to me when necessary. The options are endless when it comes to blogging and would be very beneficial in the classroom.

Community in the Classroom

Building a community in the classroom is very important and is something that needs to start on the first day of class. The process may take a while, but once you are there, your days in the classroom will run a lot smoother for you and your students. Once the students realize that the class is a family, they will be more comfortable and helpful to each other and the teacher. More will be accomplished during a day and teaching and learning will be more effective. Children will want to participate and help each other because they care for one another as families do.

I will do the following in order to build a community in the classroom: be a good example, show love, be respectful to my students, conduct daily lessons using character building activities, give students jobs, show praise, establish rules and procedures, etc. I believe that whether or not you have established a community in your classroom determines if you will have a successful and effective year.

Show Love

There are many ways to show students love in the classroom. I will treat my students as my own and think about how I would like a teacher to treat my child. I will have a positive attitude towards them and have high expectations, but realistic goals for them. This will show them that I care enough to want them to succeed. Since I will be holding them responsible for their actions, I will take responsibility for my own actions and own up to my mistakes and apologize to my students when necessary. I will make myself available to talk when they need to talk. I will show enthusiasm, smile, and praise my students so they will see that I am excited to see them succeed.

I will set a good example for my students by showing them respect. I will do special things for them, especially when I know they have been working hard or if we are bogged down with all the testing, just to encourage them and give them an extra boost. If you show the students you care and are interested in whom they are and what they like, then they will be interested in you as well and are going to be more comfortable coming to you for help and will want to come to school and learn.

Research - Based Practices

We cannot teach as we were taught. We were taught by teachers “telling” and then giving us practice worksheets to do at our desk. We know today that this is not an effective teaching strategy for all students because everyone learns differently. Some students need to be shown how to do something and practice it together before individual practice. Not all students have a nurturing and involved environment at home so some students need the extra help and see lessons introduced in different ways.

As a teacher, I will use research-based practices. It will be my duty to research ways I can be a more effective teacher and ways my students can be more effective learners. By researching, I will be able to determine what instructional practices will be most suitable for my students’ learning styles under certain conditions. Some of the practices I will use are cooperative learning, extensive reading, aligned time on task, and wait time.