Effective classroom management begins with positive relationships and effective instruction.  I believe in working to get to know each student individually, including who they are and what they need from me in order to learn.   I must also work to foster relationships between students. Then, I design effective lesson plans that are engaging, differentiated, and meaningful for students.  No classroom management plan can be successful without these fundamental elements.

The classroom is an inter-dependent community.  Everyone in the classroom is responsible for their own learning and success well as that of others.  The teacher is responsible for providing a positive environment conducive to learning.  Students are responsible for contributing to that environment through participation, input, support for others, and responsible behavior.

True discipline is not enforcement and control exerted over students, but rather internalized controls and values that encourage students to independently choose appropriate behavior.  As such,  "discipline is an integral part of the teaching process" (Fay, 1995, p. 66).  In educating the whole student, teachers have a responsibility to instill discipline within their students that will lead to lifelong success.  They can do so through careful design and implementation of classroom management techniques.

References:
Fay, J., & Funk, D (1995). Teaching with love & logic: Taking control of the classroom. Golden, CO: The Love and Logic Press.

Building a Positive learning Environment

Love and Logic Approach
  • Communicate reassurance and confidence in student ability, particularly as it relates to differentiation between students.
  • Connect consequences to behaviors.
  • Always discipline with a empathy.
  • Smile often and utilize humor.

Kagan Cooperative learning Groups
  • Built on the core concepts of Positive interdependence, Individual accountability, Equal participation, and Simultaneous interaction, Kagan Cooperative Learning groups and strategies create a community in the classroom.
  • Students develop critical social skills when they must work together and depend on one another for their learning.
  • Differentiated groups allow students to ask for and offer help to one another.
  • ALL students are important and must contribute in order for the class to be successful.

Classroom Community
  • Utilize Kagan cooperative learning structures for students to learn with and from one another, including at least two team-building and one class-building structure per week.
  • Assign classroom roles for students to perform.  Some roles are group-specific while others are performed for the entire class.
  • Group roles include: Captain and Co-Captain (keep groups running smoothly), Materials Manager (retrieve and return materials), Maintenance Manager (ensures group area is neat and orderly).
  • Class roles include: Door/Lights Manager, Librarian, Board Eraser, Attendance Manager, Word Wall Manager, etc.

Greeting Students
  • Greet students at the door.
  • Ask student the "Magic Question" that was reviews the day prior.
  • Students respond to the "Magic Question" with the "Password".
  • Students must respond correctly and get a high five or fist bump before entering the classroom.
  • Practice ensures one-on-one teacher-student interaction and positive start to class daily.

Daily Positive Notes
  • Keep a ring of note cards handy for this purpose.
  • Each day, select 2-3 students to write a quick, positive note (approx. 2 sentences) about something they did that day.  Examples include giving an excellent answer, helping another student, demonstrating responsibility for learning, etc.
  • At the end of class, give the note to students and ask them to give it to their parents.
  • Record which students receive notes and ensure that each student receives at least one note per month.

Pride in student work
  • Use student work as examples to demonstrate what exceptional work looks like.
  • Display exceptional student work in the classroom, hallway, and on the class website.
  • Ensure that work by a variety of students is showcased.