Classroom Management Philosophy
Classroom engagement is the most important part of learning. A classroom needs to have organization, purpose, and access for the students at all times of the day. The classroom should also be warm and inviting and not chaotic, for some students can’t learn in a chaotic atmosphere. The teacher should always be sure to go over everything in the classroom and where supplies are so students may have access to them. Classroom rules and procedures should be posted at their eye level so it’s available for when they need to reference the information. Sensory manipulatives should also be available for students who need a quiet break. I will do my best so that every child enjoys and learns in the classroom.
To effectively involve families, I will have a weekly home connection assignment sent home about different subjects to get to know the families and their needs. I will also have sign-ups for classroom parties, field trips with chaperones, weekly newsletters, and an app called Seesaw where I post student’s pictures and videos throughout the week to share with families. The app is great because they see what their child is doing and learning in the classroom and they can have the app on their phone, laptop, or desktop at home.
The morning circle includes a greeting, going over the calendar and schedule for the day so students know where we are at during the day. We also discuss behavior expectations such as, thinking before speaking, waiting our turn in line, walking quietly in the hallway, keeping our hands to ourselves, using kind words (please, thank you), sharing, and showing respect. I will incorporate flexible seating in my classroom to meet the diverse needs of students who like the freedom of choosing where to sit and special chairs such as yoga ball chairs for students who need movement throughout the day. I plan to achieve instructional goals by keeping running records, having small groups for math and reading to help those struggling or falling behind, and completing weekly assessments to see where the students stand.
There are many classroom management and engagement strategies being utilized in my student teaching classroom. We have the same routine every morning when the students walk in. They first go to their lockers and place their lunch bags in the bin by the door, then they take their take home folder, water bottle (if any), and library book (if any) into the classroom and on their chosen smart seat. Then they go to their drawers and grab their finished work folder, dry erase board, math workbook, and pencil pouch to their seat. The classroom has flexible seating so chosen groups get first dibs on choosing any place they want to sit in the room, and the groups change daily. We sit for morning circle and say good morning to everyone, go over the calendar, class jobs, and the schedule. There is also a closing circle at the end of the day where we discuss one good thing they did that day and then we say our good byes. To get the whole class’s attention we either use patterned claps that they repeat, 10 second count down, hocus pocus time to focus, or the peace and quiet sign. Since the school’s curriculum is based on social emotional learning, I find the morning and closing circle to be very beneficial for students and would include them in my own classroom. They learn to greet everyone by name, they learn patience, compassion, respect, and cooperation within the classroom community and furthermore in the school community.
"In teaching others we teach ourselves" - Proverb