Mary Redpath

Classroom Management

In order for a class to run smoothly I believe it is vital for students to form a community; a community of learners who work together in harmony to achieve common goals. A classroom community similar to a broader community in that it needs to be based in three key areas in order to survive and prosper. These areas are that a community must have a welcoming environment, rules and routines and a clear explanation of the roles of the various members of that community.

I would now like to take the time to show how I have instituted this classroom management technique and the means by which this final result may be achieved.

A welcoming environment:

· Teacher can send students post cards at the beginning of the year welcoming them to the new school year and their new classroom.

· Teacher and students learn each others names and other things about their classmates as soon as possible through ice breakers. Ex. I have made a bingo game in which students must fill every square with a student’s name who is capable of doing the item listed in the box.

· A clean classroom where all the resources are available to students in an easy to find location. This can be done through labels, baskets, clearly defined spaces etc.

· An attendance board with students names to let everyone know when they are in class and when they are not. Ex. I made a Mickey Mouse attendance board where students each had a card with a house on one side and a Mickey face on the other. The students flipped there cards when they arrived.

· Labels on the students’ desk to let them know they are staying for good and have their own space in the classroom.

· Welcoming the children at the door asking the questions about daily events and special events going on in their lives that you are aware of.

· Make sure parents also know what goes on with our community by sending biweekly or monthly newsletters. Students can contribute articles or work they have done.

· Have students work placed as much as possible all over the classroom, this is their room, they need to see this.

Rules and Routines:

· Work with students to create a list of rules they think are necessary to have a smooth running classroom. Add or suggest rules that you feel are necessary and have been left out ex. respect, quiet in the halls… Make sure they are positive statements, not negative. Students are more likely to abide by positive rules and ones they have created themselves, they feel more of a sense of ownership over them. Post them on the wall.

· Have a clear routine set-up within the classroom that includes where you place your books, what you do when you are finished your work, a class schedule, when to stop talking, how to line-up, etc…. Their will be less management problems if students know what they should be doing at all times.

Roles:

· Explain the role of the teacher and the students in the classroom.

· Have students brainstorm responsibilities within the classroom, example washing the boards, handing out snack, picking up papers etc… Have students then vote for their preferred choice of responsibility. Set up a schedule of responsibilities and when each child should perform their said responsibilities. Children love to show that they are good and enjoy helping out in the classroom. Doing these tasks makes children feel important and creates an excellent sense of a community working together to keep the class clean.

· Having roles within a classroom is a great way to later lead into our roles as citizens.