Classroom Management

These past few months I have seen the importance of classroom management. I understand that it is needed to have an effect and safe learning environment. One thing I have really experienced and learned about it is making expectations clear to students. I feel that it is important for students to understand what their expectations are and why they have them. I have experienced many classrooms some having excellent classroom management and others having very little. Today I wanted to comment about how important it is to have expectations.

I feel that a well managed classroom will function whether the teacher is there or not. I have experienced a classroom in which I feel the lack of classroom management affects the students learning. I feel that the students are not respectful to their teacher or any other teacher that works with them. I believe that this is not their fault though. I do not feel like they have learned how to act or what is expected of them. The teacher does a lot of yelling in the classroom and I am 100% against that. I feel that it does not solve anything in fact it makes the problems worse. If a teacher is yelling the students one, are embarrassed and two, may not understand why their behavior is wrong. I have also experience very well managed classrooms where the students have high expectations in learning and behavior and the students understand those expectations. I have seen classrooms function with the teacher not there and they are well behaved and the classroom continues as it would if the teacher was there. In one classroom I was in there was a problem with tipping chairs. I noticed this and pointed out that they could get hurt and they need to keep all fours on the floor. The teachers plan was to have the students write their names on the board if they continued to tip. The students in this class were very honest. They would put their name on the board if they found their self tipping without me saying any thing to them. I feel that these students understood their expectation and wanted to help themselves by giving a consequence.

I have learned a lot from the experiences that I have had. I have learned what not to do as wells as good things to do in the classroom, as far as classroom management. I have seen why I believe in not yelling. I have seen that it does not work or solve any of the problems that are occurring. I want to help my students learn to interact with others and I feel the only way to do that is help them understand the correct way too interact.