Behavior Management

I believe the best way to help a student succeed is to give them the tools necessary to make good decisions and manage their own behavior.  Reflecting upon my time in National University course ITL 608, the class helped me to understand why this concept is important.  It also helped me understand just how beneficial it is to add restorative justice to a behavior management plan.  Restorative justice will allow me to help my students become more self aware and better equipped to make good decisions.

The class has also helped me to solidify my learning management techniques and expanded upon the tools I can draw from.  I have learned that I use a combination of behavioral and cognitive approaches to learning management and as I result I will focus on helping students understand the reason for each rule/procedure and have them reflect upon how their behavior affects those around them.  I will also reward positive behaviors.

Which brings us to:

TPE 2: Creating and Maintaining Effective Environments for Student Learning

6. Establish and maintain clear expectations for positive classroom behavior and for student-to-student and student-to-teacher interactions by communicating classroom routines, procedures, and norms to students and families.

Classroom management is not just something you do.  It is an order and a set of expectations that provide students with a framework of how to behave.  This creates a safe environment conducive to learning.  It is also important to incorporate aspects of restorative justice as this helps to resolve future conflicts and gives students greater self management tools.

The following is an assignment from this class that challenged me to think about my own philosophy towards classroom management as well as reflect upon how I would react to a specific scenario that could happen in a classroom.

Classroom Management Assignment

What is your philosophy towards classroom management?  How would you react?