Brien Behling

1) Management Style and Philosophical Beliefs:

Classroom management is one of the crucial factors to quality instruction for a teacher
and one of the most difficult skills to hone. Teachers need to control and monitor the classroom
so students can learn in a safe, challenging environment. Management is the process that one
takes for this to occur (Larson & Keiper 31). A strong, commanding management style
maintains teacher control and allows for the facilitation of learning. Strong management keeps
students inline, engaged and focused, and open to learning. This is not to say teachers need to be
strict Authoritarian dictators; teachers (and their) students need to have fun and enjoy themselves
within the classroom. Nevertheless, the teacher must always be in control. It is a true crime
when a child does not wish to come to school, due to an unsafe or disruptive learning
environment. It is the teachers responsibility to ensure the classroom is a protected, productive
area for student; one students right to learn trumps any students right to act out.
As a future teacher, I believe that the best way to create solid classroom management is
through strong relationships with my students. A teacher should know their students on the
individual level, understanding that a student is not a vacuum within a classroom. They bring
with them their past, their strengths and weaknesses, likes and dislikes. This, called relational
teaching by Larson and Keiper, holds that building mutual respect and a personal relationship
with your students will reduce misbehavior and increase engagement to your teaching (Larson &
Keiper 32). I believe that if students enjoy their classes and have a good relationship with their
teachers, they will work harder. I know for me, when I was in high school, I worked the hardest
for teachers who expressed a genuine interest in my thoughts and ideas.
Within the classroom, I plan on established clear expectations, using student input that I
expect to be followed. I will provide a learning environment where students can share their
opinions and thoughts safely and in return, I expect attentiveness and limited disruptions. During

the first few weeks of school, I probably will be fairly Authoritarian, until procedure is
established. Once this occurs, we can move forward into a more equal relationship. In my past
teaching experience, I have not chosen to overtly discipline much. I generally relay on proximity
and physical indicators (eye contact, tapping on desk, head shaking, etc) to change minor
disruptions. When more major disturbances occur, I prefer to stop the problem immediately and
then address the causes later with the student in a one-on-one setting. I generally will only
intervene if the action is disruptive to the class. I personally feel that it is a students choice to
engage. If they chose not to and are not distracting others or hindering their ability to learn, I
will allow them to continue as they are.
I am a believer in constructivism and social learning and my management style will
support this. Constructivism, brainchild of Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget, holds that people
learn better by generating meaningful knowledge from their experiences and interactions in life.
Additionally, the social learning theory, popularized by Albert Bandura, states that people learn
better working together, sharing ideas and supporting each other to reach a higher level of
understanding. Together, they form social constructivism. As a social studies teacher, I believe
in the sharing of ideas and opinions. I want my students to feel secure in exchanging their ideas
freely in my classroom. My students will all be unique individuals, with their own views on the
world, colored by experience and upbringing. Social learning allows for students to learn from
each other. My goal with my classroom management is to create an environment where students
can be engaged and free to express their opinions, to help each other learn.
2) Classroom layout:
The first week or two of the school year, my classroom will be the standard row and
column layout, to make it easy on me to learn names and establish procedure. After this, the
normal layout will be a semi-circle, oriented towards the front of the classroom, where the
projector will be facing. This central area (as depicted by the rug in my layout-model) will be

my standard area to teacher from, though I will move around the room as needed. I want my
room situated in this way to break the common mold of a very rigid, rank-and-file classroom. I
believe the semi-circle provides for increased attentiveness, as students are able to see each other
and more effectively engage with each other during discussion. As a social studies teacher, I feel
discussion is crucial and the environment needs to help foster the exchange of opinions. By
facing each other around a central point, students are attentive to the teacher as well as each
other. Additionally, the semi-circle arrangement is less formal than a normal classroom, which I
feel lessens the stress on students. It also will make students easier to see, as the desk can be
stagger to prevent sight blockage. This makes it easier for students to see my lectures, notes, and
each other and easier for me to monitor student behavior and engagement, since they will not be
able to hide behind each other. Students will submit homework either to me directly or to a
small-tiered inbox on the corner of my desk. On the second bookshelf (the one in front of the
teachers desk) will be a shelf dedicated to notes and assignments students missed when absent.
I plan on having a projector (mounted to the ceiling) and either a screen or smart board on the
wall facing the students.
3) Rules
I plan on creating my classroom procedures with my students, to establish fair rules that
they deem fair. This serves two purposes. By mutually agreed upon rules, students will have a
more difficult time protesting discipline, when they participated in creating the rules.
Additionally, creating rules and procedures gives the students a sense of control over the
classroom and their education. This makes a more equitable distribution of power in the teacherstudent relationship. This will help with classroom management, as the students will feel more
like equals within the room. Now, not all the classroom policies will be established by students,
but one I think is important for students to comment on is when homework is assigned. Giving

students a choice on the days homework is assigned, a little many times a week or a lot a few
times a week, is a good way to build a good relationship with your students and give them
control over their education. It also removes their ability to complain about when homework is
assigned, as they chosen what days they would receive it. I do not plan on displaying the rules
we (the students and myself) or rules I created independently, as high school students should be
able to follow and remember a few basic rules (respect each other, the environment, no cell
phones without permission, etc.). I do plan on providing them a list of expectations on behavior
within the syllabus, detailing what I want from students. Likewise, once our rules are
established, I will create a list for students to have. For letting parents know, I plan on having
them sign a sheet, acknowledging they have seen the syllabus and behavioral expectations.
Additionally, as a new teacher, I will ask fellow teachers to look over my rules, to make sure I
have not missed anything crucial or integral to our schools policies.
4) Monitoring the Classroom and Responding to Student Misbehavior:
Responding to student disruptions is contingent on the type on misbehavior that is
occurring. Mostly commonly, the disturbances will be minor in note, with students disengaging
to talk or distracting others. These deserve a minor response in turn, to not blow the event out of
proportion. I plan to utilize both non-verbal and verbal responses to minor infractions, beginning
with non-verbal and escalating to verbal if need be. Non-verbal cues, such as physical proximity
or tapping a desk are great ways at correcting misbehavior without interrupting the flow of
teaching or bringing further attention to the disruption. Verbal cues can be used when the nonverbal lack the desired affect or on repeat behavior. These minor disruptions will only warrant
increased discipline if the behavior becomes out of hand namely if it becomes a routine or
grossly disruptive to the other students and my teaching. Certain behaviors, such as abusive

language, will bring a more disciplined response, from direct verbal interaction to referrals to the
office.
To monitor my classroom, I will need to be as observant as possible. I plan on lecturing
while walking around the room, which will allow me to observe the entire classroom and change
up the monotone of simply standing in the front of the room. This lets me use proximity to cut
down on disruptive behavior without pausing my teaching. I will also need to be very aware of
the mood of my students, as that may dictate how engaged they are and how likely disruptions
will occur. To re-attain students attention, I plan on using a few means, from falling silent until
they notice the awkward pause to using a type of clap or hand signal that we would establish
ahead of time that means we need to refocus attention.
5) Procedures:
On most procedurals, I will create my own, outside of student input. For late work, I will
accept work until the end of quarter for partial credit, after that deadline not points will be
received. If a student is absent or late, they will need a note from home or pass from another
teacher/administration. Otherwise, I will deduct points from their attendance grade. After a
certain number of unexcused absences or tardies, a number that I will establish with the students,
they will need to serve an in-lunch detention with me. On the issue of academic honesty and
cheating, I will follow my schools policy and I will adhere closely to it. I will offer extra credit
on certain tests, usually by putting a particularly difficult question on at the end. I think if
students wish to challenge themselves, they should be rewarded as such. Additionally, student
will be able to receive 1-point cards for turning in certain assignments. These cards will let
students add 1 point or test they are submitted on. For keeping track of grades, I plan on using
both a written, hardcopy gradebook, as well as a computer-based record. This way, I have a
backup on the off chance one record is compromised in some way. When students require
assistance, they will know to raise their hand/get my attention, as well as to speak in class. At

times I will allow for general discussion, without raised hands, which I will clarify for students
ahead of time (i.e.: just call out answers etc.). In the first week of class, I will discuss the
expected procedures and then as needed throughout the semester, if a new situation arises that
requires the modification or re-teaching of a specific procedure.
6) Creating a Respectful, Supportive Learning Environment
On the first day of classes, I plan on giving students an interest survey to complete as
homework. I believe that getting to know your students is a crucial factor in building a quality
classroom environment. This survey would let me glen some information it to each students
personality, likes and dislikes. I want to be able to express genuine interest in their lives and
engage with them in friendly conversation. I think it is important that students realize teachers
do not simply view them as names in a gradebook, but individuals.
In addition to the student interest survey, I have a number of other ways to foster a
positive classroom culture in mind. I plan on having a standing promise that if I ever get a
students name wrong, they will receive some type of candy as apology. It was always
infuriating to me as a student when teacher called me by the wrong name and did not
acknowledge the mistake. By doing this, I want to show my student I realize I made a mistake
and am going to improve. This shows my students I make mistakes just as much as they do and I
own up to them. Additionally, I will have an open door policy, in which students can always
come and discuss their problems with me. I want students to view me as their advocate,
someone who will fight for them. Providing emotional and mental support to students is part of
the job as teacher, one I want to perform admirably.
7) Managing and Facilitating Instruction
My lessons will be structured in two parts, the lecture and activity. The lectures will
serve to deliver the information directly to the students, while the activities will strive to aid
comprehension and higher thinking. My lectures will range from standard verbal presentations
connected to PowerPoints to showing videos highlighting the subject topics. The activities will

take the raw knowledge from the lectures and apply it to the real world. I plan on having some
type of entrance activity, for the beginning of class, a summary of the previous lesson or a video
to introduce the days topic. For the end of class, I will use exit slips at times, in an attempt to
gage student progress. I also have review from the past lesson(s). Additionally, at times I will
provide the end of the period for students to work on their assignments/projects. I think it is
important that teachers provide in-class time for students to complete work. Students have five
or six other classes, along with outside lives and we need to accommodate this. I would
probably give work time towards the end of the week, to help lessen their workload for the week
and help them distress. I plan on using multimedia to help engage students, which as helps
students who might struggle with English, as images and sounds can surpass language barriers.
Additionally, providing extra time for diverse learners on assignments or assessments will be a
practice I follow.
8) Motivating Students to Learn
Obviously, as teachers, we want students to be intrinsically motivated, but it will often
fall on us to give our students that extra push. Motivation can be addressed from simply using
praises after a student responds in class or congratulating them on scoring highly or improving
on an assignment. In addition to praise in feedback, I think it is important to show the students
why the material they are learning is important, so demonstrating the relevance of the topic will
help motivate students to learn. Furthermore, changing up your instruction by throwing in
different practices, such as videos or competitions can help keep motivation and engagement
high.
9) Promoting Safety and Wellness
Creating a safe learning environment will relay on forming explicit rules the students
understand and adhering closely to them. Bullying will not be tolerated in any form and I will
have an open door policy for students to come and speak to my about their problems, if they

choose to. I feel it is important students know that we, the teachers are there for them and will
act as their advocates. I also think providing time for students to decompress and get work done
can be beneficial, so they do not become swamped and fell overwhelmed with their schoolwork.
This helps their mental and emotional health and keeps them upbeat for school. In addressing
potential violence, I will follow the schools policy, mostly likely of zero tolerance. As a smaller
man, I will have to judge each situation differently on how to handle them, but my first and
foremost priority will be ensuring the safety of those around the fighting. I would mostly likely
intervene and elect to send student(s) to the office or to rally or teachers. I am not afraid to
physically break up a fight and will do so as needed. Prevention will be key, as knowing my
students will help me avoiding setting up a situation where violence might break out.
10) Interacting with Parents and Colleagues:
Parents are an important resource for teachers to use, as they can be very helpful in
knowing what is going on in their childs life, which may be affecting their academic
performance. Parents are also a powerful influence on a childs behavior, so when problems do
arise, parents can provide support for the teacher. Additionally, parents are often some of the first
people students go to with problems or help on homework. Thus, informing parents of the
routines you will use in your class will help them help their student. Keeping parents up-to-date
on the current happens in your classrooms lets them stay engaged in your childs education. This
can be done through a newsletter or email updates, letting parents know when major assignments
or tests are approaching. Likewise, at the beginning of the year, sending a letter/email out
introduces who you, as the teacher to parents and opens a dialogue for future contact.
I will contact parents when I feel students are struggling severely, especially if they are
missing numerous assignments or are frequently missing class. I also feel it is important to
contact parents when their student does something well; parents should know when their child
improves drastically or performances above and beyond the expectation. Teacher-to-parent

contact should not only be about problems or negatives. For parent-teacher conferences, I would
like students to be present, because this allows me, as the teacher, to have an open dialogue with
the parents and child. This way, I can address behavior problems and discuss why they might be
occurring or help the students defend themselves if their parents are overtly critical of them.
For communicating with my colleagues within the school I will utilizes email primarily
for more important, official business, as email leaves a record of the interaction that can be
referenced to in the future. I also think email is a more professional form of communication, so
when I need to contact the administration (principal, etc.) this will be my primary
communication tool, at least for initial contact over an issue or problem I might be having. For
more day-to-day things, simply speaking to them at school should suffice. I plan to refer to my
colleagues for assistance when needed, as well as advice, as I am a believer in using the
knowledge of others to improve. My fellow teachers will be the best sources to help improve my
teaching, so I will utilize them as frequently as possible.