Developing your personal philosophy of classroom

management
John De Nobile
School of Education, Macquarie University
With adaptations by Roberto H Parada, School of Education, Western Sydney University

This resource consists of a series of linked activities chapter-by-chapter to the De Nobile et

al 2017 course text Positive learning environments: Creating and maintaining productive
classrooms. These activities enable you to progressively work on and develop your own
philosophy, plan and style of classroom management.

A classroom philosophy, simply put, is a statement of what you believe about how to best
manage a class and how you will go about achieving that vision. This resource will help you
build it bit by bit. Complete the activities linked to each chapter of the text and by the end
of chapter 10 you should be able to bring your work together to form your classroom
philosophy.

FINAL PERSONAL PHILOSOPHY FOR ASSESSMENT 2

Insert in the box below your final personal philosophy (max 1000 words).

Part B Assessment 2: Student Behaviour and Wellbeing

According to Hattie (2003) there are six factors which impact student learning and include
principals, teachers, schools, home, peers and students. The most influential factors out
of these six are students then teachers. Therefore, teachers must utilise suitable
pedagogical approaches when implementing and preparing lesson plans. Students
differing in abilities and ages may learn at different rates and different ways. Teachers
must recognise this and explore differentiated programming, planning and specified
delivery of content supporting student learning. A successful teacher in my opinion must
have certain qualities which enable them to create a positive environment. These
qualities include being friendly, approachable, professional, an effective communicator,
engaging, enthusiastic about their work, value wellbeing (of themselves and students) and
positively passionate about education and the learning journey.

Teachers can work with the students to create and modify activities to suit their needs,
therefore creating an engaging positive environment. As Abdi (2014) noted “teachers
should make concentrated efforts to teach in a multi-style fashion that both reaches the
greatest extent of students in a given class and challenges all students to grow as
learners”. According to the Ministerial Council for Education, Early Childhood
Development and Youth Affairs (2011) a safe schooling environment is considered “a safe
and supportive school, the risk from all types of harm is minimised, diversity is valued and
all members of the school community feel respected and included and can be confident
that they will receive support in the face of any threats to their safety or wellbeing”.
Before commencing this subject, I had little to no knowledge regarding pedagogy for
positive learning environments. As a teacher in training, I gained a considerable amount
of knowledge throughout the semester taking notes on current behaviour management
and teacher effectiveness, research in application of practical skill development for
beginning teachers, building positive learning environments, examining school based
policies, principles and practices, responsibilities involved with student welfare and
discipline. I also developed skills and knowledge in responding effectively to a range of
student behaviours and enhancing student mental health and wellbeing.

Before starting the unit however, I had previously learnt that reflection is a valuable tool
in teaching as it gives the opportunity for teachers to look at what they can do to improve
whether it be in student management, curriculum and/or the type of learning style/model
used. More specifically teachers must determine why, in a situation, their pedagogical
knowledge is not producing the expected results and what can be done about this issue.
Utilising a range of reflective devices such as a philosophy log, shadow teachers and
research – teachers can improve their performance in creating a positive learning
environment.

In coaching tennis as a part time job, I found that the two obstacles of ‘assumptions’ and
‘mental set’ were the two biggest issues when considering a personal model to create
positive environments and manage challenging students. Assumptions about students can
be easily made and people often make assumptions about the constraints and obstacles
that prevent certain solutions. Mental set is something that I recognised I always do when
coaching tennis which is the tendency people have, to only use solutions that have
worked in the past rather than looking for alternative ideas. A mental set can often work
as a heuristic, making it a useful problem-solving tool. However, mental sets can also lead
to inflexibility, making it more difficult to find effective solutions. Throughout this
semester I have learnt to change this and created extra strategies to use.

A significant amount of time has been placed on theories in my undergraduate Health

Science degree however, the application into classroom management is another concept
which is new to me. The one theory which I believe has had the most profound effect on
my learning throughout this semester is Choice Theory by William Glasser. The basis of
choice theory includes five basic needs which are needed to satisfy an individual; survival,
love and belonging, power, freedom and fun. In setting a positive class environment,
students should have an active role in how and what they are taught. The teacher should
structure the lesson around what internally drives and motivates the student to learn.
Discussions and class meetings should be regularly implemented so the teacher can base
their activities and content around the students’ needs.

With classroom management there are several guided questions which can be asked and
used to effectively manage a student’s behaviour. First question is to ask him/her what
they are doing, how and is their behaviour helping the class and ask how can this
behaviour change to help the class. Consequences should be made if the student
negatively responds to the question.

There are many factors and facets of classroom management and pedagogy for positive
learning environments that I need to learn. These include personal experiences and/or
observations of certain theories and management strategies in place (utilised in a
classroom).

In future I plan to research and speak to fellow neighbours (school teachers both primary
and secondary) and schools about positive behaviour intervention and support (PBIS) and
social and emotional learning (SEL). Although I have learnt a substantial amount about
classroom management strategies, I believe that I still have a much to learn and
recognise, and agree with Prozesky (2000), that a teacher should never stop learning.

References
Abdi, A. (2014). The effect of inquiry-based learning method on students’ academic
achievement in science course, Universal Journal of Educational Research. 2(1):
37-41, 2014 DOI: 10.13189/ujer.2014.020104.

Hattie, J.A.C. (2003). Teachers make a difference: What is the research evidence? Paper
presented at the building teacher quality: What does the research tell us. ACER
Research Conference, Melbourne, Australia. Retrieved from
http://research.acer.edu.au/research_conference_2003/4/

Ministerial Council for Education, Early Childhood Development And Youth Affairs (2011).
National safe schools framework: All Australian schools are safe, supportive and
respectful teaching and learning communities that promote student wellbeing.
Retrieved from
https://docs.education.gov.au/system/files/doc/other/national_safe_schools_fra
mework.pdf

Prozesky, D. R. (2000). Teaching and Learning. Community Eye Health, 13(34), 30–31.
(Week 1) Pedagogy for Positive Learning Environments: A problem based
approach
Reflection of the week’s Lecture, tutorials and readings.
The following activities are designed to get you thinking about your own model of teaching
and classroom management.

1.1 What is a ‘good teacher’? Think about the teachers from your days in primary and
secondary schooling. What qualities did they have that made them ‘good’? Make a list
in the box below.

Friendly, approachable, professional, good communicator, engaging, enthusiastic about

their work, care for wellbeing and positive.

1.2 Using the what you have learnt about ill structured vs structured problems in relation to
classroom behavior, what do you think are the key considerations when a teacher is
planning their strategy for classroom management? list them below.

Key considerations and steps a teacher must make when planning their strategy for
classroom management is:
 Articulate problem space and contextual constraints: Is there really a problem and
what is it?
 Identify and clarify alternative opinions, positions, and perspectives of
stakeholders.
 Generate possible problem solutions.
 Assess the viability of alternative solutions by constructing arguments and
articulating personal beliefs.
 Monitor the problem space and solution options.
 Implement and monitor the solution.
 Adapt the solution.

1.3 With your responses to the last two activities as a source of ideas, complete the
sentence in the box below.

I believe a positive learning environment is about creating a space in which students are
comfortable in sharing ideas/answers without judgement and receive positive feedback
from their peers and teacher.
(Week 2) Review of classroom management theories
This week you have been introduced to some theories of behaviour/classroom
management. Your readings (Ch 8 & 9 of the text and De Jong in tutorials) introduced you to
different views on why young people misbehave and particularly what to do about it. Some
of these might have caused you to react in some way, either negatively or positively. Of the
ones you developed a positive feeling about, was there a particular theory that stood out?
Was there a theory or approach that you felt might fit your view of how children should be
treated and how teaching happens? Think about this before responding to the activities.

2.1 In the box below, list the theories that you think are ‘not for you’ under the heading
‘Not me’, and the theories that you think are more favourable under the heading ‘More
like me’.

Not me More like me

Goal Theory Choice Theory
Democratic discipline Cognitive behavioural theory
Assertive Discipline Teacher effectiveness training
Solution focused approach
Balance model

2.2 Now take a closer look at the theories you placed in the ‘More like me’ column. Read
the suggested readings provided in this chapter and the online companion. Get to know
the theories more intimately. Use this new knowledge, specifically the key philosophies
behind the theories (or theory), to develop your own statement of belief about the sort
of places classrooms should be. Complete the following sentence and perhaps add
another to accompany it.

I believe classrooms should be places where students and teachers interact and learn
from each other rather than the teacher being the main facilitator. Choice theory suits
this as “Glasser highlighted that positive learning environments which are conducive to
students being more autonomous, who felt they belonged to a place and had good
relationships with their teachers produced ‘happier’ people over all”.
(Week 3) Relationships, communication & professional reflexivity
Effective communication is a key component of effective classroom management, and
quality teaching depends on it. The lecture, tutorial readings as well as Ch 2 & 3 of the
textbook describe some very useful skills for dealing with inappropriate student behaviour
in a non-confrontational and positive way. Being aware of non-verbal cues will lead a
teacher to be more sensitive to how their messages are being received as well as how to
send messages and provide feedback more effectively. Active listening allows teachers and
students to interact with minimal interference from underlying emotional factors. I-
messages provide the teacher with a tool to convey to students how their behaviour is
affecting the class in a non-submissive, informative and positive manner.

Teaching philosophies often describe the way a teacher will interact with their students and
this, in turn, provides a window into the classroom climate that a teacher is trying to
establish. The following activities should help you to identify your preferred way of
communicating with the class generally as well as in dealing with inappropriate behaviour.
After completing them you should have a better idea of how your classroom philosophy will
describe your communication style in the classroom.

3.1 Using your readings of the chapters, in particular the Relationships and communication,
Interference, Communication process and Non-verbal communication sections,
complete the sentence in the box below. You might need to add a second or even a
third sentence.

I believe that good communication between teacher and student is vital to a positive
classroom climate because if a teacher does not fully understand or know a student’s
learning process or background it can be difficult to teach them. Teachers must also have
an understanding of different cultures in order to show respect and the student’s needs.
This is however, a two-way relationship where both teachers and students must actively
listen to one another.

This week you also looked at how personal beliefs can help or hinder in your relationships
and communication with students.

3.2 Briefly outline your understanding of how beliefs can help or hinder your ability to
create positive learning environments:

Teacher personal beliefs affect the way we create Positive Learning Environments by
biases which can exist. Some teachers if not all teachers at some stage fall back on
something that has worked in the past, this can be problematic especially dealing with a
different class with different needs.

Your teaching philosophy should describe how and for what purpose you might engage in a
cycle of professional reflexivity, be it through critical analysis using various perspectives or
an action research model, or both.
3.3 Why should teachers engage in professional reflexivity? Once you have given this some
thought and done some further reading, complete the following sentence.

I believe professional reflexivity is important to my teaching because usually when

something goes wrong in regards to the lesson or a student’s behaviour the blame is
easily and usually put on the student rather than the teacher. Therefore being reflexive in
practice can be an important tool for not only finding the solution to a problem but also
taking ownership as well.

3.4 Having thought up a justification for it, how will you go about engaging in reflection
about your practice in your teaching career? Once you have thought this out, think of
some practical and achievable ways you can engage in professional reflexivity and
complete the next sentence.

As a consequence of this belief, I will

 Discuss any issues with colleagues.
 Ask a fellow colleague to shadow in class and provide feedback afterwards.
 Regularly research and stay up to date with effective pedagogy.
 Keep a log/diary/reflective journal for future recommendations and solutions.
(Week 4) Classroom organisation and curriculum, assessment and pedagogy
Classroom management is not just about managing behaviour. At the heart of teaching and
learning are the curriculum taught, the pedagogy used and the assessment designed to
measure how well that curriculum was taught and how well the pedagogy worked. This
chapter takes you through these three areas one at a time.

The next part of your teaching philosophy will be about how you will deliver curriculum and
assess student achievement/growth. After reading this chapter, please reflect on the
following:
 What will you take into consideration when planning your teaching program?
 How will you know what to teach and where to start?
 What are the many ways in which your students could demonstrate achievement other
than tests and quizzes?
 What teaching approaches will you use and what philosophical views will your
pedagogies reflect?

4.1 Using the PIR Cycle (see Ch 5 p118) as a stimulus, explain how you will go about
planning your teaching program in the box below.

Planning a teaching program consists of many factors including:

 Syllabus outcomes to cover.
 Time frame needed.
 Ability of class.
 External activities which may impact time needed for these lessons (including peer
support days, athletics carnivals, debates and other extracurricular activities).

4.2 Pedagogy refers to how you will teach the curriculum. Usually, the type of pedagogy
you implement is influenced by a basic belief about how students best learn. After
considering your pedagogical approach and strategies, complete the sentences below.

I believe that students learn best through a variety of activities including discussions,
debates, ICT based activities, role play, visual, mind-maps, presentations and group work.
Therefore, I will use a range of teaching methods including cooperative learning to do
this. This model according to Gillies (n.d.) encompasses students working together in
different sized groups (preferably small two to four) to achieve a common goal.

As explained in Chs 3 & 4, there are several dimensions to classroom organisation. Each of
these put together become the manifestation of your classroom culture. Your classroom
culture is, simply put, the way your class operates and incorporates:
 rules and procedures
 organisation of the physical space.
It is now time to think about how your teaching philosophy will describe these two aspects
and explain them in terms of an overarching set of beliefs or approaches. After reading
these chapters, complete the next two activities.

4.3 What values do you hold as important to establishing an orderly, productive and
positive classroom? Answer this question below, then list the key rules/expectations
you think flow naturally from those values and which you want to stress in your class.
Complete the section by explaining how rules and consequences will be established in
your classroom.

All students should be safe respectful learners therefore key rules and expectations
include:
 Respecting fellow peers and teachers.
 Adhering to school policy (uniform, swearing, phone use etc).
 Answering and participating in activities to the best of an individual’s ability.
(Week 5 ) Principles of behaviour modification
This week we looked at fundamental aspects of behaviourism and learning (see Ch 6 & 7 of
your text) But also Ziporli from your references in the Learning Guide and Killu your tutorial
reading which provide examples of the application of such theory and research to classroom
management and behaviour change. Important concepts such as reinforcement, functional
purpose of behaviour and behaviour shaping are discussed

5.1 After reading Ziporli and Killu and reflecting on the lecture content what would you add
about aspects of your classroom management that have not been mentioned so far in
your philosophy? Add these in the box below in rough draft form. You can refine them
later.

 Encourage the desired behaviour from the students.

 Create positive learning environment.
 Form an interpersonal relationship between the teacher and student.
 Encourage the involvement of students in the teaching and learning process.
 Reduce the disciplinary problems.
 Manage an effective routine.
 Students will become more independent.
(Week 6) Applying behaviour modification in schools PBIS
Positive Behaviour Intervention and Support also known as Positive Behaviour Support (see
Text Ch 6 p168) has become an accepted and often implemented part of schooling in NSW.
A key aspect of PBIS is to teach students behavioural expectations.

6.1 Previously (see week 4) you reflected on what your classroom could be like. In the
section below pick 1 expectation (e.g., respect self and others) and list how you will
teach what this expectation looks like, is exemplified by and demonstrated in your
classroom. Give as many examples as you can.

Students cooperate and work with each other in groups. This is known as the cooperative
learning pedagogy model. This model according to Gillies (n.d.) encompasses students
working together in different sized groups (preferably small two to four) to achieve a
common goal. This pedagogical model has many benefits for both the teacher and
students. The teacher has less need to discipline, promotes a positive environment
through acceptance of each other, utilises more inclusive language than an individual task
and creates positive working relations.
(Week 7) Social Emotional Learning in Schools SEL
Readings: Cohen, J. (2006) & Zins, et al (2007).
Social and Emotional Learning brings your attention to focus efforts on promoting students’
social and emotional competencies. Many leaders in the field underscore the importance of
skills-based teaching and learning to properly address this important facet of teaching the
whole child.
7.1 After reading Cohen and Zin and reflecting on the lecture content what would you add
about aspects of your classroom management that have not been mentioned so far in
your philosophy? Add these in the box below in rough draft form. You can refine them
later.

Utilising an inquiry based learning philosophy which involves student – driven processes where
knowledge is constructed rather than transmitted. This process involves multiple stages which can
interrelate: where a question is proposed, research is undertaken, analysis occurs, evaluate and
make conclusions then discuss or reflect on these findings. Not only does inquiry based teaching
help students in the classroom but according to studies has also bridged the gap between home
and school culture as McCarty et al (1991) found a “significant gain in student participation levels
and greater student interest in connecting content to the social, economic and cultural realities of
their society”. Scruggs & Mastropieri (1993) also found that inquiry based learning in place of a
text book yielded “significantly higher achievement for high school students with special needs”.
(Weeks 8 & 9) Drafting your personal reflection/philosophy
Ready to roll …
Now, read it to yourself, and start editing to a maximum of 1000 words, it’s time to prepare
your final submission. Look at the Unit Learning Guide rubric and instructions and now write
your own personal reflection and philosophy You have to reflect on what you have learnt
and what you are still to learn. This reflection is an opportunity to provide your own
behaviour management philosophy/model.

Your personal model can be based on your personal experience and any of the theories and
research explored in PPLE or other Units which form part of your course. You need to
appropriately identify and credit these theories which influenced your thinking in relation to
the development of your personal approach within your text. You must provide at the end
(not counted to word limit) an ‘acknowledgement’ section where you may list the
theories/policies/ people that may have influence your model to date.

Into the future!

However, please be aware that your philosophy may well change as you gain experience in
teaching and are exposed to other ideas from your ongoing professional development, your
interactions with peers and other sources of inspiration. It will be an interesting task for you
to go back to this philosophy you have just completed in 10 years’ time and compare it to
the one you have then. Will it have changed much? How have your approaches evolved?
What kind of teacher have you become?

NOW WRITE YOUR FINAL DRAFT OF YOUR PERSONAL PHILOSOPHY (1000

words Max) IN THE SPACE PROVIDED AT THE START OF THIS DOCUMENT!