Cheri Compton

Classroom Management

Being an Effective Teacher

One may not be able to understand what an effective teacher is without a definition.

An effective teacher has three qualities, having positive expectations for students, having

clear classroom management, and ability to design lessons for student master (Wong & Wong,

1991). It is valuable to note that the book stated the importance of having an equal balance of

these three qualities to be an effective teacher. I wil stirve to have these qualities.

I will have positive expectations for the students in the classroom. According to Wong

and Wong, “having positive expectations simply means that the teacher believes in the learner

and that the learner can learn” (1991, p. 10). I will strive to develop genuine relationships

with each of the students to make sure the students feel cared for. The book emphasized that

the positive expectations should be “toward all students” (Wong and Wong 1991, p. 10). In

most classrooms, there were a variety of students with different IEP plans, speech needs, and

cultural differences. It is important to treat of the students with respect regardless of their

situation.

I will design lessons to ensure students will receive a variety of different instruction to

ensure they are able to master the lesson. I can incorporate centers into lessons to provide an

opportunity for all students achieve at their own rates. Group work is another strategy I can

use to accommodate the students and help them reach their fullest potential and reinforce the

positive expectations for students using team-work with their peers. Lessons will include a
variety of instructional strategies that will benefit students with different multiple

intelligences.

It is important in classroom to have a clear classroom management plan. According to

Wong and Wong, “classroom management consists of the practices and procedures that a

teacher uses to maintain and environment in which instruction and learning can occur” (1991,

p. 11). I will have clear procedures in the classroom so the students know what to do. For

example, when students need to turn in papers they will know where to turn them in. The

classroom procedures will frequently be practiced and incorporated in to the classroom.

Procedures will also include masking sure students are aware of what materials to have out for

a lesson, which I can present this or write this on the board. These are just a few classroom

procedures I plan to implement. One of my goals for being an effective teacher is to make

sure procedures are clear and implemented in the classroom.

Making sure students learn is of high importance to me. Lesson mastery is how well

students can show or comprehend the information in comparison to the level of proficiently

expected by the teacher or in line with standards (Wong and Wong, 1991). I will keep a grade

book to keep track of student progress on assessments and daily assignment. I will remind

students of their missing work frequently and encourage students to complete assignments as

needed. Stating the objectives before and after a lesson is one thing that could help the

students with lesson mastery since the students will be aware of what the goals of the lesson

are.
Procedures for the First Days of School

For the first few weeks of school I will introduce the classroom

procedures and have student practice them until the expected behavior

is performed. Practice is the most important part of procedures as a

repeated behavior from the students will help them remember

procedures. One procedure for students is to be organized, by hanging

up coats and backpacks. This is important to prevent students from

losing personal items like gloves. The agenda for the day and materials needed for the first

lesson will be written on the board each morning, so students will be expected to read the

agenda and have the materials on the list out on their desks. I will make to include a more

visual or individualized schedule with pictures for student with disabilities that may have an

IEP plan. Bell work will sometimes be presented in the morning to start the day off actively

for students. I will use the bell work as a time to review material students they may need more

understanding from. I will have names for the students with Velcro for the students to indicate

if they will have hot or cold lunch each day: this will also help with making attendance run

smoothly. Also, I will expect students to be organized and take care of the materials they

have in the classroom and at their desks, so I will have a picture to refer to about what clean

desk appears like.

After transitions during the day, students will either have an activity at their desk, bell

work, or writing prompt presented on the board. Transitions seem to be a difficult thing for

students and tend to be when behavior problems arise so I will make sure to have something
to keep the students engaged after entering the room. I will teach students how to end the day

with the end of the day procedures. I will have students help clean up the classroom by

cleaning up little papers that may be on the floor and having them put their chairs up. Students

will also be expected to have homework written in their agendas and I will check this at the

start of the year and as needed to make sure students are staying organized.

Procedures for Students

Each student will be expected to follow procedures starting with completing

homework. If a student is gone, for each day of the week, I will put extra worksheets for that

day in envelopes, so the students will pick a paperclipped group of papers of the worksheets

that day they missed. If a student lost an assignment, they will be accessing these folders and

be expected to complete the assignment as well. I will look for ways to keep students more

organized if missing assignments becomes a consistent problem. As I expect to have students

write in an agenda daily, they should be aware of the assignments they need to complete.

Students will receive a slip that has the date, their name, and the assignment they are missing

to take home. This will make it easier for students who are struggling to complete work. The

student will check or write why they are missing the assignment. Students will bring home the

slip and have a parent or guardian sign the sheet, so parents are aware of missing work before

it becomes an ongoing problem. Students will be expected to include their name on their work

as well. I can create a poster to put up in the classroom to remind students to always have a

name. This is something important for me since it will be hard to grade students if I don’t

know what paper belongs to who. Students will also be responsible for turning homework into

the correct tray for grading or feedback. Trays will be labeled as needed.
Procedures for the Classroom

Classroom procedures help students to be prepared for emergencies. For emergencies I

will keep a mini class list that is business card size on me at all times to be sure I know that I

have all students present at all times. Next, I will be sure students understand what to do for

fire drills, tornadoes drills, and active shooter drills. Safety is something I take seriously

since in emergencies require fast, wise thinking and a calm behavior to help keep students

safe.

Classroom procedures help students stay organized for daily learning. I will have

students help daily by assigning students jobs weekly. The jobs will include some of the

following: board washer, trash monitor, library book monitor, playground equipment monitor,

lunchbox monitor, paper passer, liner leader, gardener, pencil sharpener, and lights monitor.

The students will benefit from having a role in the classroom and it will allow

me to be a more effective teacher if I work together with the students. It is

important students will have clean desks as it is hard to stay organized with a

messy desk, so desks will be cleaned each Friday. To promote an organized

classroom there will be one gender neutral bathroom pass in the classroom, if

the bathroom is located in the hall. If students finish work early, before moving

on to extra work have students complete the assignment, check work, and then

turn it in. Then students can check their unfinished work, work on a writing

folder, choose free time activity from shelf, or read a chapter book. At the end of the day, as a

class we will review the assignments and homework of the day. This will be read each day
out-loud at the end of the day. The website will be updated weekly with information for

parents, and notes will be sent home as needed.

Procedures for Instruction

Procedures for classroom discussions are important. Eyes and ears should be on the

person talking. Everyone should be respected when talking. Students should raise their hand

and wait to be called on to talk. If a class struggles to take turns talking, a talking stick can be

used where students can only talk if they have it. Popsicle sticks or name cards to promote

participation from everyone. Think-Pair-Share- students have the opportunity to discuss with

a partner that they are assigned to after thinking and I will use this regularly.

Group work will only be productive with proper procedures. Each student is

responsible for contributing to their group. Groups will work together to answer questions

within the group before asking the teacher. A timer, music, or signal will be used to help

notify students about the end of the group work or for transitions. Each student needs to write

their name on the project or worksheet and contribute to the group work. If students have

difficulty with a member in the group, they can ask the peer to focus or help, but if no changes

are made the teacher can be notified. Group work is effective and I will walk in proximity to

groups and make sure all students are contributing to make group work effective.

For silent reading, it is important students are able to individually pick out their own

books and spot to read. Students select a book of their choice within their level and I can have

a book box for each student with books for them to choose from. Students will sit with space

between them to prevent distractions from others. Students will be expected to share and

properly use furniture and books. Books will be returned proper place when reading and I will
provide book marks students can leave in-between books as they pick one to read . Students

can use I pick for picking books pictured below.

Procedures for test taking are important to prevent cheating and increase students’

performance Students will keep eyes on their own papers and remain quiet. I will remined

students to review test answers before turning in or go back to questions they are unsure

about. Tests will be turned in when teacher says. To prevent students who are working from

being distracted by others walking around, students will have material to work on while

waiting such as silent reading or homework.

Social skills are important for me to teach as it will help create a more positive classroom

environment. I will model and demonstrate proper social skills. Role-Play scenarios for

practicing social skills can be done as needed. If the students struggle to treat each other
 nicely, I may notify the counselor and see if the

counselor can help as well. Role play can include

practice how to respond in like to others when

talking. I will use respectful words toward the

students and teach them new words that are positive

to help cultivate positive social interaction.

Procedures for Teachers/Myself

It is important for me as a teacher to organize the

students in a way that promote the best student learning.

Each student will have a number and this will help for

seating chart and creating groups. It is important that

others will understand how the students are organized so I will keep a seating chart on hand

for substitute teacher and update as needed. The seating chart with include the numbers and

names of the students then I will keep a document with the picture of each student with their

number for the substitute to refer to.

I will include a substitute binder in the classroom for when

there is a substitute teacher. I will have welcome/thank you

letter in binder, instructions for attendance, student

information, schedule with times, lesson plans, procedures,

emergency information, technology passwords, and blank

students who may need more help or accommodations for them. This will include times the

students leave the room and the martial they need for that time. I will never know when an

emergency may come up, so this is of high importance for me to have a substitute teacher

binder

A teacher aide will be more present than a substitute so I

will also have a binder for the teacher aide if I have one.

The binder will include expectations, jobs, and a

schedule. I will update handbook weekly or daily with

tasks that need to be completed. Sometimes I will include a note of appreciation or verbally

tell the teacher aide how I appreciate the help. I will schedule meetings regularly and give my

contact information to the aide. Most importantly I will be considerate to the aide and vary

the tasks the aid does to make sure aide gets to do many different things.

Having a positive interaction with parents or guarding is important for me so I will

have to be organized. I will plan ahead how I will interact with parents and practice what I

will say. Parents are sometimes going through things or demand help, but I will contact

parents/guardians to set up times to meet rather than rushing to try to answer questions. I will

prepare material that will be presented to parents and guardians to inform them of upcoming

events on the classroom website or papers to send home. I will also make sure to have an open

house at the start of the year to make sure families feel welcomed into the classroom. At this I

will present my business card to the parents to make sure they have my contact information. I

will prepare talking points for the parents and practice questions parents may ask.
 Having a positive interaction at conferences is important to me. I will greet the parent

or guardian with a friendly handshake and eye-contact I will prepare sign-in sheet to keep

track of the people who show up and to help with updating information from home. I will plan

ahead to contact parent/guardians to set up times to meet for conferences. I will make sure to

send reminders about the conferences and post it on the classroom website. Material will be

prepared that will be presented at the conference by having the student’s work available and

grades printed. I will inform the parent of missing work or any necessary topics such as

student behavior. It is important to involve families in their student’s education.

Teaching Procedures and Expectations Actively

I will make sure to reward students when they properly follow procedures at a higher

level than expected. I plan to use Class Dojo to record student points. I will reward students

intrinsically and encourage students when they don’t follow a procedure or expectation.

Sometimes students just need someone to believe in them and teach them a growth mindset

that will help them improve. I will refer to posters in the classroom to remind students of

procedures as needed. We can also have goals to improve for specific procedures if the

students are lacking at following certain ones.

Reinforcing Expectations

Reinforcing expectations is done by including rules and praise in the classroom. Some

students won’t always know what their expectations are or how to be respectful. A reinforcement

occurs after a behavior to encourage positive behavior. I will include ways to reinforce

expectations in the classroom through behavior-specific praise, rewards, and group

contingencies. For behavior-specific praise I will make sure to be genuine with the praise
looking for little details each student does well at or improves at. For example, if a student has

struggled with behavior or sitting still if the student starts to sit well, I could comment on how

respectful they are being or how well they are listening. Intrinsic rewards ensure students

understand the behavior they are engaging in is positive so they can repeat the behavior. Rewards

will sometimes be used, but not too often as intrinsic encouragement is important. A reward will

never be taken from a student. The rewards I will use will vary and can even include small things

such as stickers or a little candy. A behavior chart like the one pictured below this paragraph can

be used to place stickers on for students who may need a more individualized behavior plan.

Group goals encourage the class to work together. I like the idea of filling up a gumball machine

with dots if the class behaves well. I could switch up the group goal to make sure it is attainable.

One thing my sister, a kindergarten teacher, does is have five paper balloons added to the board

and the class tries to earn all five. She teaches a Kindergarten classroom, so the grade I am in

will determine the type of group contingency activity I have. If the students are younger, I would

have a smaller number of items they need to earn. The class will work for a long-term goal like

me bringing cookies, a dance party, or pizza party. I will be sure to let the principal know if the

reward alters the regular classroom schedule.

engage students on a daily basis frequently to reduce off task behavior and increase academic

performance. I will ask students to be engaged by having them respond with responses in three

ways: choral responses, exit tickets, and think-pair-share. Choral responses allow total

participation for all students with questions that are typically one-word replies. Exit tickets can

be written or verbal: they keep students from rushing out of the class and promote a strong finish

to a lesson or they day. Think-pair-share allows students to have wait time to think about a

response to a lesson and uses social interaction to promote student learning from peers. I find

social interaction to be an important part of learning, so think-pair-share will be incorporated

frequently.

Managing Behavior

Consequences are sometimes necessary for students so they are able to learn and make

progress. I will make sure to be a confident as a teacher, as some students may act up if they

sense the teacher is not confident or won’t follow through. Understanding the student’s behavior

may help me determine the consequences. Some students may be seeking power, revenge,

attention, or be uninterested. I will first try to handle the behavior I class and may need to create

an individualized behavior plan for the student and maybe use stickers of their interest to put on

the plan. If a student is seeking attention, I may give the student attention at the times the student

it on task to encourage the student to seek positive attention rather than negative attention

seeking. I will keep the conversations with these students brief and state things in a confident

way as the student may be looking for a fight. These students that are attention seekers prefer to

be punished rather than ignored. I will keep encouraging the student and as needed if the
behavior is disruptive tell the student that I will need to talk to them when they raise their hand

or later and if the student doesn’t listen, I will write it on the behavior chart. If a student

constantly has a need for power students can be given little choices that may help them. The

attention I give the students will be done in order to fill their needs as needed. I will make sure to

document any extreme behaviors and report them to the principal as needed. Parents will be

notified of behavior as needed so the parent is aware of what is going on at school.

Developing Relationships with Students

The teacher and student relationship in my classroom

will be of high importance to me. I will strive to learn what

students are interested in and try to incorporate their interests

into the classroom. Also, attend school or community activities

the students may be involved in as some students may not have a

parent to attend activities and encourage them. This will help the

students feel cared for and help with the improving their learning

if I try to understand their interests and support them. I will try to be aware of their important

events or accomplishments to help encourage the students.

I will make sure to have a clear instruction towards the students in the classroom. I will

communicate clearly and avoid confusing language such as extreme sarcasm that may confuse

students. I will be an honest and uplifting teacher as I can towards the students to create a

positive classroom environment. I can do this by greeting students at the door and

acknowledging them. I will make sure students feel safe in the classroom by being a role model

for them as some students may not have a safe place at home or even a home.
 I will strive to understand the needs of students and address them properly as not all

students are the same and may need exceptions. For example, some students may be going

through a difficult time at home, so I can consider giving the student and their family a card for

comfort. Sometime students need help in different areas for example a passive student may need

different help than an aggressive student. A passive student may need more support and

encouragement as an aggressive student may need calming techniques such as belly breathing.

Some students may have attention problems so I will strive to keep the lesson engaging and

reduce distractions. Some students may try to be a perfectionist, so I will encourage those

students to do their best and set reasonable goals. Lastly a student may socially inept, so I will

continue to support the child and look for ways to interact with the student.

Philosophy of Management and Discipline

It is easier to engage and have students follow procedures students than try to round up

their attention later and have to disciple them. I plan to be an effective teacher by engaging

students with total participation with choral responses, group work, think-pair-share, exit tickets,

and other strategies. Procedures should be reinforced daily from the start of the year. For

example, students should know where to put papers when they turn in an assignment. Procedures

will be repeated as needed to ensure students are following them. Sometimes some students may

require more time to learn procedures as they may not do them at home.

Classroom management is not just a set of rules it is being an effective teacher that cares

about the needs of the students. It is important to listen to students and understand their needs to

help discipline or provide them attention they need. One student my benefit from having a

behavior chart and for another student that may not work. Understanding how to disciple

students based on their needs is important. To be an effective teacher, you have to be caring and
set boundaries and consequences that are followed through with. Students will keep behaving

improperly and off task if they know they are able to. It is important students are aware of the

expectations and consequences in the classroom so they are able to understand what happens if

they are off task. For example, the classroom may have behavior plan and if the student gets off

task too much, they may lose recess or have a parent contacted. Overall, classroom management

is necessarily for students to be able to learn effectively: it takes a caring, clear, committed, and

effective teacher to provide a classroom where the classroom management is used to benefit

students. I strive to be an effective teacher who has a classroom with classroom management that

provides a safe, organized, and positive setting for students to learn in.

References

Wong, H. K., & Wong, R. T. (1991). The first days of school. Sunnyvale, CA: Harry K. Wong
Publications.