Back when I was a professor of education, one of the most significant sources of anxiety for preservice teachers was classroom management. Most of them seemed unsure about their ability to manage a classroom full of 20 to 30 kids while responding to problem behaviors and facilitating the teaching and learning process. I always assuaged their concerns by letting them know that before they left my class, they would have a philosophy of classroom management and classroom management plan, which could be adapted to any classroom environment.

In my course, they learned that if students are in a safe and supportive environment, learning can take place. It is critical to have an engaging educational environment that includes all students. The primary goal of any philosophy/plan of classroom management is to assist the teacher in creating an environment for all students that will allow them to be successful and ultimately reach their full potential. In this piece, I plan to walk you through the creation of your own philosophy of classroom management and classroom management plan. Let’s get started.

Writing Your Philosophy of Classroom Management

I taught my students to divide their philosophy of classroom management into the three sections below. Completing a philosophy of classroom management is not an easy task, but I found a way to simplify the process. All you have to do is answer the questions from each section and use the resulting content to shape the body of your narrative. From there, simply add an introduction and conclusion and you are done. Revisions may be necessary, but at least you have a great first draft.

My Beliefs About Students:

• Do I believe that students need to be “controlled and disciplined” or that they can be taught self-control?
• Do I think that students are naturally disruptive and therefore need to be molded and conditioned to behave appropriately?
• Do I view students as equals or as charges?
• Do I believe that establishing a democratic classroom and giving students responsibility means letting them take over the class?

My Beliefs About Teachers’ Roles:

• Do I see myself as a boss or facilitator? A brick wall, jellyfish, or backbone teacher? An assertive educator?
• Do I think that I should create all of the rules and consequences, or do I think that students should offer their thoughts?
• Do I want to discipline or manage my students?
• Do I believe that teachers should spend time at the beginning of the year to teach rules and routines?

My Beliefs About Managing the Classroom:

• Do I think rewarding students for good behavior?
• Is the point of classroom management to manage the classroom or teach students to supervise and discipline themselves?
• Would I be ok with using a school-adopted classroom management program, or do I want to have more freedom to choose my own classroom management practices?

Writing Your Classroom Management Plan

After completing your philosophy of classroom management, you are now ready to write your classroom management plan. The cool think about it is that you can use parts of your philosophy of classroom management. Write a narrative that includes, but is not limited to, the topics/issues found below. Make sure you back your narrative up with recent research (less than three years old).

• Supportive, Effective, and Developmentally Appropriate Classroom Management Techniques
• Classroom Climate: Class Structure, Rules, Routines, Procedures, and Policies
• Classroom Design and Layout
• Student’s Expectation of Teacher
• Teacher’s Expectation of Students
• Positive and Negative Consequences and Individualized Behavior Management Intervention Plans
• Communication of Class and Behavioral Expectations to Students and Parents/Guardians
• Responsibility of the Parents/Guardians, Students, Teacher and School in Classroom Management
• Philosophy’s Connection to Theorist/Theory
• Philosophy incorporates pertinent and appropriate information from course textbooks; Classroom Management: Models, Applications, and Cases; Teacher-and Tested Classroom Management Strategies

From there, simply add an introduction and conclusion and you are done. Revisions may be necessary about this, but at least you have a great first draft.

Reflection

Reflecting on your work is a vital part of being a professional and is essential to teacher development and the preparation of future teachers. Reflection allows you to examine your own beliefs, assumptions, and biases regarding teaching, learning, and classroom management and determine how those beliefs influence classroom practice and impact on the learning environment. If you are really want to impress your professor and receive an A, include a reflection along with your classroom management philosophy/plan.

Write a reflective 500 word paper about your philosophy of classroom management and classroom management plan. Please write the reflection in narrative form. The reflection paper should highlight how your classroom management details how you plan to develop a safe and supportive learning environment for your students. This may include:

• How do you believe your philosophy of classroom management and classroom management plan will work to provide your students with a safe and supportive learning environment?
• How do you plan on getting to know your students?
• How you plan on introducing students to your classroom management plan in the first 21 days of school and then reinforcing it beyond that time period?
• Communication of class and behavioral expectation to students and family
• Substitute teacher materials?
• Does the narrative reflect an understanding and thoughtful consideration of classroom management?

If you followed the directions in good faith, we are confident that you are now the owner of a world-class classroom philsophy of classroom management and classroom management plan. I would say good luck, but you won’t need it.