Introduction
Imagine you just got hired as a first year teacher in a 3rd grade classroom. You’re full of excitement and nerves. How do you begin planning for your year? What will your classroom look like? How will you memorize all the student’s names right away? All of these questions and more will be floating through your head but there is one question that you should think about critically: How do I want to manage my classroom?
Classroom management a complex area of teaching that is one of the best ways that a teacher can be successful and unsuccessful. As a first year teacher, you will have a lot to think about related to classroom management. First, in order to create positive social interaction, engaging learning experiences and self-motivation, a teacher must critically analyze his or her own actions that encourage this kind of classroom environment (Burden & Byrd, 224). Learning your very own style to classroom management is important and will happen naturally. However, this does not mean that you should not prepare classroom management strategies ahead of time in order to find out what works and what does not. One place to start is by thinking of your philosophical perspective when it comes to teaching and classroom management. Would you say that you prefer a classroom that is more teacher-centered or student-centered? How does your philosophical opinions relate to how you would like to manage your classroom? What specific strategies will you implement to create the ideal classroom for both your students and yourself? Thinking about these questions can help you create your very own classroom management style. For now, let’s take a close look at two management philosophies that have had their trials in real classrooms and have been successful for different kinds of teachers. The first classroom management approach we will be looking at is the “love and logic” approach. Next, we will compare this approach to a classroom management strategy known as “discipline with dignity”. As you read about these classroom management approaches, think about how either one could be implemented in your future classroom.
Below is a YouTube video talking about a management strategy that works for one first year teacher. Can you picture yourself implementing these strategies? Keep these strategies in mind as we look at the “love and logic” and “discipline with dignity” classroom management approaches and compare and contrast them.
New Year Teacher Survival Guide: Classroom Management
