Carrie Kramer

TEDU 410
Branch
September 16, 2013
Classroom Management Philosophy
I believe that the goal of education should be to provide children with the
essential tools they need and a safe effective learning environment in order to achieve
the knowledge they need to succeed in life. With that being said, part of providing an
effective learning environment stems from the teachers control of classroom
management. If the teacher lacks an effective classroom management plan, then the
classroom can be too rowdy to get anything done. In my lifetime I have had many
different types of teachers. I have had effective teachers with awesome classroom
management, and I have had teachers who would just stand and yell. Being a part of
such a diverse range of classrooms has helped me to realize that patience is key. It was
the teachers who yelled, that had no control over their classrooms.
A good teacher should provide a safe, caring and comfortable classroom for
his/her students. The needs of the students should be understood and the rules should
be enforced. A good teacher should also lead by example, and should almost never
loose patience. The goal of a classroom management plan should be to make students
aware of the rules, and to provide encouragement for positive behavior. These goals
are essential for making the learning environment effective. When a teacher has good
leverage over her class, he/she is able to do more exciting activities with them! Students
should be able to trust and respect their teachers; teachers should never be viewed as
bad guys.

The two philosophies that have influenced my thinking about classroom

management the most are Assertive Discipline and Logical Consequences. Both of
those theories have extremely valid points. Although Assertive Discipline involves a high
degree of teacher control and Logical Consequences involves a moderate level, I would
probably see myself using aspects of both. I think the degree of teacher control really
depends on the type of situation at hand. In my future classroom, I want to strive to be a
warm and caring teacher that is able to enforce rules and provide encouragement in
positive ways.
Assertive Discipline founded by Lee and Marlene Cantor lies on the premise that
when given expectations and an approach of consequences/rewards for not
meeting/meeting the expectations, then students will choose acceptable behavior. The
Cantors believe a clear regimen and routine should be given, and the teacher should
model appropriate behavior. I am a firm believer that students learn better when given
examples to learn by. Therefore, when a teacher models acceptable and appropriate
behavior a student will then learn the acceptable behaviors easily.
Rudolph Dreikurs, founder of Logical Consequences, believed that punishment
should be avoidable at all costs. Although I do not agree with that completely, I do agree
with the fact that students should be guided to recognize the consequences of their
behaviors. I also agree that students need to be encouraged to think about what they
are doing before they act. I believe Dreikurs was right on point when he said that natural
consequences are natural happenings that follow behaviors and are non controllable.
Whether you are a child or an adult, each one of your behaviors has consequences,
both good and bad. The sooner children realize this the easier it will be for them to think

about their actions before they act. Having consequences directly related to the actions,
Dreikurs mentions, will help children to realize this. I couldnt agree more.
I can more easily relate to the beliefs of Dreikurs, however, I believe that
sometimes punishment is unavoidable. Inner and outer forces within their environment
ultimately influence children. They not only have to be raised to behave correctly, but
they have to have the will within themselves to do what is right. At then end of the day
they will do what they want to do, but teachers and parents alike have a role in this.
Which is why I also tend to lean more towards Assertive Discipline. I think that children
should be given positive reinforcements to deter them from bad behavior, and to try and
change their outlook on certain situations. In the end, I see myself being more of an
Assertive Discipline teacher with a high degree of control. I think children learn best
from structure, but also being too strict can be negative. The most successful teachers I
have seen in my lifetime have structured rules and consequences, but are warm and
inviting. That is exactly how I would like to be.