Running head: CLASSROOM AND BEHAVIOR MANAGEMENT 1

Classroom and Behavior Management

Sarah Zajac

Regent University
Classroom and Behavior Management 2

Introduction

If you ask any child, they would say that they would enjoy the freedom of being able to

do whatever they want, when they want. This is especially true during school hours. What they

do not realize is that having that much freedom can quickly turn from an adventure where there

are no rules into a class frenzy. In the classroom, the secret is to keep the students engaged in the

lesson but also letting them have the freedom to have fun while they are learning. This is what

some would call controlled chaos and it is. But there is an art to keeping this delicate balance

from falling into complete disarray: having good classroom and behavior management. This

means having a positive relationship filled with trust between the teacher and the class and a

behavioral system that has the students work towards a goal rather than takes away from them.

Rationale for Selection of Artifacts

The first artifact shown are the caught being good we use to reward positive behaviors.

Students can earn a caught being good by following directions, helping out other students or

working quietly during independent work. On Friday, we pull names out of the caught being

good bucket and they can get a prize. This is a classroom management staple that dates back to

when I was an elementary student. We still use the caught being good system today because it

still works. Being recognized for good behavior really makes a student feel good about

themselves and helps build their confidence.

The second artifact shown is a noise meter that I incorporated into my second student

teaching. I was having a little trouble with my fourth graders talking during activities. I decided

against a call to get their attention because I had already tried to use a bell and I was ringing it

often. I made the noise meter to give the students a visual of where to noise level should be at

different times during the day. The categories I included are Outdoor Recess, Indoor Recess,
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Group Work, Partner Work, Whole Group Teaching and Independent Work. When I introduced

this, the class practiced what each noise level should sound like, with the exception of Outdoor

Recess so we didn’t disturbed the class beside us. Whenever we moved on to a new activity,

even within the same subject, I would announce to the class that I was moving the clip and what

this means. Are they whispering, are they talking in normal voices, or are they not talking at all?

The class got really excited for this. Sometimes it was actually the students who reminded me to

move the clip. This is also a great tool for students who are coming in from getting pulled for

different activities such as speech. When they come in, they can look to the meter to see if they

should be quiet or not. I am almost surprised by how well the students incorporated the noise

meter into their routine. I do sometimes have to remind them where we are working on the

meter, but I have see a big different in extra talking.

Reflection on Theory and Practice

While classroom management is unique to every teacher, I believe that the most

important aspect of classroom management is a positive student-teacher relationship. James

Levin and James F. Nolan (2014) say that a positive relationship between the teacher and the

student not only help students academically, it also helps lessen behavioral issues. Teachers

should also get to know the students personally. Each and every student should feel “respected,

supported and cared about” (Levin and Nolan, 2014, p. 183). One way for the teacher and the

students to get to know one another is to share during morning meeting. If this is done from the

beginning of the year, students will feel connected to each other and safe enough to share

everything (Responsive Classroom, 2015, p.66). I believe that when the student feel that their

teacher really does care, trust and respect them, they will work their hardest to keep it.
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I think another effective way of managing behavior is rewarding students for good

behavior. Whether it be a point on class dojo, a tally for the table, a class token to add to their

savings, or a caught being good, earning something gets the students excited each and every

time. It gives them a goal and when they achieve it, they are proud of themselves. One of the first

activities a teacher should do with a class is to come up with class rules together. The students

need to know what they can do so they can be themselves without the fear of getting in trouble.

Class rules should be positive: a list of do’s not don’ts (Radford, 2013, p. 81). This helps create

an environment of positivity. Doing this as a group activity means that all of the students get to

work together and are aware of the rules. Once the students are mindful of what they can do, the

class is able to begin forging positive relationships involving trust and begin earning their class

tokens.

If a teacher has a really positive relationship with a student and the teacher gives that

student a goal, that student will try their hardest to achieve it. Most students want to do their best

for their teacher and they want their teacher to be proud of them. As a Christian, it is important to

remember to be kind and positive, even to the students that do not always do their best or push

our buttons. And as Christian teachers, we must remember that everyday is a new day for these

kids and we still need to support and love them. Hopefully, when those students understand that

we still care about them, they will open up to us a little more and they will change their behavior.

When this trusting relationship is established, it is then that the teacher can release the reins a

little and give the students more freedom. The teacher can trust the students to follow the class

rules, even if they are working independently. This opens up the class to new activities that will

engage students in learning while still allowing them to be kids.

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References

Levin, J. and Nolan, J.F. (2014). Priciples of classroom management: A professional decision-

making model. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

Radford, C. P. (2013). Strategies for successful student teaching: A guide to student teaching, the

job search and your first classroom (3rd ed). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education,

Inc. 81.

The first six weeks of school (2nd ed.).(2015). Turner Falls, MA: Center for Responsive Schools,

Inc. 67.