The Triangle of Success
Marie Curie, a well-known scientist, has said, “Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood.” These well-written words have changed my attitude in regards to classroom management. Classroom management is a fear among many beginning teachers, and I was no exception. However, after learning more about discipline and management techniques; I no longer fear it; instead, I understand that it is a part of teaching that I must learn to master if I am going to reach my goal of becoming an exceptional educator. I understand that in order to construct an effective classroom management plan, I need to be prepared, I need the help of my students, and I need the help of parents. By working together, I know that my classroom will be a place of order and learning.
I, as a future educator, need to prepare now so that I can have an orderly classroom. I will be proactive instead of reactive when the time comes to deal with discipline. Therefore, the following are some of my proactive ideas. To begin, I will have a neat and organized classroom. There will be cubbies for backpacks and papers; I will have a late/absent folder hanging on the wall with assignments in it. Furthermore, I will have the desks arranged in a horse shoe shape so that everyone can be seen at all times. In addition, each student will also have their own homework folder so that no homework will be lost. All of these ideas will help me in preparing to teach at my best all of the time.
In addition to organization, I will have policies and procedures for daily tasks to eliminate confusion. Since pencil sharpening can get out of hand, I will give each child their own pencil sharpener that they keep in their desks at all times. If they lose it or abuse the privilege, I will then allow one child at a time to use the pencil sharpener in the classroom. I will also have a bathroom procedure. I will have a clipboard with a pencil attached hanging on the back wall where students will need to sign their name, the time they left, and the time they returned. After signing out, I will have a bathroom pass that they must take with them. I will allow one boy and one girl to go at a time. These are just two of the many procedures and policies I will have so that the school day can run smoothly. By having policies, procedures, and by being proactive, I will be ready to handle any classroom problem that will come my way.
I also need the help of my students so that all of us understand what is going on in the classroom. I feel that it is important to include the students in decision making processes. Therefore; I will invite my students to help create our classroom rules and consequences. After the rules are set, I will then have my students help create a poster listing the rules so that it can be hung up in the classroom throughout the year as a constant reminder. Another way to involve my students is by giving them specific assignments. I will have certain jobs such as homework folder collector, line leader, door holder, ect. By giving students responsibilities, I feel they will have less time to act up, and they will learn responsible behavior. These are just two examples of how my classroom will be student involved.
Not only do I feel that the teacher and the students need to work together, but I also feel that parents need to be included so that complete harmony in the classroom can take place. I want parents to be involved. Therefore, I will send home a sign-up sheet the first week of school asking for parent volunteers. I also will have party committees for parents to be involved in. For instance, if we are having an event, I will ask parents to bring in food, or if they want to help plan the event, this is the time to do it. I also will keep communication lines open with parents at all times. I will contact parents to inform them of good and not so good things that their child is doing. I will also have a class website so that parents can stay current on what is going on each and every day. In addition to the website, I will send home newsletters once a month with important dates and information. Parent involvement is critical for a child’s success and for classroom harmony; therefore, I invite parents into my classroom anytime, any day of the year.
The teacher, the students, and the parents form what I like to call the success triangle. All three components are essential for my classroom management plan to work. I feel that teaching is not a dictatorship; instead it is a collaboration of learning. Therefore, communication between all three parties needs to stay in tact, and I need to allow my students and the parents to voice their opinions. Brian Tracy has said, “People create their own success by learning what they need to learn and then by practicing it until they become proficient at it.” Now that I learned what I need to learn about classroom management, my next step is to practice it as I complete more service learning, internship, and finally, student teaching.
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