Ingredients In My Classroom:

There are many different ingredients that I plan to implement into my classroom as a future teacher. I agree with Jacob Kounin that teachers should demonstrate instructional behaviors especially if they expect their students to have good behavior. There are many "theoretical" ingredients that will assist me in creating the classroom environment that I hope to have. One important ingredient would be that of a modeler. A teacher must model for her students and lead by example. Her students will be watching her and following in her footsteps. Teachers have a major influence on their students, and must always be aware of their words and actions because little eyes are always watching.

Another major ingredient that a teacher must include in her teaching strategy is that of teaching for multiple intelligences. A teacher must build relationships with her students and know the best ways of teaching that child as an individual. As a teacher, I must be able to teach in different ways that will meet the needs of all the students in my class as a whole, and also individually. Every child is different and will have a different learning style. Some students learn visually, others are auditory learners, and then others learn by writting. There are many different types of intelligences and teachers must know how to adapt their teaching strategies to engage every student.

There are so many different ingredients that I believe are important to have in my future classroom. I also agree with Lee and Marlene Canter and their idea of using assertive discipline and rewards and punishments. I think teachers should definitely focus on rewarding good behavior when necessary, but at the same time not just ignore bad behavior as well. If a teacher knows her students, she will know what behavior to address and how to address it.

After reading the book, "Educating Esme: Diary of a Teachers' First Year", I learned that there are many different "ingredients" that a teacher should implement. Teachers should demonstrate "ingredients" such as: patience, enthusiasm, flexibility, organization, creativity, encouragement, and communication. Teachers need to know what recipe to use for what class and when to use it. Teachers are like cooks; we have to know what ingredients to add, how much to mix up and when to put them in.

Kounin's Theories In The Classroom:

After reading through Kounin's theories, one aspect that I derived from him was his characteristic of teachers demonstrating withitness. I can include this into my philosophy of classroom management because I believe that it is very important for teachers to be organized and attentive. Withit teachers can handle more than one situation at a time. They can promptly detect a disturbance, know who caused it and how to react appropriately to the situation. Another part of Kounin's theory that I can implement into my classroom is that of overlapping. Teachers must be able to deal with more than one matter at the same time. Multitasking is an essential part of maintaining a classroom. Teachers must be able to do more than one thing at a time and handle more than one situation simultaneously.

Kounin's term group focus, which involves group alerting and accountability, means that a teacher is maintaining all the student's attention in her classroom. Group alerting is when the teacher is involving and engaging each of the students in the discussion and keeping them on their toes. When teachers state a question and then randomly call on a student to answer the question, it requires that all the students pay attention because they do not know who will be called on next. Group accountability refers to teachers when they hold the students to certain expectations and keep them responsible for their actions. By doing this, the student will know what is expected of them and what behavior is appropriate. If a teacher keeps a record of the students behavior and maintains accountability, then there will be less occurrences of misbehavior.

I believe that instructional management can address student's cultural, gender, and social class diversity, but the teacher must be aware of the situation and the student's family background. If a teacher knows the student's family situation, then she can be more aware and more accurately respond to the problematic situation. Kounin's model placed primary responsibility on the teacher and how to prevent misbehaviors, but he does not address how a teacher should respond or appropriately react when a serious problem does arise. A teacher's teaching technique has an effect on a student's learning and sometimes their behavior as well. The teacher must lead by example and teach her students the appropriate behavior. A teacher will have an influence on her students and must choose whether it will be a positive or a negative one.

Keeping Children Safe:

As a future teacher and future parent, one thing I will want to make sure that it happens, is that my children are in a safe and protected enviornment at school. I will do everything I can do keep my children safe, and therefore as a teacher it will also be my responsibility to see that the children in my classroom especially are kept safe as well. So, then the question would be: What constitutes a "safe" classroom enviornment ? Well, according to M. Lee Manning and Katherine T. Bucher's book on Classroom Management, a safe school is a place where the business of education can be conducted in a welcoming environment free of intimidation, violence, and fear. I want my classroom to be a safe and welcoming environment where children feel comfortable and want to be there.

As a teacher one way that I would model safe behaviors, is to have classroom rules that my students know and obey. I will also make sure that I apply those rules in my classroom and if they are at any time broken, then there will be consequences of that choice that was made. I will respect my students and in return expect them to respect me. I will model and teach my students to respect each other and each other's belongings and space. I will teach the students to solve conflicts without making the problem worse.

The establishment of a safe classroom environment is extremely important to my classroom management plan. In order for the students to learn you must make sure that they have a safe and comfortable learning environment. One way I will impliment safety into my classroom is that I will not leave my class unattended even if it is for a minute or two. If I must leave the classroom, I will make sure another teacher knows and can oversee the classroom until I get back. I will not allow or put up with bullying or any other form of violence or misbehavior. Without a safe classroom environment, children will not be able to learn as effectively as they could. As a teacher, I will model appropriate behavior and hope that my students will follow by example.

As it was stated in the paragraph above, learning is dependent on a safe classroom environment. If there is violence, bullying, or conflicts in the classroom then the children will not be able to learn in that type of environment. Children should feel comfortable and safe at school. They should be able to focus on learning and doing assigments in class. If other outside things are happening in the classroom, it will only hinder the children from learning. Having a safe classroom environment is an essential part of a child being able to learn and pay attention in class. As teachers, we should do everything in our power to make sure that our students have the best possible learning environment that we could possibly give them.

Discipline: An important part of the classroom.

In order to have a successful classroom, a teacher cannot ignore the task of discipline. My definition of discipline is to constructively correct someone for actions that are not appropriate behavior. If a teacher did not have discipline in a classroom, the students would not be able to learn and achieve a successful education because the classroom would be nothing but a chaotic mess. No matter what age the students are, whether in 1st grade or in 12th grade, they all need guidance and help in making sure they are doing what they are supposed to be doing. As they get older, of course the guidelines can be a little more lenient, but they still need them just like they did before.

This week’s discussion has impacted my personal philosophy regarding student management because I realize and understand how important it is to have discipline in the classroom. It is a very important aspect of having a successful learning environment for the children. A teacher can enforce rules and guidelines without always having to be a Nazi about them. However, no matter how good the students’ behavior is or how bad it is, there must be rules to follow. Without rules, there would be no order or control in the classroom.
I have a very outgoing personality and I love playing and being around kids. I like to make kids happy and see them have fun at the same time. I love their smiles and giggles as they play and use their imagination to go in a world beyond this one. It will be a challenge to decide at what point I will draw the line in a situation where it is border line of needing correction. Some kids are very quiet and sensitive and can sometimes do things that are not appropriate, without realizing it. Times like this, a teacher will feel that they should say something to help the child understand what it is they are doing and why they shouldn’t do it. However, one must be careful how they approach the child and go about talking to them.

One example I have in my own life, I experienced the other day. I was baby-sitting 3 kids and I we had just come inside the house from playing outside. The little girl, who was 3 years old, had to go the bathroom. However, she didn’t make it to the bathroom in enough time apparently. Next thing I know, she comes out telling me that there is pee on the floor and that she went the bathroom on the floor right in front of the toilet. In a time like this, I didn’t want to get on to her and tell her how she should have not gone the bathroom on the floor. However, one has to decide in situations like this, whether or not the child did it on purpose or if it was merely just an accident. I think with practice and if you really know the child, one will know how to handle the situation and if discipline is necessary in that moment or not. This will be one challenge that I will have to learn to discern how to handle in the classroom. However with my outgoing personality, I think it will help me to get to know the children quickly and build relationships with them easily.

I love being around children and playing with them. I do not feel that just because I am in college that I have to always act grown up. There is a time to be silly and other times to be serious. When I am around kids, sometimes even my own peers, I do not have a problem with being goofy or acting silly or childlike. I know how to have fun and use my imagination and am not afraid of “being too old” to be acting that way. There is a difference between acting immature and knowing how to have fun and act like a child would act. As I begin to teach children, I think my “fun” personality will be very beneficial to me as a teacher, in my future classroom.

Walking Down Memory Lane:

I grew up as a homeschooler until the 3rd grade. I didn't go to a school in a building; I went to school in my own house. I woke up in the morning, and walked downstairs to my school, Jones Academy I guess I could call it. The living room was my classroom. My mother taught me how to count, add, write, and read. She was had a very important role in my life. She was not just my mom, but she was also my teacher. She taught me many things a teacher in a classroom could have never taught me, because of the fact that she was also my mother. I learned how to be disciplined, responsible, compassionate, friendly, loving, caring and many other things.

My mother was an influential teacher in my life. I've had teachers like my mom, who were organized, fun, and energetic, and I've also had teachers who were tired, negative, and boring. Teachers who became angry or upset easily, and were not very patient, and teachers who were encouraging and understanding. The situation could have been much more positive if the teacher had been passionate and loved her job. Instead of viewing it as just a job they had been doing for the past 20 years. It was as if we were just another class, another year, the same old thing as before. Then there was my favorite year, when I went to 3rd grade.

I remember the first day of 3rd grade, when I went to school in a classroom outside of my house. My teacher Mrs. Wells was very organized, energetic and passionate about her job. She loved us, the kids in her classroom. She knew how to manage her classroom. Mrs. Wells was patient, caring, loving and encouraging. She made me want to go to school. School was something I looked forward to attending everyday. It was something I actually enjoyed....so much that I want to become a teacher like my mother and like Mrs. Wells. A teacher who can make children look forward to going to school, who can make a difference in the life of a child.