An effective classroom management style is the backbone to any successful teacher’s classroom. Teachers have been employing many different theories in their own classrooms for ages, and some are more successful than others. I am going to read peer-reviewed articles on different methods and ideas related to classroom management before dissecting them; I will agree with some and disagree with others.
As a current student seeking an undergraduate degree in Secondary English Education, it is important that I learn about the different styles and theories of classroom management. I want to learn as much about as many of these theories as possible before I get into the classroom and put them to use in my own classroom management style.
The only experience I have with classroom management comes from my mother who has been an elementary school teacher for longer than I have been alive. She has her own opinions, but they do not apply to middle and high school, grade levels I intend to teach. I have observed some high school classes and obviously attended four years at my own high school, but other than that I do not have much experience in the classroom. This blog is going to help me foster my own classroom management style by choosing and tweaking bits and pieces of others’ theories.
I personally believe that students learn the most when they are free to be creative and make discoveries on their own. The strict, rigid learning style of authoritarians works for some, but not all. As a whole, I believe students (especially middle and high school students) need to discover the world on their own and they will, in turn, discover more about themselves as people. Classical education had its day, but I think it is time to start employing more flexible methods of instruction, and this is already being implemented in some schools. But who knows, maybe after I start reading some of these articles, I will change that view!
“It is a fact nothing short of a miracle that the modern methods of instruction have not yet entirely strangled the holy curiosity of inquiry; for this delicate little planet, aside from stimulation, stands mainly in need of freedom; without this it goes to wrack and ruin without fail.” – Albert Einstein
Classroom management is one of the things that I am really worried about when I start teaching. I have no idea how strict/lenient I want to be when I stand up in front of the class. I feel like I'm more authoritative...but who knows? Do you think that you could adapt some of your mom's techniques to the middle school or high school class? I observed in a third grade class all spring semester and the teacher was very strict. However, I think her rules and procedures could very easily fit into a high school class, only with a little less hand holding. I don't know...in a way I feel like developing your classroom management skills is sort of like trying to figure out who you are. Or am I reading too much into it?
ReplyDeleteNo, you're absolutely right. I think that you discover your "teacher-self" when you decide what classroom management styles you want to employ. It's part of your self-actualization as teacher and it just helps you further develop the way you handle every-day situations. That's why I want to get a jump on this ASAP so that I'm now drowning during my first few days as a teacher.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with your statement:
ReplyDelete"students learn the most when they are free to be creative and make discoveries on their own"
Making this work in a classroom is a real challenge though. Especially with all the video games and crazy things kids do for "fun." You'll always find one kid in the classroom who's idea of fun is "discovering" how soon another student will cry ... which sorta ruins it for everyone...
I too am interested in this. Teaching is harder than one would think and the different styles of teaching and managing classrooms, sheesh. I am interested in seeing how you address the different theories and styles. This might help me make some decisions in my teaching career. It's always hard to balance challenge with fun.
ReplyDelete