Classroom Management {Chapter FIVE Synthesis}

What I Do Right...
I strive to maintain a classroom environment where all of my students feel like they are in a safe place where they are valued and important members of our PLANET 128 community. I work very hard at the beginning of the year to train my students on the rules and procedures so that maximum learning can take place. I read several books that demonstrate good manners, being kind to others, and being a good friend. Here are a few of the books I like to read:

At the beginning of the year, my class brainstorms rules that we all think are important in a classroom. We then narrow it down to six main rules. Each rule has a color {orange=talk when appropriate, red=follow directions, yellow=keep hands, feet, and objects to yourself, blue=respect teacher & all other adults, purple=respect school & personal property, and green=be kind to others.} The students mark their behavior on their homework sheet. This system really works because the parents know exactly what kind of day their child had.

The extra incentive that I give my students is through the Friday Store. Students earn money for good behavior during the day. A day without tickets=2 pennies. I also give various amounts of money to student that I see exemplifying excellence. Every Friday I have a parent volunteer that comes to "run the store" while I am still teaching. I have several different baskets full of various prizes at various prices for the students to choose from. The students can either spend their money, or save it for something in a bigger prize box. 

I also maintain other methods that foster opportunities for cooperation and kindness:

• Our class earns brags from other teachers/building personnel. When we reach our goal of 50 brags, we earn a fun activity such as silly songs or extra recess.
• Tables work hard to earn 10 tally marks by being quiet during transitions, having materials out and ready, and keeping their table nice and tidy. When they get 10 tallies, they get 10 cents for the Friday store.
• After reading Have You Filled a Bucket Today, we collect SPARKLES. Students earn two sparkles to put in our bucket when they say or do something kind for another person.

My management system works very well, and I can honestly say that I have very few behavior problems. When I was student teaching, my mentor teacher said that teachers should make the punishment bad enough and the reward good enough so that the students WANT to behave and do their best. I think that my system does just that because they want to earn rewards, and they want to please their teacher. 


What I Do Wrong...
I think that I need to work harder on contacting parents. I think that I try to handle things the best I can in the classroom, and I honestly forget to call parents to discuss concerns or praise their child for good things. I do maintain contact through emails, newsletters, and homework folders. I do think that a phone call can be so much more meaningful. A goal of mine is to call parents more frequently so that they hear from me not only when there is a problem, but also when the child is experiencing success. 

I also have struggled in the past with students who have behavior problems. It is very hard for me to deal with outbursts of anger, temper tantrums, or "shutting down" moments. I do not feel truly qualified to handle these types of behavior issues, and I do not know the right way to help students express their frustrations in more positive ways. 


How I'm Going to Fix It...
I want to set up a schedule or plan where I call a certain number of parents each week. That way the parents will hear good things from me as their child's teacher before they hear about behavior problems. I also want to make more phone calls home so that I build a better relationship with the parents of the students I teach. This will in turn strengthen my classroom management because I will have parental support and camaraderie with the parents of the students that I teach each day. 


I also want to research better strategies to handle students who have behavior issues. I know that a one-size-fits behavioral management system is not effective for every student. I think that I need to find other methods and strategies to help students who need more chances, or need better ways to express their emotions.