My classroom management has evolved and become more sophisticated in the six years I've been teaching. Two books that have influenced my practice in classroom management are Teach Like A Champion and Discipline in the Secondary Classroom. Through these books and experience, I have created two main focuses to create a positive, engaged learning environment; fostering respectful relationships and having a well structured lesson.
One of the ways I create a positive atmosphere in my classroom is to teach, monitor and assess positive behavior. Lately I have been using Class Dojo, an online/smart phone application that is the equivalent of using a clipboard. Everyday I greet students at my door and hand them a positive behavior checklist as they enter. I have carefully chosen these 10 behaviors to focus on because they address the vast majority of the issues I deal with, and allow me to re-direct students in a positive way. For example, if a student is turned around in their chair talking to the person behind them I say "All eyes on me, feet under the table, face forward, mouths closed." If the student follows directions the first time, they have exhibited a positive student behavior and I can recognize their compliance positively.
The last 5 minutes of class students complete their checklist and self-assess their behavior, and then I collect them. I go through each one to see if there are any discrepancies between what they checked and what I observed, highlight differences, and pass them back the following class with a very brief individual explanation. Because positive behavior and focus is extremely important in a classroom where much of the time is spent in the second language, positive behavior is a portion of their grade. I have found with the Positive Behavior Checklist that students know expected behaviors, what they look like, and how they effect the class. It has dramatically reduced misbehavior and maximized class time for learning.
Besides establishing and maintaining clear behavior expectations for students, I focus heavily on planning a well structured and clear lesson. For every lesson I ask "What do I wan my students to do?" and "What do I need to do to allow them to complete the objective?" I start with the end in mind, and create clear, manageable steps for my students to complete to reach the objective. I take pains to put effective and efficient procedure and routines in place, including bell-work, passing back papers, and transitioning from seat work to computer work. Many of my lessons follow the "I do, we do, you do" format, with clear directions and multiple examples. Another way I structure clear activities is by "CHAMP"ing out expectations. (Click here to see an example of a CHAMPed activity in my classroom.)
I have found that focusing on positive behavior and a clearly structured lesson help create an engaged, supportive learning environment. My students would tell you I am strict and consistent, but they will also tell you that I love to have fun and laugh. I tell them stories about my crazy cat (Sancho) in Spanish all the time. And my favorite part of being a Spanish teacher is hearing/reading surprising things that come from students. In my classroom, we are creative and support each other to try new things. We celebrate quality and encourage reflection. I believe that a classroom is best when it is a place where everyone is viewed as on the path to reaching their full potential, and we all help each other along the way.