IV. Domain 2: Classroom Environment

We are with our students in the most crucial time of their lives, that which dictates who they become when they leave our classrooms. We owe it to them to encourage their development as academics, yes, but also as socially adept human beings.

Creating an environment in which each student feels safe and supported is my top priority as a teacher. To create this atmosphere, I will begin each school year allowing my students to create their own set of rules. Allowing students to create their own set of rules offers an extra layer of accommodation when one of those rules is broken because it is not my rule they are breaking, it is theirs. The goal of my classroom is to maintain a culture of mutual respect. To create this culture of mutual respect, peer collaboration will be integrated into my classroom routines. Desks will be arranged into small groups of four or five as each lesson will have a collaborative component. Desks will be arranged into tables with room to move fluidly without obstacles around the classroom. Establishing routine collaboration as a consistent expectation for the entire school year encourages collaboration with all students and in turn promotes respectful student-student interactions.

Establishing movement with behavioral expectations as an integrated routine in my daily lessons is my proactive approach to classroom management and handling misbehavior. Allowing students the chance to get up and pair up with a partner to share thoughts on a discussion question or to read a response to a quick write is beneficial to them not only because they get to move and stay engaged, but also because they get the chance to hear a different perspective. Some ways I assign partners are by numbering off or doing a Kagan Method pair-up share-out, which involves students getting out of their seats and raising their hands until they find a partner with whom they will stand back to back and put their hands down. Often I will play music in these transitions so their voice level stays down and they know when the music stops they must begin sharing.

Establishing these proactive routines is essential in mitigating misbehavior. Having routines for collaboration and movement accommodates students prone to misbehavior due to hyperactivity. Along with these proactive behavioral measures, I believe in the positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) system. At Liberty Middle School, the school at which I completed my student teaching, I witnessed the positive effects this intervention plan has on students both proactively and reactively. My beliefs align with this intervention plan, in that reiterating expectations for favorable behavior is the best way to quell misbehavior. My cooperating teacher, Cherise Rose, uses a method she calls a “sandwich”, in which she first reminds a misbehaving student of the expectation, then delivers discipline if needed, but concludes with a specific praise or compliment. While delivering redirection, she stays calm and her voice stays flat. The redirection is delivered quietly, near a whisper. I have learned many things from her that I will carry into my own practice.

Click here to view my complete classroom management plan.