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Classroom Management is important because it provides a structure within which students can participate in learning activities and make progress in their development of knowledge and mastery of important skills. This structure is created through a teacher's implementation and creation of behavior expectations, organization of the physical environment, and building of procedures and rules. A classroom management plan is invaluable to an educator because it ensures students have a sense of psychological safety in the classroom, learn and exercise skills for collaborating effectively with their peers, and are treated equitably by students and staff. This classroom culture is established intentionally by educators through the prioritization of knowing oneself as an educator, individual student differences, and diverse cultures. In my classroom, I will implement the Reggio Emilia approach as well as social emotional learning with a growth mindset to teach the whole child and support my students fully.
Knowing oneself as an educator is an essential for running a classroom because it allows the teacher to create lesson plans, agendas, procedures and rules, and community building strategy in a way that will be sustainable through the year and work with one's own teaching style. Self awareness enables the educator to play to their strengths where able but also know what appropriate and achievable challenges look like for them. Knowing yourself as an educator is essential, because when you apply that self-awareness through procedures, rules, and community-building strategies, it encourages students to better understand themselves as well. Students are experts on themselves and teachers should refer to that expertise when making decisions regarding the classroom and the students' education. Milner writes, "Students are the experts of their experiences and should be placed at the center of teaching and learning practices in the classroom. Students are the teachers of their points of view, and teachers should embrace their voices, ways of knowing, and contributions to the classroom environment. Milner et al. (2019)" In a learning community or classroom, it is important for students and teacher to feel comfortable sharing their thoughts so they can work and communicate effectively with others, this is possible through the curation of psychological safety.
Individual student differences and diverse cultures are an important part of a teacher's knowledge base when creating lessons, assigning groups, and largely any process in the classroom. Getting to know each student as an individual means understanding each child has their own personality, interests, background knowledge, needs for support, and culture. It is the teacher's responsibility to provide each child what they need to succeed by considering the unique characteristics of each student. Sonia Nieto writes, "It is not a specific set of strategies to use with students of a particular background but rather a mindset that respects and honors students’ cultures, experiences, and histories and finds ways to include them in the curriculum. Culturally responsive teaching affirms students’ identities and at the same time expands their world; it respects and admires students and their communities and also holds high expectations for them. It means learning about students’ cultural and family practices and values and infusing those practices and values in the curriculum. It means teaching students that their voice is just as important as anybody else’s." As teachers, it is our responsibility to educate ourselves on our students to provide the most supportive, safe, inclusive, and welcoming environment as we can. Students deserve to be valued for the entirety of their identity. As teachers, we should be delighted to learn as much about our students and from our students as we can.
Reggio Emilia
Reggio Emilia
The Reggio Emilia approach is about exploring with children what they see, think, and feel. It encourages them to understand their world in their own way. This allows students to feel empowered and have agency over their education. Learning is flexible and appeals to student interest and what matters most to students in their everyday lives. In my classroom, I would like to embrace Reggio Emilia. This way of teaching children makes learning engaging as it feels relevant to them by answering questions they have about the world. Students learn best through personal, hands-on experience with a concept or subject. Reggio aims to create those experiences in every lesson. The Reggio Emilia approach also emphasizes the importance of longevity and development of knowledge over time through collaborative projects, as well as the importance of the role of the teacher, parents, and environment being supportive and collaborative.
Social-Emotional Learning
Social-Emotional Learning
Julia G. Thompson defines Social Emotional Learning (SEL) as, "Social emotional learning (SEL) is another powerful approach that focuses on the whole child instead of just on academics. Social emotional learning is just what its name implies: learning the emotional skills to handle life and its challenges. For many students, SEL at school enables them to mature and grow through self-awareness and self-regulation." This approach supports student collaboration and is an integral part of teaching the entire child, emphasizing positive and appropriate relationships with others.
Growth Mindset
Growth Mindset
Having a growth mindset as an educator is essential to the wellbeing of any classroom culture. A growth mindset, as opposed to a fixed mindset, is a student's belief that their intelligence on a subject can grow and develop. Stanford University Teaching Commons reports, "Research has shown that when students have a growth mindset, they are more likely to challenge themselves, believe that they can achieve more, and become stronger, more resilient and creative problem solvers. Educators can have an enormous impact on the mindset of their students." As a teacher, having a growth mindset and reminding students about the purpose of making mistakes is deeply impactful to their level of confidence and willingness to learn.
Multi-Tiered System of support
Multi-Tiered System of support
A Multi-tiered system of support works the best if the faculty and staff at a school work together to implement it. Students benefit largely from a team of teachers that collaborate on each student's supports for success. As an art teacher at a high school, I will do my best to encourage teamwork with my colleagues to give my students the best environment for success, growth, and self-confidence possible. The Multi-Tiered System of Support promotes equity in classrooms and enables all students to succeed.
Sources
Milner, H. (2019). Culturally Responsive Classroom Management. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Education. https://oxfordre.com/education/view/10.1093/acrefore/9780190264093.001.0001/acrefore-9780190264093-e-782.
Nieto, S. (2013). Finding Joy in Teaching Students of Diverse Backgrounds: Culturally Responsive and Socially Just Practices in U.S. Classrooms.
University of Michigan-Dearborn. (n.d.). Basic philosophies of Reggio Emilia. Early Childhood Education Center. https://umdearborn.edu/cehhs/centers-institutes/early-childhood-education-center/about-ecec/philosophy/basic-philosophies
Thompson, J. G. (2007). The first-year teacher's survival guide: Ready-to-use strategies, tools & activities for meeting the challenges of each school day. Jossey-Bass.
Stanford Teaching Commons. (n.d.). Growth mindset and enhanced learning. Stanford University. https://teachingcommons.stanford.edu/teaching-guides/foundations-course-design/learning-activities/growth-mindset-and-enhanced-learning
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