Classroom Management in a Diverse Learning Environment

Knowing your students

When a new student comes to my classroom; because I have a mix of middle and high school, I have to first know their story. I conference with the guidance counselor and then I have an intake process I do with each student. First I give each student a learning style survey. (a link to a sample can be found below) This allows me to know how best the student learns. Knowing what their learning style is helps with classroom management because it lets me know what kind of activities and lessons my students will excel in. Next I will give them a career interest survey. This not only helps in preparation for their future but it gives me a better idea of what they enjoy and what their hobbies may be. Lastly I will let them create their own vision board to put above their desk. Our school can sometimes be a revolving door and if the students feel as though they are part of a community and they are valued, their desire to want to keep peace and order in their space increases.

Connecting to your students

Making connections with my students is the next vital step in creating a managed classroom environment. Every morning we have what we call Morning Message. This is a time where an inspirational quote or video is shown and the students are given time to share about their thoughts on the topic. These topics center around social emotional skills such as: values, respect, expectations, kindness, and working to potential. We also give "shout outs" during this time, students are given the opportunity to recognize their classmates for showing good character and meeting expectations. It could be something as simple as a student sharing that someone shared a cookie with them. This allows me to create a connection with the students and also build on making our classroom a community. What do we know about communities? They generally want to hold each other accountable to have peace and harmony.

Meeting their needs academically

Lastly I ensure classroom management by meeting the students needs academically. Going back to the learning styles and diversity of my classroom. I believe if a student is engaged in content area they understand, and can be successful at they will in essence manage themselves. I have found in my own classroom making sure the student is not over or under challenged is key. I give pre-assessment material before each unit, once I know what they know, I can tailor interactive groups for blended learning instruction. Each student is then able to be in a group where there are students at different levels of proficiency. This allows the students to each get a specific task within that group where they are valued and successful. They also learn from each other in this environment. So my student who is a visual learning may watch a kinesthetic learning demonstrate a skill and learn from that. When it is time for formal assessments the students are able to show me what they have learned and if a student is struggling I then go back and present the content in a different way and give the student a chance to try again.