IA Teaching Standard 6
DEMONSTRATES COMPETENCE IN CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT.
The teacher:
a. Creates a learning community that encourages positive social interaction, active engagement, and self-regulation for every student.
b. Establishes, communicates, models and maintains standards of responsible student behavior.
c. Develops and implements classroom procedures and routines that support high expectations for learning.
d. Uses instructional time effectively to maximize student achievement.
e. Creates a safe and purposeful learning environment.
I started out my teaching career doing individual work with students in very close quarters. As I have gotten more kids and gained large classroom experience, I have grown only to feel more passionately about the issue of respect as it relates to your personal relationship with kids, their reactions to you as a teacher, their reactions to classmates, their expectations of themselves and others, and their level of success. I have personally experienced students excelling with me and not with other teachers, and the one key factor in those situations has been respect or the lack thereof. Therefore, I feel it all directly relates to the respect the teacher has for and expects from the students.
On this page are various pictures and Tweets of my classroom; my students, as they are actively interacting with each other in their learning; and myself engaging with my students through dress, props, visuals, and one-on-one conferencing. These show that kindness, respect, and engaging interaction are the basis of my classroom management each day.Â
Another way I not only show but foster respect in my classroom is to always focus on what the student CAN do rather than what they can't do or aren't doing. Not only does that help my attitude about the students (and thus their classmates) be more positive, but it will also be an encourager to the individual student to look at the best about him/herself instead of the worst that is so often pointed out in today's world.
