John Barker

September 21, 2014

Philosophy of Classroom Management and Discipline

There are many different views and philosophies about how children should be educated, and many people have devoted their lives to studying and researching how children learn. Some of these follow a more traditional teacher led learning approach, and others adhere to a more student led approach. Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately) there is not a “cookie cutter” approach to teaching. Every student, class, and school is different, and I think the specific situation dictates what the most effective philosophy should be, and often this is a mix and combination of what the psychologists and educational philosophers say.

There are two main school of thought about the purpose of education: is educations purpose to teach students information, or to teach children critical thinking skills? I would argue that these are not mutually exclusive, and that both are true, especially in the elementary school years. Children need to learn how to read, write, and do at least basic arithmetic in order to function in modern society. These “three Rs” are essential in any career field, but by third grade most students are adept at the basics of the “three Rs”, so what is the point of grades 4-12? Is the purpose of these grades simply to improve upon the skills acquired in K-3? I believe the answer to the question is both yes and no. Improving upon these skills is definitely important, especially in preparation for certain careers, but why does someone that wants to be a journalist need to know algebra, and why does a student that wants to be a physicist need to read Shakespeare?

One obvious answer to this question is that (especially at the elementary school age) students do not know what they will do in their lives. Another and possibly more important reason for schooling past 3rd grade is that learning and processing harder and more complex information teaches students how to think critically and analytically. I believe that more important than learning facts and specific information, it is important for students to learn critical thinking and learning skills. These skills can and should be included in all subjects.

Education also needs to go beyond the “three Rs”, and I believe the concept that these subjects are more important than any other subject is wrong. All subjects are important and can teach students more than just the basic elements of that subject. Art and music can teach students a great deal about a culture, whether it is their own culture, or one across the planet. Social studies is very important because it teaches students about how governments, economies, and civilizations work. Knowledge of the past is essential to make sense of current world issues and crises. In a democracy it is important for the population of a country to be knowledgeable and informed, and this is why it is very important for students to have an all encompassing education.

I believe it is of the upmost importance for a teacher to promote all of the subjects in his or her classroom.

Teachers must create a classroom where creativity is encouraged, and differentiated instruction is used often. All subjects should be interwoven together, and taught in many different and exciting ways. Art should be used to teach science, music should be used to teach math, reading should be used to teach social studies, and any combination there of. I do not believe that an effective teacher simply stands in front of a class and lectures. A teacher must take the time to access individual students needs, and teach a variety of different lessons that cater to those specific needs. An effective teacher can and should turn mundane tasks into teachable moments. Possibly most important for a teacher to be effective, is that he or she must give his or her students respect. A teacher must create an atmosphere of mutual respect in the classroom. I remember times when I was in school of teachers not showing respect to students. Adults can fall into the trap of looking down on children, and seeing them as somehow less than an adult.

Children recognize when they are not respected, and will act out in class and disrupt the learning environment for others. If a teacher does not respect his or her students, then the students will not respect the teacher, and learning will suffer. If a teacher must discipline a child the punishment should be reasonable and fair. It is important for teachers to not treat students as inferiors, and to give them the same level of respect that would be given to any adult.

How a teacher manages his or her classroom is also very important to enhance students learning. I believe that the teacher should be recognized as the leader of the classroom, but not the dictator. Mutual respect is an important aspect of this. If the classroom has no leader then there will be chaos, and the students will not be productive. If the teacher has total control then creativity will be stifled, and this will damage children's ability to learn. The teacher should act as a guide in the learning process, pushing students in the desired direction, while providing the student with choice on what, and how he or she learns. The teacher is there to encourage and guide students while they explore their academic interests. A classroom should have a balance of teacher to student control. Students should take an active roll in their education, and therefore I believe the degree of control for both teacher and student should be moderate.

There are a few specific philosophies of classroom management that I believe have good ideas. The Non-coercive, Win-Win, and Logical Consequences discipline models are based around the idea that humans have a number of basic needs that must be met in order for a student to behave properly. I agree in part with this. A student will not be able to succeed and learn if his or her needs are not met. The school and the teacher must help to meet students needs, and the classroom environment should be engineered to meet these needs as well. However I do believe the idea that all of a students bad behavior is because certain needs are not met, and is an overs implication of the problem.

I find that the Logical Consequences discipline model aligns most with my beliefs on classroom management. This discipline model supports moderate student and teacher control.

One of Logical Consequences main ideas is to teach students that there are consequences for their behavior. Some consequences are a direct result of the behavior, and some consequences are imposed by the teacher. I believe it is important for students to see and understand why poor behavior is undesirable.

There is not one specific nor perfect philosophy on education. I believe part of what makes teaching so exciting is that there is not any one approach that works for all teachers, schools, and students. What works one year with a group of students may not work the next. I believe what is most important and what must not change is an atmosphere of mutual respect.

Teachers should help facilitate learning, and encourage students to grow and explore. There is much more to teaching than the “three Rs”, and I believe it is the teachers duty to use differentiated instruction to help students learn all subjects.