Behavior management-How to get them under control?

Classroom Behavior Management-How to get them under control?

In today’s class we covered different ways to approach classroom management. There were the reactive and proactive approaches to student behavior. I was very glad to learn about all of these tactics for my future classrooms. What I was happier about was that I had already heard of or knew of most of the ideas. It made me feel secure that these strategies were all backed by research and proved to work.

I really believe that a proactive approach is necessary in the classroom. A teacher has to be prepared to handle all situations and must present him or herself in a positive and comfortable way. If the teacher is insecure or unsure of what to do, then they’re giving the students opportunities to completely take over the classroom. One of my college professors told me that even if we don’t have everything prepared or feel too confident, we need to convince the students that we have our act together. He made an excellent point saying that regardless of how we really feel, it all depends on our students’ perception is of us. The instructor should present himself as an authority to be respected. The classroom should look like a democracy and the students should feel that way, yet it is really the teacher who is presenting the environment to be that way, when in reality it is basically a dictatorship.

It’s not bad that it’s a dictatorship as long as the teacher maintains the mutual respect of all students in the classroom. It really is about the student’s perception of the teacher. As long as the teacher keeps up the act, the students will likely continue to respect authority. Now, I’m not saying that a teacher does not have to do any work, but if they keep up with everything that they need to, then they should have no problem getting the students to see the teacher’s organization skills and the work the teacher has put into the class. Maybe even through this will students be more motivated to try harder in their class work.
-A.L.


Even before this class, I have thought about how I would handle discipline in my classroom. Discipline is one of the things that I worry about most. I am afraid that during my first year of teaching, it will be difficult for me to be assertive with my students. After all, I’ll only be a few years older than them when I first begin teaching.

To help my confidence, I have come up with a discipline plan I feel is fair for my students. It also includes consequences for breaking the rules; but instead of calling them consequences, I will tell my students “This is what will happen should you choose to break a rule.” Using this terminology will make the students responsible for their own actions.

After today’s class, my idea that rules should be discussed and practiced on the first day of school was confirmed. One of the first things I plan on doing in my class is going over the rules and procedures the students will follow everyday. To help them feel even more ownership for their behavior, we will create the classroom rules together. I won’t allow them to make up the rules completely by themselves; I will guide them to the rules I would like to have implemented. It is sneaky, but I think this is a good way for me to get what I want for them and for them to feel a sense of ownership as far as the rules are concerned. I will also have the students practice the various procedures that will become part of the classroom routine. That way, they will know what to expect.

I am most worried about losing control of my class, the same way Lisa did in the skit we did during class. I don’t think it will ever be that bad, but I don’t want to lose control at all. I will have to work and be creative to avoid this situation.(Ruben Rincon, Jr.)


Today in class our discussion was over behavior management which I think is one of the most interesting topics. I think its one of the most interesting topics because this is definitely something that we will have to deal with especially being new teachers. Students will know that we are new teachers and they will try to test us to see what kind of teachers we are and what we will let them get away with. It is important that we learn how to show the students that we are in control of the class room and that they have to obey our rules.

I worked at a middle school this past year and I met two teachers that had been working for less than two years and they told me that they had already had enough and that they were going to look for another profession. One of them had worked as a paraprofessional for two years before becoming a teacher and she said that she could not control the kids. She thought that it was going to be easier since she had already worked there but said that she liked it better when she was not the actual teacher. I think that is a perfect example of why we need to really prepare ourselves for the type of environment that we are going into.

I also want to say that I really enjoyed the mini acting lessons today. Many people were laughing but it needs to be realized that these were things that do go on in classrooms and we need to prepare for them. I think they were good eye openers for people who have never experienced this type of behavior in a classroom. (Crespin Gonzalez, June 24, 2008)

Other than that I thought class was really fun today. These skits that we do are hilarious. We talked about behavior management. We discussed strategies in certain situations. I see myself as an authoritative teacher. I would like it to be mutual. I want to understand my students and I want them to understand me. I believe that just how they can learn from me I can learn something new from them as well. I highly doubt that I would be a permissive teacher. I would not let the students walk all over me, most of all because I care and I want them to get an education. I spoke of one of the teachers I had in high school today in class. He just didn’t care. I knew it. When he got in trouble for doing what he did just proved to me I was right. Although, at the time I thought it was cool because I got away with it, when I really think about it, I didn’t benefit from it at all because I lost out on important information.

I think that my first year in teaching will be the one where I have to prove myself. Everyone will know that it is my first time, and I think the students will try to get away with things. I am a very passive person, but I can also be strict. I bet my first year is going to be the year that I will be going home crying and talking to whoever is at home about all my problems. I know it. Ha-ha.

When we did our little skits, I was hoping I would not get called out when Dr. Denting Boyanton was going to call out someone’s name. I hid behind Eleazar. But I still got called out. I tried to be like Dr. Dengting Boyanton because I think she is a very good teacher. She tries to grab our attention at all times. She put dud in groups to get our peers perspectives I think so we can understand a little more and also to wake us up a little. (Vanessa A. Lopez)

My classroom management plan is to have my student involved in the classroom rules process. The students will help me create a set a rules that they will create and feel they have ownership over the rules and will feel more inclined to keep with the rules. Also the final phrasing for the rules will be done by me. I will make sure that I stick to the rules and consistently let remind my students about the rules and I will practice with them to make sure that they fully understand every rule. Also I will create a classroom routine for my students to make sure they begin to get into a rhythm and come to a point where the students could run the class if I wasn’t there for some reason. One more plan I have is to make sure I am well prepared for my lessons because if you have a lot of wasted time the students get bored and that is when discipline problems start.

I think that some of the challenges I will face are going to be kids bullying one another or fighting. I really hope that my lessons are going to be engaging enough to where the students will not have time to have discipline problems because they are having too much fun in my class. I think as long as I respect my students I hope they will respect me. I am someone who plans ahead and thinks about the future, with kids you can’t always know what to expect, but I think I can relate to the kids enough to where they will be eager to learn because I am eager to teach. (Luis A. Carmona, June 25, 2008)