Classroom Management Plan
A key element of any classroom is the management, routines and expectations that make up its environment. Classroom environment affects learners in so many different ways, from motivating them to learn to helping to minimize disruptions and behavioral issues before they begin. An ideal art room should be a place that students want to be, and where they feel safe. Because the art room is a place for creativity, it is important that students feel that they are free to inquire, express, and to take risks. Challenge, exploration, and discovery are integral to student learning, and unless a classroom environment is both physically and emotionally safe for students, that kind of learning cannot occur.
An emotionally supportive classroom environment is particularly important to motivating students. A successful and effective classroom is a classroom that students are excited and somewhere they in which they want to be. Students who are comfortable, and motivated are far less likely to have or create issues, which helps to continue an overall positive atmosphere in the classroom. I believe in positive reinforcement to achieve motivation, particularly in the art room.
One way to build a safe and positive classroom is to give students the responsibility of helping to create their own classroom rules and expectations. It is important to have clear guidelines that are easy to remember and are based on what students believe to be important. Positively worded expectations instead of negative “you do nots” focus on what students are capable of, not what they are forbidden from. It gives students something to live up to, without leaving room for students to do otherwise. In addition, having students be a part of the process gives them responsibility for those expectations, similar to Discipline with Dignity. I think that ownership and responsibility is key to creating expectations that students will be willing to live up to.
Even with these positive expectations, there will always be issues. Thus, consequences are required to back up those expectations. Allowing students to help in constructing consequences continues their ownership and responsibility within behavioral processes. It is important to consistently follow through with those consequences, both for the sake of fairness and to give the expectations a backbone. Consequences range from simply reprimanding a student with a warning, to taking some time away from class, either in the office or in guidance, to cool off. It is important, no matter what the issue is, to debrief and discuss with students what happened, so that consequences are never misunderstood. All situations should be handled calmly, and begin with simply talking with and trying to understand, but if a situation begins to threaten the safety of other students, it must be dealt with immediately.
I believe that a successful classroom is built on positivity and expectations of student potential, with student involvement to create responsibility and motivation.
An emotionally supportive classroom environment is particularly important to motivating students. A successful and effective classroom is a classroom that students are excited and somewhere they in which they want to be. Students who are comfortable, and motivated are far less likely to have or create issues, which helps to continue an overall positive atmosphere in the classroom. I believe in positive reinforcement to achieve motivation, particularly in the art room.
One way to build a safe and positive classroom is to give students the responsibility of helping to create their own classroom rules and expectations. It is important to have clear guidelines that are easy to remember and are based on what students believe to be important. Positively worded expectations instead of negative “you do nots” focus on what students are capable of, not what they are forbidden from. It gives students something to live up to, without leaving room for students to do otherwise. In addition, having students be a part of the process gives them responsibility for those expectations, similar to Discipline with Dignity. I think that ownership and responsibility is key to creating expectations that students will be willing to live up to.
Even with these positive expectations, there will always be issues. Thus, consequences are required to back up those expectations. Allowing students to help in constructing consequences continues their ownership and responsibility within behavioral processes. It is important to consistently follow through with those consequences, both for the sake of fairness and to give the expectations a backbone. Consequences range from simply reprimanding a student with a warning, to taking some time away from class, either in the office or in guidance, to cool off. It is important, no matter what the issue is, to debrief and discuss with students what happened, so that consequences are never misunderstood. All situations should be handled calmly, and begin with simply talking with and trying to understand, but if a situation begins to threaten the safety of other students, it must be dealt with immediately.
I believe that a successful classroom is built on positivity and expectations of student potential, with student involvement to create responsibility and motivation.