Self-Reflection on Positive Learning

Part A:  Positive Learning Framework Philosophy (700 words)

My philosophy regarding classroom management is ensuring that as an educator, I provide a safe and welcoming classroom that is engaging and fulfils students with encouragement to provide constructive participation (McDonald 2019). Constructive participation builds courage within students, essentially creating a classroom of self-disciplined students (McDonald 2019). I believe it is important to connect with students.  As educators, we are essentially building trust with students to reinforce an environment that creates a sense of belonging (Brendtro, Brokenleg & Van Bockern, 2004).

My role as a teacher in the classroom is first to create a safe and welcoming classroom.  Students have a need to feel significant, this results as feeling appreciated and accepted (Alder 1937). As an educator, I believe that by greeting students with a smile before class begins and talking to them about their life outside of school, I can create a bond and level of trust that reinforces my role as a teacher, being that the student feels safe and accountable in my learning space (McDonald 2019).

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I want to base my lesson plans around the instructional management model by Jacob Kounin (McDonald 2019).  I believe this mixed teaching approach will allow me to effectively create clear and organised lesson plans where expectations are outlined (McDonald 2019).  Kounin’s (1970) theory would allow me as a teacher, to constantly keep a high level of ‘Whithitness’, meaning I would be constantly aware of my surroundings and always keep my students within  eyesight (McDonald 2019).  On the first lesson of the year, my lesson plan must have clear expectations, clear transitions, completed content and encourage students to be engaged at all times (McDonald 44).

I believe that teachers should recognise that students flourish in caring and supportive environments (Brondenbrenner 2005). I believe implementing Bronfenbrenner’s (2005) ideas into my classroom management theory to help me create an environment that reinforces feelings of mastery, belonging and student success (McDonald 2019).  If my classroom layout is evenly spread and desks are not too close together, this can help create a positive working youth environment (McDonald 2019).  In focusing on using a democratic approach in regards to the amount of coercion I use as a teacher, I believe that I could guide my students into building upon their strengths (McDonald 2019).  I could simply implement this by giving my students opportunities to find the correct answers when asking questions in class by either helping them out directly or using the broader classroom community to actively contribute to helping their peers (McDonald 2019).

In using Glassers (2005) choice theory to reinforce my lesson plan, I would be giving my students some degree of choice in building up their skills of independency and mastery strengths (McDonald 2019).  The significance in using Glasser (2005) choice theory in the classroom is that coercion from the teacher becomes lessened, essentially aspiring further democratic systems in the classroom rather than autocratic teaching systems (McDonald 2019). I believe that a teacher, cannot forcefully make the student behave through punishment and rewards, thus I believe establishing positive teacher student relationships will guide the students into making positive behavioural choices (McDonald 2019).

My positive learning framework aims to incorporate models and theories from a range of theorist, as I believe their needs to be a diverse mixture in teaching styles to create a classroom full of interactive and engaged students (McDonald 2019).  I believe the role of a teacher is to provide a safe and engaging classroom. I also believe that a teacher is responsible for each and every students education (McDonald 2019).  I see in myself that I could fulfil this role of being a effective teacher by guiding my students to the realisation that education and obedience can, and will, have a strong positive impact on their lives (Charles 2013). I believe I can achieve this through creating engaging relationships and vibrant and pertinent learning skills that result in my students representing high levels of mastery and success (Charles 2013).

Part B: Classroom Management Theory (300 words)

Identify a classroom management model/theory that best aligns with your philosophy.

Describe the key points of this model/theory.

Explain how the theory aligns with your philosophy.

As a teacher, one of my classroom management philosophies would be providing a safe and accepting environment where each of my students could experience the feeling of success (Charles 2013).  I want to establish a democratic classroom where students also feel accountable for their behaviours (McDonald 2019.    Glassers’ (2005) choice theory identifies that students’ behaviour is a result of their essential five needs and whether they are being accounted for or not and they are as follows:

Survival – the basic need that must be met before a student is willing to learn anything and includes water food and shelter (Charles 2013).  As a teacher, making sure I have the potential to provide food and water to my students if they require either is of importance to me (Charles 2013).

Belonging – the connection students have between each other and myself as a teacher.  As a teacher I want to ensure that each of my students feel like a valued part of the classroom community.  To ensure this, I will create opportunities for collaborative learning allowing students to create bonds with each other (Charles 2013.

The degree of choice – students must be given the opportunity to make their own choices and take accountability for these choices (McDonald 2019).   As a teacher I believe I can give my students a voice by asking for feedback or by giving students choices in how they complete assignment’s (Charles 2019).  For example, giving my students a research question and letting them decide the format they want to respond in, such as an essay, report or presentation.

Empowerment – I believe, like Glasser, that students want to feel as if they are of worth and that their choices make a difference (Charles 2013). I believe I can empower my students by using collaborative activities where each student has the opportunity to be a group leader.  I will also encourage meaningful use of technology to generate the feeling of mastery for my students (Charles 2013). 

Enjoyment – bored students act out (McDonald 2019).  Students need to every once in a while have fun to keep engaged.  As I teacher, I believe it will be my responsibility to make each learning area enjoyable by playing games, employing collaborative learning and using technology, as I believe it will make students look forward to coming to my class (Charles 2013). 

As a teacher, if I do not meet the needs of my students, I believe it will create a dysfunctional classroom.  If I can use the fundamentals of Glasser’[s theory I believe I can meet the needs of my students, reflecting an interactive, safe, belonging and accountable classroom (Charles 2013).

Part C: Positive Learning Framework Preventative Strategies (500 words)

Describe the Positive Learning Framework preventative strategies you would use in your learning environment and the reasons for using these for each of the following:

My personal classroom prevention philosophy aims to ensure that my students basic needs are met (McDonald 2019). Abraham Maslow (1943) elaborates that students have basic needs that need to be cared for and that once these needs are not met, students become distracted and misbehave (Mcdonald 2019).  At the start of the year, I would use prevention strategies to outline the classroom rules and allow my students to have their say in what rules they think are necessary (McDonald 2019). This would allow me to connect with my students, giving them a degree of choice and accountability for their actions. Before the class begins, in order to politely gain the attention of my students I would use a ‘Cue to start’, which can be as simple as me standing in front of the class (McDonald 2019). If my non verbal cue fails to be attentive, I would use a verbal cue, such as ‘Thank you guys’ (McDonald 2019). For more moderate behaviours and disengaged students, I would use a more collaborative approach, such as circle time, conferencing, student learning games such as ‘Hangman’ and offering choice that reinforces my students to take accountability for their actions (Macdonald 2019).    Theorists Brendtro and Shahbazian (2004) reinstate that positive emotional bonds help you make connections with your students.

I believe to be an effective teacher, that it is essential for classrooms to have articulated rules and procedures (McDonald 2019).  In developing classroom rules and a code of conduct, I believe this will assist in guiding student behaviours (Porter 2004).  The positive learning framework prevention strategies during the lesson outline the importance of involving students into teachings via digital technologies and promoting student success (McDonald 2019).  Theorist Louis Porter (2004), reinforces the importance of these attributes by insisting that teachers should raise children by teaching them the importance of consideration for others and to think about their actions.  These classroom rules and procedures would be aimed at preventing low level behaviours such as classroom interruptions, student dis-engagement and passing notes (Macdonald 2019).

I believe one way to prevent a student’s misbehaviour and enhance their learning experience, is to involve their parents in the student’s education. I mainly come to this assumption because I believe parents have a great understanding of their children and the way they learn, listen and behave normally (McDonald 2019). I believe I can prevent a child from misbehaving by getting in touch with their parents and making sure there are no external factors that might lead to a child’s miss-behaviour (MacDonald 2019).   Other strategies for forming a raptor with parents are parent teacher meeting where I would inform the parents of my teaching techniques and how these might impact their children (McDonald 2019).

 Part D: Positive Learning Framework Corrective Strategies (300 words)

Describe the Positive Learning Framework corrective strategies you would use in your learning environment and the reasons for using them.

Consequences to misbehaviour must help the student develop self-discipline and work in the best interest of the student (McDonald 2019).  In the classroom environment, I aim to use non-verbal gestures, direct eye contact and signals contesting low level behaviours without further disrupting the class (McDonald 2019). I believe using a low level response would allow for minimal to no disruption to the lesson (McDonald 2019). In using tactical ignoring, redirections and gestures, students are encouraged to develop into mature learners thus why I believe theorist such as Feiberg included these tactics in his model.  Feiberg’s model (1996) aims to turn students into active contributors within the classroom by giving students an opportunity to practise leadership and in turn making them more self-reliant and self-disciplined (McDonald 2019).   I would use these low level responses to keep the flow of my lessons running and to keep the level of engagement consistent without distracting the learning of other students. 

For moderate behaviours, I would discipline students’ misbehaviour during the transitional periods of the lesson (McDonald 2019).  I believe one way to combat these behaviours is to use the movement sequence developed by Bennet and Smilanich (1994). This theory would help me guide student behaviours and reduce moderate misbehaviours (McDonald 2019). This theory in practise, will see me using a statement asking students to move such as ‘collect your books’, ‘move to your seats’ and other guided actions. This model would also allow me to tell students what I expect of them, the direction I expect my students to move in whilst most importantly allowing me to provide specific and positive feedback (McDonald 2019).

References

• Bennett, B., & Smilanich, P. (1994). Classroom management: A thinking and caring approach. Edmonton, AB: Perceptions.
• Brendtro, L. K., Brokenleg, M., & Van Bockern, S. (2014). Environments where children thrive: The circle of courage model. Reclaiming Children and Youth, 23(3), 10-15. Retrieved from https://search-proquest-com.dbgw.lis.curtin.edu.au/docview/1629026111?accountid=10382.
• Brendtro, L. & Shahbazian, M. (2004). Troubled Children and Youth: Turning Problems into Opportunities. Illinois, USA: Research Press.
• Bronfenbrenner, U. (2005). Making Human Beings Human: Bioecological Perspectives on Human Development. Thousand Oaks, California: Sage Publications.
• Charles, C. (2013). Building classroom discipline (11th ed., pp. 184-200). Pearson.
• McDonald, T. (2019). Classroom management ebook : Engaging students in learning. Retrieved from https://ebookcentral.proquest.com.
• Porter, L. (2007). Student behaviour: Theory and practice for teacher (3rd ed.). Sydney: Allen & Unwin.