A Classroom Management Model Bryce Pounds PSY 372: Educational Psychology Harold Fisher December 13, 2009 A Classroom Management Model As a teacher I must supply each student with a positive learning environment. To do this, I must generate a classroom management model that not only exhibits control of the classroom, but manages the room in a fun way that gives the kids a connection to something in their lives. Also, giving students a voice in what rules are upheld in the classroom, with a little guidance, of course, would be best for them.

My plan is to set my room up with four tables of desks one for each of the houses at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry from the Harry Potter series. In the back of my classroom there would be eight large clear glass jars, two for each table. One jar would be empty the other would be filled with marbles that correlate to the house colors in the novel series. The houses are: Gryffindor, marked by red and gold marbles; Ravenclaw, marked by blue and bronze marbles; Hufflepuff, marked by yellow and black marbles; and finally, Slytherin, marked by green and silver marbles.

Of course, finding marbles that are exactly these colors may be difficult; in that case, I would stick with the first color of each pair. How the house system works is key to its success. When a student from one house, for example, Hufflepuff, is ready for the day with their pencils sharpened, their agenda on their desk and is sitting either doing their morning work or silently reading, they would earn a house point, or a marble, for their table. As homework is handed in, each student earns a point for their house. In the books, the professors remove house points from a student’s house if they misbehaved or got something incorrect.

I, however, like to remain on the positive and would not remove house points from the group as a whole unless the whole group was not following instructions. Even then, I would shy away from removing points in order to remain on the positive. In my experience in schools, once the negative has been breached, the students have a hard time dealing with the corrections in behavior. Many people will say that you have to accommodate each student in a classroom and that all students are not the same. I agree, however, one look at the house point system and there is not a lot of individuality involved because of the group’s hand in earning points.

The house point system is just part of the whole. The teacher is responsible for knowing how each student learns and adjusts in the classroom. My plan is to provide to as many of the multiple intelligences as possible in the set up of my classroom. Within the realm of a Harry Potter theme, posters and props make a world of difference. In regards to classroom rules, the students should feel that they have the most say in the development of these behavioral standards. At the start of the school year after the students are sorted, I would lead the students in writing a classroom list of laws.

As the teacher, I would be responsible in steering these laws in the right direction. Once the classroom’s laws are written, I would make a poster of them which each student would sign in the color of their house. When it is time for the students to focus, I will use a key word the starts a phrase from the Harry Potter series. For instance when I say the word “petrificus” the students would respond with the word “totalus” (for the record, petrificus totalus is a spell used widely in the series) and then they would be focused on me ready to learn.

Once I know I have their attention, I’ll explain precisely what I will be teaching them. This way there are no surprises and the students know what the outcome of the lesson is. After relaying the preliminary lesson, giving the students a chance to practice the new skill is crucial to the learning process. At this point, it is important to circulate and monitor each student’s progress providing one on one assistance as needed. Teaching my example is another important point to make. If I want students to walk on the right hand side of the hall with their hands to themselves, I should do the same.

If I want them to speak softly, I should do the same. Finally, following through is the most important of all tips to remember. If I tell a student that they will end up staying in for recess because they do not pay attention in class, I have to keep them in if they continue the unwanted behavior. In conclusion, while trying to provide a safe and stimulating learning environment, it is important to tailor the decor and management techniques to the students you are teaching. My technique would not work in a classroom of high school or older middle school aged students.

It would work with classrooms in the third through sixth grades. Remembering that each student is an individual and that they learn and behave differently from one another is crucial as is following through with plans whether they be lesson plans or behavioral plans. References Churcward, B. (2009) Discipline by Design. Ret. December 11, 2009 from http://www. honorlevel. com/x47. xml Rowling, J. K. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Scholastic, 1997. Santrock, J. W. (2009). Educational Psychology (4th ed. ). Boston: McGraw-Hill Higher Education.