Brooke Carter

4/23/16

I believe strong behavior management is and important form of management to

have in a classroom. One of the main reasons I want to have good behavior management

in my classroom is because it will help produce an environment where students know

how to behave and treat one another with respect. Students will also understand how

important it is to work together to solve problems and will feel like they are capable of

completing tasks on their own. Every single one of these factors help to create an open

and safe classroom environment. When classrooms have a positive and accepting

environment it results in positive behaviors from students. Having positive behavior

within a classroom makes it an environment where learning can be achieved. Not only

are students able to learn because of the positive classroom environment but they are also

learning what positive behavior is, which is a good life skill for them to learn. In the first

grade positive behavior can have a significant impact on students ability to learn, but

generating positive behavior involves several factors that must work together to help

produce the positive behavior that will allow successful learning to take place.

Students, teachers, and parents all play a significant role in helping students to

achieve positive behavior. Both teachers and parents care about the students and want

them to learn as much as they can while they are in school, so it is imperative that

teachers and parents understand positive behavior is an important factor that can increase

the time spent and quality of learning. Although, I do believe most teachers and parents

understand how important positive behavior is and when they do they become the

foundation for the production of positive behavior. Teachers set rules and guidelines for
the kind of behavior they expect from their students in their classroom, while parents

have their own expectations from their children as students. When students have a

particular kind of behavior expected of them it is then their job to do their best to meet

those expectations.

I believe that teachers and parents need to work together so students understand

exactly how they should behave in the classroom. This also helps establish a cooperative

support system and also who the authority figures are. I think it is important that teachers

and parents make it clear to students that they are in charge and that the students are

expected to respect them. Parent support is very important, in fact, they may play the

most significant role in helping to establish positive behavior in the classroom. When

parents have high expectations for their childrens behavior in school, I think the children

understand their parents communicate with their teacher. This usually will result in the

students attempt to please both teacher and parent because students want both adult

figures to be proud of them and will also want to stay out of trouble. When students want

these things positive behavior in the classroom occurs, which results in a more efficient

classroom. It also helps generate better quality learning. If a parent is not willing or able

to work with the teacher then the teacher would most likely have to spend a little extra

time making sure that student produces positive behavior and understands what it is.

So far I know that when positive behavior is existent in a classroom it allows

more time for teaching, which results in better learning. I also know teachers play a

significant role in helping to establish positive discipline in their classroom so they can

provide their students with the opportunity to learn. My strong attributes that would help

enforce positive behavior in my future classroom consist of being stern and enforcing
rules, but also being understanding and encouraging at the same time. I believe being

stern and enforcing rules allows students to understand that I hold high expectations for

them. However, by also being understanding and encouraging it allows my students to

feel like they are in a safe environment where they can accomplish anything they set their

minds to.

When considering how to enforce positive behavior in my future classroom the

number one thing I always will consider is noise in the classroom. I will not always want

there to be silence but I will not always want there to be noise, it will depend on what we

are doing that day. I like for students to be actively involved in my lessons so I am

constantly asking them questions and for them to help me complete certain problems.

However, when they are doing individual practice or are being assessed I expect the

students to be quiet so everyone can concentrate. Another time I would also enjoy having

noise in my classroom would be during group work because I know they would be

learning important life skill such as communication and teamwork. Another major factor

I believe is important when enforcing positive behavior is making it clear to my students

that I not only expect every student to respect one another, but that I also expect them to

respect me as the teacher. Respect is another important life skill the students will be

learning and it is a major contributor in helping produce an efficient classroom where

positive behavior is present. The best situation for me to be in because of my attributes

would be to have a class full of students who tend to struggle more because I will have

the same high expectations for all of my students and will have complete confidence in

them at the same time.

 Having a clear set of rules and expectations is important in helping to keep a

classroom a positive and an efficiently run environment. I would present my rules and

expectations for my students on the very first day. I would not only establish these rules

and expectations on the very first day of school but I would also make parents aware of

them as well. As a teacher, it is important to me that the parents understand what I am

expecting of their children so there are no misunderstandings. On the first day of school I

would ask my students to share with me what they think are the most important rules for

the classroom. I would write each suggestion on the board and would go home that

evening at type them in very large print and hang them up somewhere in the classroom.

In addition to this, I would also have several other rules and expectations hung up around

the classroom. For example, having respect and how it is ok to be wrong but it is not ok

to not try. I would also discuss my rules and expectations with my students and would

send a letter home to parents so they are informed as well. As I discuss the rules of the

classroom and the expectations I have with my students I will be stern so they understand

that these things are very important.

In an effort to prevent misbehavior and promote positive behavior in my

classroom I would do several things. One of the most important things I can do in my

classroom is to model positive behavior in front of my students every chance I get. I

believe when students see their teacher carrying out positive behavior they are more

likely to reenact what they have seen when the time comes. I would also attempt to do

teambuilding activities with my students every chance I receive. Teambuilding activities

allow students to get comfortable with one another, which can result in creating a

peaceful and safe community within the classroom. Another thing I would do to prevent
further misbehavior is to immediately stop a student when they are misbehaving and

discuss have a discussion with them about their actions. I would also discipline that

student in a way that I see fit. If a teacher has the opportunity to identify and stop

misbehavior from the very beginning I think it can help decrease the chance of that

students misbehaving again. As a teacher I would also always remind my students to

have positive behavior in the classroom by supporting and respecting one another. A

specific time when I would remind my students to carry out positive behavior is when

they are doing group work because they will need to remember those things in order to

work together as a group.

Despite my best effort some students misbehave and I would respond to this

through some sort of discipline depending on what my school would allow. Not only

would I use a form of discipline but I would also use some type of reward system. I think

implementing a reward system is a good way to motivate students to carry out positive

behavior in the classroom. However, using a reward system is not completely beneficial

to the student, and it is important for teachers to recognize this so they do not overuse

reward systems. Alfie Kohn says, rewards simply do not work to promote lasting

behavior change or to enhance performance and I agree with him completely (Kohn,

1999). I like how the reward system works because it helps to keep the classroom

running smoothly but it does not benefit students in the long run. I plan on using a

reward system that does not supplement performance improvement. In working to

prevent misbehavior in my classroom I also find Linda Alberts three Cs to be useful.

The three Cs are capable, connected, and contributing. These factors play a significant

role in helping to prevent misbehavior (Charles & Senter, 2005). When the three Cs are
present they help to reduce misbehavior by encouraging positive behavior because

students will feel confident, will want to do well and will want to contribute to the

classroom community. Having a form of discipline, a reward system, and incorporating

the three Cs to make students feel valued helps to create a classroom where positive

behavior can exist.

 Works Cited

Charles, C. M., & Senter, G. W. (2005). Building Classroom Discipline (8th ed.). Boston:

Pearson.

Kohn, A. (1993). Punished by rewards: The trouble with gold stars, incentive plans, A's,

praise, and other bribes. New York: Houghton Mifflin.