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Being a high school teacher I consider classroom management a fundamental aspect of teaching. Once you get your classroom management strategies together you will find that teaching is a pleasure and your students will excel at learning. Classroom management creates a set of expectations used in an organized classroom environment, which paves the way for the teacher to engage the students in learning. The most important factor to achieve good classroom management is setting rules to let students know what to expect and understand the educational tasks better. First and foremost, students must follow the “To be respectful” rule in the class. Using appropriate words and show politeness to express their positive attitude. Paying attention to what others are saying, so that they can understand the lesson or another individual’s point of view to deliver adequate answers to questions. Being on time, turning off phones or not talking over others is required as well. Furthermore, students have to follow “We are safe” rule. The idea of being safe includes physical and emotional safety. Some specific issues that this rule covers includes: no hitting, no pushing, no fighting and no bullying, because these actions might bring harm to others and cause serious consequences. It also means handling classroom facilities and equipment carefully like chairs, scissors and safety procedures such as fire drill, lockdowns, for example. Moreover, my students are required to obey rule “We work hard and try our best”. Some notable requirements needed mentioned in this rule are being well-prepared when attending the lesson, being enthusiastic with class work and homework as well as organizing studying plan or projects. The second factor required to improve good classroom management is to love the students, stand firmly against behavior that doesn't meet teachers’ expectations, and develop their potential abilities. By loving our students unconditionally, we remind them of their true worth. Our students know how we feel about them. Even if we don't say that we do not like them, they will know it. And then that student is justified in resenting us, for we have failed to see the beauty that exists within them. I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. One more crucial factor contributing to the success of classroom management is to assume the best in our students. If a student chose not to meet one of my classroom expectations, they needed to know that I loved them but not their misbehavior. For instance, I gave one student a verbal warning for whispering to another student. I told him, “I know you were probably helping your friend, but you shouldn’t talk during the lecture, so that's your warning. Go back to your seat and silently start your work." By assuming that he was trying to do the right thing, I affirmed that he wanted to meet the expectations. Flatly assuming and exposing his whispering as a chance to gossip is not a good option at all. Last but not least, I regard praising students for what they do well as positive thing. Praising can encourage students in many positive ways - like helping them pay more attention to details and encouraging them to try harder. Another important component of effective praising is that it's spontaneous and focused on the student's accomplishments. Being praised helps students push their limits. They will not withdraw the effort and hard work but move forward with more commitment to overcome the obstacles. Effective praise focuses on a student’s effort rather than on what is actually accomplished. When I give genuine praise that is specific, spontaneous and well-deserved, it encourages continuous learning and increases competition among my students. In my classes, I often try to praise than criticize to create positive environment because praise is a powerful motivating tool as it allows the teacher to selectively encourage different aspects of students’ production or output. For example, the teacher may use praise to boost the student's performance, praising effort, accuracy, or speed on an assignment. In conclusion, effective classroom management takes time and hard work, because not every student will respond positively to your ideas. However, through commitment and consistency you can cultivate a stimulating working atmosphere where students respect one another and learn efficiently.
