Chapter #4

Classroom management is easily the most important aspect in the success of any teacher.  If a teacher is unable to successfully manage their classroom then they have no hope of successfully getting through to their students and getting the most out of them.  Almost all education courses will preach in some form or another just how important effectively managing your classroom is.  There are ways to help improve young teachers’ abilities at doing this, and it begins with setting boundaries for your students and making them feel comfortable.  Students like teachers are nervous on the first day of school.  They are not sure if they are in the right classes at first, there is a new work load coming their way, and they will most likely be having new teachers and they want to know what is going to be expected of them.  It is important that teachers are at their doors to welcome the students in to make them feel comfortable knowing they are in the right place, but it may also be helpful to write your name and class on the bored.  Have assigned seating for the students so the important guess work of where to sit is taken out of the equation.  Make sure that your classroom procedures are prominent showcased in the classroom and that you go over them with the students so that they know what is expected of them.  Chapter four really emphasized the importance of that first day of school, and it is true that the first day really does set the tone for the rest of the school year.  As a teacher I will really focus on making sure that the students feel welcome into my classroom, and that they know was is expected of them and what will happen if they break those expectations.  I also will carefully plan out my days so that the maximum amount of time to learn is achieved.  Most importantly, however, I will make sure to be fair and caring towards my students.  If a student breaks a procedure it is imperative not to immediately overreact on them, but to remind them of what the procedure is.  This also depends on the severity of the procedure being broken, but you will get the most respect out of your students I believe if you show them that you truly care about them and are not just there to be a tyrant in the classroom.