Classroom management....

From all of the classes I have taught so far and the feedback that I have received from supervising teachers the thing that is almost the most essential thing to have in the classroom is good class control. From this comes many different aspects but it is very important to make sure that you are respected by the students. In order to gain respect it is important that you carry through with instructions and if punishment/consequences are required for actions that are not acceptable that they are fair and just and equitable to everyone in the class.

I am a big fan of the 'hand up' policy that this school has. It requires patience but I am improving in this area. I think that it is important that I not raise my voice when it is not necessary. In fact, I think that it is usually not necessary and often loses the respect of your students. Therefore it is essential to outline your expectations and follow through. For example, if you want hands up for silence and for answering questions then you need to follow through and expect the same behaviour from everyone. Moreover students should not speak while the teacher is speaking and perhaps even more vital is that students should not speak over one another. If noise starts in one corner of the room it can very easily spread very quickly and get out of control. It is important in this situation to remain calm and pull them back to task, this is why I like the hand up policy of silence. Although I am not convinced it will work for older year levels.