The Research

Maintaining positive student behavior is important to keep the atmosphere of the classroom at a positive level, but there will be times when problems occur. The effective teacher knows how to handle the problems in a safe, efficient way to keep the flow of the classroom moving and the students focused. This begins with the attitude and demeanor of the teacher. Wong and Wong writes, “I am a good teacher, and I am proud that I am a professional educator” (Wong and Wong, 38). The attitude of the teacher will affect everything that happens in the classroom. If the teacher is proud and excited about what they do, they will portray that to the students and the students will feed off of that. It is the teacher’s job to get the students excited to learn and having a positive attitude will go a long way. If the students are excited and wanting to learn, their behavior will reflect that.

While it is true that the self-fulfilling prophesy has a major effect on student behavior, “students choose their behavior” (Albert, 7). So many factors will affect their behavior: home life, friends, environment, etc. Linda Albert writes, “Determining exactly what students expect from us and what we expect from students is the key to creating positive classroom behavior” (Albert, 3). Besides all of the factors, the teacher is in control of the classroom. During the first days of school, the teacher portrays what they expect from each one of their students, and an effective teacher will give the students some choice in how the classroom is run. It is a give-and-take relationship between the teacher and students, so establishing a good relationship from the beginning will go a long way.

At some point, discipline is going to be necessary in the classroom. An effective and empowering teacher knows that when a problem does occur, they will be there to help the students look at their behavior, the results, and what they could do next time. The principles of an empowering discipline plan are: “The student will learn from his/her mistakes, take ownership of the problem, be forced to make a decision, solve the problem so it doesn’t make a problem for others, be dealt with on an individual basis, and the students’ respect and self-esteem will stay intact” (32). Here the student must take responsibility for their actions. They need to think about what they did, the outcome and what they need to change for next time. The student then has to think for themselves how to solve the problem, and they will grow from these experiences.

“Setting limits is a perfect opportunity to involve students in their own management,” says Robert Marzano (40). Talking about the negative behaviors and discussing with the students the expectations of the classroom will give them the opportunity to let them feel involved. It is important for the students to be involved because the students should feel like they have at least some control over their lives. Fair limitations need to be set, but students will be more inclined to follow the rules if they are able to have a part in making them.

• Albert, Linda. A Teacher’s Guide to Cooperative Discipline: How to Manage Your Classroom and Promote Self-Esteem. Circle Pines, MI: American Guidance Services Publishing. 1996. Print.
• Geddes, Betsy. Workshop. Discipline that Builds Self-Discipline. Clifton, NY. 2002.
• Marzano, Robert J. Classroom Management that Works: Research Based Strategies for Every Teacher. Alexandria, VA: ASCD, 2003. Print.
• Wong, Harry K., and Rosemary T. Wong. The First Days of School: How to be an Effective Teacher. 4th ed. Mountain View, CA: Harry K. Wong Publications, Inc., 2009. Print.

My pre-practicum placement is in a primary classroom in an elementary school and attached is my focused observation journal entry 

 maintaining positive student behavior, disciplinary interventions.docx

My Classroom

In my classroom, I want my students to be able to have a positive behavior and learn how to work through their problems. Through the research that I have done and observing in my pre-practicum, I believe that it is so important for the teacher to have a positive attitude and to be enthusiastic about what they are teaching. The students are looking for someone to keep order in the classroom and they look up to the teacher for direction. If the teacher enjoys what they are doing, they will pass that enthusiasm onto the students and the students will be excited and willing to learn as well.

There are three "Cs" for helping to achieve a classroom where students can feel part of the classroom:

• Connected
• Capable
• Contributing

Students need to feel like they are part of a bigger picture and that they have a place in the classroom. In my classroom, I will give each of my students jobs that they can do around the classroom to help me. I believe this is important to the students because they will feel special. From what I have observed in my pre-practicum, the students really love to be able to do their jobs (putting the counting blocks away, flipping around the calendar, etc.). Connecting the students' lives to what they are learning will also help them to be more interested in what they are learning. Students always love when the teacher can remember something they did a few months ago or can tie in their likes to make it relevant for them. As a teacher, I need to make sure that each one of my students feels like they are capable of doing anything they put their minds to through scaffolding or on their own.

When discipline is necessary, I believe that the best strategy is to help students take responsibility and learn from their mistakes. I am not there to condemn them or make a spectacle of them, but I do want to help them grow and learn how to handle a problem when they come along. I also think that allowing the students to have a say in some of the procedures will motivate the students to want to follow them. They will be able to help create them and they will feel more of an obligation to each other and the teacher to live according to the guidelines.

Rules and procedures are there for the students. They want and need the structure of an organized classroom to be able to feel safe and confident in everything they are doing. I will work to do everything I can to make sure my students feel capable, connected and contributing. Positive behavior starts at an individual level and I will set that example for my students.