My personal belief for managing a classroom is that it should be student centered, promoting curiosity and affection for learning. As a teacher I hope to build strong and active relationships with my students, instilling in them a desire to want to pursue their own educations continuously. It is my hope to instill both hard work and a passion for learning in each one of my students. Particularly, I believe that hands-on activities give students the opportunity to evaluate, ask questions, and make their own conclusions. Even more important, I consider children to learn better when in a safe and trusting atmosphere. The classroom environment needs to not only to be welcoming, supportive, and caring, but also built on mutual respect and understanding. Every student needs to be acknowledged and made to feel important in the classroom. Students should be able to come into the classroom knowing that their ideas, thoughts, and suggestions will be accepted without judgment or criticism. Students also learn from their interactions and experiences with others; therefore it is important to provide young children with as many positive experiences as possible.

It is also my belief that by nature humans have a tendency to be both altruistic and selfish, both good and bad. However, an individual’s personal being is ultimately shaped by many outside factors and interactions: parental influence and upbringing, environment, and social circumstances. Nevertheless, it appears that despite the affects of certain outside influences, young children are more likely to be caring, sensitive, and empathetic towards others. Above all, young children, particularly elementary school students, have the ability to learn and attain a great deal of information. In this way their minds are like sponges: ready to absorb all the knowledge that is presented to them. However, as a teacher it is extremely important to note that all children learn at a different rate and level. Teachers need to be sensitive to the learning needs and capacity of every student in their classroom. Just as it is important to provide a plethora of essential knowledge for students, it is also vital not to overwhelm them with too much too soon.

In addition, I am supportive of a democratic classroom in which students are allowed to actively participate in the decision making and management of the classroom. I feel that teachers along with their students need to establish a contact which outlines the rules and policies for the classroom. (However, it is important to establish rules at the beginning of the year so that students know right from the start what it expected of them.) By allowing students input they are made to feel that they are a part of the classroom community. Though the teacher may be the head of the classroom, effective classroom management and behavior can only be accomplished when the teacher shares control of the classroom with his or her students. As a child matures it is also important that he or she understands how to become an active member of society. A democratic classroom allows students with ability to think independently, but also with the knowledge of how to deal with real life situations with fairness. The rules of a classroom should be logical and thought through, clear and understanding, consistent with the instructional goals and with what and how people learn, and consistent with school rules. Rules need to be implemented in order to maintain a well-managed classroom; for every rule that is broken there also has to be a consequence. Misbehaviors in the classroom are inevitable from time to time, however the more a teacher constructs lessons which are engaging, fun, and educational, the less likely students are to fool around.

As a teacher I also believe that it is important to understand the role that society can have in the classroom. I advocate teachers building collaborative relationships with colleagues, parents/guardians, and the community to support student learning and well-being. Also, in order for teachers to ensure that they will have the freedom to run their classroom as they chose, it is vital for them to have support outside of the classroom. Every teacher has his or her own ideas and approaches to managing a classroom; however, despite what their personal beliefs may be, it is important that they coincide with the rules and regulations in the school in which they are employed. When teachers are able to built strong relationships and trust within their school and community they will be more likely to conduct their classroom in a way that is favored by everyone.

Finally, in examining the philosophies of several theorists, I found Linda Albert’s ideals to be the most supportive of my own personal beliefs. There was no theorists that I found I particularly did not identity with, but Albert seemed the most intuitive when it came to teacher-student interactions. Similar to my own philosophy, Albert believes in having teachers and students work together to establish a code of conduct for their classroom. I would implement this idea in my own classroom by collaborating with my students to make a list of rules and regulations that we would all follow. Albert is also a strong promoter of involving parents/guardians in the classroom. I also think that this is very important in today’s classroom because in general parents like to know what their child is doing in school. Keeping parents informed about school activities and instructions call allow for better communication and guidance at home. One way that I would form relationships with the parents/guardians of my students is by sending home newsletters, and by allowing them in as weekly volunteers in my classroom. Overall, I would like to think that my philosophy is one that encompasses strong relationships, and promotes the learning and involvement of my students in the classroom.