Jessica Hamilton's E-Portfolio

I have learned a great deal about classroom management throughout my teaching experience. I have come to realize that students respond best when there is mutual respect involved; when I treat them as a human being rather than a subordinate, they respond by treating me with the same respect.

 

My discipline strategies always involve three warnings in which I calmly remind them what I expect from them. If the behavior persists, I will notify them that I will be calling parents; this usually immediately stops whatever problems they were creating. Although the statement ceases the behavior, I always follow through with the parent contact, because if I don't, then they think that I only threaten and don't follow through on what I say. In the event that their behavior does not improve after said parent contact, then I will give them a referral. I try to do this as little as possible because I truly believe that there are steps I can take as a teacher to remedy the problem, but sometimes the need for administrative action is necessary. 

 

Procedure's are crucial in the art classroom and can make or break the effectiveness of your class, so I will set those up as smoothly as possible and execute them as soon as they walk through the door on the first day of class. Students will know what is expected of them from the very beginning to ensure a smooth and efficient classroom environment throughout the year.

 

I will establish my classroom climate by introducing myself with a presentation consisting of my teaching experiences, a bit of my personal life, past student projects, and some of my own personal artwork. I want them to know that I am human just like them, and I am someone they can trust and come to if they need me. By showing them my own artwork this allows them to see that I am proficient in the subject that I am teaching, and that I can help them achieve their goals. I will then do a variety of activities in which they tell me about themselves not only so I can learn more about them, but also to let them know that I want to know more about them. I believe it will set the stage for mutual respect.