When we start the journey of a teacher, nearly all of us had the same goals in mind. We wanted to make a difference in the life of a child. Some of us came into the profession wide-eyed and nervous while others came in with a feeling of confidence or even a slight arrogance. However, all of us at some point were humbled by something we were not quite prepared for. This happens more often than not in our early years as a teacher. We realize the possibility our college course work and teacher preparation program may not have been as thorough as we would have liked or assumed it was. In most cases we attempt to seek advice from those around us by way of our peers and fellow teachers. Yet, a realization often comes over us as we begin to seek that help. Many of the teachers we work with have entrenched views on education where status quo and tradition reign supreme.
There are seven critical areas in which new(er) teachers often struggle. These areas are classroom management, motivation, parents, technology, initiatives, traditions, and professional growth. In addition to new teachers, I often see veteran teachers struggle in these areas due to an outdated or potentially engrained belief system. For example, student motivation and the use of punishment and rewards is a largely unchallenged bastion of schooling within most classrooms. Yet research done by many individuals, including Daniel Pink, would suggest alternate ways in which to look at how we motivate students.
To me one of the most critical elements of a teacher’s job is that of classroom management, which is a topic that I have reflected on and given great thought to.
I still remember when I had my classroom management binder filled out with all of my classroom management strategies and rules for the classroom. I probably brought that into my first interview to show off that I knew I was going to be an expert classroom manager. All of those color-coded tabs with rules, procedures, and everything that could possibly happen in my future classroom. Then I got to the first day of school with thirty, junior high kids in the room and I realized the binder was not worth the paper it had been printed on. I started to realize all the cute little tricks and tips and strategies I learned while in college were not the Golden Ticket to a well-behaved classroom.
At some point in your career, hopefully it’s sooner rather than later, you realize the fallacy of classroom management methods typically taught to new teachers, many still used by veteran teachers.
The simple truth is you cannot make a child do something they do not want to do.
You will have a student who will look you dead in the eye when asked to do something and he will simply say, “No.” You will reply with, “You better or else.” The student will look you back in the eye and answer, “Or else what?” You will then realize there is no “or else” because you can’t force him to do anything. Now this might seem like a shock because, as a new teacher, you would hope that you have some power or authority in the classroom. However, in my experience those teachers who feel they have that authority and power are the ones who struggle the most. The moment you get into a power struggle as the teacher in a classroom, you have already lost. If we don’t need traditional classroom management techniques, then what do we need? How can you as a teacher effectively manage a class of students? (Stumpenhorst, 2015)
Classroom management, along with the other six items, is a critically important topic to reflect on and analyze if a teacher wants to stay relevant and effective. My goal as a teacher is to always look for ways to improve on the work I do every single day with students. Teachers who are reflective about their practice are often the ones who evolve with their students and are better suited to meet the needs of the learners in their rooms. Regardless if you are looking at classroom management and motivation or education traditions and initiatives, the most effective teachers are those willing to take a critical look at their craft with the goal of continual improvement. The dynamic of a classroom and what we know about learners is ever changing. As a result, we need teachers ready to start a revolution of ideas and meet the needs of these learners.
