ADEPT+9

=Managing the classroom=

“An effective teacher maximizes instructional time by efficiently managing student behavior, instructional routines and materials, and essential noninstructional tasks.”
A good teacher knows how to optimize class time by keeping students under control and preparing information to keep them busy. I think classroom management is one of the most important aspects of being a teacher. Without good classroom management, you cannot teach because your students will take advantage of you and do what they want. If you can’t teach, the students won’t learn, and if the students don’t learn, you fail as a teacher.

When observing my sister’s classroom, classroom management was one of the things which she struggled the most with. The students didn’t have much respect for her and had way too much down time where they were just talking and roaming around the classroom. The students didn’t want to listen to her when she gave them instruction and she was constantly fighting them to be in control, so the instructional time was minimized rather than maximized. After observing and talking to her, I thought a lot about how I would run a classroom, and took into consideration realistic obstacles which I would probably face. From the beginning the year, I would make sure to lay down rules, and make it very clear to the students that I was the teacher and they had to listen to me. I would establish punishments, and never back down on them. I would make respect a priority and would not be willing to be friendly or laid back with my students until they were respectful. Finally, I would make sure that I always had supplementary materials which related to the instruction so the students didn’t have too much extra free time, and would give them a grade based on their use of time after completing the primary activity for the day.
 * Evidence:**

I think one of the best ways to learn good classroom management skills is to see bad classroom management in action. I feel like a lot of people would be biased in observing a person with whom they have a good relationship, but for me the opposite happened. I know that I wouldn't compromise our relationship by being honest with her, and I knew that she might listen to me because she knows I only have her best interests in mind. Seeing her struggle with her class really made me never want to experience that. I know that I will probably have difficult classes, but I refuse to be as weak as Brooke was. I know her classes have bothered her a lot, and I don't want my job to affect my outside life in the way hers does, and I think that good classroom management skills will prevent that.
 * Rationale:**