Final Course Reflection

Running head: FINAL COURSE REFLECTION 1
Final Course Reflection
Cayenne Gabaylo
Chaminade University Education Division
EDUC 632: Learning Environments
Dr. Brina Ganigan
March 13, 2023

FINAL COURSE REFLECTION 2
Throughout my time in this course, I learned what classroom management is and what
successful management looks like. To me, classroom management is like a symphony, it’s the
work of all parties, the students, the teacher, and the school’s admin, it’s the policies enlisted and
the professional development of each individual. It’s understanding and cooperating with others,
learning to compromise, and showing empathy to others as you never know what other people
are going through. The main three strategies I’ve learned through this course are building
community, PBS (positive behavior support), and academic ethos (or how to correctly set high
academic expectations.) To have a successful classroom management system you must first have
a teacher willing and ready to help their students with any issues. To teach a student, a teacher
must first understand their students. Taking the time to promote an open classroom and
supportive role makes a huge difference as students see you as a readily available resource who
is there to uplift and support them in their time of need.
This leads to the first strategy, building community. This starts with the first day of
school. The teacher must be stern but kind, setting rules, boundaries, and consequences while
also emphasizing the importance of empathy and understanding of others. By establishing a
well-organized classroom and by modeling the expected behavior in the class, the students will
understand how they are expected to behave and this will cause fewer classroom distractions.
Establishing a positive authoritarian role benefits all students, in the text Effective classroom
management: Models and strategies for today's classrooms, it is stated that community building
benefits students in the following ways: significant academic motivation and performance,
increased liking for school and enjoyment of the class, a stronger commitment to key democratic
values, altruistic behavior, and a higher sense of efficacy (Hardin, 2013).

The second strategy, PBS, is used within the classroom to prevent behavior problems as
well as establish a well-rounded learning environment that supports both academic and social
development. The three-tiered approach is used to manage behavior based on the ranking of
behavior issues, the lowest being primary while the highest is tertiary. The level of assistance
depends on the ranking, with less support and individualization being given to lower ranks
compared to high-ranked preventions. This system works best when there is a schoolwide
approach, and works well with these three classroom universals: “identification and instruction
of rules and routines, the establishment of the physical structure of the classroom, and the use of
instructional strategies to promote positive student-teacher interactions” (Hardin, 2013).
The last strategy, academic ethos, is useful to keep students focused on academic growth
and to challenge them with higher-order thinking skills. As spoken about in chapter three of
Teach Like a Champion 2.0: 62 Techniques That Put Students on the Path to College, setting
high expectations for students may seem like a daunting task, especially in schools with high
poverty rates, low access to resources, and students who may be academically behind. This text
explained several techniques which could be useful for teachers who are just starting off and are
wavering behind their confidence in teaching difficult subject matter. Technique 11 focuses on
shifting the direction of students who are not willing to think about an answer. By focusing on
“no opt-out” you get students to practice giving answers and focusing on completing classwork.
Additionally, by focusing on responses and formatting answers in the right way, you can get
students to think about answering any question using that formatting. A good example is like
telling students to think about why an answer is right instead of accepting the answer flat out. If
students can explain in vast detail why their answer is right, then it means they really do
understand the content and context of the subject matter. It’s a technique used on me in my
undergrad degree, and from personal experience, it certainly made me think more about how and
why each answer might be right or wrong and how I can explain my thinking using an academic
viewpoint.
Overall, I believe that it takes a lot of practice, patience, and communication to create the
perfect classroom. Management starts with the teacher, but it is up to everyone in the classroom
to keep up the organization of the class through behavior, positive reinforcement, and support.
As a teacher, building community, having PBS or a similar type of behavior management system,
and providing an academic challenge to my students are of utmost importance. I believe that
teachers are role models and must follow the same expectations they have for their students in
order to develop a greater bond with their students. By using these strategies mentioned above, I
know I can create a positive learning environment for all students, giving them the support they
need and the academic resources to succeed.

References
Lemov, D., & Atkins, N. (2015). Teach like a Champion 2.0: 62 techniques that put
students on the path to college. Jossey-Bass, a Wiley brand.
Hardin, C. J. (2013). Effective classroom management: Models and strategies for today's
classrooms (pp. 7–12). Pearson Education.

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Running head: FINAL COURSE REFLECTION 1

Final Course Reflection

Chaminade University Education Division

EDUC 632: Learning Environments

Dr. Brina Ganigan

March 13, 2023

is there to uplift and support them in their time of need.

also emphasizing the importance of empathy and understanding of others. By establishing a

values, altruistic behavior, and a higher sense of efficacy (Hardin, 2013).

instructional strategies to promote positive student-teacher interactions” (Hardin, 2013).

need and the academic resources to succeed.

students on the path to college. Jossey-Bass, a Wiley brand.

classrooms (pp. 7–12). Pearson Education.

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