Ashley Swaagman

Classroom Leading Profile

Men and women are servants and image-bearers of God. We are to represent him, his love
and grace in everything we do. We were created by him to serve him and be good stewards of
the world he has created. All knowledge comes from God, and everything from God is worth
knowing and learning. We can learn about God by exploring his world. Every inch of this world
showcases God and his majesty, therefore we come to know by discovery. We should be in awe
when we look out at everything God has made and everything he has given us. This is the
purpose of learning. To come to know more about the great God we serve. No matter what kind
of school you teach in, you can showcase your love of God and his creation in different ways.
Teachers in public schools can show their faith through how they treat their students and what
kind of environment they create. The best environment is on in which students feel welcomed
and loved. The space should feel peaceful in order to facilitate learning. Students should be able
to have the freedom to explore and learn in the way thats best for them, to have an opportunity
to showcase their strengths and weaknesses, to learn from each other. A teacher should not just
teach at the students, but learn alongside them. Teachers and students should respect each other
as Gods creations. There is a lot we as teachers can learn from our students. We should help
guide them in their learning by creating a space where learning is highlighted, and where
students are comfortable, where they can be themselves. A classroom should be a place where
students can shine. Students should contribute to the space through participation and respect.
Students need to be active in their own learning, while respecting the teacher, each other, the
environment, the learning materials, and themselves. It is important to use your perspectives to
build a system for classroom management, in order to maintain a positive, productive learning

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environment (Woolfolk, 2013, pg. 473). What is important to the teacher will be reflected in
the ways she builds her classroom.
There are many ways in which this classroom environment can be accomplished, but for me,
certain guidelines should be in place. Students should feel loved by the teacher and the other
students, so I think there should be a policy of respect established in the room. The teacher will
give every student the opportunity to learn and share their opinions, and the students are
expected to give the same respect to the teacher by listening and obeying. This doesnt mean the
classroom is rigid and students must only listen and obey, but that they understand the teachers
role and that they should listen to her. They should never be afraid to talk to their teacher and
ask for help. The classroom should be an open environment for students to learn. Some
procedures the teacher could have to show the policy of respect is to give every student the
opportunity to participate in group discussion. A good way to establish this during a discussion
time is to sometimes call on students with their hands raised, but sometimes to use things like
picking sticks or purposefully choosing quieter students, so that every student can share, (This
time, Id like to hear from __________). Other procedures could include a morning sharing
time in which students tell the teacher and each other something interesting about their day. The
teacher could also write a question for discussion on the board at the beginning of each day.
Procedures that are beneficial for covenant management are those that contribute to group
cohesiveness, where class members are invited to participate, and faith and trust are built
from a sense of community and shared purpose (Froyen & Iverson, 1999, pg. 364)
In terms of content, a policy of the teacher might be to allow students to help drive
curriculum. Students come to the classroom full of knowledge and experiences to share,
therefore content should be authentic and based off of their experiences. It is still important to

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use some of what the given curriculum has, but I also think its important to give students some
kind of choice. Find out what interests the students and incorporate that into teaching. The
teacher will include a variety of activities for students, including large group, small group,
partner work, and individual work. She will include movement and authentic learning
experiences so students connect the classroom to the world, and provide equal opportunities for
all students to respond (Froyen & Iverson, 1999, pg. 361). The students are expected to
participate in the groups and help each other learn. Students will be able to show off their
strengths and work on their weaknesses in many different ways. Some classroom procedures
could include a structured block for work time (emphasizing the different learning structures
within the classroom). The teacher could include an end of the day discussion of the day, so
students can share their thoughts about their learning, so students have the opportunity to share
what intrested them. Morning routines are another useful tool because they can help students
get ready for school. The teacher goes through calendar, weather, a quick math problem,
spelling words, etc. in the same way every day so the students have a normal routine to help
them start the school day.
For conduct management, a good policy is that students need freedom but they also need
boundaries in the classroom. There is a delicate balance between the two. Boundaries need to
be in place to maintain order and allow all students to have the opportunity to learn, but students
should still be able to explore. Behavior management should not be the main focus of a learning
space. There shouldnt be too many regulations, because that puts the focus on following the
long list of rules in the classroom. The teacher will have the students help create the rules for the
classroom. A class covenant is a good way to accomplish this. Students are active in creating
their own environment, and then if students dont follow the rules, the teacher can point to the

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fact that they agreed to them when disciplining. The teacher will use her judgement when
disciplining; understanding different students can help her know whether or not they were
disobeying or struggling with something else. Students are expected to know the rules they
agreed on and what the consequences are. In this way, teachers can encourage self-management,
which Woolfolk defines as management of your own behavior and acceptance of responsibility
of your own actions (2013, pg. 475). Many classrooms use clip charts as the behavior
management method. I think this works out well, because it rewards students for good and they
have consequences for bad. The clip chart is used in my aiding classroom, and the procedure
thats done with it is a good one. Every day, it is recorded where students ended up on the chart
at the end of the day. At the end of the week, the students who stayed at the top half of the clip
chart every day that week get to pick from the treasure chest. Students are not only motivated by
wanting to be at the top of the clip chart, but there is a reward at the end if they do.
With these policies in place and procedures that go hand-in-hand, a teacher is able to then
build the classroom she wants to give her students. It is important therefore, that the physical
set-up of the classroom reflects a teachers beliefs as well. A classroom should be a warm and
inviting place where students feel comfortable. Combining all of these things, an environment is
created that addresses student learning and needs, as well as the teachers perspectives.

Works Cited
Froyen, L. A., & Iverson, A. M. (1999). Foundations of Management: Classroom Management.
In Schoolwide and Classroom Management (pp. 46-79). Upper Saddle River, NJ:
Prentice-Hall, Inc.

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Woolfolk, A. (2013). Educational Psychology (12th Edition). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson
Education.