Learning Forward: An "Aha!" Moment

December 6-10 was the annual Learning Forward Conference.  There were many phenomenal speakers throughout the event.  This list included  John Hattie (Visible Learning), Barrington Irving (Flying Classroom), Michael Ungar (Resilience in Action).  Additionally, there were lots of opportunities to collaborate and network at a state and national level. It was amazing.

With that said, each participant of any event has their own personal "Aha!" moments. For me, it was during a break out session with Dr. Tracy Garrett a professor at the Department of Teacher Education at Rider University in New Jersey.  The session title was, "Classroom Management: Dispelling Myths and Mentoring Beginning Teachers." During this session we explored the effects of teacher beliefs on classroom culture and examined the components of classroom management in the format of a sliding scale.   Based on this encounter the following plan for implementing, sharing, and expounding on the ideology of classroom management is now hanging on my wall.

1. Explore, “Effective Classroom Management: The Essentials,” by Tracy Garrett through the lens of mentoring/leadership.  
2. Share Dr. Garrett’s scale “The Process of Classroom Management” with colleagues.

Goal:  Develop an understanding of the relationship between organizing the physical design of a room, developing rules & routines, establishing relationships, implementing engaging instruction, and addressing discipline.

Guiding Questions:

1. What are the personal beliefs of individual educators about classroom management? How do these beliefs affect classroom culture?
2. How do we develop a balance between caring and order in a classroom environment?  What will the impact of this balance be? How will this impact be measured?