Running head: PHILOSOPHY ON CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT

Position Paper: Philosophy on Classroom Management

Chelsea Mercurio
Saint Josephs University

Running head: PHILOSOPHY ON CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT

Prior to becoming a teacher it is essential to know the beliefs and values that
make up ones teaching philosophy. According to Levin and Nolan (2014), successful
teachers develop a classroom management plan that is consistent with their values and
beliefs (Levin & Nolan, 2014, p. 87). Successful teachers also have preplanned
classroom management techniques. Over my course of study in education and through
classroom observations, I have gained knowledge that has shaped my personal
philosophy. The foundations that I believe would best describe my classroom philosophy
are referent, expert, and reward authority. My position on classroom management has
been built using some of the aspects of these three authority bases. It has also been
influenced by knowledge I have gathered in my courses and readings.
I believe one of the most important factors that influences classroom management
is the teacher-student relationship. The teacher-student relationship is best formed
through referent authority. A characteristic of referent authority is, students value their
relationship with their teacher and in return respect him or her. "The students respect
their teacher because the teacher cares about their learning and demands a certain type of
behavior, because it is in their best interest," (Levin & Nolan, 2014, p. 91). In order for a
teacher to demand respect from his or her students, a teacher should respect the students
in return. To establish this relationship a teacher must demand high expectations of all
students, show an interest in students likes and dislikes, be available for students to ask
questions, and be an involved teacher. One can be an involved teacher by running a
school club, sport, or other after school activity. As a teacher, I plan to be involved so
that I am able to better know my students.

Running head: PHILOSOPHY ON CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT

To build a balanced teacher-student relationship using referent authority, I plan to

develop rules in addition to any school wide rules with my students. This will allow my
students to feel a part of the class rules and thus be more likely to follow them. When
using referent authority, it is important to make sure that the students do not think the
teacher is their friend. As stated in Levin and Nolan (2014), it is important when using
referent authority to ensure students know the teacher is in an adult role and makes
demands of students, (Levin & Nolan, 2014, p. 90). Referent authority cannot be used
alone if classroom management is to be effective.
In addition to using referent authority in my classroom, I will use some aspects of
expert authority. I will use expert authority by having my students view me as a
knowledgeable source of information. I will show my students that I enjoy the content I
teach and be opened to student questions. I will connect subject matter to student
interests to make a connection between new information and students lives. According
to Levin and Nolan (2014), The more that a teacher knows about his or her students, the
more likely it is that the students will recognize the teachers expertise in being able to
connect the subject matter to their world (Levin & Nolan, 2014, p. 93). It is important
to acknowledge that although the teacher is the major source of information, the teacher
can learn from students as well. If there is a question that neither the students nor I know,
we can research it together.
I will use the award authority base to enhance my classroom management.
Reward authority can be very effective when working with young children. To employ
this authority base, I will use a token economy in my class. My token economy will
reward students for doing good deeds, listening, and respecting one another. I will not

Running head: PHILOSOPHY ON CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT

have a demerit system, instead I will use peer pressure and the token economy to
influence good student behavior. I will use peer pressure in my classroom by commenting
on students behaving appropriately, sharing, or volunteering in the classroom. I will do
this by announcing when students are caught being good and praising them in front of the
class. When students behave inappropriately I will not yell. Instead, I will have the
student sit in a quiet place that I have set up in the classroom where the student can go to
reflect on their misbehavior by writing or drawing a picture. I will also make sure to take
the time after a lesson to talk to students about their misbehavior. To ensure that I use the
reward and coercive authority base effectively I will, be consistent in assigning rewards,
ensure that students see a connection between their behavior and the reward and
punishment, and ensure that the reward or punishment is actually perceived as a reward
or punishment to the student (Levin & Nolan, 2014, p. 95). I believe that a combination
of the authority bases is essential for effective classroom management and that using one
authority bases solely will not be effective.
Students learn and behave in different ways and that is why it is important to use a
variety of classroom management techniques to address their behavior. Referent authority
acknowledges that the student and the teacher influence behavior. According to Levin
and Nolan (2014), this approach is also known as collaborative theory (Levin & Nolan,
2014, p. 104). Using expert authority will allow me to show students that I enjoy learning
and that I am a source of knowledge. Expert authority allows a teacher to show that they
will do whatever it takes for their students to learn and hold all students to high academic
expectations. Reward authority will allow me to better influence student behavior.
Young students do not always respect a teacher simply because they like him or her. A

Running head: PHILOSOPHY ON CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT

motivation for good behavior sometimes needs to be set in place. In these times a reward
authority base is essential. Overall, the goal of effective classroom management is to
allow for effective instruction. As a teacher, one must choose the authority base or
authority bases that allow for the most instruction to take place.

References

Running head: PHILOSOPHY ON CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT

Levin, J., & Nolan, J. (2014). Principles of classroom management: A professional
decision-making model (7th ed). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.