I am taking Classroom Management right now and have been thinking a lot about what I think will be effective for me. Now, what you need to know about me is that I am a small person, and I also look very young. During student teaching placements I have been mistaken for a student! So I don't have the authoritative natural presence that some teachers are lucky enough to have.
Instead, I focus on building positive relationships with my students on an individual level. Once you know their names and they will come into class early to chat with you, it's much harder for them to act out in class. The trick is getting the students to want to work, then they just will. And if most of the class likes you as a person, there is peer pressure to pay attention and follow what you say.
This worked quite well for me in my first placement. I still did have difficulty in the classes where there was less of a chance for me to get to know my students (ie. Music and Technology where every student was glued to a computer). But I feel like this is a good base to build my management philosophy on. I look forward to learning how I can establish a classroom presence without an intimidating size or voice!
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