Barbara Coloroso states in her video that “every kid needs a smile, a hug, and humor.”  That phrase struck a chord with me.  I believe that for a child to trust his or her educators, enjoy going to school, and learn, those three things are vital.  Without a smile, hug and humor in a child’s everyday life, school would be dull and meaningless. 

            Although I have not had the experience of having my own classroom and my own students to educate, I feel that through my practicum and service learning, I’ve become aware of numerous things that I didn’t know existed in the field of teaching.  I have also developed some of my own strong views on certain subjects.  Some of the things that I will expand on are who students really are, who I as a teacher should be to them, what the classroom should be to the students, the imperative difference between punishment and discipline, poverty issues, and ways to cooperate with parents and other staff.

            Education is all about the students.  The reasoning for going into the field should not be selfishly about having summers off, benefits, being in charge, or even because you “really like kids”.  Education is about the yearning to feed our youth full of knowledge, and to help them better prepare for their futures.  In order for them to be prepared for the “real world”, they will need to be guided in the right direction and disciplined if they go astray.           

            Children need a push in the direction of success, and who better to give it to them than their teachers?  Kids come to school every day out of routine.  From my own experience, I know that things can get a little hazy when you do the same thing over and over again, day in and day out.  I feel that as a teacher, I will be responsible for giving them an “out”.  I want to make these children want to learn and to help them understand that every bit of information that they consume and comprehend is a precious privilege, not a curse.  Although overcoming the stereotype that many children have about school being “boring” and “hard” will be a challenge, I am willing to give it my best shot.  And I know that in order to do this, guidance is the key.

            Guidance should be centered in the classroom, not in the principal’s office.  The classroom should be a place of serious learning, as well as fun activities.  It should never be a “free-for-all” or a non-educational setting.  I feel that the teacher’s desk should be placed in the back of the room, out of the immediate view of the children.   Right now, I feel that student’s desks should be put into groups or tables.  Also, having classroom walls dedicated to projects, papers and other themes gives the students a feeling of comfort and ownership.

            In order for students to work together as a community with the teacher, the teacher must know the difference between discipline and punishment.  In Coloroso’s video, she states “Discipline gives life to learning.”  Without discipline, there is only punishment.    Coloroso also states, “Punishment is meant to hurt someone physically and/or emotionally.”

            One view that I have developed on discipline is that there is always a need for modification.  Discipline is a learning process.  You must start in a different place for each student depending on where that particular student is at. For example, you cannot expect a student who comes to your classroom from a new foster family each month to have the same social knowledge and work ethic as a student who comes from a well rounded and stable home.  I feel that the same general classroom rules need to be applied and there should be logical consequences for wrong doings, but discipline should be carried out in a modified way from student to student. 

            As a teacher, I plan to be the so-called “backbone” (Coloroso).  Coloroso states that in order to be the backbone, you need to develop a network of support for your students with the six critical life messages:

1)      I believe in you.

2)      I trust in you.

3)      I know you can handle life’s situations.

4)      You are listened to.

5)      You are cared for

6)      You are very important to me.

These six messages help in countless ways.  A few of these ways could be helping students have the motivation and self confidence to excel in school, help with social skills in and outside of school, and to help compensate for the children who don’t hear those messages at home.

            Children who come to school from poverty need the six critical life messages the most.  They are learning from their parents that living in poverty is a way of life and they are more prone to fall into it themselves as adults.  As I said before, I want to give my students an “out”.  I want them to learn that they can do anything they set their minds to.  I want to be the supporter that they need to make the leaps necessary to have a better life.

            Following Coloroso’s advice for being a backbone, I will allow democracy to be learned through experience, as well as provide an environment that is flexible and conductive to create constructive and responsible activity.  I will simply state the rules of my classroom, and if those rules are broken, I will give logical, realistic and palatable consequences.  All learning that takes place will be in an atmosphere of acceptances and high expectations.  If things do not work out for a student the first time, second opportunities will always be available, as it is vital for my students to feel that they are loved and that someone wants them to succeed.

            I understand that working with parents and other staff members will sometimes be a challenge.  However, I plan to make each experience a group effort to better a child’s education.  Each person should give their knowledge of the issue at hand and then work together to make the problem better.  I do not believe that negative issues with parents or other teachers that stem from a student should ever be taken personally.  Everything should be a learning experience to help the teacher grow professionally.

            In conclusion, my philosophy of classroom guidance can be summed up into one statement:  My students will be supported in every way imaginable, and know that the classroom is a place of excitement in learning.