A teacher is a juggler. Teaching is complex and requires multiprocessing. I know my students will have different learning styles and needs, and all of them will have different abilities. As an aspiring band teacher, I know my classes will be huge, ranging from 30-40 students to one band class. This metaphor works because as a teacher, I must juggle between the students who will instantly understand the course topics, students who do not understand the topic and need additional support, students who do not get along with each other, and students with learning disabilities. I plan on having a classroom that centers around my students’ needs.  

The 3 main key tools of classroom management are engaging instruction, building relationships, and rules and procedures. Teacher-student relationships go hand-in-hand with making rules and procedures. If a teacher has a good relationship with students, then the students will be more likely to accept the rules and procedures and disciplinary actions that follow their violation. (Marzano et al., 2003, pg. 41). I plan to collaborate and create rules and procedures with my students at the beginning of the school year to get things straightened out. This is also when I will start to build these relationships with my students, which is something very important to me.    

As an aspiring band director, the setup of my classroom is very different from others. Depending on the size of my classroom, I set up 3 arcs of chairs and that is where my students will come in to sit and play their instruments, seen in Figure 1. My brass players (trumpets, trombones, french horns, etc.) and woodwind players (flutes, clarinets, saxophones, etc.) will sit in those seats. The percussion section (drums, xylophone, etc.) will be placed in the back of the classroom since they are the heartbeat of the band, meaning they control the pulse and beat of the band music. I do not necessarily have a teacher desk. Instead, I have a podium, which is something I stand on in front of the students to conduct the music. I will also be walking around the room to help individuals if they have questions about their instruments or music.  

Figure 1 Classroom Layout

References

Marzano, R. J., Marzano, J. S., & Pickering, D. J. (2003). Classroom management that works: research-based strategies for every teacher. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.