Constructivism in Classroom Management focuses on developing critical thinking skills, knowledge construction where students actively build new knowledge on old knowledge, and connecting new information to prior knowledge. Constructivist classrooms place less emphasis on punishment and more on identifying student needs. They are also democratic with teacher flexibility.

1. Constructivism in Classroom Management
Critical Thinking
o Constructivist schools focus on developing critical thinking, which helps students
develop their own opinions about information they consume, and allows them to
differentiate quality information from poor information.
Knowledge Construction
o Constructivism holds that students must take information and actively construct it
into knowledge. People learn by building on what they already know, with new
information causing people to adapt and change old information.
Knowledge Connection
o Since students build new knowledge on old knowledge, educators must try to
connect what students already know to the information communicated in the
classroom.
Punishment and Reward
o Constructivist classrooms place less emphasis on punishment, which assumes that
students are responsible for their own actions, and instead focus on the factors that
might lead to a student breaking the rules.
Flexibility
o Constructivist classrooms are democratic, with the teacher allowing all the
students to decide what the classroom does.
Meeting Needs
o Constructivists hold that children misbehave because they have needs that they
want met. To get children to behave, teachers must identify their needs, then help
the students meet these needs.
Reference:http://www.ehow.com/info_10069671_constructivism-classroom-
management.html

2. Constructivist and Behaviorist
Philosophies Are Beneficial in the
Classroom
There are many different philosophies on education, and many people focus on one
philosophy or another, but as a teacher I believe it is important to make use of both constructivist
and behaviorist philosophies. My personal philosophy on educational practices embodies and
incorporates behaviorist and constructivist philosophies, and I believe both of these philosophies
can be used effectively to educate students in the best possible manner.
Classroom organization is a very important part of education, and it can be maximized
by using both constructivist and behaviorist philosophies. As a teacher I would prefer for my
classroom to be open and flexible in compliance with the constructivist viewpoint (Johnson,
Musial, & Hall, 2005, p.363). This constructivist approach to classroom organization can be
reflected in the classroom by allowing everything from seating arraignments to the lesson plans
to be subject to change. A behaviorist classroom organization does not allow for change and is
organized by the teacher. As the teacher I would set a standard that the students would have to
maintain, but I would also give them the freedom to make decisions in the classroom. In order to
maintain a standard in the classroom I would use behaviorist ideas such as rewards and
punishments, but I would also allow for the constructivist ideas of the students involvement in
decision making. I feel letting the students organize their own environment is important because
it creates enthusiasm, comfort, and a sense of responsibility for the students.
Motivation is another extremely important factor in the learning process. I feel that
motivation should be created by both constructivist and behaviorist philosophies. Motivation can
also be inspired by direct involvement and interaction of the students which is according to
constructivist views. Motivation can be accomplished by setting a standard and maintaining it by
positive and negative reinforcement which is in accordance with behaviorist views.
Constructivist philosophy provides "internal incentives" which are created by the student's direct
involvement in the educational experience, and "external controls" are the behaviorist focus for
providing motivation by setting a system of ideas by which the students will be expected to abide
by (Johnson, Musial, & Hall, 2005, p.363). Motivation can be provided to students effectively by
using both constructivist and behaviorist philosophies.
Discipline plays an important role in the classroom, and must be provided in order to
effectively teach. I think that as a teacher I would have more of a constructivist approach to
teaching because the "high control" provided by behaviorist philosophies may seem appealing at

3. first, but I believe that both the teacher and the learner should have control of the classroom in
accordance with constructivist philosophies (Johnson, Musial, & Hall, 2005, p.363). I think that
the constructivist ideas on discipline help the students learn responsibility, confidence, and self
expression while also respecting them as individuals with opinions. I believe that this is
important because it builds goodwill amongst the members of the class, and helps the students
grow as individuals. This also gives the students experience working with many people for a
common goal. Discipline is an extremely important factor in the classroom and I would maintain
discipline through the application of constructivist methods.
Teaching styles vary amongst teachers, but they are an exceptionally important factor in
the education process. I feel that the use of a constructivist teaching style is beneficial in a
classroom because the learning is based on hands-on experiences and personal discoveries.
(Johnson, Musial, & Hall, 2005, p.363) I think that the behaviorist teaching style is not the right
teaching style for my classroom because it is based on "extreme amounts of teacher talk"
(Johnson, Musial, & Hall, 2005, p.363). The constructivist teaching style is more beneficial in
the classroom because it provides a more interactive and enjoyable classroom experience. It is
also a more memorable learning environment because the students are actively involved in all the
aspects of the classroom. Teaching styles that support constructivist ideas are valuable in the
classroom environment.
I think that both behaviorist and constructivist educational theories have many beneficial
ideas. As a teacher I would employ methods from both behaviorist and constructivist
philosophies in the classroom because I feel it is important to use the most effective methods of
teaching. I think that the behaviorist idea of positive and negative reinforcement is very effective
in the learning environment, and I also believe that the student's direct involvement in the
classroom is extremely important. I think that the students can also be directly involved in
providing negative and positive reinforcement which follows both behaviorist and constructivist
viewpoints. Overall, I believe that giving the students the ability to learn hands-on, and the right
guidance through the reinforcement of standards is the most effective way of teaching.
Reference:

4. Johnson, J.A., Musial, D., & Hall, G.E. (2005) . Introduction to the Foundations of American
Education, (13th ed.) : Allan and Bacon.