Classroom Management Plan

Kathleen Diedrich Third Grade

Philosophy on Classroom Management and Discipline

Although I come from a long line of teachers, education was not a field I had ever thought of until the spring semester of my senior year in high school. I needed a project for my Senior Leadership class and heard of an opportunity to work with middle school students in Homework Club at my alma mater. I had never felt as satisfied as I did in those weeks helping students understand concepts that had been lost on them in class. I loved seeing that sense of accomplishment on their faces when they succeeded, and I loved the way I felt knowing that I had helped them in some way. This is when I declared my major, education. The results of a StrengthsQuest survey best summarizes my personality: empathetic, adaptable, and developing. I have a very go-with-the-flow attitude in that I am not shaken by change, however abrupt or last minute it may be. This is something I would like to influence my students to prepare them for times when our schedule changes, when things do not go our way, and to help them gain a concept of significance (what truly matters in the scheme of things). My empathy allows me to understand others perspectives and advise them in decisions and problems. I am also a developer, the trait from which I derive my teaching philosophy: all children deserve to learn, and it is my responsibility to figure out what each child needs in order to be successful and provide it to them. Part of my developer encourages me to turn every mistake (mine or my students) into learning opportunities. This is where the basis of my classroom management philosophy originates. Students need to be able to learn from their misbehaviors and poor decisions in order to correct them and choose more wisely next time. Reprimanding students when they make a behavior mistake does not accomplish this goal. It is through conversations and reflections that students can learn and grow from their mistakes. I believe that students need to make their own decisions because we learn the most from our on successes and failures, but I will support them in their decision-making by supporting them in their failures [and successes] with conversations and reflections. However, in regard to classroom happenings, activities, and major decisions, I will be in control to make sure that our classroom is safe and accomplishing the goals and targets for which we are responsible. I will be the guiding force in classroom decision-making, but students will have a voice in certain activities, rewards, or other factors that do not affect our learning.

Classroom Arrangement
In order to support collaborative learning, I will arrange my students desks/tables into pods of five or six. Arranging student desks into pods facilitates collaborative group work and subtly conveys that expectation. Similarly, placing my desk off to the side will deter me from being in that space often. My desk will be more of a personal space for my materials than home base from which I direct the class. I should either be wandering around the room interacting with students, at the front or the back of the room delivering instruction, or working with small groups at my small group table. I have seen this work exceptionally well in classrooms, and this little reminder keeps teachers on their feet or at least away from their computers or other business when they should be working with the students.

I like the idea of having different spaces in the classroom for different content areas. This allows for movement in the classroom and prevents students from spending most of the day in the same area. Whole group math instruction would be delivered in the back of the room at that carpet area, and whole group literacy lessons would be delivered in the front of the classroom by that carpet area. Having students sit on the floor in a smaller space allows all students to see what is being done on the board (I will be sitting to be closer to their level) and creates a stronger sense of community than if they were individually sitting at their desks. White boards, journals, and other materials could be brought to these carpet areas. High traffic areas, such as the pencil sharpener, waste basket, recycling, and morning check-in will be spread out. Students will place their popsicle stick with their name on it into the hot or cold lunch buckets to indicate both attendance and lunch preference. This will be done at the table right inside the door. This is a quick procedure, so there should not be congestion in this area. The school lunch menu will be posted there for their reference. The pencil sharpener will be on a bookshelf away from other commonly used items, and the waste basket and recycling are located just inside the door. Classroom displays, such as the bulletin boards indicated in pink and other available wall space, will be representative of student work rather than covered in decorations. Displaying student work will further give them a sense of ownership and responsibility for the learning community. I would like to dedicate different areas of the room to different content areas, using the board and wall space in those areas to display learning targets or visual reminders. Having storage in various areas around the classroom will allow me to have the materials I need most often ready to go in the area in which I will use them. Math materials will be in the storage and shelving space in the back of the room where math instruction occurs. Student math games and manipulatives will be easily accessible for students in the shelves in this math area. Guided reading materials will be stored in the storage area next to the small group table. Reading books will be stored near the reading area indicated by the couch and beanbag chair. Depending on the technology available in the classroom, students may use iPads throughout the room, or a computer will be located next to my desk facing the wall so I am able to see what is happening at that station.

Rules and Procedures

Creating fewer, simpler rules will allow my students to remember them, internalize them, and be accountable to them. Though I will have several predetermined rules prior to the first day of school, I would like to have my students involved in the rules drafting process. Allowing students to contribute their thoughts, opinions, and feelings about the rules will give them a sense of ownership and responsibility for the rules themselves, the physical classroom, and the overall community environment. Having these predetermined rules in mind will allow me to reframe student contributions to cover what I feel is important for our classroom. The six rules I will use in my classroom are as follows: 1. Be respectful. Implications for students: Students should treat others kindly, how they want other to treat them. Bullying, inappropriate language, and put-downs will not be tolerated. 2. Be ready to learn. Implications for students: Students should have all learning materials ready to go at the beginning of class and when we move on to the next activity. Students will have time during transitions to have their materials ready. Students will also show that they are ready to learn by having their eyes on the speaker, their voices off, and be listening for the next direction. 3. Listen to others.

Implications for students: Students will listen when others are talking. This includes the teacher, other students, other teachers, or any speaker. When we are listening our voices are off, and we are paying attention. Listening is more than just hearing- when we listen, we are comprehending what is being said. 4. Use appropriate voice levels. Implications for students: There will be four voice levels in my classroom. These levels will be displayed on a chart in the front of the classroom where I will indicate which voice level students should be using at that time. Voices off- Students will use this level during independent reading or work time, when the teacher is giving directions or instruction, when other students are presenting, or any time someone else is talking. Whispers- Students will whisper when asked to share with a partner sitting right next to them. Whispers will allow the teacher to be heard over partner conversations Inside voices- This voice level is appropriate for group work when students are working with two or more other students. Outside voices- This voice level will be reserved for outside on the playground or when given special directions or permission. 5. Body basics. Implications for students: Students should keep their hands and feet to themselves. This applies to carpet time, sitting at their desks, standing in line, and every other part of the day. When they are sitting down at the carpet, they should have their legs crossed and their hands folded in their laps. 6. Follow school rules. Implications for students: Beyond our classroom, the school will have overarching rules that we are all responsible for following. We will review these rules and have them posted next to our classroom rules. Our classroom rules will be displayed on the wall for students and myself to reference as needed. I will types up the rules and structure them in a contract-like document for students to sign. There will also be a copy sent home with parents for them to sign and send back. A copy of these rules will also be available at curriculum night (if the school uses them) and conferences. Lastly, I will give a copy of the rules to the principal for their reference. Classroom procedures will be introduced, explained, and practiced as we come upon them in the year. On the first day of school, we will work on how I will get their attention and how they will demonstrate to me that they are paying attention, voice levels, bathroom breaks, and any other procedures that we encounter that day. After I explain the procedure, we will practice that procedure again and again until the students have been able to consistently carry out that procedure successfully a few times and I am confident they understand.

Across the board, the more prepared I am the more smoothly the day will go. I will have handouts prepared in enough advance that my student handout helper will be able to find a folder in its designated place and handout the material when it is time. Other materials, such as whiteboards and markers, students will be asked to grab for themselves on their way to the carpet. If we are at our desks, I will ask one student from each pod to collect the materials for the rest of the pod so as to limit congestion in the materials areas. The students daily morning routine, which we will practice, will begin by stopping at their locker to drop off their jackets, backpacks, etc. Once in the classroom, students will need to move their popsicle sticks from the Absent cup to either the Hot, Cold, or Home cups as a way of taking lunch count and attendance. One classroom job will be to double check that the students whose sticks are still in the Absent cup after the bell has rung are in fact absent and did not simply forget to move their stick. Students will then turn their homework into the designated homework bin. To double check that their names are on their homework assignments, students will use the highlighter next to the bin to highlight their names on the assignments. Highlighting names may only remain a procedure if it is something we continue to struggle with as the year goes on. Next, they can get settled at their desks and begin the morning warm-up activity (on the board) in their math journals. Once they finish the warm-up activity, students are invited to sit on the back carpet and fill in their assignment notebooks with the days homework and learning topics until we are ready to begin the day as a class and review the warm-up activity together. Filling out this information in the morning gives students the opportunity to know in advance what we will be doing that day. During this time, students who were absent the day before will meet with me to receive directions and any handouts they might need. Also during this time, students with classroom jobs will be able to work on those jobs. If there are no students for me to meet with at this time, I will circulate around the room to check students assignment notebooks for parent signatures or notes from home. Classroom jobs will be application-based. Writing an application letter introduces students to the application process, makes the jobs a revered responsibility, and gives students practice writing formal letters. In their applications, students must write why they want the job and reasons why they would be good at that job. Jobs will be allotted Friday afternoon for the following week. Students will enter the classroom silently and go immediately to their desks unless instructed to go elsewhere. This will be rehearsed if we have trouble entering the room respectfully. Students with exit the room in the same manner with the exception of turning in exit slips when they are handed out. Students who are late or must leave early will be expected to follow these same procedures. If a student is late and has missed directions or other activities, they will meet with me during work time so I can catch them up.

When students are done working on an activity, they will either work on a specific activity I have prepared in advance, will be given independent reading time, or they will be able to work on other homework. They must be working, and they must be in their seats. When students need assistance and I am busy, there will be an established procedure for getting my attention without disrupting what I am doing. Students will collect their popsicle stick from the lunch bucket and hand it to me or set it down at the table in front of me if I am busy. This way I will know who needs assistance, and they can keep working until I am available. A procedure I will have in place for group work time id a playlist of music for students to listen to while they are working. I will use this playlist consistently, so students are aware of how much time they have left to finish up and put materials away. By the end of the final song students will be ready to learn for the next activity. I will maintain a record book with the following sections: homework, assessments, behavior, attendance, and participation. Within the homework section, I will have a subsection for each content area. I will update each section daily and provide periodic progress reports to the students and parents. These reports will include both positive and constructive notes, if applicable, to give the parents and students an overall, accurate representation of the students performance. At the beginning of the school year, I will hand out an introductory letter with my contact information, a newsletter, a list of classroom procedures, and my expectations for both the students and the parents. I will place extra copies of these papers in a folder labeled New Student Information and keep this folder at my desk. The new student will be added to the list of classroom jobs, birthday calendar, popsicle sticks, and seating arrangements. I will meet individually with the student before they join the class, before school if the transition is short notice, to introduce myself, learn about them, and address any concerns the student might have. I will also assign the student a buddy to help them through the classroom routine for the first week. At the end of the day, we will review as a class what items should be in the take-home folders (typically homework assignments or important paperwork for parents). Then students will pack up their bags, stack their chairs, and find a seat on the front carpet where I will read, if time allows, a section of a book we are reading as a class. I will try to reserve the last ten or so minutes of the day for this activity because it calms everyone down, creates community, and gives all of us something quiet and productive to do while we wait to hear car and bus arrivals. After the students leave for the day, I will immediately change the date on the board and update the schedule for the next school day. I will also put the mornings warm-up activity on the board. This way if I am not in the room when students arrive in the morning, they will know exactly what they need for the day and what they should be doing. The warm-up activity may be a journaling, math, grammar, or puzzle activity for them to do in their literacy journals.

Responses to Misbehavior
I will enforce the rules and procedures by consistently sending the message that the behaviors (our rules and procedures) are expected. However, even the most well managed classroom will encounter broken rules or unfollowed procedures. Therefore, I will have a plan for systematically dealing with misbehavior so as to remove all emotion and subjectivity from the situation. It is ideal that I discipline students privately without the attention of others and make my responses to student misbehavior impersonal and matter-of-fact. Remaining subjective and unemotional when responding to misbehavior reinforces that I am disapproving of the behavior, not of the student. Misbehavior violates classroom rules or procedures and may interfere with the learning of oneself or others. Different degrees of misbehavior will warrant different degrees of consequences, if any. Minor misbehaviors or off-task behavior will result in eye contact or moving closer to the student, a reminder of what the student should be doing, asking the student what they should be doing, or an explicit request that the student corrects his or her behavior and monitoring the student until the behavior is corrected. These responses can prevent the misbehavior from interrupting or disrupting the lesson. At times when it would be disruptive to address the students behavior, I will make eye contact with the student to acknowledge the behavior and then have a conversation with that student about his or her behavior at a more appropriate time. Depending on the disruptiveness and severity of the behavior, I may need to interrupt my lesson to address a student. If the behavior has already disrupted the learning or instruction, then I need to address it at that time. More serious misbehavior, such as isolated instances of clear violations of class or school rules, consistent inattention, or habitual failure to complete assignments, will result in a call or note home. Behavior conferences will occur when students behavior is more serious, frequent, or out of character. These conferences will be one-on-one with the student and will honor their privacy though I will document the conference for my own records.

Creating a Respectful, Supportive Learning Environment

I would like to create a collaborative community within my classroom. Before a single student enters the classroom I will take certain actions to create a physical space that fosters collaboration and sets the expectation that this classroom will be a community. First, student seating will be pod groups of five or six students. Arranging students in this manner will help facilitate group work and establish that expectation. Students will have four or five peers that they will work with, and my instruction will capitalize on this arrangement. Next, the visual displays will be welcoming to the students. I will have one bulletin board welcoming them to our classroom, but the students work will be displayed around the

room rather than decorations. This will help reiterate that this is our classroom. Using community language (our, we, us) supports the idea of a learning community. Consistently enforcing the Be Respectful classroom rule will aim to eliminate any disrespect or judgment from and toward the students. Once they arrive, I too must show respect to the students in order to receive their respect in return. I need to prove I care by making personal connections practice clear and effective communication, and be consistent. I need to be something that the students can depend on. Creating positive connections with students is a simple way to build respect and promote cooperation. Learning about students and then periodically asking them questions about their lives outside of school communicates to them that their teacher genuinely cares about them. Some students do not want to share this information or will shut down, but that is a first step toward them building a connection with the teacher.

Managing and Facilitating Instruction

My lessons will mostly follow the Gradual Release of Responsibility Model. After beginning the lesson with reminding and reviewing what we learned and did the day before, I will begin instruction with direct instruction and modeling. I will lay the groundwork and introduce the concept, taking on all of the responsibility at this time while students are able to observe and take in what I am doing. The next step will be for students to join me in the working with the new concept and take on a little of the cognitive demand. Through this way of scaffolding, students are able to experience success working with the material because I am there to take on most of the responsibility. Once students have succeeded in working through the concept with my assistance, they will work with the content and material together with their peers, in groups or in pairs, to support and learn from each other. In this manner, they are not yet working alone or bearing all of the cognitive load just yet but are able to experience success with the material. Lastly, students will have independent practice with the material on their own. Sometimes this will be in the form of homework to take home, an individual project, or some small assessment to demonstrate what they know. One way to assess students knowledge after a lesson is an exit slip. I will wrap up each of my lessons with a review or summary of the lesson to remind students of what they have just learned. This may take the form of exit slips, a temperature check at the end of the lesson, or a take-home assignment. Different types of instruction will call for different types of grouping. During math, my students will be mostly grouped by ability, whereas in science or social studies I may create heterogeneous groups to facilitate a well-rounded conversation or product.

Throughout my lesson I will be aware of time, student engagement, student comprehension, and student interest to ensure that I am making the most of instruction time. The best lessons will be differentiated in nature. Allowing for student choice or student input will facilitate engagement and motivation. Understanding that all students will not be at the same level and making certain accommodations to support all students is imperative during instruction and assessment. I will be open and creative when it comes to the ways in which students can demonstrate for me what they have learned. During instruction, however, I will prepare and provide scaffolds for students that need additional supports. Technology has its place in instruction. It can make the material more accessible, more visible, more visual, or more tangible. However, I do not believe that technology should be teaching my students. I will use iPads or laptops for group work or research as I am able, the internet will be available on my classroom computer, and there are various math and vocabulary games that will benefit my students during free time or a game station.

Motivating Students to Learn

Creating lessons with inherent differentiation can help motivate my students in their learning. Giving students choice in their learning and appealing to their interests makes the learning more engaging and meaningful for them. I will also explain the purpose or goal for different assignments, so students know why they are doing the assignment and what they are meant to gain from it. This will also make the learning more meaningful for the students. My goal is to motivate students to succeed, not just to make me happy. If students sense a real purpose or benefit from their efforts and learning, then they will be motivated. I will provide students with regular feedback regarding the areas in which they are succeeding that those they need more practice with. Giving my students appropriate feedback, worded in a positive manner, will help them accept responsibility for what they do and strive to do better. In providing any type of feedback to my students, it is imperative that I comment on the behavior rather than the student. Feedback can be given for accomplishments or for effort, and it should be differentiated based on each student and his or her goals. Feedback will come in many different forms, but I will strive to give students feedback on every assignment. My feedback will be more meaningful and specific than Great job or Nice work because neither of those move the student forward. Being specific about feedback and what specifically the student did well or where they can improve helps the student progress. Displaying students work will also hopefully motivate students to do their best and fully comprehend the content and tasks at hand. Knowing that their work will be on display in the classroom will give them a sense of ownership of their work and responsibility for their learning.

Promoting Safety and Wellness

The very first rule in our classroom rules will be Be respectful. Students must feel that they are cared for and respected at school. Pending school policy, we will have a zerotolerance policy for bullying in our classroom as bullying clearly violates our first classroom rule, be respectful. I will find out the schools policy regarding bullying and adhere to that policy in our classroom. I will establish a supportive, judgment-free community in our classroom as described above. Insuring that I am aware of the happenings in our classroom will also help keep my students safe and convey a message of safety to the students. Never turning my back to the class, paying attention to student behaviors, and maintaining an air of overall awareness and composure will provide students with the consistency and support they need. Students cannot feel safe in the classroom if their most basic needs have not been met. I will try to learn about my students and their lives outside of school. I would like to get to know my students individually and be able to build a relationship with them so they feel cared for at school. I can express genuine interest in my students by learning about their lives and interests and acting appropriately based on what I learn about them. Safety may mean different things to different students, but I can support their feelings of safety by explaining and practicing procedures for emergencies, such as fires or tornados. In the event of a violent situation, the first thing I would do is evacuate all other students from the classroom to ensure that they are safe. Then I would ask for help from a colleague or administrator. To prevent disruptive or violent behavior, I will explain to students that if they need to cool down, they can quietly and calmly remove themselves from their environment and sit in the reading chair in the reading area. Providing students with a resource to calm themselves will allow them to feel in control of their bodies and feelings. In specific situations with certain students I will work out a plan with them, such as a secret signal for them to inform me when they need to cool down or when they are getting worked up. The student may have a different room or space for their cool down based on that students needs.

Interacting with Parents, Colleagues, and Others

When interacting with other adults, it is important that I remain professional. Part of being professional includes documenting meetings with parents or other adults for my own records. Interactions with parents should be approached as though they are team members, all working toward the same goal- helping the student succeed. Parents may offer insight about the child that could be of assistance in our classroom. It is crucial that I create positive working relationships with my students parents.

I would like to have collaborative relationships with my colleagues. As a first year teacher, there is an infinite wealth of knowledge that I can learn from observing and talking to the other professionals that I work with. I will work effectively and productively with other faculty, such as associates, specialists, specials teachers, and any other colleague that works directly with my students. Creating positive professional relationships with these individuals will further benefit my students since we are all working toward the same goalsupporting the success of our students. When discussing students with any other adult I need to describe the behaviors, actions, or situations without characterizing the students. Remaining objective and factual and documenting situations or behaviors with notes is professional and can help keep emotions out of the conversation. Before the school year begins, I will send a postcard to each students home to introduce myself to the student and help them get excited for the beginning of a new year. During the first week of school, I will call each household and introduce myself to the students parents. I would also like to send notes home throughout the school year to students, either via assignment notebook (if the school issues them) or in the students take home folders to update the parents on the students progress in a particular area. For every area for improvement I identify and share with parents, I would like to also include a positive observation as well. Every student, no matter what their behavior habits may be, does at least one good thing everyday. This can and should be shared with their parents, especially when they are used to hearing mostly negative news. Each month I will send home a classroom newsletter for parents to read and stay informed. These newsletters will let them know what content we are working on that month, any projects or special dates, and any other pertinent information.