Classroom Management Plan

Preamble

Educating children has been a dream of mine my entire life. I beleve that every child can learn
when placed in a safe and inviting environment. My number one goal is to give every child the tools to
succeed not only in my class, but throughout their lives. I believe that by giving challenges, support, and
encouragement, the students in my class will know that they have the ability to learn, and to be the best
they can be. I want every child to know that I love them and believe in them. Through community
building, my students will also learn to care about and look out for one another as well.

To create such a classroom, a management plan needs to be in place, procedures need to be

taught, and supports put in place. With these in place, students will better be equipped with the tools
they need to learn the academics they need to learn.

Preventive Techniques

Positive Classroom Environment

In order to learn, students need to feel safe and feel good about themselves. I feel this is the
most important things as a teacher I need to accomplish. I will set up a classroom environment where
my students know that they are unique, capable, and loved. I will always strive to keep my corrections
positive, and never put any student down for something they say or do. I will also teach my students
that they have a voice that will be heard.

Each morning, when my students enter my classroom, throughout the day, and as they leave for
the day, I will give my students one of the three Hs (handshake, hug, or high five) of their choice, to give
them the touch, encouragement, and interaction that children need.

Build community

Not only is it important to have a positive classroom created by the teacher, but the entire class
needs to have positive interaction with the other students. Students need to know that they won’t be
laughed at or judged. By building a classroom community, the students will have a safe place to be
themselves, and to say what they need to say. This community will be built through team building
activities, and learning conflict resolution. As a class, we will celebrate accomplishments, and encourage
each other to do our best.

Clear Expectations and Classroom Rules

Children need to know what is expected of them. They need and desire routine and guidelines
(whether they know it or not). I learned throughout my student teaching experience, that when I am
clear on expectations before any activity, or anything new, it went much smoother, because the
students knew exactly what they needed to do and there was no confusion. Therefore, the students in
my classroom will know the expectations, anytime new expectations are needed, and be reminded of
other expectations on a regular basis.

Classroom rules will be established and displayed in the classroom on the first day. These rules
will include:
 1. Be respectful to everyone.
2. Listen when teacher is talking.
3. Follow directions first time given.
4. Keep hands, feet and other objects to yourself.
5. Always do your best!

Classroom Jobs

As a responsible citizen, students will be expected to contribute to the community through

careers, volunteer experiences, etc. In our classroom community, students will also be expected to
contribute, and they will do this through classroom jobs. These jobs may include:

 Table captain: get and distribute worksheets, paper, and any supplies needed for work.
 Pencil monitor: Sharpens pencils that are in the broken box once a day.
 Electrician: Turns lights on and off as needed.
 Line Leader: Leads the line.
 Caboose: End of line.
 Teacher Assistant: Runs errands for teacher, or anything else the teacher is in need of.

This list will be added to if I find jobs in my classroom that need to be done (or that I don’t want to
have to do).

Engaging curriculum

Research shows that students learn better when they are actively engaged in their learning. I
strongly believe in student autonomy, and believe they should have a part in their learning, and choice
in what they learn. I also believe that peers learn from each other as much or more than the teacher.
Therefore, my lessons will engaging in the following ways to keep interest:

 Class and partner discussions, guided by teacher questions.

 Hands-on activities
 Pair and group work
 Integrated curriculum
 Student choice
 Inquiry based learning

Teaching Procedures

Procedures are what makes the class run smoothly. During the first two weeks of school, I will
be spending much of the time teaching procedures. Then the next two weeks we will keep practicing as
needed, until the procedures and routines become second nature. Through teaching, and practicing
procedures, and refining the procedures, my students will know what is expected of them. Throughout
the year, if I see something that needs change, I will be teaching a new procedure. Some of the
procedures I will be implementing will be listed later. Instead of calling students out for not following
procedures, I will praise those who are following the procedure, such as, “Thank you, Billy, for raising
your hand.”
Classroom Arrangement

The arrangement of my classroom will be very important, as I will need to have access to every
student, and to be able to walk around the room comfortably. Also, the students will need to be able to
see me wherever I am in the classroom. I have found that tables, or desks arranged into tables is the
most accessible way to arrange a classroom. This way, students can communicate and work together
easily, it’s more communal, and I have easy access to each student. The tables will be arranged where
there are six seats to one table. The desks will be arranged either the same way, or where there are
four desks, two on each side and one desk at the end, facing the front of the room. This will depend on
how many students I have, and what works best for the class I will have.

Procedures

Beginning of day routine

Students will come into my classroom when the first bell rings, and put their backpacks and
coats away. They will then put their homework folders in their perspective box. Students will then
come to the carpet for our morning routine of calendar, schedule, etc.

Tardy Students

Students who are tardy will check into the office and bring a late note to me. They will then
quickly and quietly put their things away, including their homework folder, and join us in what we are
doing.

Absent Students

When students are absent, their homework will go into their cubby or homework box for them
to take home when they come back to school, or it will be available for siblings or parents to pick it up
and take it home.

Attention Getters: Snap Crackle Pop, Everybody Stop; 1-2-3 Eyes on Me, 1-2 Eyes on You; Class, Class,
Yes, Yes

I have learned that using only one attention getter is ineffective. Students get used to it, and
don’t respond as well. When this happens, I find it beneficial to switch it up. This is why I have three
options for attention getters that I can use when I feel one will be more effective than another. When
using these, students will know how they must respond, and what their bodies should do as they are
saying it and what it should be doing when they finish. After each one, their hands should in their laps,
facing me, and eyes on me. We will not start the lesson/activity until I have 100% of students’ attention
on me.

Transitions

During transition times, students will be expected to do so quickly and quietly. Any students
that run will be told to go back and try again. If the whole class fails to fulfill the transition quickly and
quietly, then the whole class will be expected to go back and try again. Doing this they will be more
aware of how they are transitioning. I will come up with different ways to have the transition, such as
who gets to go first, by like tables or when their birthdays are, color of hair, etc.
Drinks

When students come in from any recess, they will have an opportunity to get a drink. This is the
time that will be designated for drinks. They will have three seconds (“one alligator, two alligator, three
alligator”) to get their drink. Like any transition, they will be expected to be quick and quiet.

Bathroom

Students will be expected to go to the bathroom during recess time. However, if they do need
to go during other times, they will give them the sign language “R” signal. They will then wait until I see
them and give them a nod, then they can go.

Lining up

When lining up, I will have a weekly line leader, who will lead the class. I will also have a
caboose, as I have found that students fight over being last as much as they do being first. The same
techniques apply as do with transitions. Before leaving the room, we will recite, “My arms are folded, I
will not talk. I’m facing forward and I’m ready to walk”. When all the students are quiet and ready, we
then proceed down the hall.

Sharpening pencils

We will have a cup in the back of the classroom that has sharpened pencils in it. If their pencil
breaks, they will put their broken pencil into the box that the pencils that need to be sharpened will be
placed, and get one out of the sharpened pencil cup. Near the end of the day, there will be a designated
time that the pencil monitor will sharpen all the pencils and replace them in the cup.

Homework

Homework will go home each night in their homework folders, along with any other important
papers. On pocket of the folder will say, “Right back to school”, and the other will say, “Stay at home”,
so that parents will know what they send back to school and what they keep. The students will bring
their folder and homework back to school every night. There will be no homework sent home on Friday.

End-of-day routine

At the end of each day, students will have a few minutes to watch a science video and get their
things together during the video. I will call them by table, and they will return to their seats. I will write
any notes home that I feel need to be written in their homework folders, and then hand out the folders.
They will put them in their backpacks. Right before the bell rings, the students will line up, and I will
walk them out to the doors where they will meet their parents/guardians/siblings.

Supportive Techniques

Circulate around the room

 As I teach, or students are doing their work at their tables, I will constantly be walking around
the room, scanning the room, and checking with students. I will be there to answer any questions the
students may have, and to give extra support as needed.

Proximity

When a student is off-task, either during my teaching times, or individual work times, proximity
is an effective tool to remind students to do what they need to be doing. Many times, just my presence
is enough to remind them. By using proximity as a reminder, I won’t need to stop teaching, or
embarrass the student by calling them out.

Body Language (The Teacher Look)

It is amazing what one look can do. By giving the “teacher look” to my students, they will be
reminded that their behavior is not appropriate and that they need to fix it, and fix it now. This look is a
stern, no-nonsense look that gets the message across, again, without interrupting a lesson, or calling out
a student.

Voice

By using a firm, but kind voice, to remind a student to fix their behavior, can be a powerful tool.
Most students will respond to a firm reminder.

Calling out the Good

Students like to hear when they are doing something right, so when they hear someone else
being praised for being on track, or following procedures, many times students will do what you praised
the other student for, so they will be praised as well. This is a positive way to remind students to get
back on track.

Intervention Techniques

Teach Conflict Resolution

Conflict resolution is a powerful tool that students will carry throughout their whole lives. By
teaching students how to resolve conflict on their own, but modeling, talking them through it, and
practice, they will learn how to work out issues with other peers, and other people.

Sit out During Recess

When there are problems on the playground, and poor choices are being made, then the
student(s) will be required to sit either on the ground or bench and think about what happened, and
how they could have made a better choice.

One-on-one Conversations

One-on-one conversations with students that seem to be having a hard time, can let them know
that I care about, I may find out more about what the student is feeling or going through, and we can
make a game plan for change. By letting the student do most of the talking, I can find out a lot of
information, and it gives them an opportunity to come up with their own solution, which is another life
skill they will learn.
Consequences

If a student is being disruptive, and the supportive techniques are not working, they will be told
to put their head down on their desk until they are ready to participate and be on-task. Students who
have chronic behavior problems will have to face the consequences. This may result in coming up with
an improvement plan and a phone call home.

Communications with Parents/Guardians

Communication with parents/guardians is crucial to student success, but can sometimes be

challenging. Because I believe that communication is so important, I will have several ways that parents
will be able to contact me.

 Bloomz: a great app that parents makes communication so easy. I can take pictures
and post them so that the parents can see what the students are doing in our class,
which the parents love. Also, it has a point system that parents can see if their children
are on-task, etc. and gaining points, or (if I choose) if they got points taken away for not
staying on-task, etc. Also, parents can send me personal messages if they have any
concerns, and vice a versa.
 Before/after school: I will always be accessible to parents before and after school. I will
always walk my students out of the school at the end of the school day, so that parents
can come and talk to me if they have any questions.
 Email: I will check my email daily, and will respond to parents as soon as I see their
email.
 Phone calls: Calling parents can be an invaluable communication when a child is
struggling with behavior. It is important to let parents know what is going with their
child, and hearing it from the teacher is sometimes easier than getting a call from the
principal. However, it is also important to call parents for good behavior, and to let
them know their student did something great. Parents will also be able to a hold of me
at the school by phone.
 Homework folders: I will have a page in their homework folders for notes from parents,
where they can write me any notes if they have questions or concerns as well, if that is
easiest for parents.

References

Folini, G., Williams, E., & Brinkman, A. (2010). Class Acts. Bronxville, NY: Lavendar Hill Press.

Smith, R. (2004). Conscious classroom management: unlocking the secrets of great teaching. San Rafael,
CA: Conscious Teaching Publications.

Wilson, M. B. (2015). Teasing, tattling, defiance and more: positive approaches to 10 common classroom
behaviors. Turners Falls: Center for Responsive Schools.