Managing a Classroom: 2nd Grade

1. General Classroom Rules

1. Be Respectful of teachers, classmates, supplies, and
materials
2. Keep your hands and feet to yourself
3. Listen to the teacher and classmates when they are talking
and follow directions
4. Raise your hand to speak and wait to be called on
5. Work Hard, and Always Do Your Best!

These rules, I believe, are important basic rules for a classroom. The first rule of
being respectful is a common classroom rule and by second grade students know what
is right and wrong when respecting other and classroom materials and supplies. The
second rule is included because even though they are in second grade and should know
to keep their body parts to themselves they still need to be reminded of it. The third
rules of listening to the teacher and classmates is similar to the respect but highlights
the listening factor because many times students will listen only when the teacher is
talking and not when their classmates are talking. This rule is similar and could be tied
into rule #1 but at a second grade level, I think, it needs to be its own separate rule. The
4th rule is another common rule of raising your hand and waiting to be called on in
order to speak is an important rule because when there is 20+ 2nd graders all trying to
talk at once can be overwhelming.
Finally the last rule I added is more of a motivation and light hearted rule
because it can make the classroom feel more comfortable and students are asked to
follow rules and to remember them so if there is a motivational rule is reminds students
that as long as they are working hard and trying their best they are doing the right
thing. These rules contribute to the creation or a community of learner who care and
grow together because the rules are for benefiting everyone in the classroom and not
just the teacher. The students are learning how to be respectful to not only people but
the resources that they are given. They are learning to respect and listen to not only
teacher or people older than them but their own classmates.

2. Consequences
I was given the chance to experience a really unique positive consequences
program. This program not only motivated the students to do their best and to
follow the rules, but it was teaching them money skills as well. The teacher has fake
money and would give out coins (pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters) as a positive
consequence. The different value coins allowed for the teacher to reward small
 behaviors and bigger once. At the end of the week she would open her “Candy
Store” and students could spend the money at the candy store to by mostly travel
sized candy. There were different priced candies. The learning aspect of this
program that I found so beneficial to student and never would have thought of was
that students could choose to buy from the candy store or they could save their
money and if they chose to save she would give the student interest for saving and
the interest was ($0.10). This is not only giving the students a positive consequence
but also teaching them money skills and how saving money is a good thing. I hope
to incorporate this into my future classroom as a positive consequence.
Another program that I had learned about was a class reward system. The
students at the beginning of every school day were given three beans and if they
received a negative consequence a bean was taken. This allowed the teacher to more
private give a consequence. It also showed students that their actions not only affect
them by affect their classmates as well because at the end of the day the beans were
collects and put into jar that had different rewards for certain level. I think this way
of discipline or having negative consequences is smart because it is not shaming the
students in front of their peers and it motivates other students to help keep each
other on the right path. Another negative consequence system that affect the
individual student instead of the whole class was giving the more troubled students
3-5 of another object as well as their beans and those were earned towards an
individual prize such as technology free time at the end of the day or other small
rewards. The student would lose an object as a negative consequence and it affect
them personally so, depending on the behavior the teacher could take a bean or that
students special object.

3. Impact of Procedures
When it comes to the procedures of introducing the classroom rules and the
consequence systems the way it is done can impact the effectiveness of the rules and
consequence system in the classroom. When introducing rules and consequence it is
important to really involve the students and not just talk at them because at any age it
will most likely be lost. It is important to model the expected behavior and have
students participate in modeling the positive behavior. I also think reminders of rules
and behaviors are important in the beginning of the school year because the rules and
expectations are new to the students and they need some time for a routine to be put in
order and for the expectations to fully be comprehended and understood.
I think it could also be helpful for the teacher to model undesired behaviors and
have students talk about it and why it is not a desired behavior and what could have
been done instead. Students will need time to adjust and if the teacher is seeing student
still struggle with routines, rules, or consequence the teacher should make time to
review the routine(s), rules, and consequence programs again. If there are still problems
may the teacher should reevaluate everything and possible implement something
difference.

4. List all the procedures established in 2nd grade

 What to do after arriving in the morning
 How to pack up at the end of the day
 What to do when your pencil is dull or broken
 Asking for help
 Using the classroom library
 How to line up to leave the classroom
 What to do if you are absent
 How to walk in the hallways
 Getting ready for tests
 Daily 5 or center rotations

5. Three Procedures Explained

1. Beginning of the Day Arrival Routine
i. Put coat and bookbag in the designated location and greet the
teacher
ii. Choose your lunch or put your packed lunch in designated area
iii. Put homework (if given) in the homework bin with your name at
the top
iv. Put anything for the teacher in the teacher’s classroom mailbox
v. Have a seat at your desk and complete morning work or read to
yourself or 1 friend
2. Daily 5 or Center Rotation
i. Teacher will display powerpoint with chart of where each student
should be
ii. Students will grab the supplies they need for that specific station
and move to the designated location for that station
iii. Students will begin working when they get to their area
iv. Teacher will set a timer for desired amount of time
v. When time goes off a chosen student will change to the next slide of
the powerpoint and students will clean up and move to their next
location.
 vi. At the end of the daily 5 time or center students will clean up and
return to their desks quietly and wait for teacher to instruct them to
the next activity
3. Exchanging a Pencil
i. student will quietly walk to the pencil exchange area
ii. student will exchange their dull or broken pencil in the broken
pencil jar
iii. student will grab a pencil from the sharpened pencil jar
iv. student will quietly walk back to their desk and continue working

6. Steps for Teaching Routines

Morning Routine
A. Introduction
 The first day of school it is important to direct the students of how the
morning routine should go. Once the students are there and the school
day has officially begun have a little circle time to discuss all the
expectation to the student. The first thing should be morning routine. The
teacher should have a chart or powerpoint slide that has the steps of the
morning routine displayed for students. Each step should be talked about
and should be modeled by the teacher.
B. Practice
 Student should have the opportunity to practice this routine so have them
line up outside the classroom quietly and complete the morning routine
following the routine chart or slide. As the students are practicing the
routine the teacher should be making mental notes of things to talk about
at the end. These notes can be things that student had problems with,
things they forgot, or undesired behaviors. After students have practiced
and the notes were reviewed together, the teacher should go through the
routine again but have the student guide the teacher to the next step in the
routine. Send or have the routine posted for parents to have access to
C. Maintain/Revise
 It is important that the teacher guide the students through the routine in
the first few weeks of school because it is a new routine that is designed
by that specific teacher and may differ from their previous morning
routine. The teacher should continue to make notes about what in the
routine is working, what is not working, what students are struggling, or
what may be revised in the routine. Each group of students so a routine
that worked for one group of students may not work for another and may
need revised.
Daily 5 or Center Rotation
A. Introduction
 When it comes to the Daily 5 or center part of the day this is the time to
introduce and discuss how to complete the rotation and the expectations
for the stations/centers. This may take the entire Daily 5 or centers, but it
is important and should not be rushed. The teacher should model what
the students will be doing and explaining that the selected student with
the center job will be the only student to touch the computer when it is
time to rotate. Explain that the student are in groups but their groups may
change and where they are start will change every time so it is important
to look at the chart to see where you are so you can collect the required
supplies need for the center/station. The teacher should model each
center/station and what is needed for each.
B. Practice
 When it comes to having the students practice the routine it is important
to talk through it. Have students practicing what they need to do for each
station. Have them talk about what they will need and where they will go
for every station/center. Explain that the students will work on that
station/center until the timer goes off. Set a fake timer for an amount of
time so students can get a feel for the sound of the timer. Have students
do a practice round where they go through the rotation routine but not for
a shorter amount of time.
C. Maintain/Revise
 This is a lot of independence and self-regulation for students so this
procedure will need to be maintained and reviewed. The teacher should
be analyzing how students are doing when completing the rotation. It is
important to make note of the students who are leaders, follower, and
mischievous. The groups may need to be revised or the order of the
centers depending on how the students respond. Like most routines every
class of students is different so things may need to be changed or practice
more.
Pencil Exchange
A. Introduction
 This should be taught at the beginning when talking about rules of the
classroom and other classroom management topics. This is a small routine
but if it is messed up or not followed can end up as a big distraction.
When explaining what to do when a student has a dull or broken pencil
 try to have example of pencils that need to be exchanged and what pencils
do not need to be exchanged. Have multiples so student can identify the
pencils themselves as like a mini game. Once the correct dull or broken
pencils are identified demonstrate the routine of quietly walking to get a
new pencil and explain and talk about the pencil jars and what jar holds
the dull or broken pencils and what jar holds the sharpened pencils. While
go through the routine it is important to talk about the dos and don’ts of
the routine. Have student be involved in this process.
B. Practice
 Have students practice the pencil exchange routine and have a poster or
chart reminder for the beginning parts of the year as a reminder. In the
beginning of the year it is important to reward or shine light on positive
completions of the routine. This can motivate other students to act in the
same manner.
C. Maintain/Revise
 This is a routine that needs to be monitored because some students may
handle this routine with ease, and some may have problems and become a
distraction. Those particular students may only be allowed to exchange
their pencil at certain times. If the routine is not working a new one may
need to be implemented such as students do pencil exchanges during
certain times of the day such as the beginning or end of the day.