Classroom Management Plan

1- Philosophical Model:

The philosophical model can play a vital role in how a classroom is organized a

run. The model that I want to have in my classroom is a Positive Behavioral Support system. As we have talked in class, nagging a student is a poor way to get them motivated and wanting to learn, whereas, promoting positive behavior through positive cueing can be a much better way to lift student behavior (class notes, 11/15/12). One of the most basic needs of a student is to feel like they are in a safe learning environment (Practical Classroom Management, pg. 4). What better way to accomplish this than to have a classroom where students are praised for good behavior, rather than always focusing on the negative. ! Another aspect of this model that is ideal to classroom management is the fact

that the learning and responsibility is person or student-centered. When students are motivated intrinsically, they are much more likely to have positive behavior in the classroom; not because they have to, but because it is their choice (class notes, 9/6/12). I think this is such an important aspect of a classroom environment, when student feel like their best interest are in mind, and that they are respected, as a result there will be less behavioral issues in the classroom (class notes, 9/27/12). ! The last part from this model that stands out to me, is that by having a positive

approach to students behavior, there is an emphasis on improving students lives, not just at school, but in l everyday life (class notes, 9/20/12). As teachers, we need to be striving to help our students succeed, it is one thing to help them be successful in the

classroom, but more importantly, I want my students to know that I have their best interest in mind outside of school and beyond their year with me. School is merely a stepping stone in the greater effort to help our students be successful in life.

2. Classroom Layout:

For my classroom layout, I want to arrange the room in a way that makes it easy

to form groups, but that is open and free of clutter. Here are some of the things that I have done to arrange my classroom:

 Arranging the desks the way that I did both creates a partner, and a group of four. Along the left side of the room are the students individual storage space, for their coasts and backpacks. Most classes have this, but I wanted to make sure that every student in my class had their own personal space. In the upper left hand corner of the room is a reading corner. Reading is such an important aspect of our education, I wanted to provide a place where students can read and there are beanbag chairs for them to use. At each desk station there is a computer for each pair of students. Technology in the classroom is such a great tool and I hope to be able to provide my students with that resource. In the bottom left corner there are cabinets where students get their supplies. This includes the classroom printer and a drinking fountain, so that they dont have to leave the classroom every time they need a drink. The entire front of the room is white board space, with a Smart Board in the middle section. This provides me with a lot of space to present visual information, to aid in my teaching. In the back of the room there is a teacher table, where I can work with small groups, during our class workshop time. It also provides an area for our class aids to work with students when they are in the classroom. Directly above the teacher work table are classroom display boards. These boards are used to display student work, as well as student progress. We will also have a word wall in this area, highlighting our key vocabulary words.

 Along the left of the room are counter space cabinets, there are also windows along the left of the classroom. This is not always available, but having the counter space, is a great way to keep things organized. Having the windows help create a more comfortable classroom environment. I have placed the teachers desk at the front corner of the room. This enables me to see everyone in the class, when I do need to be at my desk. It is essential for us to be able to monitor the class at all times, and this is an easy way to be able to do this. I never want to be one of those teachers who spends most of their time at their desk, however, there are times when this cannot be avoided.

3. Manage Student Behavior: ! The rst step that I want to take in my classroom is helping students feel like they

have a voice in establishing the classroom rules. Of course I will help guide and rene the goals as needed, but the rules that students are most likely to follow, are those they feel personally responsible to (Practical Classroom Management, pg. 4). Another essential aspect of establishing an effective classroom is creating a climate in which students feel respected, both teacher to student, and student to student (Practical Classroom Management, pg. 4). There are many ways that we can establish a positive classroom climate, these include: getting to know your students, giving more positive praise, than negative, setting high expectations of students, and providing regular, and timely feedback (classroom notes, 10/4/12). I want to ensure that student understand what these expectations look like in the classroom.

As we discussed in class on 10/4, it is essential to keep expectations simple and

to the point. In my classroom, I will have the goals, that the students develop, posted on the wall, as well as my goals for them. My goals will be simplied in to three simple words: Respect, Responsibility, Resourceful. We will spend a great deal of time discussing each of these words and what it looks like, what it sounds like, and how it is implemented in the classroom. As with any classroom procedure, it is essential to reinforce and review expectations regularly (classroom notes, 10/4/12). As I mentioned up above, I am not going to just tell them what those three words mean. I want them to discuss and develop their own understanding of what those things look like in the classroom. I will help prompt them as needed, especially with what it means to be resourceful. The ultimate goal in my classroom is for students to want to take ownership of their learning. I feel like I will be able to accomplish this by creating a classroom environment where the students feel safe, and that their opinion is respected.

4. Classroom Environment: ! Creating a positive, respectful classroom environment is essential to an effective

classroom. There are many ways that this can be accomplished, rst, I want to accomplish this by creating an environment where students opinions are respected and where they have a voice in their learning. One way that this can be accomplished is to allow the students to make choices about what they want to study, even if it is only an illusion of choice (class notes, 9/13/12). By providing them with choices, it helps increase the motivation to learn, and when motivation is elevated, it creates a classroom

environment where students want to learn and increases positive behavior (Class notes, 9/6/12; Practical Classroom Management, pg. 140). ! Another way that I want to build a positive classroom environment is by using

cooperative group activities regularly in the classroom. One of the most important things that we can do for students is to help them develop life skills. In life we have to learn how to communicate and work well with others, so providing students with meaningful group work activities, it helps them to develop those skills. It also helps them build relationships with their fellow classmates. As they develop these relationships, they will benet more from the group activities. When there is respect in the classroom, it can signicantly reduces negative behavior in the classroom. ! As I mentioned earlier, one of my classroom rules is to be resourceful, this plays

an important role in my classroom environment, because I want to create a classroom where the students are curious and want to learn on their own, and in order to do this, they will need to learn how to be resourceful. As adults, most of what we learn about can be sourced back to our curiosity (class notes, 9/6/12). I want the students to not only be curious, I want to help teach and provide them with the tools they need to be successful in answering the questions they have. One such tool is using technology in the classroom. There is such a wealth of knowledge and resources that can be found using computers. Using the internet is great source of instant information, organizational tools on the computer provide an ideal framework for students to organize and present what they research, in a wide variety of ways. Technology is a tool that can signicantly improve the depth of learning experiences available to students, so long as it is used

effectively. When students are given the appropriate framework, and have these types of tools at their disposal, the type of learning that can occur has great potential.

5. Manage and Facilitate Instruction: ! In the classroom expectations play such an important role in how a class is

organized and managed. It begins with the expectations we have of our students. As I establish my expectations with the students, I need to ensure that I am consistent in my teaching. In my ideal classroom, I would like to have the use of a Smart Board. Using this type of board can provide a wide range of interactive lessons, however, one of the challenges is being glued to the front of the room. One way that I will address that in my classroom is by having students help navigate the Smart Board for the class. This will be something that they will take turns doing, so that it is not always the same students. By having students help navigate the board, it will enable me to walk the room more often, so that I can use proximity effectively in the classroom (classroom notes, 9/6/12). ! Another key aspect of facilitating instruction is what we do with the students,

before, during, and after the lesson. When students understand what is expected of them, they are going to be more likely to follow through with those expectations. I plan to accomplish this by following explicit teaching techniques, which include: clearly identifying the objectives for my lessons. It is essential to do this, at the beginning of the lesson, in the middle, and at the end (class notes, 9/6/12). As I teach, I want to ensure that I am using a wide range of assessment tactics, to hold my students accountable. This includes walking the room and checking for understanding, assignments being turned in, and even doing spot check assessments throughout the lesson to ensure that

are understanding the concepts being taught. All of these things together, will help ensure that I am effectively managing the instruction I am providing my students.

6. Promoting Classroom safety and wellness: ! In the classroom, procedures play a vital role in the safety and wellness of our

students, from both a physical and emotional perspective. Some of the procedures that my students are expected to adhere to include: 1. Lining up procedures: they are expected to line up without running, shouting or bumping in to one another, if they do not line up correctly they are required to go back to their seat and do it again, until they get it right.. 2. Walking in the hall: Students are expected to follow the single le, double tile rule, with their mouths off. This procedure helps to ensure that they are not disrupting other classes, and it makes it safer for other classes or students who may need to pass in the opposite direction. In the case that they do not follow this procedure, those who did not follow the rule will be asked to be sent back to the class and try again, until they get it right. ! Another aspect of my class that I want to make sure to address in bullying. We

will have addressed what it means to show respect, but bullying is something that I feel need to be addressed specically. In my classroom, as should be the cause in every classroom, there will be a no tolerance policy for bullying. In my classroom every incident will be handled and addressed immediately, if it is ignored or not shown to be inexcusable, the student may feel justied in their actions, or that they can get away with it. Bullying is detrimental to a classroom environment, if a student does not feel safe, their ability to learn is greatly diminished. (Teacher-Tested Classroom

Management Strategies, pg. 135-136). I want every student in my class to feel safe, establishing and enforcing a no bullying rule, and implementing procedures to deal with any infractions, is one way that I can do that.

7. Interacting with colleagues and parents: ! In schools, teachers cant do everything by themselves, it is essential to have

support from other teachers, as well as the parents. First, I want to make sure that I have a buddy teacher at the school I teach at. As the old saying goes, two heads, are better than one, such is the case in schools. Having another teacher to vent to, or to discuss teaching ideas with, can make all the difference on a frustrating day. As teachers, we are going to struggle, but having someone there to help pick us up, or give us a suggestion on something that worked well for them, is so important to our overall well being as teachers. As we discussed in class on 11/15, one of the biggest reasons teachers fail is a lack of support (class notes 11/15/12). It is amazing how benecial having a friend can be! ! Another way that I want work with my peers is to have regular, weekly, planning

meetings. This is especially important for grade levels. This gives a great chance to build a buddy relationship when you are new to a school, and also provides a great forum to discuss the struggles and successes you may be having in the classroom. Building these relationships not only helps the cohesiveness within the faculty, but it also leads to better instruction for our students. ! The second piece to this puzzle is how to get parents to informed, and involved

in what their students are learning about. One of the rst steps is for us to reach out and

communicate with the parents of our students. In the book Teacher-Tested Classroom Management Strategies, it discussed the need to be in regular contact with parents, which does not include normal report cards (Teacher-Tested Classroom Management Strategies, pg. 80). In my classroom I want to set up a regular communication with the parents. It can be a struggle to maintain a class website, especially if parents dont utilize it, but they will never utilize something if it is not there to begin with. I want to ensure that I have a class website, and promote it to the parents. I would use it as a broader scheduling and informational tool, not for the day-to-day updates. Another way that I want to encourage parents to be involved, is to ensure that they understand that they are welcome in the classroom at any time (Teacher-Tested Classroom Management Strategies, pg. 80). By extending this invitation to parents, it promotes parent involvement, which can be a great support to us in the classroom.

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