Samantha Salazar

11/19/15
EDCI 302-01
Anthony-Stevens
Classroom Management Plan
Secondary Education, English Classroom. 9th-12th grades applicable.
The teaching philosophy I align with the most is existentialism. This philosophy pertains
to the belief that knowledge is best learned and remembered through relation to the self and the
world around us (Burnham and Papandreopoulos). For example, when reading a text for an
English class, instead of having my students complain and wonder why they are having to read a
novel from the 1800s when that time has obviously passed, we can discuss how those issues
(such as racism, sexism, education, and other political debates) are still prevalent in the U.S.
today and maybe how it impacts each of us personally. One of the primary theorists behind this
philosophy is Jean-Paul Sartre, who believed that our existence means everything to us
(Kemerling). This is why I believe that existential thought is so valuable to our learning:
everything sticks in our minds more because it relates to us individually.
My tone with my students will be a respectful one, expecting respect in return since we
are acting as adults preparing for the real world (teaching high school should be full of respect
like this). I will constantly be teaching CORE State Standards as required, but in diverse ways
and through diverse texts in order to reach all of my students. I dont want to limit my students to
the Eurocentric point of view that is currently being favored in school systems because it is not
inclusive. I will not alienate my white students either though, because any sort of bias is bias, and
its wrong to do. I strive for diversity, not race bashing. Literacy circles will be inclusive and give
everyone a chance to talk and interact with one another about texts and concepts being discussed
in class, which is important for a belonging atmosphere in the classroom. I will also go out of my

way to help my diverse learners as well as my general students, working with

paraprofessionals/ESL teachers to guarantee my students academic success. If harassment
occurs, I will tackle it directly. I will address the students first, and if that isnt enough I will send
a note home, and if that doesnt do it, I will go to the principal and whoever I need to in order to
stop the bullying. I take these matters very seriously and they will be handled promptly.
I really appreciated and value Forrest Gathercoals judicious discipline model over
behaviorism. I value how my students feel, and they would like to feel valued in the classroom
rather than just be taught at by an apathetic authority figure. I plan on making a class constitution
for each class period, for the students and for myself, so that expectations are clear and known
from day one. They will get a say in their expectations for me as I will have a say in my hopes
for them in the class; its a much more accepting, respectful, and mature environment
(Gathercoal). I believe that young adults should be treated as such rather than being given the
gold star or candy rewards methods as I have experienced in high school. Teachers wont be
taken seriously unless we take our students seriously. Each day I would like to start with either
15 minutes of silent free reading or a writing prompt for a writers notebook, maybe using both
interchangeably just to break the monotony. After that we will go into the lesson, lecturing, doing
group discussions, or doing an activity to further grasp the content were diving into (making
posters, concept maps, acting out scenes of novels, etc.). We will talk about how the issues in the
text relate to us or to todays society, and it will be free discussion: no one will speak if they are
uncomfortable, and no one will be made uncomfortable by others when speaking (this will be
made clear in the constitution).
I dont want to discourage learning by denying opportunities for extra credit. I will offer
extra credit by having students redo assignments for extra points after asking me first so we can

go over the lesson together and figure out where the struggles are. I will not, however, let my
students come to be a week before quarter ends begging for extra credit when they could have
talked to me sooner. I will make this clear because just like they dont like to feel the pressure, I
dont either. I would encourage students with excellent writing to submit to the schools paper, or
compete in contests in the area to further push their writing talents in the right direction. Or, if
they were phenomenal readers, encourage them to start or attend a poetry slam. There is a lot to
be done to get students interested in English if teachers are willing to try too! Consequences are a
bit trickier, but I will say that I will always give a warning. When something is done wrong, I
will refer to the constitution of the class and say that I dont want to see it happen again. If it
occurs a second time, I will give warning by saying something like Im not going to ask you
again. If the rule is broken for a third time, I will take action with either detention or a visit to
the principals office, depending on what is needed. If the child is acting out due to restlessness
though, I wouldnt be so quick to punish. Instead, I would encourage the student to move around
a bit and get their head back on their shoulders, so to speak. As far as academic dishonesty, I will
not tolerate it, but I dont fear this because I will teach my students not to plagiarize and remind
them. More often than not, plagiarism occurs because students dont know the line theyve
crossed or they dont know how to cite something correctly. This can and will be remedied.
Other acts of cheating will be discussed with the student personally the first time, and then taken
up with the principal if it happens again.

Works Cited

Burnham, Douglas, and George Papandreopoulos. "Existentialism." Internet Encyclopedia of

Philosophy. Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy and Its Authors, 1995. Web. 17 Nov.
2015. <http://www.iep.utm.edu/existent/>.

Gathercoal, Forrest. Judicious Discipline: Rules, Consequences, Ethics and Citizenship.

Teacher Education Quarterly 17.3 (1990): 7984. Web. 17 Nov. 2015.

Kemerling, Garth. "Sartre." The Philosophy Pages. Garth Kemerling, 1997. Web. 16 Nov. 2015.
<http://www.philosophypages.com/hy/7e.htm#free>.