Tyler Thatcher

Classroom Management Plan- ED327

Spring 2018

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 Section 1: Theory

The content area of social studies is the most important subject that is taught in a school.

Universities, businesses, and multiple other institutions have a strong desire to find passionate

employees with critical thinking skills, which are taught vigorously and productively through the

subject. Social studies is the only content area of its kind where we look toward the past to seek

out flaws, the solutions to work around them, and the best ways for us to cooperate with one

another on a human level. The best guide for exploration, can be me, as the educator. As the

teacher, I must be fully equipped to prepare my students and to push for their best work day-in

and day-out. My classroom management is what allows me to do this, as “it is a teacher – what

the teacher knows and can do – that makes the difference in the classroom” (Wong, 2009. P 81.).

I firmly believe that student success, growth, and achievement can begin and end with me. I have

devoted myself to work each day to make the classroom safe for exploration, sharing opinions,

and developmental growth. This directly allows for students to become invested in the

curriculum.

Students have needs in young adolescence that requires me to set up and display my

classroom in a specific way. First, creative expression, referred to as development need #4, in

written verbal, and visual work is a critical part to the environment in my classroom. The goal is

to tap into each student’s innate desire to learn in unique ways. Positive social interaction,

referred to as development need #1, is also critical. Positive social interaction is at the root of all

forms of social studies as debates and discussions. In my classroom, we will work toward

understanding different viewpoints and developing our own critical opinions. Thus, listening is

critical, just as much, if not more than, speaking. Furthermore, my classroom, like any great

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social studies classroom, has structure, clear limitations, and a passion and desire for students to

achieve, developmental needs #2 and #3. I have daily routines and procedures I take my classes

through to provide clear structure, and opportunities for assessment, achievement, and growth.

The syllabus and class schedule, provided at the beginning of the academic year, outlines our

limits, but encourages students to look beyond them.

My classroom has routines and procedures that are set and unwavering; however, I will

not discount student voice and choice within my classroom. Students have a right to be

concerned over what they are learning, how it impacts them, and what the knowledge will do for

them in the future. Thus, they must be given the choice to take part in the learning process and

have a say in what type of activities accompany it. This will give students the opportunity to feel

a sense of belonging, power, freedom, expression, and fun and not have to worry about survival.

This is directly taken from Glasser’s Choice Theory. This allows the students to answer and

express what directly is best for their needs, while the teacher is supporting each student through

scaffolding, differentiation, and student-focused instruction.

The power of choice has an environmental and climate impact within the classroom. This

development can be the cause for rapid personal growth but can open the door for classroom

disruptions depending on the personalities and maturity of the classroom as an entity. When one

looks at Jacob Kounin’s work and philosophy, it can be implemented alongside Glasser’s theory

to an extent. Kounin’s work can be broken down into five main topics of implementation: “with-

it-ness,” overlapping, momentum, smoothness, and group focus. It is my duty as the educator to

be responsible for inhibiting poor behavior in and out of my classroom. This can be done through

non-verbal expression such as making eye contact with students. When a student has finished his

or her work, I can combine Glasser’s and Kounin’s theory with the concept of overlapping. As

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the educator, I can lay out a handful of items to move onto once their work is done, this gives

students the power to choose between their next step, but also implies Kounin’s overlapping

theory by keeping students engaged with work. It is within my realm to create an environment

that expresses and demands constant growth in a multitude of senses: socially, academically, and

emotionally.

Finally, there are commitments for me that I must make explicit towards the classroom

and the students. This can be interpreted from Vatterott’s work (2007, P 17.). I must be

committed to young adolescents, advocating and having reasonable, yet demanding, expectations

for them, as well as a clear vision for their short-term and long-term success. I must create a

positive environment in my classroom, demand myself to use different approaches to tap into

different learning styles, as well as different types of assessment to accurately and fairly

represent in writing what each student is doing in class. I must reach out to families and different

levels of communities to create a sense of belonging and togetherness. I am where these

initiatives begin and will help lay the foundation for continuous growth. It is my responsibility to

live up to the standards set in front of me, in supporting all students along the way.

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 Section 2: Policies & Procedures

Expectations (Rules)

Rules are essential in my classroom in order to create and ensure a safe and effective

environment. Additionally, this will provide my students with clear structure and limits which

focuses on developmental need #6 for adolescents. My classroom can be described as a “power-

with” rather than a “power-over” room. Thus, this will promote student choice and I will give

students a voice in the creation of the rules and expectations for our classroom. Students will be

presented with the opportunity to write down potential rues in response to guiding questions

about how they would like the classroom to run and how they would like their peers to behave.

After the students create a list of their own thoughts, they will then meet in small groups and

narrow down these rules before returning to a full-class discussion. At the end of this, the class

will have chosen no more than 5-6 general rules for their classroom.

In my classroom, there are certain expectations presented for all of my students. These

expectations must be developed, and I must also follow these rules and set the expectations. My

specific policy is that of which an expectation is broken, I have the right, as the educator, to let

my students know individually. Also, if I break any, or do not follow my own set of

expectations, the students may respectfully inform me. This would create a sense of community

and a level of accountability among peers and the educator. This also would create a sense of

student power, alongside myself, in the classroom. Thus, helping the class move forward and

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toward the perfection of the classroom expectations. Now, I have listed below each of the

expectations that will be implemented in my classroom:

1. Respect!

To me, this is the most critical expectation for my classroom. All of the aspects of the

classroom are reflected in the terminology, classroom participation, and practices. The definition

of respect can be interpreted in many different lights. In the terms of respecting student’s

background, in areas such as race, gender, ethnicity, interests, opinions, ideas, etc.). However,

this goes much further and into more detail in regard to conduct in a social studies classroom.

First, we will display and practice respect by not talking over anyone, listening to what your

peer, guest, or educator has to say, and finally to not assume anything about him or her. It is not

expected that any student must answer any personal question, the goal is to keep the classroom a

safe, approachable, and accepting environment. The classroom is an area to embrace who you

truly are and to have personal reflection for growth on who we wish to become. The expectation

of respect is important for all students to stay on task because distractions, late work, and

classroom disruptions are disrespectful to my time, as well as theirs.

2. Unsure? Ask Questions!

With the assumption that the classroom community has agreed to the expectation of respect,

we must always make sure that each student has a voice and is heard within the classroom. If we

do not hear a student, do not understand/comprehend what a peer/guest is saying, we will

respectfully and politely ask questions to make their opinion/argument/thought process clearer.

This is crucial for students to follow as the educational process of social studies involves

discussion and debates among controversial topics. It is also expected and important for the

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students to approach me and ask questions, as it will (hopefully) increase their understandings of

the content, skills, and the goal for learning in a general aspect.

3. Be the best “you” that “you” can be daily!

This idea is extremely crucial so that each day, a student brings different personal issues,

problems, and baggage into the classroom. Some days, this could impact only a single student;

however, other days it could be an impactful to the whole class. Rather than waiting for those

things to build up, boil over, and distract the individual student, or surrounding peers, we agree

to this expectation. This infers, that we will check the issue, before entering class, at the door.

This can be enforced and monitored tangibly by using an entry-ticket, where each student takes a

notecard to his or her desk and will have written out the explanation of what is happening today

if anything. It is not required or expected for a student to write anything, but this allows for the

student (him or her) to inform me, confidentially, if anything is happening that may cause

problems, distraction issues, etc.

With rules and expectations in place, students will and can still bring in disruptive

behaviors to our classroom. I must address the issues in a respectful, but also stern manner. The

consequences for any unruly action or nature must be weighed and addressed in a fair way.

Students may choose to act out because of family/home issues, not fulfilling their seven

developmental needs, not reaching Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, and other teenaged drama. I

must follow through with what I say and ask of my students.

Expectations for the Educator

Foremost, the educator can and will be held to the same expectations daily as the students

are. However, there will be only teacher-specific limitations to the expectation: Be the best you

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can daily! By this, it is expected that I will grade submitted assignments as quickly as possible. It

is the expectation that student/course work will be returned and graded to the student within 2-3

class meetings. In case for a weekend, it is expected to be returned by the following Monday or

Tuesday class meeting. However, this time may be extended given the length of the assignment,

such as a research paper, to best grade and give feedback to each student. This will be explained

beforehand, and the students will be informed and reminded about this process. This will allow

me to display the respect I have for the students’ time, while also giving them the best feedback,

corrections, and positive reinforcement through comments beyond just a simple letter grade or

percentage. Additionally, this expectation should be a telling sign to students that they can expect

me to create and instruct the curriculum for them, and this process will usually be bell-to-bell.

Furthermore, it is my responsibility, as the educator, to practice what I preach. If I am unable to

perform to the best of my abilities and towards the students’ expectations for me, I am obviously

not doing the best I possibly could. This would set a poor precedent for how my classroom and

personality should run in this formed community.

Classroom Climate

The goals of my classroom climate are to encourage student voice as much as possible,

offer students a piece of power through choice (Glasser), and to bring in items, films, primary

documents, and other instructional elements of relevance to the topic of the class/lesson. With

regards to student voice, I personal believe this is a crucial and critical piece to a successful

classroom. Each day, as it will be explained in “routines & procedures” section, I will seek out

ways to encourage students to find current events, issues, and praises to discuss in a critical

historical sense. This may mean to find a way to connect a current political, economic, or social

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issue to a similar issue from decades/centuries ago. Furthermore, students may even begin to

brainstorm solutions to the issue, which allows students to articulate what has personal interests

to them and find connections to what we have or what will be discussed. The second goal, power

through choice, is important in any, and specifically my, social studies classroom because it

allows for differentiation in skills for the students. Some assignments in secondary classrooms

must be papers or certain projects that give students the experience of what takes place in the

field of history, middle school is a period of experiences to foster creativity and the personal

desire to learn and grow. I will offer students various types of assessments in terms of test

formats and projects. Some generic tests, such as multiple-choice tests, may have to be

implemented, but any unit-long, formative, and summative assessments should revolve around

the aspect of student choice. Finally, I believe in bringing in relevant documents and materials

into the classroom. This adds to the friendly and engaging environment with a sense of creativity

and exploration, which can be stereotypically lost in the thought of what a Social Studies

environment is like. A duty of mine, as the educator, is to create the environment to be friendly,

engaging, and make the subject relevant to their daily lives to enhance the connection.

Routines & Procedures

Routines – also known as classroom procedures – rid students of distractions that can

neglect classroom time and interfere with learning. Routines and procedure will help minimize

guesswork. Also, minor frustrations are less common, as are opportunities for misbehavior. If my

students know what to do and how to do it during every transitional or procedural moment of the

school day, they can more easily attend to what is most important. Furthermore, adding more

responsibility and purpose is a surefire way to boost classroom and individual morale.

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Everything in my classroom that is done repetitively should have a set routine. This will

eliminate stress for the students and myself on day-to-day classroom activities.

1. Homework

Multiple studies have shown that homework can be ineffective if not implemented

properly. I will not give my students any homework that is just simply “busy

work.” Rather, I will assign meaningful work in which draws upon the previous

days of class and enhances information within the courses curriculum or is an

easily followed sheet to introduce the next topic within the curriculum.

Homework will be turned in at the beginning of the class period. I will count any

assignment not turned in at the beginning of the period as “late work.” I will

continue to accept late work up to 5 school days late. Each day will result in a

deduction of 5% from the final grade for the assignment. After 5 school days, if

the assignment has not been turned in, it will be recorded as a “zero” unless it is

under an extreme circumstance (illness, passing of a family member, etc.).

2. Passing out and turning in papers

The art of passing out papers is a skill that can be ran through trial and error. My

procedure revolves around having a member of a pod of tables, or the student in

the front row (depending on the classroom set up my district allows me to have),

retrieving the papers and other materials. This allows for some kinesthetic

movement for some students. For turning in papers, I will have marked trays on a

table, either in the front or the back, that allow students to turn in their work. I

will collect the papers from the tray. This way, I will know who turned their work

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 in on time (refer to section 1: Homework). Graded homework assignments will be

distributed personally by me to ensure student privacy with regard to grades.

3. Discussion & Debate

Discussion and debate in a social studies classroom is imperative to understanding

many overarching topics as well as the specifics of certain historical events. Thus,

my classroom must be an environment that is reflective of a safe space for this to

take place. For situations revolving discussion and debate, we will abide by our

classroom expectations closely, as respect, listening, and questioning will be

crucial to ensure that each student has the chance to be heard. In my classroom,

we will cover two types of debate: formal and informal.

The less common type, formal debate, is when we, as a formative or

summative assessment, physically (and sometime personally) take sides of the

classroom and make an educational argument for a specific case/side. Students

will not always be arguing for the side they naturally choose, but rather take

stances on a random side in hopes for achieving growth in debate as a whole.

With a goal to share power with students, I may also have them moderate debates

instead of me, this will allow the students to create the rules, topics, characters,

etc. (I will obviously be closely monitoring when this takes place).

The more common type, informal debate, applies to the daily discussions

about what we are learning, as different interpretations of a topic and event are

possible. As the educator, I will constantly be monitoring, and often

administering, these discussions. I will do so by posing questions and multiple

viewpoints and perspectives, if needed, to increase and encourage further

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 discussion. Furthermore, informal debates will take place during discussion of

current events. When dealing with topics, that can be controversial in some

instances, I will remind students of our expectation of “respect,” and we will

listen to each student’s opinion on the matter and debate in an appropriate

manner. If a student does not wish to accept the circumstances, and chooses to act

out, I, as the educator, will deal with him or her appropriately.

4. Entry-Ticket and Bell Ringers

An entry-ticket, otherwise known as a bell ringer, will be implemented for when a

student enters the classroom as the class period is beginning. I will have my

students take an entry-ticket, giving them the opportunity to confidentially write

what could be on their mind each day. They will then place these face-down on a

table/desk at the front of the room, and when students are reviewing their work, I

will read each slip to prepare myself appropriately for how I need to approach that

class period for the day. After students have completed the entry-tickets, they will

begin working on a review sheet of the previous week’s or day’s topics. This

review sheet, once completed, will give students another set of notes to study for

when the unit exam/test comes around. If we do not have a review sheet for that

class, we will swiftly move into “current events,” in which we discuss what is

happening in the world, and how that relates to what has happened elsewhere in

history (first looking into our current unit).

Discipline

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 I would like to preface this section by stating that I will always do my best to keep

students in the classroom, engaged, and learning. Therefore, I will discipline inappropriate

behavior through a system labeling the behavior as a minor, moderate, or major issues.

1. Minor Issues:

a. Failure to follow expectation #3.

b. Speaking out of turn

c. Interrupting classmates

d. Failure to follow directions

These issues will be addressed, for the most part, informally. I may say the

students name to refocus the, place a hand on the desk, or use proximity control to

discourage the disruptive behavior without “calling out” the student in front of his

or her peers.

2. Moderate Issues:

a. Physically disrupting the class

b. Verbally disrupting the class

c. Repeated offense of a minor issue

Some of the specific instances that fall into this category. These may require me

to have a brief and private consultation with a student to discourage the behavior

from occurring again. It is my goal to never escalate the situation. In both minor

and moderate issues, I will use preventative measures to stop unruly behavior(s)

before they happen. My goal is to use humor to diffuse tension and may ask

rhetorical questions to refocus the disruptive student(s). Furthermore, if the

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 disruption comes from a pair of students sitting alongside one another, I will ask

them to move separately for the remainder of the class period.

3. Major Issues

a. Repeated offense of a moderate issue

b. Failure to follow the expectation regarding respect

i. Profanity or inappropriate gestures towards the educator or a peer

ii. Laughing at another student’s point-of-view or opinion

c. Violence/Bullying of any kind

If a major offense occurs in my classroom, this will almost immediately result in the

student needing to step out into the hallway. While I will perform to the best of my

ability to catch things like this before they happen, I know that all my students are

human and will have days in which they will not want to cooperate. Once I give the

students in the class something to do, such as an assignment, I will go out and discuss

what happened with the student one-on-one. If the infraction is not as serious as

bullying or violence, I want to reintroduce the student to the classroom as quickly as

possible. So, a brief introduction is imperative, but a quality discussion is just as

important. If the issue is in the extreme range, a conversation with a school

administrator would be rather important. If a major issue is repeated, I may have no

other choice than to send the student away, as the students in my classroom will also

require my attention, and I cannot afford for a student to keep disrupting the class

learning opportunities as a whole. Other ways for students to be disciplined in

moderate and major issues would be expressed in forms contacting family members,

detentions, and loss of classroom privileges.

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 Ideally, I should not have to enforce and consequences for unruly and unjust behavior;

however, all of my students are human and are capable of having “off” days. If a student is

having a troubled day I will follow this step-by-step practice:

1. I will first try to ignore the issue

2. I will use non-verbal cues (if needed after step 1)

3. I will try to implement proximity control (if needed after steps 1-2)

4. Finally, I will have to make a phone call home or to an administrator’s office depending

on the severity of the event (if needed after steps 1-3)

Additionally, I will discipline with dignity, cooperation, and mutual respect. A good

consequence, in my opinion, would:

1. Be clear and specific

2. Has a range of alternatives

3. Is not classified as a punishment

4. Is directly related to the classroom rules

5. Is natural and/or logical

Discipline in my classroom is not and should not be thought of as a standoff between

myself and my students. It should be brought about for individual growth and long-term

personal commitments.

Section 3: Instructional and Assessment Strategies

Meeting Students’ Academic and Learning Needs

In my instruction, I will make sure that any needs for specific students are accommodated

for appropriately. If a student has issues with hearing, I will place him or her near where I tend to

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spend most of my time. If a student has a vision impairment, I will place them near the front of

the room for best view of lecture, videos, and presentations. I will appropriately assess and

inform myself on any student’s IEP and focus my attention on what I can best do to

accommodate them.

Focusing primarily on students’ needs in learning, I am prepared to teach all types of

learners and learning styles. For me, lecture will never just be reading off of notes to my

students. But instead, it is creating an engaging presentation to appeal to visual learners, to draw

in aural learners through clearly articulating the topic and subject, bringing in physical items for

kinesthetic learners, and providing developmentally appropriate time to present the opportunity

to read texts, write reflections, and work on assessments for the reading and writing learners. My

goal, as the educator, is to provide at least one piece, that is created for each type of learner, into

the lesson. The goal is to create a diverse lesson that engages the students from start to finish.

Outside the practice of lecture, I will still focus on students’ academic and learning needs.

Non-traditional styles of education, such as “Notability” allow all types of students to display

their notes in a format that would be appealing to them: written words, typed words, charts,

drawing, and even speech boxes. A simple strategy that can be used, is cutting and pasting

images, charts, and other information from one note guide into a student’s notebook. This will

allow the kinesthetic learners to actively manipulate and physically engage with their notes.

Also, the visual learners would be gaining a new note for reference. This can be combined with a

simple sentence or paragraph, whichever is deemed necessary for explanation, as a caption to

engage the reading and writing learning style student as well.

Teacher Feedback

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 When providing feedback on student work, the educator has the ability to motivate

students. I will use written feedback rather than just giving a general letter grade or percentage

on an assignment, paper, or exam. I believe when we take the time to focus student attention on

ways to improve, we are telling the students that we believe in their ability to develop beyond the

stated point. Written comments are private and allow students to digest the suggestions without

the defensive response that can result from a public discussion. Another simple way I can

approach teacher feedback is by simply changing the color of ink I choose to grade with.

According to a Science Netlinks study, from 2007, “Research has shown that the color red has

negative connotations, both in and out of school. One study showed that the use of red, even in

labeling a test, resulted in a 10 percent drop in scores.” Using green is a slight and subtle way of

informing the students that forward movement and growth still exists, even after one “bad”

grade. As the educator, I must also include my students in setting the achievable goals as patterns

begin to emerge. By speaking to students about specific, short-term goals to improve in errors

they are making will strengthen the connection between myself and each student. It will clearly

demonstrate that each student is capable of improvement and it involves them directly in their

owning learning experience and outcome.

Preventative Instruction

In creating active and engaging lessons, I believe most students will not have the urge to

act out in class. However, as expressed in my “expectations and procedures” outline, some days

a learner or myself could not be at their best. A simple way to display care and concern for these

students, while acknowledging their personal feelings, is by using proximity control. This

practice has a behavior connotation to it; however, I believe that it can display to students that

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the educator cares about them and knows something may be going on. When an educator stands

near a student and shares physical gestures, such as a smile, a fist-bump, or a high-five, we are

making sure that they know we are giving them the attention the long and desire for.

Another strategy that can be implemented for preventative management is group work.

Whether this takes the form of a think-pair-share or small group discussion, this allows students

to gain social interaction they need and want. This will lower the chances for students wishing to

speak across the room to their friends during class. However, I will need to closely monitor the

discussions and make sure the students are staying on task. I personally believe that many of the

management strategies, outline in section two, allow for preventative instruction within my

classroom. If those fail and students begin to act out, I am able to fall back onto my discipline

policies and practices.

Assessment

My students’ academic needs are going to be very diverse, and I need to meet all of them.

I need to keep all of my students interested and in their zones of proximal development. In order

to do this, I will use lots of projects, group work, and varying styles of instruction to keep my

students “on their toes.” A lot of the class will be discussion based. These discussions will not be

graded on a discussion-to-discussion basis, but there will be an overall participation grade in the

class. This will give the students a chance to make meaning and sense out of the historic stories

and events that we look into. Students will learn to formulate opinions and thoughts and share

them in an effective way with the rest of the class/small group.

The purpose of assessment is partially to hold students accountable for their schoolwork,

but it is also to help me as a teacher know where my students are academically. For this reason, I

will explain to my students in my syllabus that I take a mastery approach to most assignments

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and that if I believe that they honestly tried on their homework or assignments I will give them

the chance to redo any poor grades for credit as needed. If a student does not turn in their work at

all I will give them the opportunity to turn it in, but it will come with a consequence of deducting

points or not earning full-credit. Testing as an assessment will be formed in a variety of ways

outside of discussion as well. I will give tests/exams, but they will be sectioned into different

types of assessment such as short-answer, essay, and multiple-choice. Formal and informal

assessments can and must reflect higher-level thinking because I demand that my students must

challenge themselves to achieve higher academic expectations and standards.

As mentioned prior, my classroom is developed around Glasser’s choice theory. Thus,

students will have a say in what they learn and how they will learn it. When students have

increased “control or mastery of their own learning and decisions that affect their classroom and

school” they are more motivated to learn (Vatterot, 2007). All classrooms do not start as a

learning community, but rather they are created.

Section 4: Motivation

Motivating young learners is essential and critical for a healthy and productive

classroom. Motivation is extremely important for students, without motivation, the desire to be in

the classroom decreases, and so, too, does the overall desire for engagement and to learn. As

educators, we must look for strategies that will help us connect to the students’ best interests and

enhance the desire for motivation. Outlined by Barbara Gross Davis, of Indiana University, these

following points are research-supported strategies that are designed for educators to use to

increase classroom and student motivation:

1. “Give frequent, early, positive feedback that supports students’ beliefs that they can do

well.”

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 2. “Ensure opportunities for students’ success by assigning tasks that are neither too easy

nor too difficult.”

3. “Help students find personal meaning and value in the material.”

4. “Create an atmosphere that is open and positive.”

5. “Help students feel that they are valued members of a learning community.”

These five points were constructed from her undergraduate class studies; however, they can

serve an essential and pivotal role in a middle-secondary classroom as well. However, the way

these five points look in a classroom can and will vary from teacher to teacher and lesson to

lesson. Point one, for example, “give frequent, early, positive feedback that supports students’

beliefs that they can do well,” is discussed as the ideology of positive feedback for students. This

can look like physical feedback on an assignment that he/she turned in. But, the feedback can be

taken intrinsically. This is the desire to receive that physical feedback and motivation more often.

The feedback and the “feeling” with it is short-term. The short-term feeling may push many

students to do better during the next class periods in order to receive it again; but, the students

will also turn it into long-term motivation, as they will return to the classroom in hopes of

attaining that feeling again.

Points two and three would fall into the category of long-term motivation. Students will

be able to see from the beginning of the academic year where the curriculum will be headed. As

previously discussed, in section two, having daily current events being introduced to the

curriculum brings in a form of relevancy to the academic environment. Additionally, when

students can see the planned and structured curriculum throughout the course, they are able to

look forward and gain a sense of excitement for discussions and healthy debates in the

classroom. However, as a result, the assessment must match the curriculum and seek ways to

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bring relevancy for the students. If assessment is done in a manner that does not allow the

student to connect with or grasp an understanding, then it is likely that they will lose any sense or

form of motivation. As the educator, it is my duty to offer choice in differentiated assessments

and thus allowing students to express their knowledge and skills in creative as well as

appropriate ways. I must not create an environment or an expectation for outrageous directions to

assignments without preparing students adequately. Furthermore, I cannot have low expectations

with regards to the students being adequately prepared. I must be flexible in my teachings to

adjust lessons and instruction appropriately to match the students’ skill set and comfort level.

Points four and five discuss the learning environments we provide to the students. The

goal of any healthy classroom is to foster an intrinsic motivation of belongingness in the

environment, I must make the classroom itself a warm and welcoming place. I am not one to

aimlessly and meaninglessly hang things throughout my room, I want the students to feel

comfortable to explore the space and tap into their own interests. When this happens, students

can take control of the atmosphere and remain in a feeling of positivity and safety. A community

in the classroom makes the students become part of the learning community outside of it, which

is sadly lost in many classrooms from time to time. I must make sure that my students are aware

that they can affect change in the classroom community and the societal termed community as an

entity. Whether it is don’t through writing a letter or posting an online article, I will make my

students aware of the best ways to carry on important and growth-minded discussions in an

environment outside of the classroom. I am a large component of growing the sense of

community within my classroom. Thus, my classroom will have partnerships with outside

resources that can come in the forms of artifacts, documents, papers, articles, speeches, or even a

guest lecturer.

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 Section 5: Teacher Relationships with Students and Parents

The Importance of Developing Relationships

Throughout life, relationships offer assistance and comfort which are often not available

through any other means. In my own personal view, they are important to me in terms of

potential growth, learning, and raising my own confidence. Growing relationships with my

students is one of the biggest priorities in regard to my educational philosophy. Without these

relationships, I will not be relevant or current – I will not know the interests of the classroom or

of those in the building. If my classroom was entirely teacher-focused it would lead to failures

for myself and for my students. I will rather have my classroom guided in terms of student-

focused instruction. In addition to building relationships with my students, I must begin to reach

out to their parents and/or guardians to build a bridge of trust and understanding. If this bridge is

not constructed, the parents/guardians will not be able to trust me, and they may limit their

children’s time in my classroom, or at an extracurricular event, before or after the school day.

However, when these relationships are healthy and present, the sense of trust is more easily

shared, and the respect for my job will allow me to best prepare all students for their continuing

academic career and life in ways their parents/guardians may not be able to.

Communication Plan for Parents and Guardians

At the beginning of the academic year, I will send home a folder or packet, as well as an

email if applicable, of relevant information to the family of what will be taking place in my

classroom. First, I will provide a course schedule/syllabus for them, as they can then see and

keep track of what their student will be learning. Second, I will provide a letter introducing

myself, my background, and what my personal interests are. In this letter, I will additionally

provide a link to my class webpage on which I will be able to post any materials that the students

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or parents/guardians may need access to for a variety of reasons: missed class, updates of the

classroom activities, and even photos from class (if this is allowed under the school’s policy). I

will provide a sheet which parents will sign, and students will return, proving they read the

material in the packet, and a section of contact information in case I must contact them for

waivers, discipline actions, good news, etc. The goal is to update the webpage throughout the

year and keep the parents involved and informed of what is occurring within my classroom. This

is a way for parents to recognize the hard work of each student and expand on the fundamental

principle of trust that has been created between the two parties of educator and parent.

Additionally, I would like to foster an environment that allows the parent/guardian and myself to

create an informal relationship. This can be done through parent open-houses that I will offer

throughout the school year and prior to the beginning of each academic semester. At these open-

houses, the conversations will be open-ended, but I am willing to discuss academic and behavior

goals for my classroom and for their child(ren).

Building the Student-Teacher Relationship

At the beginning of the year, I will have my students fill out an “about me” sheet or

notecard, where they will tell me their interests, hobbies, preferred pronoun, and their favorite

piece of social studies. This is done for two reasons: first, it allows me to easily learn their names

because it will pair information with faces and names; secondly, this allows for personal

relevancy in creating lessons, analogies within a lesson and lecture, and activities for the

students. Being able to identify and know their interests will help me create easier ways to

manage differentiation. I will also follow an open-door policy, in which if I am in the room and

not working on or discussing anything privately, anyone will be able to walk in and work on or

discuss anything on their mind. This will hopefully build another layer of trust between me and

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my students and it will allow more opportunities to get to know my students and other students

throughout the year. For me, this opportunity provided some of my most fond middle and high

school memories and experiences. In addition to growing my personal relationships with

teachers and other educators in my academic career.

Section 6: Vision of an Ideal Day in my Classroom

When someone enters my classroom, they will see an environment of comfort, hard

work, hope, and growth. Inspirational posters, quotes, and images are on the walls along with

maps, pictures, and items of relevance. Students will be spread throughout the classroom and

sharing their information and helping guide other peers to the end goal. You will see a physical

set up of tables and desks in ways that will promote collaboration and discussion- not rows of

desks that isolate each student from one another.

When you observe the room, you will see the students using the provided space to their

benefit. This will depend on the type of lesson and presentation is provided. For example, if I am

lecturing for a section then you will witness students asking questions and engaging in discussion

with one another when appropriate. In other scenarios, you will see students working in groups

to complete assignments and projects. Jigsaw learning, group projects and other multi-member

strategies will be implemented.

I will be walking around the classroom observing students, helping them answer

questions, and using proximity control to best handle behavioral issues. I believe this is the best

way to informatively assess participation and group work, while also aiding in the difficult

material. Furthermore, students should be asking questions, so I would be needed to be up and

moving in this way to best help them. Regarding proximity control, this is the best way to

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preventatively teach, meaning stopping problems before they arise. If this is done correctly,

many issues can be addressed while they are in a minor form, rather than becoming a distraction

and interrupting the flow of the class later. If a moderate or major issue was to arise, and it not be

stopped earlier, I will be following the procedures laid out earlier in this classroom management

plan. Rarely, if ever, will a student be removed from the classroom or sent elsewhere. I will be

using humor to diffuse situations, while also trying to connect to the student to find out what or

who caused the actions to be done in such a way.

One of the most obvious things anyone can see will be the students and myself enjoying

the educational atmosphere. Being a member of the learning community means growing in

community together. If we can foster that environment, incredible things will happen in the

classroom. The projects, assignments, and content become more important to all of us, and the

relationships inside and outside of the classroom increase in depth and care. To create and foster

a productive and healthy school environment, it must begin in the classroom, and we are called,

as educators, to begin the process of transforming schools and classrooms with us.

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 Works Cited

Brunning, Norby, Shraw, and Ronning (2004). Cognitive psychology and instruction (4th ed.).

Curvin, Richard L., and Allen N. Mendler. “Stuff4Educators.com.” Discipline with Dignity.

Edutopia (2010). Positive Discipline Strategies Yield Quick Results:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5kETSAn0j8.

Gross, D. B. (1993). Tools for Teaching. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

KateBushre (2011). Student Centered Learning:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5QFZPylt0E.

Larson, Bruce E. Instructional Strategies for Middle and High School Social Studies: Methods,

Assessment, and Classroom Management. Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group, 2017.

Leaving to Learn (2014). 10 Expectations: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K96c-

TGnSf4&list=PL0134792CEB4EF46D

Science Netlinks (2007). Seeing red.

http://www.sciencenetlinks.com/sci_update.php?DocID=323

Vatterott, C. (2007). Becoming a Middle Level Teacher: Student-Focused Teaching of Early

Adolescents. Boston: McGraw Hill.

Wong, H. K., & Wong, R. T. (2009). The First Days of School: How to be an Effective Teacher.

Mountain View, CA: Harry K. Wong.

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