Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Kasey Follis
EDU429
Spring 2019
2
Table of Contents:
Part 1:
1) Personal Beliefs and Style of Classroom Management
pg. 3
Part 2:
2) Routines and Procedures pg. 5
Part 3:
4) Creating Classroom Environment/Climate pg. 11
Part 4:
7) Communication Plan pg. 20
Part 5:
8) Application of Research pg. 28
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My personal management style will have a mix between assertive discipline and the positive
discipline model. I will hold my students to a high standard and expect them to give me their absolute
best while they are in my classroom. I will make sure my students understand that I care for them
tremendously, but I will also discipline them when they are misbehaving. I believe that children need
to learn their limits in the classroom by being provided clear rules and consequences. These rules and
consequences will be made by the teacher, by negotiated and talked over with the entire class.
Being assertive and positive, is very similar to my own personality characteristics. I am a hard
worker and I will make sure things are done on time and efficiently, but I will do it in a way that people
see as a positive and benefit to their wellbeing. I’m a positive, bubbly, and caring person, but I am also
a driven and determined individual and teacher. My students will feel cared for by my constant
encouragement and positivity, but they will know that when I discipline them, I am doing it because I
love and care for them. I want my students to be well trained students who appreciate higher authority
and respect their classmates and peers.
The positive discipline model had four different parts. They are limit setting, responsibility
training, omission training, and backup system. The branch I would implement into my classroom
would be the responsibility training. This is a system that will instill positive cooperation in the
classroom. (Jones, Fredrick) Jones believed that every classroom needs an incentive system to make
sure the students will cooperate. This branch of positive discipline also has a focus for cooperation. It
is called PAT, which stands for Preferred Activity Time. (Jones, Fredrick) These preferred activities
will be for students to partake in when they have completed their in-class assignments. These preferred
activities will be ones that the students enjoy. (Jones, Fredrick) I would love to implement these PAT
skills into my classroom. Allowing students time to enjoy their own preference of educational activity
will allow freedom of choice in the classroom. The students will also be learning in a way they learn
best.
Using the assertive discipline techniques for management, I will make sure students
understand that I am the one that will be in charge. With that, I want students to understand
that their opinion and words matter when they are in the classroom. Lee Canter, who created
assertive discipline, described this method for management as being “structured and
systematic.” (The Phi Delta Kappan) Classrooms that have effective learning happening, are
organized and run with systematic routines and procedures are beneficial for students and
their learning. Being assertive with your students can be challenging for some teachers. Its
knowing when and how assertive you need to be with students that will be a beneficial
management skill. Having the aptitude of assertiveness and being bold with your students,
will most likely grow your students amount of respect they have for you as a teacher. Students
internally want a teacher that is bold, strong in their management styles, and reliable. I will
strive to be all those traits in my future career as an educator.
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My weaknesses as an educator…
• At times I feel that I tend to overthink situations and do not let little moments of doubt or
confusion slip my mind. I need to understand that at times in the classroom I will not have time
to overthink and deeply evaluate every situation that comes my way. I will work on having a
mindset that understands every situation that happens in the classroom but trying not to weigh
all my thoughts on situations that have happened to pass by.
• I have always struggled with the subject of math. This subject has never come easily for me and
I have had to go the extra mile to understand the concepts and processes of how math works.
This was a skill the good Lord did not bless me with. I am not confident when teaching math as
much as other subjects, but I always make sure I put in the extra time to understand what I am
teaching and how my students will learn the content best.
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Classroom Routines
Welcome, welcome, welcome!
When the students walk into the door, they will be greeted with either one of three things, which they
can choose. One, will be a handshake, this will allow the students to practice appropriate eye contact
and respect when greeting another person. Their second choice will be a high five or fist bump, which
ever they prefer. Thirdly, the students may ask for a morning hug before they start their day in my
classroom. All three of these options will allow the students to feel that their presence has been noticed,
and they are always going to be welcomed into my classroom. Allowing the students to pick one of the
three options will allow them to feel comfortable with their choice of greeting. This will also allow
students who do not appreciate the act of physical touch to bother or upset them.
these tasks involved students to critically think and evaluate their surroundings. Especially when it
comes to weather and attendance in the classroom. This will be the time we will also do the pledge and
school/class announcements that need to be discussed in a whole group.
H=T Board
This will be a daily board where students get to track their progress of how many times they have
brought in their homework throughout the week. The “HTBoard” will stand for the Homework = Treats
Board. If the students are assigned homework 4 to 5 times in the week and bring it back the next day
and turn it into the homework bin, they will be assigned a small prize or treat. The students may only
receive a reward when they bring back their homework completed and on time. When the students turn
in their homework, they will be allowed to put their sticker, with their name on it, on the day of the
week they brought their homework in. This routine will allow the students to receive a reward along
with making sure they are completing their assigned homework every night it is assigned. Even in the
lower elementary classrooms, students need to learn how to complete their homework every night and
make time to complete their work with their parents/guardians. This way the students will grow up
knowing that homework will be assigned in their higher-level classes and being responsible and
organized is crucial the older you get in your education. (This rewards system may differ for students
who are receiving special education services. Such as granting them more time if needed with specific
homework or assignments.)
After the students have turned in their homework and been seated at their desks, they would be assigned
their “bell work” and allowed time to complete any other assignments that they may be missing or need
to fix. This will also be a time where students who partake in the opportunity of a resource room, they
would be allowed to go and meet with their other lead teacher. From then on it would depend on what
subjects we would like to start with as the morning began. We would move through our instruction in
our different subjects until it was time for lunch.
Procedures
1. Getting students attention
a. The students will respond to a key word or phrase that will be said aloud. The key
word or phrase may be, “Hello cowboy and cowgirls” and the students would respond
by saying, “yeehaw!” For elementary students, they appreciate fun and unique sayings
to catch their attention.
2. Turning work in
a. When the students walk into the classroom, after they have settled into their seats
they will need to go through their folders and turn in their homework assignments or
missing work into the labeled bins. They will be at the front of the classroom and
labeled depending on the subject.
3. Entering the Classroom
a. In the morning we will go through our Welcome, Welcome, Welcome routine where
they are asked to pick a good morning response to walking into the classroom. Later
in the afternoon after bathroom breaks or when returning from a special, the students
will be asked to return to their seats and wait for further instruction. That means when
they walk in, they will be allowed to socialize and talk with each other as long as they
are in their seats and patiently waiting for instruction.
4. Dismissing the classroom
a. Individual students will be allowed to leave the classroom when asking for permission
to leave. As a whole class, we will line up and then “catch a bubble” in our mouths
before we walk quietly into the hallway.
5. Using the bathroom
a. If a bathroom break is needed for an individual student, assigning a sign language sign
for bathroom will be used. If they receive a nod in allowing them to go the student will
be allowed to leave the classroom.
6. Missing homework
a. Depending on the grade in elementary that the students are in, I will allow late work
or missing work to be turned in late. This ultimately will depend on the student’s
circumstances and reasoning.
7. Missing classroom materials
a. At the beginning of the year, all students will receive a notebook, three pencils,
erasers, a folder, and a box of crayons. The students will also have a small pouch for
their materials Velcroed onto their desk. Yes, the students will lose their materials
often, so at the front of the classroom extra pencils and paper will be provided for the
students to grab when need be.
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If students do not follow the classroom procedures, they will be directed to the sequential
discipline plan. This is where the students will first be given a warning about the procedures needing
to be followed in the classroom. Reminding the student about how the routines and procedures need
to be followed will be their warning. If the student decides to keep straying away from the procedures
needing to be taken and followed in the classroom, they will begin to lose rewards and special time in
the classroom. Such as losing extra recess time, or not being allowed to play on the laptops of iPads
when their assignments are completed. The last straw will be having a meeting with the student
individually about their poor choices they are taking in the classroom. After the individual meeting, if
need be, a meeting with the parents will happen discussing the student’s choice to not buy into the
classroom procedures and routines.
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The norms for my classroom will be maintained by reminding students of what is expected of them
when they are in the classroom. For example, if a student is disrespecting and being harsh to one of
their classmates, I will simply make sure they are looking at me and I will use the hand gesture of
putting my hand to my heart. That will be the trigger for them to understand that I have noticed their
attitude being disrespectful and they need to change their attitude. This also can be used as their
warning before I need to have a small conversation about the way they are acting. While teaching I
will also implement these classroom norms into my lessons. Such as having students work in teams to
complete assignments or class activities.
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Strike One: The student will be given a warning with receiving a hand gesture connected to
our classroom norms.
Strike Two: The student and I will have a conversation about their choices they are making in
the classroom.
Strike Three: The student will lose privileges in the classroom immediately.
If these norms are still not working with the students and class, I will ask the class what changes need
to be made. We may do this through a brain storming process and voting on which norms we connect
with most and ones that we need to add or drop.
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open up with their class, students begin to feel like they can open up as well. Open
communication within my classroom will be encouraged for all students. Knowing
what my students are thinking, feeling and experiencing can sometimes allow me to
understand why they are acting a certain way or what’s happening outside of school
that is affecting their learning in the classroom.
Service Oriented:
o Coming from an athletic background, I want my students to understand how important it is to
serve your classmates, who are really your teammates in the classroom. I want my classroom
environment to feel like a team, who work together, serve one another, and love one another as
if they were family. Learning the importance of serving can change kids outlook on life. Many
children in our modern-day society believe that everything in life will just simply fall into their
laps because their elders have always provided and served them. My students will understand
how rewarding and satisfying the act of service can be. There are many ways to serve your
classmates. A few of them are…
o Invite someone new to sit with you at your table.
o Write a thank you note to a cook, librarian, janitor and thank them for all their hard
work that they do to make our school look and run better.
o Hold the door open for others when they are walking into school.
o Offer to help a classmate with a project of assignment they may be struggling to
comprehend or understand.
o Give other classmates or friends a compliment and make them smile.
o I want to provide my students with opportunities of learning how to serve and help
others. Some of the ways I would like my students to serve is by giving them the
opportunity to meet with elderly people who love having new visitors. Taking my
students to a retirement home for a day and allowing them to read, color, or just simply
allow them to have conversations with the elders would allow them to see how serving
others can bring them joy and happiness.
o Another opportunity to serve in our community would be volunteering our time to
come and help pick up sticks, collect leaves, or throw away trash at a local business or
store. This would be a job most students would not be as joyful doing, but it would
teach them how helping others can be rewarding.
o An act of service that makes my heart happy is when students have a “toy/clothes
drive.” This is an act of service that many students struggle with. Giving up toys and
clothes that they may love, is very hard for kids. It is when students understand why
they are giving up toys that makes this act of service so moving. I will explain to my
students how awesome it feels when you give something of yours to a kid who needs it
more than you. I would share how I gave up almost all of my clothes when I was in
Africa, and I was able to see those kids faces when they were receiving “new” shoes,
pants, t-shirts, and shorts. It was like Christmas morning and they were so happy that
some of them even cried. My students will understand how giving their time and things
to others is more fun than receiving and owning.
Loved/Warm:
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o Feeling loved and cared for in a classroom is one of the best parts about school. Walking into
an environment where people care about you and want the best for you is a good feeling. I will
be an assertive teacher who loves her students and cares for them as if they were my own. One
of my favorite parts about elementary school was feeling loved by my teachers and classmates.
Some of the ways I want to make sure my own students feel that same way is by…
o Having kindness cards on a wall in our classroom. These kindness cards will be a way
for my students to express their positive and kind thoughts with their classmates in a
written form of expression. I will require my students to write at least one kindness card
to a student a week. I will make sure all my students have at least one kindness cars in
their envelopes before Friday has arrived. On Friday I will allow the students to take
home their cards, that were in their envelopes, and read the kind comments that their
classmates wrote about them. (I will also make sure every student has a kindness card
to take home and read.) When monitoring this activity, I will encourage my students to
find a classmate who does not have a card and write them an encouraging or kind
comment.
o Listening and responding is a great way for students to feel loved in the classroom. We
will practice this when students are sharing their answers or opinions in the classroom.
My rule will be when one hand goes up and when you are called on, all other hands go
down, and we are listening to the person who is about to speak and share. This is
beneficial for all students who either need to be heard consistently, students who are
shy, or students who have a hard time expressing themselves and feeling judged. My
classroom will be a judge free zone and students will be able to be expressive and their
true selves without having to fear others tearing them down and ruining their
confidence to speak up.
o As the teacher I will constantly make sure my students feel encouraged and cared for. I
believe that this can be a learned trait that students can observe and take part in. For
example, in sports you see almost all teams with a captain and leader. When the
captain/leader begins to encourage their teammates, others begin to follow and copy
that leader’s action. I will strive to have my students become great encouragers and have
positive hearts that like to lift others up.
Desk Organization: My desk will be at the front of the classroom where I can see all students and they
can see me. I prefer seeing students faces while they are working and not the back of their heads. This
way I can see when students are talking or misbehaving during class. For the student’s desks, I would
like for them to be in pods of either three or four, depending on what tables my classroom will be
provided with. Students love working in groups and being able to sit with one another. I will make the
seating arrangements based on the student’s behaviors and actions.
Lighting: When it comes to the lights in my classroom, I prefer having lamps and other lighting
options that will make my classroom feel more comfortable and inviting. I will have my normal
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classroom lights on at times, but I will cover them with a thin sheet of fabric, so the lighting is not as
harsh for students’ eyes. Having the lighting in your classroom be lighter and easier on the eyes, can
make your classroom environment more relaxed and calmer.
Décor: I will have plants, rugs, and colorful shelves for my students to look at when they are in my
classroom. Adding color and decorations in my classroom will make the room more enjoyable to be
in. Younger students love when their classrooms are colorful and eye catching.
Whiteboards/SMART Boards: If I am lucky enough to have both a white board and SMART board, I
will use them for different lessons and projects in my classroom. My whiteboard can also be used for
my students own personal use as well. Instead of my students having to write on pieces of paper, they
will have time to write on the white board when practicing spelling words or wanting free time to
draw. Using my SMART board will be great for my students because they can interact with
technology that related to their education. Many elementary games have been established for students
to use with the SMART board. They can drag and drop items when it comes to matching pictures to
words or finding the states that match up with their initials when learning about social studies. If
possible, I would love to have both a white board and SMART board.
Materials for students: My classroom will have extra materials for students to use when needed. Such
as pencils, markers, crayons, notebook paper, Kleenex, germ-x, extra shoes or clothes, or even hair
ties for my girl students. I want my students to feel that they will have extra materials and supplies
available for them when they are in my classroom.
oA Handshake
oB High-five/fist bump
oC Hug
8:00-8:15: Students will have breakfast in the classroom and have time to prepare themselves for the
day ahead. During this time, I will simply monitor student behavior and allow the students to talk with
their classmates and allow themselves to get situated in their seats.
“Good morning class! I hope you have all had a wonderful weekend and I’m very happy to see all your
smiling faces this morning. Let’s start with our morning routines by allowing a few people to share
because we as a class care about you. (Allow three or four students to share positive things about
themselves or what is happening in their lives currently.)
Alright, thank you for to all the students who shared this morning, and now we are going to move onto
our jobs for the week. (Read each student’s assigned job and make sure they have heard their new
position in the classroom.)
“Where are all of my cool calendar kiddos at? Please come and join me on the carpet so we can talk
about our day today. Let’s take a look outside our window and predict, which means to take a guess, of
how warm/cold we think it is outside. Can I have a volunteer give me their prediction and come and
write it on the white board? While they are writing their prediction, let’s grab our thermometer and see
what the temperature outside actually is. (After giving the student time to write their prediction, pass
the thermometer around and allow students to read the degrees in Fahrenheit are outside.) Awesome!
Now let’s move on to our days of the week. Can anyone tell me what day is it? Monday, you are correct!
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Let’s also figure out what today’s date is. (While the students are answering and participating, write the
date and temperature on the calendar for the students to see.) You all are so smart.
Now for today we are going to have two specials, our first one is gym, then our second one is art. We
are going to begin our day with some reading rotations, then we’re going to do a little math, some
writing and then our day will be complete. Does anyone have questions before we move on? If not, let’s
begin an awesome day in 3nd grade.
10:50-11:30 Special
The students will have gym as their special.
1:20-1:45 Special
The students will head to art class.
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2:30-2:35 Yoga
(Before the students complete their day allow them to do a few yoga stretches before having to get on
the bus to ride home. Many students have long bus rides back to their homes, allowing them to stretch
before they sit for an hour will help their bodies stay relaxed and prevent them from being antsy and
uncomfortable.) “Welcome everyone to your yoga time with Miss Follis. If everyone would first just
take a deep breath, in and out slowly. Now we are going to do a tree pose and then into a warrior pose
and we are going to hold that for seven seconds.”
practice their grammar, punctuation, and paragraph skills. If there is extra time, have the students write
their responses and then draw a picture about what they just wrote about.
When?
This open-door policy will happen when school is taking place, and after school has let out. I
will be available for my students as much as I possibly can be.
How?
I will make sure students can contact me outside of class with allowing their parents to have my
cell-phone number and my personal email as well. Another resource for students to use will be a “drop
box” where they will be able to leave notes, comments, or concerns they need to address with me one
on one. I will address these issues either before class, during a break, or after class. This box will only
be used when students need to talk about something more personal or hard to talk about. It will be a
locked box that requires a key, so no other students may see what personal struggles one of their
classmates are dealing with.
Parents/Guardians
Why?
I would like parents/guardians of my students to be involved in their child’s education as much
as possible. Notifying my students parents with monthly newsletters, posts on our classroom Facebook
page, and parent teacher conferences will keep them aware of what is happening in their child’s
education on a consistent basis. I will also be available via text message with parents who may have a
child with a physical disability, emotional impairment, or if they are making sure their child is having a
good day after a rough night at home. I will make sure I check my phone when I can to keep my students’
parents in the loop.
When?
I will be available for my students’ parents twenty-four seven, except when I am on vacation
and need time with friends and family and away from work.
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How?
I will communicate with the parents of my students through texting, emailing, calling, or with
visits into our classroom.
When?
This communication between myself and my colleagues will happen daily and yearly. Before
school, during, after, and even in the summer time.
How?
I will stay connected with my fellow teachers and staff through text, calling, email, and social
media.
Administration:
Why?
It is crucial to have a healthy and honest relationship with your principals and superintendents.
Together as a team, teachers and their administration can really make a school a great place for students
to grow into educated young adults. When collaboration between the teachers and administration
happen effectively, management and the atmosphere can be a positive and benefit to all student
learning.
When?
This collaboration between teachers and administration should be happening when the school
year is taking place, and before the year has even begun.
How?
Collaboration should happen through staff meetings, personal development days, and meetings
with teachers one on one to allow the educators to know how they are doing as a teacher according to
the administrators.
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*All dates that are filled in will be times that I am not available to meet because of either volleyball
games/practices, meetings, or appointments.
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DROP BOX:
This is an informational letter home to all parents and students
making a clear understanding of what the “drop box” will be used for in our
classroom. The drop box will be a resource for students to reach out to their
teacher in ways that may be uncomfortable for them to do face to face. Such
as if a student was having another problem with a student and did not want
to look as if they were taddling. The student would be able to write down on
a piece of paper what their issue was with this particular student was, or in
their note ask for a meeting with the teacher. I will be checking the drop box
everyday in the morning and in the late afternoon. The drop box will have a
key required for access. I will be the only one with the key, and I will also be
the only one looking at the students concerns. Parents will be informed if
need be with the issues that the students are dropping into the box. This
newsletter is to inform you of one of the main resources’ students will have
in the classroom when it comes to being heard and open communication.
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Miss Follis’
Classroom
This Facebook page will only be used for parents of the students who are
currently in my classroom. On this classroom Facebook page, parents will be
able to see pictures and posts about how their children are doing in the
classroom. The student’s birthdays, goals achieved, random acts of kindness,
or shining star moments will be posted for our entire classroom family to see.
This will be a private account so only parents of the students will be able to
view their children’s progress and accomplishments in the classroom. (There
will be a permission sheet for all parents to sign before pictures will be taken
of their child and posted online.)
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Teacher’s Desk
Upcoming Events:
April7th: Miss Follis’ Birthday Must Know Words:
April 13th: Parent teacher among another
conferences
Insist hesitate
April 16th: Ice Cream Spirit Night
April 20th: Leader of the Month
April 23rd: Aidan’s Birthday
Our Learning:
Reading: We will be comparing and Reminders:
contrasting the characters in our Our school will be participating
story, Charlette’s Web. Then we in a local food drive that is
partnering with the food pantry
will share the similarities and down the street from our
differences during our writing time. elementary school. If we collect
over 3,000 cans of food our
principal has promised the
Math: We will begin adding double entire school a fun surprise. If
digit numbers that do not require us you are able, send your spare
to regroup. cans of food with your child for
the food drive! 😊
Writing: This week we will be
pairing our writing time with At Home Practice:
• As you read 20 minutes each night with
reading. Through comparing and your son/daughter have them search for
contrasting our characters, we will words that have -io and -oy in them.
• Practice your child’s spelling words by
be learning how to write in orally quizzing them and allowing
paragraphs and explain how we them to write the words out one by one.
• Spend 20-30 minutes with your child
found the similarities and on their Core math skills workbook.
differences in our characters.
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The Phi Delta Kappan, Assertive Discipline- More Than Names on the Board and Marbles in a Jar Vol. 71,
No. 1 (Sep., 1989), pp. 57-61
Wong, Harry K. The First Days of School. Harry K. Wong Publications, 1998.