Management Plan

"A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops." Henry B. Adams Emma Sorensen
Fall 2010 Education 122: Curriculum and Pedagogy Dr. Beisser

Table of Contents
Part I: Classroom organization Part A: Physical Part B: Operational Part II: Disciplinary Policies and Professional Ethics Part A: Classroom rules/expectations and consequences Part B: Student conflicts Part 1: With teachers Part 2: With each other Part C: Student Motivation Part D: Cheating Part E: Professionalism Part III: Classroom Routines and Procedures Part A: Morning Routine Part B: Routines involving papers Part C: Routines for leaving the classroom Part D: Field Trips Part E: Routines for free or extra time Part IV: Differentiation Policy Part A: Students who need more time Part B: Talented and gifted Part V: Parents Part A: Regular Communication Part B: Conferences

"There is a brilliant child locked inside every student." Marva Collins What sculpture is to a block of marble, education is to the soul. Joseph Addison Part 1: Classroom Environment Part A: Physical I designed my classroom for a kindergarten class of 25 students. When I thought of doing this I knew that I wanted to have a separate area for snacks and group work from where the students have free time to play and the whole group area. That is why there is shelving with games and art supplies on it separating the two areas. The back of that will be used to hang student artwork. The students are grouped at tables based on who gets along with who, academic level, gender, and where they need to be for maximum focus to happen. The students names are on the table where they sit and on the back of their chair so that it is easy to identify them. I wanted to split the class into groups of five students. I chose round tables so that each student can see the others without having to turn in their chair; also it prevents a feeling of being left out or being in charge when there are five desks with one sitting at the top of the group. I put the desks next to the preparation area (that has a sink). This preparation area can be used for snacks or other items that need time. I also put the bathrooms in this area because the floor on this half of the room is linoleum. I have two bathrooms so that there can be a boys and a girls bathroom. I thought this was a good thing to have so that there is come boundaries when it comes to the bathroom. There is a sink/water fountain right outside the bathroom so that the students will remember to wash their hands. I have a large reading area in the corner for students to go and read. There are two bookshelves that will be filled with books. In this area will be comfy pillows and beanbag chairs to sit in for reading time. The bookshelves are half wall sized so that the teacher can see into the area without having to move. Also, the teachers desk is placed in the room where students know they shouldnt go, but where the teacher can see everything happening in the classroom at one time or another. The large group area is designated by a giant circle rug and blackboard. This is where whole group activities will take place as well as free play. I put it at the front and center of the room so that the parents can see it when they walk in. I wanted to put cubbies near the door for the students personal items: lunch box, spare clothes, nap items. I also put cubbies for their art supplies and artwork near the groups seating so that students can have their own space. I have three bulletin boards to display student work in the classroom. The bulleting board above the reading area is for reading type things, like what books students have read and author of the week. There are only two windows, but this is based off of seeing classrooms in my practicums and at my own school where they only had two windows, or in the case of the one classroom, no windows. Everything in the classroom is the appropriate height for students except the

cupboards above the preparation area where only the teacher and the assistant can reach. The two teacher storage spaces are lockable so that students cannot get into them. The one next to the desk is half sized and the one behind the desk is full height. I have wastebaskets all over the room so that students have no excuse for not throwing something away. I also have recycling bins places strategically so that paper gets recycled.

Part B: Operational The teacher will have a grade book with the students names written down the side. This is kept in the upper drawer on the right-hand side of the desk. This is where the teacher notes down how the students are doing in the different areas that are covered so that the teacher can keep track of what areas need more attention than others and which students might need extra help. There is another notebook that the teacher uses to make notes about how the class is doing on learning certain things and what changes need to be made. In this notebook is also where I am going to be keeping track of informal assessments (running records etc) so that I can make reading groups and other groups to help students learn. This is also where the teacher will take informal notes about the students and how they are doing during free time, in specials, or other areas that are not formally assessed. When I have made up the groups, they will be put on a sheet of paper and posted on the cabinet doors of the preparation area so that the students can go look and see what group they are in. This will be changed over the course of the year based on abilities and what is being covered. When the list is changed, students will be told to check what group they are in because it has changed. Students have cubbies and a place to hang their coats and backpacks when they enter the classroom. Students who bring their lunch to school will place it on top of the cubbies so that they are easily remembered. The students will keep their Take Home folders in their cubbies. This will keep their table area clear while doing work and it is where they can put artwork that they want to take home. Students also have access to cubbies that have different art items that they can use. This will have crayons, markers, paper, scissors, and glue. This is where students will get their supplies and where the supplies will go back to when they are done. The procedure for using the art supplies during free time will have been rehearsed with the students. When it is a class project I will pass out the supplies to the tables for the students to use or I will have a table helper grab them for their table. If a class art project it done, it will be displayed for two weeks before the students have the option of taking it home to show their parents. There is also going to be a bulletin board where students can put up work that they made on their own during free time. These will be handed to me, who will put them up with the students name underneath. The students will tell me how they want the artwork to be turned and how they want it to be labeled. There will also be spots like this around the room and outside

the room so that students can feel proud about what they have made. When a new student comes into the class, they will be placed at a table with students (this may mean 6 at a table) and introduced to the class. They will get a cubby to put their stuff in as well as a coat and backpack hanger for their use. They will have a buddy with them the first couple of days to make sure that the student understands how we take attendance, take lunch orders, line up, and so on. This person will rotate so that the new student gets to meet and know three or four students in the class so they dont feel alone. The new student will be blended into the classroom as smoothly as possible to make the transition easier for the student and to lessen the amount of distractions that occur from other students. Education is simply the soul of a society as it passes from one generation to another. - G. K. Chesterson

Part II: Disciplinary Policies and Professional Ethics Part A: Classroom rules/expectations and consequences On the first day of school I will get to know my students and introduce them to their classroom and myself. I will also give them a small piece of homework: I want them to think about what expectations or rules we should have in the classroom for the year and what should the consequence be if you break one of them? I want my class involved in making our rules for the classroom. When they are back in the classroom we will go through what the students had thought were good rules and expectations were. I will try to guide them towards rules and expectations I would like on the list: listening when I am speaking, hands and feet to yourself, treat the room nicely, and be nice to people who visit. Then we are going to pick the best five rules that our class should have. I will then split the students into groups of five. Each group will get to make the poster for one of the rules. They get to write the rule and decorate the poster. These five posters will be hung up on the wall next to each other so that they can be seen from anywhere in the classroom. This will help students remember what the expectations are and they wont have an excuse of I didnt know that!. After making the posters we are going to get back to a group and discuss what the consequences should be for breaking the rules and we are going to discuss consequences for following the rules and exceeding expectations. I am going to inform them that I do have a system in place, the cookie jar, that if students are exceeding my expectation they will get a cookie with their name on it in the cookie jar. The students will brainstorm ideas for what the bonus should be at the end of the week. We will then choose the top three ideas and the student gets to choose what their bonus will be out of those three. Then we will talk about the consequences that should happen if the rules are 5

broken. The students will get to talk about the options that are up on the board. I will try to include my own ideas into the mix: sit in time out; have to wait three minutes before going to free play. The students will then choose the consequences should be for breaking the rules. I will be making sure that the consequences are reasonable. I will then make a poster with the three consequences and post them next to the posters of the rules. This will be a reference for students to look at when they know that they are not following the rules as a reminder of what could happen if they do not follow the rules. I am going to explain to students that there is a three strike policy for misbehaving. The student will get a verbal warning about their behavior that can be as simple as their name. If the behavior continues I will walk over and give them another verbal warning about their behavior. If the behavior continues I will give them a third and final verbal warning, telling them that this was their last warning and if the behavior continues that they will have a consequence. Students who are put in time-out will have to sit in the time-out chair for three minutes. They will have to sit still and not get up and walk around the room. I will be keeping an eye on the student to make sure that they are not getting up during their timeout. Next to the chair will be a sand time for three minutes and when the timer is up they will come over to me. I will ask them if they knew why they were put in time-out and what they could do differently to not go to time-out again. As the year goes on the length of time-out will increase to six minutes. If a student needs to sit out for the first three to five minutes of free play, they will sit at their seat at their table. They will have a sand timer next to them. They have to sit still and not move around the classroom while waiting to start free time. When the time runs out they will come to me and we will go over what happened that had me wait to start free time and what they could do differently for next time.

Part B: Student Conflicts Part 1: With teachers Students will know how they should talk to and address teachers. They will know that they need to be respectful towards teachers and other adults in the school from the principal to the janitor. We will go over this information within the first week of school so that students can use the information the rest of the year. If a student is disrespectful towards me, they will get a verbal prompt or warning such as Please change your tone when you talk to me or I cant talk to you when you are yelling. If this does not work, then I will ask the student to go and sit down in the reading area so that they can calm down. If there are students in the reading area, then I will have them sit in a quiet area of the word to calm down.

Once they are calm I will have the class do an activity on their own so that I can talk to them. I will sit on the floor next to or across from them so that we are on the same plane. I will then ask them what was wrong or what got them so worked up. I will let the student talk with some paraphrasing back so that I fully understand what happened. Then we will talk about other ways to express what they are feeling. Then they will get to join the activity that the rest of the class is doing. They will know that if it happens again there might be more of a consequence. If there is a student who is disrespectful to another teacher and I receive notification of it: either through the teacher comes back to the classroom with them or with a note that the student brings me. I would have the other students in the class do an activity or wait until a period of time when the class is going to lunch or has free time. I will have the other teacher leave for a moment while I talk to the student and hear their version of events. Then I will talk to the teacher or adult involved and hear what they have to say about what happened. I will have the teacher or adult come into the classroom with me to talk to the student while sitting at their level. We will talk about what happened, how it could have gone differently, and things that the student and the other teacher can do next time something like this happens so that it does not escalate to this point. The student will then be free to go do their activity with the understanding that it should not happen again. If a student continues to show disrespect towards teachers and other adults in the school then the school principal will be informed of this behavior. This would mean many acts of disrespect throughout the day, everyday, for at least two weeks. I would first ask the parents if anything has happened at home that might be affecting the student. If there were no reason, then I would ask the parents to come in for a conference to discuss the behavior. If no change is made after the conference with the parents and the student then I will ask the principal to join me for another conference with the family and to observe a day in the class before this occurs so that he/she can see it firsthand. I will continue to stay in contact with the family about the students behavior in the classroom through journals and work with the family to find strategies and techniques to help the student succeed in the classroom. Part 2: With each other If there is conflict between two students within my classroom, I will have them work through the conflict resolution chart that is posted on the wall. They will first calm down, then a mediator (me at the beginning of the year and later on a classmate) with ask what questions to get them to retell what happened, repeat what they are saying in your own words, ask for ideas to solve the problem, let them agree on a solution, and then praise them for doing such a good job. If the students feel there is no resolution to the conflict then I, as the teacher, will come up with one that I think is fair. The students may not agree but I will explain to them that they had the option of coming up with a solution on their own, and did not, so now I get to come up with a solution. If the students cannot follow the solution that I have put into place, then the source of the conflict will be removed, if it is a toy, or both students will have to find other people to play with or an area to play in. If conflict continues to occur between two students in more than one class and

over an extended period of time, at least three days, then I am going to take more steps. First I will hold a conference with the students and have them discuss with me the problems they are having and what is causing them. This might be done after school or during a free time that I can get another teacher in to watch the class. If the conference with the students does not work and the conflicts continue to take place, then the principal will be informed of the situation and the parents of both children will be informed as well. I will hold a meeting with the parents of the students, at first individually with just the parents and the student, to discuss what has been happening and give the student a chance to explain to his/her parents what has been going on. Then I will have a conference with both sets of parents, without the students present, to discuss possible solutions for the conflict. If this does not work then I am going to have my principal look into the conflicts and observe what is happening. I will then ask if he/she has any solutions to the situation and it might mean having students switch classrooms. That is not an ideal resolution, but it might have to be done. Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire. - Wiliam Butler Yeats

Part C: Student Motivation Student motivation is key to success in school. If a student is continually tardy for school then they might not be motivated or there could be other factors. If a student keeps showing up late to my class then I will sit down and talk with them about his/her mornings to try and get a picture of what could be happening. I will also talk to the parents to see if they have any indication as to why their student is frequently late. After talking to the student and the parents I will try to help them find ways to be on time during the week. I will see if there are any other families in the area who could carpool with the family, or see if there is a school bus stop near by, if the school allows kindergarteners to ride the bus that is. If there is no solution to the tardiness and the student is only a couple minutes late each day, then I will start the day a few minutes later so that they can participate in everything just like the other students. If a student is inattentive or unmotivated in my class, I will pull them aside for a mini-conference. I will start by telling them that Ive noticed that they dont seem to pay attention during class, and then ask them what they would like to do so that they will pay attention and learn. If the student says something reasonable, like play music, then that is a possible solution that I can work with. If the student does not have an answer then I will start trying different things to get them to pay attention. If that does not work then I will have a conference with their parents asking what kind of support the student gets at home about school and if there are any techniques or strategies I can use to help their student learn. If the parents have no

response then I will continue trying different techniques and ask other teachers for suggestions. If there is a student who does not get their work done at home consistently then I will ask the student during free time why his/her homework is not completed most of the time. If the student has a response that they do not get help at home or there is too much to do at home that they cannot get their work done, then I might ask the parents to set aside a quiet space for the student to work. I might also set up a time at the end of the day where I can help the student start his/her homework so that there is less to do when they get home. If the student is forgetting his/her homework because they are going between two houses then I will send two copies home with the student so that each parent has their own copy of what needs to be done. If this does not work, then I will have the parents come in so that I can talk to them about the importance of getting the homework done and turned in so that it can be counted. I will ask the parents if they would be willing to communicate about homework to each other so that the student can get it done. If a student is not trying to get the work done, then I will ask their parents if they wouldnt mind helping him/her with the homework each night. Since they are in kindergarten I do not see this as an issue, but it could arise. I will also set up time during the day where I can work one-on-one with the student on work so that they dont feel as overwhelmed when they get home. If there is a student that is disrupting the learning of the other students at their table, I will first try moving them to another table where there is at least one student there that will tell them to stop when they are being disruptive. If that does not work then I will move the student to their own seating area so that they cannot disturb others while they are working. I will also talk to the student about how we have to show respect to our classmates when they are trying to learn. If the student persists in being disruptive, then the parents will be called for a conference. I will ask about how the student behaves at home and if they have any strategies or techniques that I can use. I will use the techniques with the student and if they do not work then I will ask the counselor to come and observe the student in the classroom and see if he/she has any recommendations. I would prefer even to fail with honor than to win by cheating Sophocles Part D: Cheating If a student is caught cheating in my classroom, they will receive a failing mark on the assignment and they will have to have a conference with me to discuss what happened. During the conference I will inform the student that his/her parents will be informed about the cheating situation as well as the principal. The parents will be asked to come in and have a conference with me to discuss what was going on when the student cheated and how the student can make up the assignment to get points back. The principal will be informed since there is probably a section on cheating in the handbook. If there is a consequence for cheating that is in the school handbook, then that will be the consequence the student will have. I will not add

one. Part E: Professionalism When you are a teacher there is going to be gossip in the teachers lounge about students. This is not professional to partake in. If the teachers need advice on how to handle a situation and do not say the students name in the conversation to keep it confidential, then that is fine. However, calling a student by name and then saying how bad they are or talking about their family is not appropriate. If there is gossiping about students in the lounge, I will ask the teachers present how they would feel if they were the student and could hear this. I would also ask them if it is professional to do this and if it would be accepted elsewhere. I will not participate and if my opinion is asked about a student and their situation I will decline to answer saying that it is none of our business and I am willing to give advice on how to handle the situation but will not gossip. In an effective classroom students should not only know what they are doing, they should also know why and how. -Harry Wong Part III: Classroom Routines and Procedures Part A: Morning Routine Every morning will start the same way. The students will come into the classroom, hang up their coats, put their take-home folders in their cubbies, and go to the table to play one of the table games that I have put out that morning. There will only be two students playing each game. I will tell the students to start cleaning up their game five to ten minutes before the day needs to start. We will say the pledge of allegiance if the school requires it and then say the school pledge if there is one as well. Once the students say the pledge they will move to the carpet. Once everyone is on the carpet we will take attendance and the lunch count at the same time. I will tell the students what the two lunch options are and then ask if the students who brought their lunch from home could come up and place their popsicle stick in the cup labeled from home. Then I will ask the students who want option one to come up and place their popsicle stick is the appropriately marked cup. Then those students who want option number two to come up and do the same. When everyone who is there has moved his/her popsicle stick, then I can see who is not there. This will be the attendance for the day. I will then ask the students a math question phrased If there are twenty-five students in our class, and ____ are missing, then how many are here today? This will be on the board each day for the students to do in the morning. Then we will go through calendar and the schedule for the class for the day. Then we will start the day by singing the morning song and then getting to work. Part B: Routines involving papers

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When students have papers that need to be turned in, they will turn it in when they first walk in the classroom. If there is papers during the day that need to be turned in, the student will put them in the bin labeled Papers for Ms. Sorensen to check. I will empty this bin everyday so that the students have quick feedback. If there are papers that I need to pass out during the day while the students are sitting at their seats, I will hand the table helper for that table enough sheets for their table that they need to pass around. If there are papers that need to go home, then I will place them in their cubbies and when the students are packing to go home, they will be told to place them in their take-home folders.

Part C: Routine for leaving the classroom When students need to leave the classroom to go to a special they will line up with the line-leader at the first spot, the door holder in the second spot, and the caboose in the last spot. There will be monkeys on the floor to show students where to stand while waiting to leave the classroom. This is so that the students can get the spacing while walking in the hallways. While in the hallways the students will get their hands to themselves and have bubbles in their mouths so that they are quiet. When we are going to lunch, that students that are getting hot lunch will be first in line behind the line leader and the door holder, then the students who brought their lunch will be in line so that when we get to the cafeteria the hot lunch students can get in line and the cold lunch students can go into the cafeteria. Students will not need to leave the classroom in order to get drinks or to go to the bathroom since there is a water fountain and bathroom are in the classroom. The students will just need to get up and go to the bathroom if they need to go. If I notice a frequency of a student going to the bathroom during work time, then I will start putting a limit on how many times a student can go to the bathroom during the day. Every student can learn, just not on the same day, or the same way. - George Evans

Part D: Field Trips When the class is going to go on a field trip, permission from the parent or guardian will be obtained so that each student can go. Then I will ask for parents to volunteer to go with us so that we have about five adults with twenty-five

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kindergarteners. This will help keep track of the students and make it easier to manage the group in a non-school setting. When there is a field trip, the students will be put into buddies for going to the bus, sitting on the bus, and going from the bus to the location that we are going. There will be some groups of three so that each person has someone else. Before we reach our location, the students will be told which adult they are paired with. I will put the child of the adult with the adult if possible so that they can be together. Each adult will be wearing the same colored shirt and I will send a note home with the students asking the parents to dress their student in a blue shirt so that we can keep track of them. If we are outside with coats that will not work, but I will put nametags on the students so that we know which belong to us. There will be a meeting up point that the adults will know where to go to when the time comes. I will also tell the students that if they get separated from their adult for any reason to go to a worker from the facility. I will have a worker there to show them what they are wearing. I will explain to the students that they are to stay with their group at all times and that if they need to go to the bathroom to tell their adult. When we regroup I will take a head-count to make sure we have everyone before moving on or getting on the bus. Each time we get to a new location I will be taking a head count with two adults also taking a headcount so that we have three people checking. What we learn with pleasure we never forget. - Alfred Mercier

Part E: Routines for extra or free time If a student finishes with his/her activity early then they have the option of going to an open center in the room or playing a game quietly in the carpet area. They will know which centers are open that day for free time or extra time so they should not have to ask me which centers are open. There will also be a star sticker on the bins of games that can be played when there is extra time. Before the student can go to the center or play a game, they must give their work for me to do a quick check so that I know they did not just rush through to get it done and play. The centers and games that will be open will be educational and make the student think so that they are not wasting time while everyone else is still working. If there is more than one student done, then there will be a limit to two people per center and per game. When time is up for the activity or a majority of the class is done. I will have the students who had extra time clean up what they were doing and rejoin the class. For free time students will be sitting on the carpet and I will have a tree with their names written on apples. When I call the students name they will come up and grab the 12

apple with their name on it and place it at the center they are going to be playing at. Each center will have a card with the number of spaces available of how many students can be there are once. Students will know that they cannot save spots for their friends and if the center they want to go to is full then they will have to choose another center. There will be more spots open than students so that they can move around during free time. Each center will be modeled before the students can use it. I will give a five-minute warning about the end of free time so that students can start finishing what they are doing and clean up. At the end of free time students will pick up what they were doing. The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you. - B.B. King Part IV: Differentiation Part A: Students who need more time For students that need more time completing tasks I will let them work longer on a project if it is before free time. I will try to plan the day this way so that the student does not feel pressured to finish. Any work that is not finished can be sent home for them to complete at home or put in a folder for the next day. I will try not to do those two items since it puts pressure on the student. If there is an assignment that has to be done and it is not before free time, I will ask the student to complete it during free time. The students will also have the option of finishing work during free time if they would lie. For students who are learning English, I will try to have projects that are bilingual so that they can understand what is going on and feel that I care about their heritage. I will also allow these students to take extra time when needed and complete work during free time. Part B: Talented and gifted students For students who are talented and gifted, they will have a special area in the art supplies where they can keep projects they are working on. If they are trying to build something and do not want it ruined, they can keep it there. Also, if they would like more difficult work, I can get work from the first grade teacher to give them. I will also have higher-level books that they can read if they would like. Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great. - Mark Twain Part V: Parents Part A: Regular Communication At the beginning of each week they will get a schedule of what our week is going

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to look like, and what specials the students have and when they are. Parents will also get a note home at the end of every week telling them what we did and what is needed for the next week. For parents who do not speak English as their first language, I will try and translate the letters into their language so that they can understand what is happening as well. Parents will also see the students take-home folder every day so they can see what happened that day by what the student has done and brought home. For parents of students will special needs there will be a pre-determined method of getting information and feedback to them on a daily basis that will be set before the school year starts. If the other parents have another way that they would like to be contacted I will try and make that work, but each parent will get a letter home in the takehome folder. Part B: Preparing for conferences When it is time for conferences I am going to have a sign up sheet for dates and time on the door to my room so that parents can sign up when they drop their children off. I will also send letters home reminding parents to sign up for a conference time. I will ask the parents to be signed up at least three days before the time they are signed up. I am going to send a reminder home to each family about their conference time three days before their conference. I will get examples of student work together before conferences. I will ask the students what they would like their parents to see and I will include work that I feel that the parents should see. I will also put together a mini-sheet about their student so that the parents can get an overview of how their student is doing is school.

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