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Classroom Behavioral Management Plan

Phylicia Kelly

EDUC 360

November 22, 2010

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Descriptive Statement

The purpose of this document is to present my thoughts and beliefs concerning the best

management practices to implement in a classroom so that students are given as many learning

experiences as possible. This document notes my individual teaching style and how I plan to

apply these different beliefs in my classroom, I have already established a foundation toward a

positive learning environment. With the guidance of several theorists, I have organized my

classroom management philosophy and my top ten beliefs/practices that I believe to be essential

for any classroom.

Philosophy of Classroom Management

My Philosophy of Classroom Management is organized through the incorporation of

several classroom behavioral management theorists, such as Fred Jones, Harry and Rosemary

Wong, Jacob Kounin, Richard Curwin, Allen Mendler, Spencer Kagan, Michele Borba, and

Ronald Morrish. As I thought about my individual philosophy and how I intend to manage my

own classroom, each and every one of my thoughts was centered around which management

practices will provide numerous learning experiences for all of my students, which manage

practices will create a positive learning environment, and which practices will help me to

organize the classroom so that all students are given an equal opportunity to learn to the best of

their ability. As a teacher responsible for many students, I want students to engage in the best

possible learning experiences I have to offer. In my mind, these learning opportunities will

prevail by incorporating the following Top Ten Beliefs into my own classroom.

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My Top Ten Beliefs

1. I believe that teachers should incorporate Fred Jones’s theory of “Say, See, Do

Teaching” in their everyday lessons. This theory suggested that teachers involve the students

during the teaching of a lesson. Often times, teachers spend a large portion of their lessons

presenting information to their students while the students are simply sitting at their desks

quietly and listening. Usually, the students are not asked to participate or do anything until

the end of the lesson. By teaching in this manner, it is very likely that students will become

disengaged from the lesson. Students may begin to feel like there is too much information to

retain, therefore, they start letting their minds drift to other places. Also, because the

students tend to sit passively for too long, they acquire the urgency to do something. When

this happens, these are the most opportune times for misbehavior to occur. If teachers try to

think preventively, they will realize that this form of teaching is not effective for a classroom

full of students; therefore, I believe that teachers should practice Say, See, Do Teaching in

the classroom.

Say, See, Do Teaching is when teachers “put students to work from the beginning”

(Charles, p. 127, 2011). The teacher quickly presents some information, engages the

students, presents more information, and then engages the students once more. During the

lesson, students are more likely to maintain interest if they are actively participating. Since

my main goal as an elementary teacher is to increase student learning, Jones’s theory of Say,

See, Do Teaching seems to be a positive approach to incorporate in the classroom.

2. In a typical classroom, teachers are likely to experience the effects of Helpless

Handraisers. For instance, when teaching a whole group lesson, often times, students seem

to understand the concept that is being taught; however, when the students are asked to begin

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working independently, there is no doubt that several hands go up with questions beyond

questions. At this point in time, the teacher proceeds to maneuver around the classroom

answering questions and often times, re-teaching the lesson that was just taught. By the time

the teacher has answered all questions or re-taught the lesson, more than likely, the lesson

has taken more time than originally planned. Therefore, more time throughout the day has

been wasted (Charles, p. 127, 2011).

As a teacher, I believe in conserving time, not wasting it. I want the students to leave

class everyday with as many learning experiences as possible. To do this, I plan to

incorporate Fred Jones’s technique of using Visual Instruction Plans (VIPs). VIPs are

displays that the teacher creates to post around the room, explaining the steps or process for

an assignment. For instance, if a teacher has taught the students how to do a division

problem, he/she may want to create a display with each step labeled so that the students have

a diagram to follow. With this type of visual display, the teacher is not constantly re-

teaching the same lesson over and over again. The teacher can quickly take a glance at a

student’s work and simply direct that student to the correct step he/she needs to alter. Also,

with this type of instruction provided, it is unlikely that the students will need the teacher to

repeat their individual tasks when they do not remember (Charles, p. 127, 2011).

3. When students come into my classroom every morning, I believe in having some form

of morning work on each student’s desk. Harry and Rosemary Wong say that having

morning work “eliminates 90 percent of discipline problems that otherwise arise” (Charles, p.

113, 2011). I agree with that statement; if students know that they are required to come in

the classroom, take care of their morning procedures, and then begin the morning work on

their desk, they will most likely remain in their seats and continue working. If they are not

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presented with this task every morning, the students will think that they are given free reign

to get out of their seats, wander around the room, and chat with other classmates. By not

giving the students an exact task at the beginning of each day, the students will take

advantage of this free time and inevitably misbehavior will occur. If a teacher manages this

procedure from the very beginning of the school year, the teacher will deal with fewer

instances of misbehavior. Also, by incorporating morning work into the morning procedures,

the teacher will be able to make an easier transition into the lessons for the day. A classroom

will be much more productive if the teacher is able to move into learning very smoothly at

the start of every day.

As the teacher, I know that my responsibility will be to make sure that the morning

work for every day is prepared. Even though this will be a bit time-consuming, I feel that it

is absolutely necessary. A productive and positive learning environment occurs when the

teacher has a well-managed classroom; to have a well-managed classroom, I believe that it

all begins with the first 5 minutes of everyday, as soon as the students walk through that

door.

4. The key to having a well-managed classroom is also by incorporating classroom rules

and expectations. Just as Harry and Rosemary Wong suggested, I also believe that teachers

should “limit the number of rules to a maximum of five, which should be stated in a positive

manner” (Charles, p. 105, 2011). I believe that a maximum of five rules/expectations is a

great idea because a classroom with too many rules can be overwhelming to students. Yes,

children should have limits and expectations, but several of these limits and expectations can

fall under certain categories. For instance, one rule could be to “follow directions the first

time they are given” (Charles, p. 105, 2011). This rule applies during several activities

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throughout the school day: following the directions for morning procedures, following the

directions to complete a homework assignment, following the directions for sitting on the

floor during whole group, etc. This is a simple rule that students can understand and the

teacher can implement it throughout the entire day.

As previously stated, I also believe that these rules should be stated in a positive

manner. Students are more likely to react positively when the words are phrased positively

as well. When the rules are written in this form, they are encouraging good behavior, rather

than focusing on the misbehavior that can occur. Classroom rules should be there as a guide

for students to follow so that they know what is required to act as a well-behaved,

responsible student.

5. I believe that teachers should apply Jacob Kounin’s principal teaching of “With-it-

ness” in their classrooms. This term means that teachers are able to be in one location in the

room and still know what is happening in all other corners of the room. Teachers need to be

visibly aware of everything that goes on in a classroom because they are responsible for each

individual under their supervision. To be sure that misbehavior does not arouse, teachers

need to be “with-it,” so to speak; they need to see and hear everything that is happening

throughout the room to make sure that students are following procedures and staying on task.

To prevent classroom disruptions, it is up to the teacher to see where problems are transpiring

and handle them immediately without causing more disturbances to those students who are

working hard. By being actively aware of the students’ behaviors in the classroom, teachers

can prevent further distractions and misbehaviors before they occur.

6. The theorists, Richard Curwin and Allen Mendler, have stated that student

“responsibility is more important than obedience” in a classroom (Discipline with Dignity).

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For my own classroom, I also believe that students should be taught that they are the ones

responsible for their own choices and behavior. If my classroom is to be a student-centered

environment, then it would only be right that the students control their own actions and know

that no one else is to blame, but themselves for the choices they choose to make. By

focusing on the concept that each individual student is responsible for his/her own choices,

the classroom is less likely to focus on student obedience. I do not want to stand up in front

of a classroom of elementary-aged students and lecture them on following the rules; I do not

want the students to feel that their ultimate job is to obey the teacher. The students will be in

charge of themselves, and I will merely enforce the consequences when poor choices are

made. In my classroom, I believe that good behaviors should be shared and discussed with

the students and then encouraged. By encouraging these good behaviors and reminding

students that they have a choice every day, I feel that misbehavior will be less likely to occur.

When the students know that they are held responsible for their own choices and behavior, I

believe that they will do their best to make the right choice.

7. Another belief of Curwin and Mendler’s that I truly agree with is the idea that

teachers should handle misbehavior privately so as not to embarrass the student. When a

student does choose to make a poor choice, the misbehavior issue concerns only the teacher

and the student involved; the rest of the class does not need to know, hear, or see how you

handle the situation. Therefore, the teacher should pull the misbehaving student aside and

have a one-on-one conversation discussing the appropriate manner in which the student

should have acted. By handling the situation in this fashion, the student will not be

humiliated in front of his/her peers, and to be sure that he/she does not get embarrassed in

front of everyone, the student will most likely try harder the next time to behave more

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appropriately. However, if a student is embarrassed in front of his/her peers, more than

likely the misbehavior will only persist. As a teacher with the ultimate goal of providing the

students with the best possible learning environment, I will try to prevent misbehaviors

before they occur, or stop them before they get out of hand. Therefore, handling behavior

issues privately is a great tactic; it not only brings about a quick solution by speaking directly

to the student, but it does not contribute to disruptions in the classroom for the other students.

8. To have a well-behaved and well-managed classroom, I also believe that lessons need

to be motivating to the students. Richard Curwin and Allen Mendler have also stated that the

reason misbehavior occurs is because students are bored in school. If teachers try to prevent

this boredom by making the lessons and activities engaging, the students will not have the

time nor the will to misbehave. They will be preoccupied and interested in what they are

learning; therefore, there will be fewer disruptions and misbehaviors in the classroom.

Just as I previously stated, my ultimate goal as a teacher is to provide the best

possible learning environment for all students. When there is very little misbehavior,

students are given the opportunity to learn without distractions. Then, when students are

engaged in the lessons and motivated to learn, I feel that they will be able to truly walk away

from the lesson and retain the new schema they just added to their “filing cabinets.”

Therefore, to create these motivating and engaging lessons, teachers need to try to make the

lessons personal and relevant to the students. Motivation is key to increasing learning and

decreasing misbehavior.

9. After misbehavior has occurred, I believe that teacher should work together with the

misbehaving student to find an appropriate solution. This belief actually comes from a

combination of the two theorists, Spencer Kagan and Michele Borba. Kagan believed that

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that there are three pillars that set the foundation for a classroom, and that the concept of

shared responsibilities between the teacher and student is one of them. However, Borba had

a very similar belief except she suggested that a teacher should work with the student every

time misbehavior occurs by involving the student in the 4 Rs: responding, reviewing,

reflecting, and making right. To do this the teacher first needs to have a conversation with

the student in which he/she should ask why the student chose to behave that way, meanwhile

listening to what the student has to say (responding). Then, the teacher needs to help the

student(s) review the classroom rules so that they understand why they are in trouble

(reviewing). Next, the teacher needs to ask questions that cause the student(s) to think about

the effects of their behavior (reflecting). Finally, the teacher needs to assist the student(s) in

making the situation right. During this entire process, the teacher and student are working

together to find an appropriate solution to the problem. By walking the student through these

steps after the misbehavior has occurred, the student is able to discuss the situation, review

why the behavior was inappropriate, and be a part of the solving process. I believe that a

misbehaving student is more likely to learn from his/her mistake if he/she is asked to move

through this process afterwards. If the student is the bearer of a teacher-directed punishment

with no conversation about the situation, I believe that the misbehavior will reoccur again. In

order to provide a safe and positive learning environment for all students, the teacher needs

to do whatever is necessary to prevent future misbehaviors, even if it means practicing this

intervention process as often as necessary.

10. My final belief about classroom behavioral management comes from Ronald Morrish,

who believed that consequences should be applied to help the students learn. One particular

type of consequence that he suggested was compensation. This means that the misbehaving

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student should “do something positive to make up for the negative” (Charles, p. 95, 2011).

For instance, the student could write a letter to the victim he/she was teasing; or, the student

could make an improvement plan indicating how he/she would handle the situation in the

future; or, the student could write a story that illustrates the problem and lesson learned to

read to younger children. Basically, Morrish thought that misbehaving students should do

something that showed they were learning from their poorly made choice. I believe that this

is a great technique to prevent future misbehaviors and for students to learn from their

mistakes. By having a student write a letter to a victim of teasing, the misbehaving student

may realize that he/she truly could have hurt the victim’s feelings. Children will not come to

this realization by being told they just have to stay in for recess or give up some of their free

choice time. I believe that students need to compensate for their misbehavior; they need to

do something that will help them learn from their mistake to prevent the behavior from

occurring again. Therefore, I would use the loss of recess or free choice time as a

consequence, but during that time, I want the misbehaving student to do something that

compensates for their negative behavior.

These are the Top Ten Beliefs that I deem to be essential to create a well-managed

and well-behaved classroom. Overall, I believe in doing whatever is necessary to prevent

misbehavior before it occurs, but it does not always work that way. There are just some

behaviors that will inevitably happen and they cannot be prevented. However, the key to

keeping a well-managed classroom is to work through those misbehaviors by supporting the

students through the reflection process, guiding them to the appropriate decisions,

acknowledging student responsibility in the classroom, devising a compensating consequence

plan, and engaging students in interesting lessons. Along with my Top Ten Beliefs, I also

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believe that a teacher should have several procedures and routines organized and ready to be

implemented every day in the classroom. The specific procedure and routines that I plan to

incorporate are as follows:

Procedures and Routines

1. Beginning of the Day

When the students come into the classroom in the morning, it is very important that the

students have specific morning procedures to follow. Without these morning procedures, the

school day will most likely not begin on time and the morning will seem chaotic. Upon entering

the classroom, the students can take a brief second to say hello to the teacher and classmates.

Then, the students must go directly to their cubbies, take out their homework and communication

folders, and put their backpacks away. After putting their backpacks away, the students must

proceed to the basket on the back table in which they must leave their communication folder and

then place their homework in the proper homework tray. After turning in all necessary items, the

students need to go directly to the attendance and lunch count and indicate whether they are

having hot or cold lunch by moving their designated magnet to the proper section on the front

board. Then, they need to make sure that they have 2 sharpened pencils to begin the day by

sharpening any pencils if needed. After returning to their seats with sharpened pencils, the

students must take a seat and read the directions on the front board displaying what is to be done

for morning work. Morning work may consist of a journal response, a worksheet, or an

individual activity that can be done alone and quietly. The purpose of morning work is to get

the students on task right away so that they are prepared to begin learning once the morning bell

rings.

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Since this is a long list of procedures to follow in the morning, the teacher will type up a

Word document that displays each step for this procedure. The teacher will display this

laminated document on the wall next to the classroom door so that the students can see them as

they enter the classroom. Then, the teacher will create smaller versions of this document to put

on the corner of each child’s desk so that he/she can have them in an easily accessible place. To

begin the day, the teacher will make sure that the directions for the morning work are written on

the front board so that the students can begin right away. Also, the teacher must make sure that

the attendance/lunch count magnets are ready to be maneuvered appropriately. With these

procedures in place, the students should be able to get on task right away at the beginning of

every day.

2. Attendance/Lunch Count

Rather than taking time out of every morning to orally call each student by name to see if

they are at school and what they are having for lunch, it would be more appropriate to have the

students take care of the attendance and lunch count during their morning procedures. To check

attendance and the lunch count easily, the teacher will have a prepared magnet for each student

in the classroom (they will be cutouts of lunchboxes that will be laminated with a magnet glued

on the back). On the corner of the front board, there will be a section labeled Hot Lunch and

another labeled Cold Lunch. The students will be responsible for moving their individual

lunchbox magnets to the proper section, depending on what they are having for lunch. As the

teacher, I will explain the fact that it is against the rules to move anyone else’s magnet except

your own; each student is responsible for him/herself. By carrying out this procedure during the

morning procedures, the teacher will not have to distract the entire class as they are quietly and

individually working on their morning work.

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As the teacher, I will need to be sure that the magnets and the lunch chart are prepared

before the very first day of school. The students will need to practice this procedure the first day

so that they can keep up with it throughout the rest of the school year. Then, on a daily basis, I

will need to make sure that each magnet is moved to a designated area, not in the Hot Lunch or

Cold Lunch sections, so that the counts will be accurate every day. This will be a routine that I

will be sure to get organized at the end of every school day for the following day.

3. Pencil Sharpening

At the beginning of each school day, the students are required to make sure that they have

two sharpened pencils to begin the day. I want the students to have two pencils ready just in case

one pencil breaks; it is always better to have a backup so that students do not constantly want to

get out of their seats to sharpen another pencil. Being at the pencil sharpener only distracts the

rest of the class because of the noise it provides, and it is just another opportunity for

misbehavior to occur. However, as a teacher, it is important to realize that even though students

will have two sharpened pencils in the morning, they still may need to re-sharpen the pencil

throughout the day for whatever reason. Knowing that this may occur, I will also have an area

set aside with two cans for pencils: one can will be labeled Sharpened Pencils and the other can

will be labeled Unsharpened Pencils. If the student has an unsharpened pencil, he/she will

quickly and quietly get out of their seats, go over to the can-pencil area, leave the unsharpened

pencil in the correct can, and take a sharpened pencil out of the other can. By doing this, the

whole class and I do not have to hear the pencil sharpener throughout the day since it provides a

distraction. This technique will also limit the misbehavior because students will not be in one

area for long periods of time, waiting to use the pencil sharpener.

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As the teacher, it will be my job to make sure that all of the unsharpened pencils from the

Unsharpened Pencil Can will be re-sharpened and put into the other container. In order for this

procedure to be a success, I need to make sure that these pencils are sharpened before the

students get to school. This will be another task that I will get organized at the end of every

school day for the following day so that it is ready the next morning.

4. Communication with Parents

Communication with the students’ parents is very important. It is the teacher’s responsibility

to keep the parents updated with the current happenings at school and what will be occurring in

the future. Also, as a teacher, it is very important to keep those parents involved with the

everyday activities of their children. Teachers play a major role in providing students with the

necessary information they need to grow and learn, but reinforcement at home is most certainly

beneficial. We are only with the students for about 7 hours every day, and we try to provide the

students with as many learning opportunities as possible. Since it is sometimes difficult to

accomplish everything that is necessary, teachers become very dependent on those parents to

review, study, and practice with their own children.

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Therefore, in my classroom, I will provide every student with a Moose (Management of

Organizational Skills Everyday) Book. This item will be in the form of a binder and will house

everything necessary pertaining to school. For instance, there will be an inside pocket labeled,

“Important Papers from School.” Then, there will be a file folder in the binding section labeled,

“Super Duper Work to Keep.” Any of the work that is done at school that needs to go home will

go in this area. Then, another file folder will be labeled, “Returned Homework” in which the

student’s homework for the day will go home in that section and come back in that section.

Following homework section will be a labeled section titled, “Parent/Teacher Communication.”

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This is where I will supply blank sheets of notebook paper for the parent to write a note to the

teacher or vice versa. Then, I will have a final section labeled, “Newsletters” in which a weekly

newsletter will be sent home at the end of every week to share what has been happening in class.

In order for the Moose Books to be a success in my classroom, I will have to prepare

these binders before the first day of school. I will need to be sure that I have a binder for each

student and that each one contains the correct sections. Then, I will definitely need to explain

how the Moose Books work to the parents so that they can participate in this organizational

process. This Moose Book will be beneficial to the teacher, student, and parents because it

contains all the necessary items for school. It is also very important because it provides a fast

and easy communication process for the teacher and parent if a note needs to go home or to

school any day of the week. Also, by using this binder, the parents will know exactly where the

daily homework will be and what the student needs to accomplish.

The only issue that I may have with these Moose Books would be the cost. Not every

school will provide all of the necessary materials for these books so I definitely need to be ready

and willing to support this out of my own pocket. However, with the organization that these

Moose Books will provide, I will definitely do whatever is necessary to get the funds.

5. Getting Attention/Signaling for Quiet

When a classroom of students are working together in groups, participating in free choice

time, transitioning from one subject/activity to the next, or during any time in which the students

have gone above the appropriate noise level, I plan to obtain the students’ attention by using the

technique of “Give Me Five” by Harry and Rosemary Wong. To teach this technique to my

students, I will definitely need to rehearse it during the first week of class. First, when I want to

quiet the class and get their attention, I need to start by simply raising my hand and saying out

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loud, “Give me five.” At this point in time, the students should be going through the five steps in

their mind that they should be doing during this procedure. The five steps are: 1) Eyes on the

speaker, 2) Quiet, 3) Be Still, 4) Hands Free, and 5) Listen. As the students are thinking through

these 5 steps in their mind, the teacher will gradually put up all 5 fingers, indicating that they

have almost completed all 5 steps. Once all 5 fingers are up and my hand is open, I should have

the students’ full attention.

In order for this procedure to be successful, I will need to create a chart that lists these 5

steps and hang it somewhere in the classroom so that is easy for all students to see. Then, during

the first week of school, I will need to teach this procedure and practice, practice, practice it over

and over with the students. By the end of the first week, the students should have this procedure

nearly memorized.

6. Transition to Specials

When it is time for the students to leave the classroom and transition to their specials,

lunch, or recess, I believe that there should be a specific procedure in which the students are

quiet so as not to disturb any other classes in progress. For my students, I will use the “Flip and

Zip” technique. This is a very interesting procedure that I witnessed in another school

corporation and I find that it is very successful. During these transitioning times, the students are

all required to line up in two lines, a boy and girl line. Then, before we leave the classroom, I

will simply say to students, “Flip and Zip.” At this point in time, the students should cross their

arms across their chest and zip their lips. Then, when we are walking through the hallway, all

voices are off because their mouths are zipped, and no one is touching the walls or each other

because their arms are crossed. This is a very simple procedure, but it will definitely need to be

rehearsed with the students repeatedly.

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As the teacher, my responsibility will be to teach this procedure to the students starting

the very first day of school. Then, I will need to ensure that all of my students are following this

procedure by reminding them as often as necessary. It may even be beneficial to create a small

sign near the doorway that reminds the students to Flip and Zip every time they leave the room.

Implementation of Classroom Management Plan

Classroom Rules/Expectations

I believe that the students should be involved in the process of creating our classroom

rules and that these should be established on the very first day of school. My reasoning for

having student involvement in this process is because I believe that the children are more apt to

follow the rules if they were part of the rule making. As I previously mentioned in my Top Ten

Beliefs, I want my classroom to be centered around student responsibility rather than teacher

obedience. If I just stand up in front of the classroom and explain my rules to all of the students,

it is likely that they will not realize the importance of following these rules, and I will simply be

enforcing obedience. However, if the students are involved in this rule-creating process, they

will have to think about what is most important, why it is most important, and overall they may

try harder to follow the rules if they are their own rules; the students would realize that it is their

responsibility to follow these rules, especially since they chose them.

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When we begin creating these rules as a whole class, I will start by explaining that we

will only 5 rules for our classroom; we do not want too many that will be hard to follow and too

few that do not cover all of the necessary areas. Therefore, when the students start thinking

about the rules for the class, they will need to decide on what is most important. However, since

this is my classroom, I will have some rules/expectations that I believe will be very important to

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have in a classroom. For instance, I believe that students should follow directions the first time

they are given. Before I begin creating these rules with my students, I will have a plan of the 5

most important rules to me. Then, when we start deciding on the rules, I will guide the students

using my plan. I want the students to share their opinions and I want them to have a say in our

classroom rules since they will be responsible for following them. If I find that one of their ideas

is more important than one from my plan, I will be willing to acknowledge that. However, I will

do my best to guide the students to appropriate rules. Given this responsibility, I believe that the

students will try their best to create a good set of rules and expectations for the class.

After the rules have been created, I will transfer the information from chart paper to a

poster board and laminate it. I want to hang this poster board in front of the classroom so that it

can be viewed by all of the students during any time of the day. Then, after creating a

Rules/Expectations Poster, I will explain the consequences to the students if they choose to break

any of these rules. These consequences will be the standard ones used in nearly every

classroom: first offense being a warning, second offense -losing half of recess, third offense-

losing all of recess and sending a note home/calling the parents, and fourth offense- referral to

the principal’s office. If a student reaches his/her third offense, this is where I will implement

the idea of compensation from my Top Ten Beliefs. By the time a student reaches the third

offense, he/she has repeated some form of misbehavior. Therefore, I believe that the student

should stay in for recess and compensate for this misbehavior. For instance, the student could

write a letter to the teacher explaining his/her wrongdoing and how he/she plans to fix it in the

future. I will list some compensation ideas under the third and fourth offense because that is

where these ideas will be implemented. After explaining the consequences, I will have them

written on a laminated poster board to be displayed in the front of the classroom as well. The

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students need to see exactly what their expectations are and what the consequences are if they

choose not to follow them.

After discussing the rules and consequences for the classroom, I feel that the students

definitely need to know about the reward’s system. I believe that there should be incentives for

the students to motivate good behavior. As I have previously stated several times, a well-

managed and well-behaved classroom creates a positive learning environment for all students to

continue growing and learning. If incentives will motivate the students to be on their best

behavior so that learning can occur, I will definitely provide these rewards. Some rewards will

just be simple, easy rewards that merely show praise. For instance, when a student is displaying

good behavior by sitting quietly at his/her own seat waiting to go to lunch, I may verbally praise

this student and let him/her be the first in line. However, I also believe that there should be some

special rewards, such as Preferred Activity Time (PAT) in which the students are given a specific

amount of time to do whatever they choose to do within reason. For example, the students can

choose to play board games, play math games, play computer games, work on homework, read a

book, draw a picture, etc. At the end of every day, I plan to re-evaluate each student’s behavior;

every student who was not subject to any of the previous consequences for misbehavior will

receive a sticker. At the end of the week, all of the students who received 5 stickers (one sticker

each day) for good behavior will be given 20 minutes of PAT. For any students who were given

only 4 stickers, they will only receive 15 minutes of PAT. Then, any students with 3 stickers

will receive 10 minutes, 2 stickers will be 5 minutes, and 1 sticker or less will be a loss of all

PAT at the end of the week. The ultimate goal is that the students will want this extra 20

minutes of Preferred Activity Time so they will try their best to behave appropriately throughout

the week. For the students who do not receive any PAT at the end of the week, I will have them

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work through an Improvement Plan in which they need to explain how they intend to improve

their behavior for the following week. During the PAT, I want the student(s) to realize why they

are missing out on this reward, and then explain what they need to fix to be a part of it the

following week.

My overall goal of using this compensation technique is not to provide the students with

busy work; I simply want the students to learn from their mistakes and devise a plan in which

they explain how they can improve. The object is for all students to behave appropriately

throughout the entire week so that they are gaining as much as they can from our learning

opportunities.

Curriculum and Instruction

In my Top Ten Beliefs, I stated that motivation is the key to increasing learning and

decreasing misbehavior. I truly believe that the students need to be engaged in my instruction if

I really want learning to occur. In order for the students to be motivated about learning, I first

believe that I, the teacher, need to be motivated about every aspect that I am teaching. If I am

not excited about student learning, how can I expect my students to be excited? Therefore, I

intend on showing my enthusiasm for learning during every lesson.

:

Then, I also believe that the lessons that I teach need to be relevant and authentic to the

students; these lessons/activities need to spark their interests. If I cannot gain their interest, it is

very likely that the students will not retain the new information. After school begins, I will

spend time getting to know my students, their different learning styles, and what I can do to get

them interested in learning. Then, I will take that knowledge and do my best to incorporate these

aspects into my teaching. If I know that several of my students are visual learners and then

others are bodily/kinesthetic (hands on) learners, then I would try to create lessons for these

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multiple intelligences. I want my students to continue to grow and learn, and I want to provide

them with the best learning opportunities possible; therefore, I will definitely plan for the types

of learners in my classroom.

Classroom Management Style

Preventive:

:

A preventive classroom management style is when the teacher uses proactive

management strategies that work toward preventing misbehavior before it occurs. In order to

have a preventive classroom management style, I believe that a teacher needs to have an

organized set of routines, rules, and consequences so that students know what is expected of

them. If these management systems are in place, the students will know that they are responsible

for following these procedures and that they will be held accountable for the choices they make.

One of the management techniques that I intend to use in my classroom that will support

a preventive management style is the idea of allowing students to be a part of the rule-making

process. By allowing the students to be a part of this decision, we will already be talking about

the importance of the rules in the classroom. They will also gain an understanding of what each

of these rules mean because they will need to defend why they believe that a particular rule is

essential in a classroom. I strongly believe that this is a great preventive technique because the

teacher is definitely making the rules known to every student in the classroom.

Another preventive management strategy that I believe should be taken into account is

the physical proximity of the teacher to the students. Students are less likely to misbehave if

they know they are in the sight of the authoritative figure. Therefore, I will be sure to position

my desk in sight of all of the students’ desks so that I can see every student. If I notice that a

student is getting off task during a lesson, small group work, or individual work, I will bring

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myself closer to this student. Often times, the off-task student will re-evaluate their behavior and

make the correct choice if he/she knows that the teacher is watching.

Supportive:

A supportive classroom management style is when certain measures are taken to assist

students by helping them get back on task. For instance, one way to redirect a student’s behavior

is through the use of appropriate body language. When a student becomes distracted and stops

working through an assignment, the teacher can simply make eye contact with the student, give a

hand signal, or show the appropriate facial expression, such as a frown (aka, the teacher look). I

believe that my body language will quickly and quietly redirect that off-task student.

Another way of creating a supportive classroom environment would be to instill humor

into a lesson that has become uninteresting. Often times, misbehavior occurs when students are

bored and no longer engaged in what they are learning. If I try to keep the students engaged in

the lesson by incorporating some interesting or humorous points, I believe that the students are

more likely to stay on task with the lesson at hand. This will also be a way to ensure that

learning will continue to take place since the students will be focused on the excitement of the

lesson.

Often times in elementary school, students are likely to get off task when they have a

particular object, toy, or belonging that distracts them from their responsibilities. As a teacher,

my goal would be to prevent the distractions and misbehaviors that could occur with this

particular object. To support the student(s) and redirect their attention to the main lesson, I

believe that it would be beneficial to remove any of these distractive objects. It is very easy for a

student to get off task when this object is in their hands waiting to be toyed with. At the end of

the school day, I would then return the object to the owner and ask him/her to leave it at home.

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Corrective:

A corrective classroom management style would be the measures that a teacher takes

when students choose not to follow the classroom or school rules. For instance, these would be

the consequences that I have previously mentioned. When a student breaks a rule the first time,

he/she is given a warning. After the warning, the student will lose half of their recess. Once a

student reaches his/her third offense, the student then is in charge of compensating for the

negative behavior. The student will lose all of their recess, but that time will be spent wisely.

That time will be spent writing a letter of apology and explanation or writing an improvement

plan for their behavior.

Also, when a student has chosen not to follow a particular classroom or school rule, it is

very important that the teacher makes sure that the consequences are consistent. If I do not

follow through with the consequences that were discussed at the very beginning of the school

year, the students will recognize this and they will take advantage of it. The students will learn

what they can get away with and what is unacceptable. My overall goal is to show students that I

will be consistent, misbehavior will not be tolerated in any fashion, and every student will be

responsible for the consequence of their own decisions.

Another corrective management strategy would be to speak to the student privately about

the issue at hand. When a student chooses to misbehave, it is the responsibility of the teacher to

keep this matter private and between the teacher, student, and/or principal and parents. If a

student is misbehaving, I believe that the teacher should not embarrass the student; this may only

make matters worse. The situation is likely to be solved in a quicker and quieter form if the

teacher directly speaks to the student in private.

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Miss Kelly’s Classroom Arrangement

Entrance

Cubbies

Teacher’s Desk Window

Bulletin Board White Board

White Board

Students’ Desks

Guided Reading Table

Whole Group Rug

Rocking Chair

Storage Cabinets

Computers

This would be the way that I would arrange my elementary school classroom. I chose to have the Teacher’s Desk in the corner across from the entrance because it is in the back of the classroom, out of the learning area. I chose to put the students’ desks in groups of six in which their backs would face the window and the entrance. I would prefer that none of the students’ backs would be to the front of the room, which is where I would be teaching. I also chose to provide enough walking areas through the groups of desks so that I could be within a close proximity of all of the students. Then, I also provided a designated area for whole group time and a designated area for guided reading groups. These are important areas because they are essential to the elementary school curriculum.

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Parent Letter

Dear Parent/Guardian,

Welcome back to another school year! I am very excited to have your child in my class this year and I know that it will be a great year for learning. I just thought that I would send a letter home on this first day of school to share a little bit about our classroom and the way that I have it structured so that the students are provided with the best possible learning environment. Today, we discussed our classroom rules/expectations and the consequence and reward system. My belief is that the students in the classroom should have a say in the rules that they will be responsible for following. As a class, we had a discussion and narrowed our rules to the 5 most important ones: 1) Follow directions the first time they are given, 2) Raise your hand and wait for permission to speak, 3) Stay in your seat unless you have permission to do otherwise, 4) Keep hands, feet, and objects to yourself, and 5) Always use kind words. The students have agreed that these rules are very important to our classroom so that everyone is at ease everyday and ready to learn. If by some chance any of the students choose to break any of these rules, there are consequences already in place: 1st offense: Warning, 2nd offense: Lose half of recess, 3rd offense: Lose all of recess, compensate for negative behavior by writing an apology letter or improvement plan, and note home to parent, and 4th offense: Referral to principal’s office. These consequences were explained to every student in the classroom and they know what is expected of them. However, I also feel that good behavior should be rewarded and it will. At the end of every school day, I will re-evaluate each child’s behavior. Anyone who was not subject to any of these previously stated consequences will receive a sticker on their daily sticker chart. At the end of every week, the students will receive Preferred Activity Time in which they can do anything of their choosing within reason. The students who received all 5 stickers throughout the week will receive the full 20 minutes of PAT, 4 stickers results in 15 minutes, 3 stickers results in 10 minutes and so on down the line. My ultimate goal is that every student will be on their best behavior everyday to enjoy this time at the end of the week. In order to keep you updated about the happenings in school, I have this Moose Book system in which every student will be provided with a binder with all the important items for school. In this binder, I have provided a pocket folder for important papers from school, work that needs to stay home, homework that needs to be done and returned to school, and newsletters. Also, toward the back there is a section with blank sheets of notebook paper for any point in time in which you may need to write me a note or vice versa. Please, do not hesitate to write me a note about anything concerning your child. I will use this section to do the same. Also, please be sure that your child brings this binder to school every day. I will ensure that it is taken home every day so that you can have all the necessary updates. Thank you so much for your time! I am looking forward to this school year and I hope that you and your child are too! Sincerely, Miss Kelly

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Works Cited

Charles, C.M. (2011). Building classroom discipline. Boston: Pearson. (2007) Discipline with dignity. Retrieved from http://wik.ed.uiuc.edu/index.php/Discipline_

with_Dignity.