Classroom Management Plan

Brief Philosophical Statement:

All students deserve an equitable opportunity to reach their full potential by receiving a balance of

expertise and nurturance from their teachers.  It is my desire as an educator to assist students in reaching

their full potential by providing an environment that is safe, supports risk-taking, and invites a sharing of

ideas. Each student should have access to a specialized learning curriculum constructed in accordance

with his or her learning style in order to foster success. This can be accomplished by developing and

implementing a differentiated lesson plan. The success of an educator should not only be measured by

exam scores, but also by their students’ development of respect for themselves, others, and the natural

world having been achieved through numerous opportunities to explore new ideas and gain first-hand

knowledge.

Room Arrangement Map:

Ideally, I would prefer my students to have their own individual desk/work place. I have never

been a fan of students sharing a table, especially secondary students. During lessons that I am instructing

at the front of the classroom I want the desks to be in rows with an aisle down the middle so that I can

walk in between. I think that this arrangement will help limit side conversations, and allow students to

focus on the instruction. During days where students will be working in groups, I plan on arranging the

desks into groups prior to the students’ arrival.

At the beginning of the school year I will assign seats alphabetically so that I can learn students’

names quickly. I will most likely change the seating arrangement every few weeks so that students can

have an opportunity to get to know each other, and sit in various parts of the classroom. The individual

student’s behavior will determine if I keep them in a certain area of the classroom (near my desk, away

from other disruptive students, etc.)

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My desk will be in the back corner so that I can keep a full visual of the classroom. The

only time that I will be seated at my desk is when students are completing a formal assignment, such as a

quiz or exam. While students are working on daily activities, I will make an effort to circulate the

classroom to keep students on task/answer any questions students may have.

On the white board in the front of the classroom I plan on designating areas that display the daily

Objective, Agenda, Essential Questions, Vocabulary, and Reflection. This will help students know what is

expected of them, and will allow them to prepare accordingly. Additionally, I plan on having an “Eras”

board on the sidewall of the classroom. Each row will be labeled with the specific era, and each column

with the political, economic, and social aspects. This is an excellent reference for students, and will help

them understand the timeline of events. The following page shows an example:

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Classroom Rules:

I will post a list of expectations for the students. This helps students know exactly what is

appropriate, accepted behavior. A method that I would consider using is having each specific class period

design their own behavioral contract, that way they feel like they decided on the rules together, and have

no excuse not to follow them. A few rules that I foresee being necessary include: respecting others and

their opinions, avoiding disruption, no cell phone use, etc. A strategy that I learned from my internship at

Ojeda Middle School was a “Writing Intervention Report,” or a “Think Sheet.” If misbehavior continues

past a verbal warning, students are asked to step out into the hallway, and are required to write down

what events caused them to be removed from instruction, what they can do differently in order to remain

in class and be successful, and what the teacher can do differently to help them be successful. If the

student fills out the sheet thoroughly, the teacher admits them back into class and the report is kept on

file. If the student does not fill out the sheet properly, the parents are called and further disciplinary

actions are taken.

A. Classroom Procedures:

1. Attendance Check – During the first five minutes of class, students will be instructed to complete a

short warm up activity (posted at the front of the classroom) that either recaps content from the

previous class, or foreshadows the lesson of the day. During this time, I will quickly and quietly

take attendance so that this task does not take up extra class time or cause disruption.

2. Previously Absent Students – I plan on having a filing system where I put the assignments from

each day of the week. I will instruct students to be accountable and check the assigned file for

assignments that they may have missed. (I will give reminders to those students who may forget

this procedure). Students who miss a class will have the same amount of time everyone else had to

complete the assignment before I consider it “late.” I will recommend that frequently absent

students visit my tutorial hours before or after school. If their grade begins to suffer because of

frequent absences I will call their parent to discuss the issue.

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3. Tardy Students : I will follow Killeen High School’s tardy policy regarding approved

excuses and consequences for unexcused tardies. Additionally, within my own classroom, I will

keep accurate records of tardies, and will encourage students to come in for tutorials if they reach

three unexcused tardies.

4. Expected Student Behavior : Respect for oneself and others within my classroom will be absolutely

necessary, and I will not tolerate bullying of any kind. I will expect students to enter my class in an

appropriate manner, and complete their warm up independently. During my lesson I expect

students to participate in discussion and complete any assignments. I plan on giving a

“participation grade” to encourage students to be an active contributor to the lesson, rather than

passively listen to my instruction.

5. Policies for students who need to leave the room:

Students will be given a certain amount hall passes at the beginning of each semester. They will

only be allowed to leave with the presentation of a pass. If it is an emergency (in which I will

determine the urgency) I will of course allow students to exit the classroom without a pass.

6. Ending the Period:

Depending on the daily lesson, I will allow a few minutes at the end of class to review the

content/allow question and answer time. Occasionally, I will require students to turn in an “Exit

Slip.” This will allow me to assess the students’ understanding of the lesson. Additionally, I will

create a folder where students can drop their exit slip and do a quick self-assessment. The

following page has an image of my desired creation.

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B. Materials and Equipment:

1. What to Bring to Class:

For my high school students, I will require that students keep an ongoing binder full of class

notes, graded assignments, daily assessments, etc. that they will turn in at the end of each nine

weeks for a summative grade. They do not necessarily have to bring the entire binder to class each

day, but it’s important that they keep organized. This will improve their organization skills and

give them practice in creating a portfolio/research file. Daily, they will be required to bring paper

to take notes on, and either a pencil/blue or black ink pen.

2. Pencil Sharpener Use:

I will grant students the opportunity to sharpen their pencil whenever necessary, unless I

notice continued disruption by a particular student. In that case I will suggest that they borrow a

different writing utensil from a friend. If the issue isn’t resolved, I will let them borrow one of my

pens, in return for a hall pass.

3. Other Equipment:

I will (hopefully) have a set of textbooks that will stay in my classroom so that students do not

have to bring theirs to class. I will also provide tissues and hand sanitizer for students’ occasional

use.

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4. Student Contact with Supplies/ Teacher Area/ Desk:

Students will not be allowed behind my desk so that the privacy of other students’

work/grades is protected. They’re welcome to conference/visit with me at my desk during work

time or tutorials. Otherwise there shouldn’t be a reason for students to be in contact with my

personal belongings.

C. Seatwork Procedures:

1. Talk Among Students:

Quiet, relevant conversation among students will be allowed during individual work time. I

will tolerate talk among students as long as the conversation is appropriate and does not disrupt

their completion (or that of others) of the assignment. Of course I will encourage discussion

among students (that pertains to the topic) during the lesson. As stated before, their participation

grade will reflect their willingness to cooperate and follow instructions.

2. Obtaining Help:

During the lesson, I will require that students raise their hand to speak so that each student

has the opportunity to contribute to the conversation with the undivided attention of the class.

Also, this will help prevent interruption during my lesson. Outside of class, I will be available for

tutorials before or after school, and will encourage students to seek extra help if needed.

3. When Seatwork Has Been Competed:

If a student completes his or her work before the bell they will have the option to work on

homework, read a book, or complete a history related puzzle sheet (crossword/word find, etc.) I

will require that they remain seated and quiet so that other students have the opportunity to

finish their assignment.

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D. Other Procedures:

1. Behavior During Interruptions:

Students will be required to listen to announcements quietly and in their seat. This time

will be used to complete the warm up or any other uncompleted task.

2. Lunch Period:

Honestly, I will probably use my thirty-minute lunch break to refocus, enjoy quiet time,

make copies, or talk to my teacher friends. I can’t promise that my door will be open to students

during this time, but I would of course be willing to make accommodations for specific

circumstances.

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