Classroom Management Plan

By: Elaine Segner

Feel free to contact me at esegner@dmail.dixie.edu

Table of Contents Classroom Management Philosophy . Pg. 3 Case Study. Pg. 4-9 Procedures Pg. 10-14 Letter of Introduction to Parents.. Pg. 15 Welcome Letter for Students Pg. 16 Developmental Stages Outline Pg. 17-19 Awards. Pg. 20-23

Classroom management is vital in a successful classroom. Through the use of classroom management techniques teachers can maximize on-task learning time and create a welcoming learning environment. Through an equal balance of love and discipline, classroom management strategies, and motivation students will be successful in the schoolroom. A classroom environment should embody love and discipline. It should be a welcoming environment where children feel that they are accepted and valued in the classroom. Although I want my students to feel loved the children need to understand that there are limits that will provide them a safe and enriching environment where they can learn and develop skills. In order to accomplish this environment I will establish rules for my classroom and teach them what it means to be a caring person. I will model to the students what it means to care and if I have high expectations for them then I as well need to have high expectations for myself. Strategies in a classroom management plan are pertinent to the success of the classroom. If a classroom is not behaving the teacher cannot successfully cover the material. Through strategies teachers can successfully manage the behavior of the children while covering the standards essential for the students to learn. Strategies I will incorporate are procedures, proximity, and visual instruction plans. These strategies will help the classroom run smoothly and efficiently. Managing behavior is only half of the components of classroom management; the other half involves getting students to do what they need to do. Motivation is needed in a successful classroom. Students who feel intrinsically motivated to learn will value their education and have a passion for learning in their life. In order to establish motivation in my students, I will first get to know my students and their interests. Explanations about why the material is necessary to learn can also help them apply and understand it in their own lives. Students will work harder on assignments and projects if they understand that it is meaningful to their lives. Our classrooms are places where students should learn and grow to become respectable people. In order for this to occur we need to create an atmosphere that is well managed and a place where students feel they can achieve. Through classroom management teachers can ensure that their students will be successful.

The Disruptive Child: A Case Study

Part One The child observed is very attention seeking. He participates in behaviors in the classroom to get the attention of the teacher and students. To get attention he either draws awareness to himself through his actions or through noises that he makes in the classroom. For example, the students were all sitting on the rug listening to the teacher read out loud to them. The child decided to put his shirt over his head and started giggling. He caught the attention of many children in the classroom and the teacher had to ask him to stop. He pulled his shirt down, but minutes later his shirt found itself on the top of his head again. The teacher excused the child to go and sit at his desk. The child wants attention any way he can receive it and unfortunately it usually is found through negative behaviors. Another example of his attention seeking behavior was also on the carpet. He started making farting noises on the carpet while the teacher was doing math calendar. At first the behavior was ignored by the teacher, but it began to grow because the other children around him started feeding off of his behavior and copying what he was doing. Noises are his specialty. He loves to make little noises in the classroom. He quietly likes to say, yeah, yeah, yeah or no, no, no. These behaviors generally empower him because he feeds off of the other classmates laughing at him. He has taken on the role of class clown and feels like it is his responsibility to make everyone laugh. Unfortunately this persona is hurting him as well. Whenever he actually says something that has substance and worth in the lesson, some of the children may begin to laugh because they think he is just the child trying to be funny. His opinions are not always heard by the teacher and other students because they feel as if he is just trying to be funny or take the conversation off task. The child is also easily distracted. Throughout the lesson he will look as if he is not there and his mind is somewhere else. Pencils become airplanes, and chairs become a carnival ride with this child. The majority of the time the child is looking over at another group during centers.
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For example, I was working with the child during the writing center. The child was supposed to choose two animals and draw their homes. After they drew a picture they were supposed to write a sentence or two about where the animals live. All the other children in the group were completing their assignment and focusing on the task, while the disruptive child was staring at the reading group that was working with the teacher. He said, Wow! Thats a big book. All of the other children then proceeded to look at the reading group. His action set the entire group off task and wasted valuable time where the students could be working. Another example of how he is easily distracted includes my teachers procedure in her classroom about broken pencils. If the student breaks their pencil or it is not sharp enough the students can place their broken pencil in the unsharpened container and then the student can grab a new pencil. This procedure saves the classroom from being distracted by avoiding the noise of the pencil sharpener throughout the lesson. Although good in theory he figured out how to make it disruptive. During a lesson the students were to pull out their pencils and begin working. The students were working in the guided practice portion of their math lesson when the child broke his pencil on the corner of the desk and got up. While slowly walking to the pencil can he bumped into a few students. They started giggling. Once there, he stood for about five minutes browsing through the pencils. Then he slowly walked back waving at students and poking them. My teacher had a parent teacher conference with his mother and my teacher explained that he would not stay in his seat. The mom pretty much brushed off the behavior and declared it as his childlike tendencies. He scores poorly on tests because he is not paying attention to the material presented and therefore is hurting him in the process. He is also a helpless hand raiser. As soon as a lesson finishes he raises his hand immediately or has to ask someone else to help him. He commonly has to look at others papers

in order to figure out what to do. My teacher accommodates the English language learner in the classroom by writing the sentences and material on the Elmo or Smart Board. This is beneficial to the ELL students, but this accommodation ends up being a tool he can rely on and get out of doing the work himself. He knows that he doesnt have to think or do the work because the teacher is going to write the answer on the board. Overall he portrays himself as unable or inadequate. His self-confidence suffers because he believes that he cannot accomplish the task at hand. My teacher handles his behavior in a majority of ways. The child likes attention. The common behavior problems are usually attempted because he is seeking attention from the teacher and his peers. My teacher tries to handle the small behaviors or situations by just ignoring them. If they are not harming anyone or interrupting the learning process she will just disregard them. Usually by ignoring them the child will stop their behavior and continue working. When ignoring the problem does not work, the teacher results with a verbal warning. She gives him the look and verbally warns the child that if his behavior continues than he will have to pull his card. If the behavior continues the teacher will pull his card. When it gets to white, his parents will receive a phone call. When the teacher has the time to address the problem, which may occur after the lesson is finished; the teacher will call the child over and talk to him about why that was not a good choice. She tries to make sure that he takes responsibility for his behavior and consequences. On the other hand my teacher also rewards for positive behavior. If he stays on green the entire school day he receives a sticker on this chart. When he gets a certain amount of stickers he is able to pick out of the prize box. He was upset when he did not get to pick out of the prize box like everyone else but, he quickly learned that it was his actions and staying on green that would allow him to choose from the box.

Part Two One strategy that I have learned that I would like to incorporate into my practice is using the disruptive childs good behavior as the model in the classroom. One day in art he was ver y well behaved. We used his behavior as a model for the rest of the students to follow. We said, Wow, look at the child. I really like how he has cleaned up his area and is ready to go. He really responded well to that. I feel like it builds self-confidence as well because instead of tearing the student down for a negative behavior you are supporting them and focusing on the behaviors that are positive. He will feel proud of himself and feel good about himself when he is serving as the example for others. Another strategy that I have learned is proximity. I noticed that whenever the child began to get noisy or off task, my teacher would use her proximity to get him back on task. Standing next to the behavior child is a powerful tool because it helps remind them that they need to stay on task and be focused. One day he was talking to another child and was not paying attention. My teacher simply walked over next to him and he stopped the behavior immediately. By sitting him closer to the teacher and using proximity to regain his focus the teacher saved valuable teaching time without disrupting the entire class. Another strategy that I want to incorporate in my classroom is having a behavior plan in place. It is very important to establish a way to handle discipline and behavior in the classroom. My teacher uses the card pulling system and it meets the needs of the classroom. Although I do not love the fact that the students can only progress downward or negatively, I agree with the purpose and reason that they are in place. Whenever my teacher is in a pinch or needs behavior to stop immediately she can fall back on her behavior plan. The expectations are clear and the children know that if they behave a certain way consequences will be present. I also like how she

does not just make the children turn their cards. After the lesson is over she talks to the child about why they needed to switch their cards. This allows the student to recognize why they had to do it so that next time they can regulate their behavior. Overall, disruptive behavior is always going to occur in the classroom. It is the way the teacher handles the situations that arise that makes for good classroom management. In order to maximize learning in the classroom the teacher needs to address behavior problems in a meaningful and efficient manner. Through these strategies the teacher can spend more time teaching and less time trying to stop undesirable behavior.

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Dear Parents, Welcome to my classroom! I am very excited to have your child in my class. Together we are going to have a great year. My ultimate goal this year is to guide and educate your children for success. The classroom should be a place where each child can participate and feel secure. The students and I will develop a set of classroom rules and expectations during the first week of school in order to ensure a classroom environment that will allow all students to maximize their learning. Parental involvement is essential for your childs success this year. Every week I will send home a newsletter explaining upcoming events, homework, and classroom activities and projects so that you will have a greater understanding of what is expected of your child throughout the week. Please take an active role in helping your child be successful this year. If at any time you have a question regarding your child please feel free to contact me through email or schedule a time to come in and meet with me. Your participation and help is important to our classroom. I understand the responsibility I have in educating your child. I am dedicated to your child and their educational goals and hope that throughout the year we can accomplish many and great things together. I look forward to meeting you!

Your Childs Teacher,

Elaine Segner

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Welcome to Miss Segners Class!

Hello! My name is Miss Segner and I am very excited to have you in my classroom this year. I hope you had a good summer. I am really eager to get to know all about you. This year we are going to learn a lot of new things, but we are going to have lots of fun too. I want to tell you a little bit about myself so you can get to know me as your new teacher. I am from Phoenix, Arizona. I love to do arts and craft projects and I like reading. My favorite color is purple and I love giraffes. Throughout the next couple of weeks you will get to know me better. I want you to know that if you ever have a question, come ask me. I am always willing to help! You are a special part of our classroom and together we can make this year great. Miss. Segner

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Intellectual Development a. At age six children experience a huge shift in cognitive skills where they begin to reason. b. Key thinking and conceptual skills are developed to a greater capacity c. Children begin to plan, coordinate their actions, evaluate their progress, and modify plans. d. May reverse printed letters e. Enjoys planning and building f. Doubles speaking and listening vocabularies g. Reading can become an interest h. Increased problem-solving ability i. Longer attention span j. Able to learn difference between left and right k. Can begin to understand time and the days of the week Physical Development a. Walks and runs in a straight direction. b. Walk backwards slowly c. Can use simple combinations of movements d. Moves in response to various rhythmical beats e. Develops an awareness of space and increases ability to control movement f. Can jump and land on one or two feel without falling g. Can throw a ball underhanded and overhanded h. Can catch a ball consistently i. Can support weight in selected activities that develop muscular strength j. Can print name k. Long arms and leg, can give awkward appearance Psychological and/or Emotional Development a. Erik Eriksons theory: Industry vs. Inferiority: Children either learn to be competent or they develop fears of inferiority. b. Children are with people more often and self-awareness and concept increase. c. Children can take the perspective and point of view of others. d. Children develop a sense of security through relationships with adults. e. Can describe them self-based on outside characteristics. f. Can communicate needs and emotions to others. g. Can work with a partner h. Can display good sportsmanship and treats others with respect. i. More elaborate pretend or dramatic play. j. Identifies close friends and shares food and toys k. Has ability to resolve conflict l. Finds criticism and failure difficult to handle
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m. Views things as black or white, or right or wrong

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Bibliography
Child development. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/parents/child-development/ Eccles, J. S. (1999). The development of children ages 6 to 14. The Future of Children, 9(2), 3044. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/1602703 Oesterreich, L. (1995). Ages & stages - six through eight-year-olds. In L. Oesterreich, B. Holt, & S. Karas, Iowa family child care handbook [Pm 1541] (pp. 211-212). Ames, IA: Iowa State University Extension.

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