Erin Gibbs

EDUC302/303-A
Classroom Leading Plan
December 2, 2015
Genesis 1:27 states, So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of
God he created them (Life Application Bible, 2011). This is the basic view I have of
all people: they were created in Gods own image no matter what choices they have
made or will make. People were created to spend their days taking responsibility for
the land that God has provided them as was laid out in Genesis 1 (Life Application
Bible, 2011). Even though the Bible says that if we want to be a disciple of Jesus we
should take up our crosses to follow him, I believe that we ultimately were created
to do so. God created us all with His image in mind, so Im confident that His goal
was to make disciples of us all. Since not everyone readily chooses to deny himself
to follow Christ, we were also created to spread the Gospel far and wide, aiding
those who do not yet know Him (Matthew 16:24, Life Application Bible, 2011).
As for me, I am included in this view of people as a whole. I am an image bearer
of God and it is also my job to tend to the world around me (and even the world not
immediately around me). It is my job to spread the Gospel to those who have not
heard it, and in some cases to those who have, for I have already chosen to deny
myself and follow Christ. Since I know myself, it is easier to say what my role within
creation might be, and I believe that God is calling on me to use my skills and
talents to teach. It takes a certain type of person to teach well, and I feel privileged
to be considered among those people in the eyes of the Lord.
Knowledge is important for learning; the two typically go hand-in-hand. This
raises the question of what is knowledge? According to Stronks and Stronks, true
knowledge is Gods knowledge, [and] is built into the structure of creation (1999, p.
44). It would then follow that knowing God is worth knowing (Stronks and Stronks,
1999). Knowing what I consider knowledge to be and what is worth even knowing is

Erin Gibbs
EDUC302/303-A
Classroom Leading Plan
December 2, 2015
important for me as an educator because if I dont, I will end up teaching
information that may or may not be valuable.
How we learn is just as important as what we learn. Palmers transformative view
of learning says that people come to know things through relationships, creating
links between the classroom and life, and what is important to the student (2007). I
dont know a single person that can say they learned a lot about something they
couldnt connect to or that wasnt important to them, which leads me to believe
that this statement by Palmer is true. Learning serves a great multitude of
purposes, but I think that the one with the most significance is that of serving our
Creator God in whichever way He has called us. To understand the work which we
are to do, we must first gain knowledge of that work.
What does this mean for teaching? For me, it means that I want to establish a
positive atmosphere for all of my students so that this all-important learning can
take place and they can thrive. This will require my students and I to work in
imperfect harmony, admitting our mistakes and being vulnerable and honest with
one another when something isnt going right. This also means being supportive of
each other by celebrating successes and coming alongside when we make mistakes
or are struggling. This will require me to do all of the aforementioned things and
also to let go of the reigns, which is admittedly difficult. I have a hard time with
disorder, so its tough for me to allow the students to explore to the extent that they
need to (my unit plan put me outside of my comfort zone in that respect). I am not
there to control or micromanage the students but to guide them toward goals I set
for them as well as goals they set for themselves. The biggest aspect of this childcentered learning is to have patience and grace. Thats why I call it imperfect
harmony; there is a degree to which harmony plays a role in a classroom, but

Erin Gibbs
EDUC302/303-A
Classroom Leading Plan
December 2, 2015
teacher and students alike must recognize their own and their peers fallen nature
to make good learning happen for everyone.

The Three Cs (Froyen and Iverson, 1999)

For my classroom, I dont plan to allow students to make their own rules; rather,
I plan to ask them the questions that will lead to the outcome of objective I have
previously set. I dont want the year to start off with bare minimum rules or no
rules. I want to begin the year with a structure that can become flexible depending
on the class. The goal will be to lead students to independence in goal setting and
goal achievement.
Content:
Policy: This classroom will be a safe space
Procedures:
Teacher Will:

Make a welcoming, safe learning environment through the class layout

i.
Groups of four to promote individual, partner and group work
ii.
Large reading corner with many books and places to read
iii.
Refrigerator for snacks and lunches that need refrigeration
iv.
Sink for keeping hands clean
v.
Projector and computer for technological exploration
Provide opportunity for learning outside of the classroom
i.
Class garden
ii.
Holding class outside sometimes
Post classroom rules where they are visible and easy to refer to

Erin Gibbs
EDUC302/303-A
Classroom Leading Plan
December 2, 2015
Have enough materials for group work activities to be completed
effectively

Students will:

Respect the classroom space

Bring some of their own materials into the classroom
Abide by the rules listed on the posters in the classroom
Take part in caring for plants and/or pets in the classroom
i.
Students will be assigned a job that rotates each week for taking care
of pets and plants
Have jobs that require them to be part of cleaning their learning space
i.
Students assigned jobs that rotate bi-weekly (wash tables, dust
shelves, librarian, etc.)

Conduct:
Policy: The students in this classroom will know and understand the rules of the
class. They will also know and understand consequences for inappropriate
behaviors.
Procedures:
Teacher will:

Outline rules for expected behavior in the first two weeks of school

(Froyen and Iverson, 1999, p. 56)

Create a space to allow students to create a social contract
Create space for students to add to or contradict rules for expected
behavior
i.
Give

time

for

discussion

of

rules

to

take

place.

Welcome

suggestions throughout the year through class meetings

Outline expected behaviors that reinforce shalom and social justice
Outline consequences for both positive and negative behavior

Students will:

Participate in creating a social contract for their class

Participate in adding to or contradicting rules for expected behavior

Erin Gibbs
EDUC302/303-A
Classroom Leading Plan
December 2, 2015
Abide by outlined rules and participate in reinforcing social justice by their
behavior

Covenant:
Policy: This classroom will be a place of open, honest communication between
students and teacher, as well as a place where everyone will be treated with
respect, as an important piece of our classroom puzzle.
Procedures:
Teacher will:

Treat each student as a child of God

Teach mutual respect
Strive for positive relationships with all students and their parents
i.
Make initial contact by phone call in the first days of school
ii.
Ask for updates
iii.
Continue contact throughout the school year through calls, emails
and notes
Students will:
Strive for positive relationships with the teacher and administration
Recognize authority of teacher and school (Froyen and Iverson, 1999, p.
74)

Froyen, L. A., & Iverson, A. M. (1999). Schoolwide and classroom management: The reflective educatorleader. Prentice Hall.
Stronks, J. K., & Stronks, G. G. (1999). Christian teachers in public schools: A guide for teachers,
administrators, and parents. Baker Books.