CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT AND STUDENT GUIDANCE PLAN

By: Amy Mirlisena

Section 1. Explanation of Core Beliefs about Children, Teachers, and Education:

a. What assumptions do you make about the inherent nature of children [e.g.,
at birth, is every child inherently good-or are some children born evil-or
is every child neutral in this regard? is every child born with a
disobedient will that must be broken?]
I strongly believe that every child is born inherently good. I believe it is the world
that shaped the childs behavior. This draws back to the popular argument of
nurture vs. nature. I would argue that both the nurturing of each child and the
environment they are exposed to have equal effect on the outcome of the childs
behavior.
b. To what extent can children learn self-control [physical, emotional,
intellectual, and behavioral]? What actions by significant adults [especially
parents/guardians and PK-6 teachers] promote a childs development of all
domains of self-control?
All behavior is learned. During the early development of children, everything they
are surrounded by is soaked in and internalized. I believe all forms of self-control
can be learned. However, I also believe this idea of perfect self control is a myth.
Children are going to be exposed to temptation and inappropriate behavior no
matter their background, because it is the nature of our world. It's inevitable, but
just because a child falls into temptation does not mean they are incapable of self
control. Some learning comes from making mistakes. It's a part of the growing and
learning process. The significant adults in a childs life can promote self control by
encouraging good behavior, talking children through escaping temptation, and
through purposeful reflective thinking when mistakes are made.
c. What meaning do you ascribe to learning? How do children learn?
Based on your current understanding, explain your definition of learning

and then explain the basic processes by which a child learns any particular
knowledge or skill.
Learning is often defined synonymously with schooling and education. I would
argue that it is much more than that. Learning is a process in which reflective
thinkers grow and live through many facets of life. This includes but is not limited
to formal education, relationship/ social growth, mortality growth, cultural
understanding, perspective, and environmental adaptation and awareness. There
are countless components to our life long process of learning. Every experience we
face is part of our learning. It is not confined to formal educational instruction.
d. What can/should a K-3 teacher do to promote healthy psychosocial
development?
Erik Erikson formulated the theory of Psychosocial development. According to
Erikson, K-3 teachers interact with children who are undergoing the psychosocial
crisis, Industry vs. Inferiority. Essentially meaning that the children elementary
teachers work with are struggling, wondering if and how they will make it through
these new systems (e.g. schools) they have been newly placed in. Teachers play a
very important role in this psychosocial crisis. Instead of muting the ideas of
strengths and weaknesses in the classroom teachers should celebrate them.
Recognizing students strengths is very important. However, I believe that publicly
recognizing that our global community relies on strengths AND weakness is vital
to forming a healthy psychosocial environment. Instead of allowing children to
pick apart their weaknesses, highlighting them and recognizing that everyone has
weaknesses is the best way to create a safe learning environment. Assuring that the
classroom does not feel like a tiered community based on skill and ability is key to
building a foundation which promotes classroom growth.
e. What can/should a K-3 teacher do to promote healthy intellectual growth
and development?
Intellectual growth comes to people in different way. I believe that as a teacher it
is your duty to go above and beyond, making sure students are provided with the

tools they need to successfully grow intellectually. Assuming that every student
can learn content the same way is recipe for failure. Patience, listening, open
mindedness, and reflective differentiation are key to healthy intellectual class wide
growth.
f. In what ways might the relationship between a teacher and a student affect
a childs learning and development?
The relationship between a student and a teacher is undeniably one of the most
important components student development and success. To put it in perspective,
Teachers spend approximately 1,000 hours a year with a single class. In this time
teachers have an effect on the students social development, intellectual
development, motor development, behavior development, and moral and ethical
development.
g. In what ways might the school-home relationship affect a childs learning
and development?
Although they serve different purposes in the childs life, the guardian and the
teacher both share in the learning and overall development of the child. It is
pertinent that the school and the childs guardian/s are in sync with one another and
cohesive goals and expectations are set early on in the school/home relationship. If
there is dissonance between the school and the home, the child will greatly suffer
and their development and learning will be warped and slowed. Consistency is key.

Section 2. Statement of Core Beliefs and Practices Related to Student Guidance:

a. Based on the knowledge and skills learned thus far in your academic career
and life experience, the following are your, Top Ten Beliefs and/or Strategies
about Classroom Management & Student Guidance?
(The following list is not in ranked sequence)
1. Set Limits Well

a. Setting clear boundaries to set a standard for desired behavior.

i. I would enact this by working with the kids at the beginning of the year to create
and agree upon rules, limits, and boundaries and make sure to display these in the
classroom
2. Teach helpful behavior
a. Actively showing students helpful and appropriate situational behaviors
i. This management skill would be used when I am giving students who are behaving
properly will receive positive reinforcement (E.g. I like the way Julia has cleaned
up here space and is sitting quietly waiting for directions.). This gives students
recognition for their good behavior while representing to the whole group what my
expectations are from the group as a whole. This gives the students who may not
be behaving an opportunity to check themselves.
3. Deliver I-Messages
a. Speaking by communicating feelings in a respectful way which allows students to
change their behavior.
i. I believe that reinforcing with the I feel that... I wish that... I think that...
communication skill when addressing a behavioral issue is important because it
gives the students respectful and direct intervention without coming on too strong.
I believe that modeling this will help manage student-to-student disagreements as
well.
4. Listen Actively
a. Recognition of a childs problem and communicating understanding and
willingness to provide assistance in problem solving.
i. I think this is one of the most important components to managing a classroom. If
you do not hear students concerns then you will not be able to fix problems that
arise. When you do not just to conclusions and actively listen you can ask and
deliver prompts which allow students to fix problems themselves.
5. Give meaningful feedback to Children
a. Providing students with constructive skills and tools to them make changes in
order to be successful.
i. I like the compliment sandwich approach when giving negative yet meaningful
feedback. I think it is important to keep the childs self confidence high and giving
negative feedback this way helps maintain that. (example: Lamar, I really like
that you have been working quietly and giving your neighbors think time. You
have really zoomed through this math worksheet! I think it might be wise to go
back and check your work, because I see some answers that need rethinking. Why

dont you review your work and when you are finished we can talk about it
together. Thank you for being such a hard worker today!)
6. Teach Conflict Resolution
a. Students pair with the teacher to come to a consensual agreement about how to act
appropriately when solving problems.
i. I think that problems and conflict are some of the most teachable moments for
student behavior. I feel that it is important that as the teacher I work to moderate
conflict and can help guide the students to respectfully resolve their issues so they
can learn to handle conflict on their own.
7. Teach Calming Techniques
a. Identifying behaviors and anxiety in a student and applying specific and deliberate
skills and tools to provide solace for the student.
i. I feel that it is important to show empathy and not sympathy to my students. When
I show empathy, I can better understand a student's needs and specifically cater to
them.
8. Manage Strong Emotions Responsibly
a. Supporting childrens growing development of their ability to manage behavior,
such as anger.
i. I think that is important to show empathy and willingness to be an agent of
guidance to children with behavioral problems. I think the biggest mistake I can
make is getting visibly frustrated and showing a lack of control. I will interact with
students to talk through their issues and help them make changes to alter their
behavior for the better.
9. Give Signals or cues for newly constructed behavior.
a. On the spot guidance without verbal interruption to allow students to be cued to fix
behavior issues.
i. Cues and signals are a huge time saver and I intend to use them for both positive
behavior reinforcement and negative behavior checks. Having cues with directed
for specific children and having whole group signals are important to manage
behavior and reinforce good behavior without stopping instruction.
10.Help Students save face and preserve their dignity
a. Treating Students with respect and refreshing your emotional distress to allow
students to start fresh and regain a sense of security and love in the classroom.
i. Giving students chances to reassess their behavior during the day and starting each
day fresh without preconceived poor behavior expectations helps students find a
sense of comfort in my classroom, which is very important to me.

b. What role/s do you expect to play in the lives of your students?

Often times I think the role of teacher is limited to school. But having worked
with kids in the classroom, I know it so much more than just that. Every student
that walks into my classroom brings their life into my classroom as well, they bring
their family, their culture,their problems, and struggles. I not only can have a major
intellectual impact but also a social, and emotional impact. A kind of impact that
will help shape a childs character and future. It is a responsibility I do not take
lightly.
c. What legacy do you hope to leave imprinted in your students minds, hearts,
and souls?
I think that it is pertinent to teach my students life lessons that go far beyond what
is required in the common core standards. Lessons like, how to love one another,
how to be a reflective thinker, and how to be an empathic friend. I know this
product can only be achieved if I first set an example of these virtues. I think it is
most important that I set a goal for my students walk out of my classroom as better
people.
d. What needs of your own do you anticipate getting met by your work as a
classroom teacher?
Ever since I was very young I have always had a maternal instinct and love for
leadership. Being an elementary school teacher overwhelms me with happiness. I
knew several benefits I would get from teaching young children. However, in my
time as a preservice teacher in the field I have learned that the lightbulb moment
you share with a child when they finally gain understanding is one of the greatests
feelings anyone can ever experience.

Section 3. Classroom Management: Procedures and Routines--Section 3 should

include a clear, detailed explanation of how you will manage the following aspects
of classroom life: Your response for each question below should be 3 or 4

sentences. Remember, the following routines and procedures should be designed to

assure that they are implemented in an efficient manner, using the least amount of
time possible!
a. When the school bell signals the students to enter the building, where will
you be and what will you be doing for the first 3 minutes of the school day?
I will always start each school day greeting students at the door. I think it is very
important to set aside time to talk to my students about their lives and answer any
questions they have. Setting aside time to converse with students not only gives
you more insight on the child as an educator it also helps nurture the
teacher/student relationship which can only benefit the classroom environment.
This is also a helpful management skill to allow students to speak freely because
they will seize the opportunity at inappropriate times otherwise.
b. How will you manage students lunch tickets and/or money?
Students will be held responsible to put their lunch tickets/ and or money in their
respective lunch ticket slots on the wall of my classroom. If the school requires
lunch count, I intend to incorporate this into morning meeting. I will compare the
student's lunch count with the ticket slots to make sure all students are prepared for
lunch.
c. How will attendance be taken?
Attendance will be taken during our morning meeting. Students will be expected to
respond to their roll call with either Good morning! Here! Or Present!.
d. How will morning announcements be made?
Morning announcements will be made during our morning meeting. I will post the
announcements on a PowerPoint so that students can both audibly and visually see
the announcements.

e. How will you collect students homework?

Students will be held responsible for turning their homework into my mailbox each
morning. I will have my mailbox up near the front of the classroom so that as I
greet the children in the morning I can also monitor this and remind forgetful
students of their responsibility.
f. How will students line up at the door to leave the classroom for another part
of the building (music, lunch, etc.)?
I will dismiss students in groups or one at a time to line up at the door in order to
manage behavior. At the beginning of the year we will discuss the standard for
hallway behavior and the standard for personal space. I intend to have a line leader
and a caboose/Door Holder who will be leaders who will be held responsible for
helping me make sure doors are opened and their friends are cooperating with the
rules.
g. How will you manage use of the rest rooms by students throughout the day?
Unless the particular school has a inforced hall pass rule, students will be required
to move their numbered magnet to indicate they are in the restroom. They will also
be required to move it back when they return. One boy and one girl will be allowed
in the bathroom at a time during instructional time. I will also incorporate large
group bathroom breaks into our daily schedule. At this time only 4 boys and 4 girls
will be allowed to use the restroom at a time. The children who have already used
the restroom or do not care to will sit on the wall in silence. The children who need
to use the restroom and are waiting will wait in a line outside the bathroom: boys
on the right girls on the left. I will monitor the entry and exit of each child to keep
balance and manage behavior.
h. How will you manage student use of the hallway drinking fountain?

Hallway Drinking fountain procedures are synonymous with bathroom breaks

during instructional time. Passes will be limited to one child of each gender.
i. How will you manage student use of the classroom sink [lets assume there is
one]?
Students are allowed to use the classroom sink as long as I give them permission to
do so. The classroom sink will not be used during whole group assessments or
silent activity.

j. How will you manage student use of the pencil sharpener?

The students will not be allowed to use the pencil sharpener. I will have a small
bucket of sharpened pencils at each table at the expense of each student. I will be
the only one with access to the pencil sharpener. Students will be required to bring
in a box of pencils at the beginning of the year which will provide stock for these
pencil buckets.
l. How will you organize and manage student Classroom Helpers--what
classroom jobs will there be? What procedure will you use to assign
Classroom Helpers?
Grades Pre-K-1 classroom jobs plan:
Students will cycle through a rotation which I will create each year so everyone
will be given the opportunity to serve as a different classroom helper.

Classroom helpers list:

Line Leader
Caboose
Office Runner
Light controller
Timer
Trash collector

Recycling collector
Calendar helper/Weather reporter
Supply Monitor
Classroom Motto Leader
Librarian
Grade 2-3 Classroom jobs plan: Mini Economy
The following is a social studies/citizenship oriented classroom management
system I have tweaked and adapted for my future classroom. I post classroom and
mini economy job descriptions for students to see the first day of school. I have as
many jobs as I have students. Students apply for these jobs by filling out an
application and getting two letters of recommendation. One letter can be from a
relative, but the other has to be from a non-relative. Students who get these items
in first, before the deadline, have top consideration for the jobs they want, but that
alone isnt a guarantee. When all the applications are in I go about hiring various
students for the available jobs. This should fall around the 3rd week of school so
Im just beginning to get a little bit of a picture of their strengths and weakness.
Students are paid $50.00 (in classroom money) every other week. From their
earnings they must pay the following:

Rent: $15.00-collected by landlords

Taxes: $5.00-collected by tax collectors
Insurance: $5.00 (optional-a disaster does occur every other week and we pull a
name. If the child has insurance they are covered. If not, they have to pay $7.00)

Two lists are posted in the room:

A list of fines for various offenses that might occur in the classroom:
Late/missing homework: $1.00
Disturbing the Peace: $2.00
Condemned Desk/Cubby: $2.00
The other list is one of privileges:
Pop Pass: $25.00 (Student gets to bring $1.00 to school and buy a soda in the
teachers lounge at lunch time.
Lunch with Teacher and a Friend: $50.00
Homework Pass: $80.00

Every other Friday we have our mini-economy where students get paid by the
paymasters. They then pay their responsibilities and fines listed above. After
everything is paid students have an opportunity to go to the store. We have
storekeepers who set up and price items donated by parent and others. Some of the
other core jobs are sheriff, deputy, bankers, cubby monitors, desk monitors. Other
jobs can be added as you need them for your classroom.
This is just a brief overview of this system. Some years students may invent a
checking system, discount cards, and credit cards. They also may get creative even
launch completing stores or started up their own businesses to sell other products. I
intend to be creative with this structure. Children learn about basic economics
everyday and you get a fun classroom management system with which to work.
m. How will you collect daily assignments from students?
Students will either be required to put their assignments in my mailbox or they will
put them in their own mailboxes. I will clearly dictate the expectations for
assignment collection.
n. As you bring the school day to a close: what will the students are expected
to do--and what will you be doing--during the last 3 minutes of the school
day?
Students will be accountable for cleaning up their work space at the end of each
day. Students will get out their behavior charts and they must be stamped each day
before they are released to retrieve their backpacks, coats, and take home folders
from their mailboxes. We will all gather either at our seats or on the floor to do
something engaging to end each day as a family/community.
Section 4. Implementation of Student Guidance Practices: In Section 4 you should
provide clear, detailed explanations about the expectations and strategies you will
use to guide student behavior so that an optimal learning environment will be
maintained in your classroom.
a. Classroom rules/expectations: By whom--and how--will these be
determined? Once determined, how will you communicate these
rules/expectations to students and parents/guardians?

At the beginning of the school year we will all collectively come up with what we
feel expectations and rules should be for the classroom. After the rules have been
solidified I will post them on a poster on our wall and I will also send a copy of
them home to parents to keep fluidity of our expectations. I intend to refer back to
our rules when they are broken and when they are successfully being followed
through.
I believe it is important for the class to partake in rule creation in order to feel a
strong sense of accountability to uphold the classroom standard.
>>For items be below, provide an example of the kind of student behavior
described--then, explain how you would deal the student/s and behaviors you
provide.
b. Level I: Some student behaviors may be off-task but not disruptive to your
instruction or other students learning [e.g., sleeping in class; staring out the
window, etc.]. How will you deal with this type of student behaviors?
If a student was sleeping or staring out the window in class, I would provide an unintrusive/ reminder such as a tap on the shoulder and eye contact reminder. If the
behavior continues I will then give a quiet verbal reminder of their expected
behavior. If the behavior doesn't cease after several reminders I will send home a
note to the guardian or parent to help get intervention. With parental permission, I
have had great success having students who struggle staying awake sit on the floor
or stand near their desk in order to keep the students alert and able to participate
and become engaged in the classroom experience.
c. Level II: Some student behaviors will be off-task and mildly disruptive to
your teaching and/or other students learning [e.g., two students chatting
during instruction; two students passing notes back and forth, etc.]. How will
you deal with this type of student behaviors?
I will first make eye contact with the the student and make sure they know they are
being disruptive in a nonverbal manner. If behavior continues, I will verbally
remind the student or students involved of their inappropriate behavior. If behavior

still continues I will ask the student/s to move their behavior clip and send a
consequence note home which will have to be signed and dated by the parent or
guardian to return the following day.
d. Level III: Some student behaviors will be off-task and seriously disruptive
to your teaching and every other student's learning [e.g., a student throws a
soggy paper towel at you and it splatters against the chalkboard; a student
says loudly, Youre not my mother and I dont have to do what you say!
etc.]. How will you deal with this type of student behaviors?
A student who acts out with seriously disruptive behavior will be asked to move
their clip immediately. If the behavior does not immediately stop I will either ask
the student to go sit in the hall until I can escort him to the principals office. If
after much attempted intervention and behavior management I cannot control the
child I will contact the office or security with my classroom phone. If the student
acts out to an extent of putting other students in harm's way I will remove the class
and have them line up in the hallway until the situation can be quelled.
e. Level IV: Some student [or others] behaviors will pose an immediate,
serious threat to the physical safety of you and/or your students [e.g., 1. a
stranger bolts into your classroom holding a pistol and threatens the safety of
you and your students. 2. One of your students grabs a pair of scissors and
holds the point at the throat of another student]. How will you deal with the
student or intruder behavior described in your example?
If an intruder were to enter my classroom, I would make sure the students got into
the safe spot of the classroom as quickly and quietly as possible. If time permitted I
would move anything I could to act as a barrier between the intruder and my class.
I would I would take the nearest available items and throw them at him in an
attempt to distract him. I also have seen the fire extinguisher to be used as an
effective diversion and weapon to defend against threatening intruders. I believe it
is the only attempt I have to ensure the safety of my students in this dangerous
situation.

Section 5. Physical organization of your classroom: