CLASSROOMMANAGEMENTPLAN

ClassroomManagementPlan
TrishSkinner
GrandValleyStateUniversity
EDI63801


CLASSROOMMANAGEMENTPLAN


CLASSROOMMANAGEMENTPLAN

ClassroomEnvironmentOverview

AsafirstyearteacherIknowthatIwillfeelthemostcomfortablehavinga
classroomwithclearprocedures.IloveroutineandIthinkstudentsdotoo.Iwantmy
studentstofeelcomfortableknowingmyclassroomexpectations,howatypicalday
goes,andalltheproceduresofourdaytodayroutine.Theenvironmentofmy
classroomisimportanttoensurethatstudentsfeelsafeandwelcome.Thiswillbeour
familyfortheyearandIwantstudentstotakeriskswithoutbeingafraid,becausethisis
howreallearnersgrow.IwantthemtoknowthatIwillneveryellatthem,butwedo
haveproceduresthatIexpectthemtoadhereby.Furthermore,Iwouldlovetocomeup
withaclassroomcontractthefirstweekofschool
together
andthenmakealargeposter
thatcanbeseenthroughouttheclassroom.Thiswillbeasocialcontractthatlistsout
whatweexpectfromoneanotherinordertohavesafe,loving,andproductive
classroom.Iwillalsoprintthis,sothatthestudentshaveacopytheycansign(aswell
asI).Thefirstweekofschoolwillbefocusedoncreatingourclassroomfamilyand
workingonourschoolprocedures.Iamokaywithusingthewholeweek(andmore)to
workonthese,sotherestofourschoolyeargoessmoothly.Ithinkthemostimportant
waytoestablishtheproductiveclassroomthatIhavedescribedabove,isbyworkingat
itintenselythefirstmonthofschool.
ManagingClassroomProcedures
ForourclassroomproceduresIwillfollowtheoristWongtoaT.Iwantstudents
toknowhowIexpectthemtolineup,howwegetin/outofourlockers,whenweusethe
restroom,andwhatwedoifwehaveaquestions.Iwillpracticetheseuntiltheyare


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donewithoutathought.Iwillalsouseasign(like,Giveme5)togetmystudentsback
togetherandlookingatmeduringinstruction,explainingthatwhenIsay,Giveme5
allstudentsshouldstopwhattheyaredoing,mouthsshouldbeshut,andeyesatme.I
willletstudentsknowwheretheycanalwaysfindourdailyschedule(ontheboard)and
iftherearegoingtobeanychanges.Thestartofschoolcanbetricky,thusIwantto
haveaveryclearcutroutinethatstudentscanexpecteveryday.Iwillalwayshave
morningworkontheboardthatwillreviewwhatwedidthepriorday(formatively
assessingstudents).Studentswillknowwhereandwhentomaketheirlunchchoice,
whatpapertouse,andwhattheycandowhentheirmorningworkisdone(Wong,
2009).MymentorteacherhasaperfectlystructuredmorningandIplantoadapther
styleandroutinewiththis.Mymentorteacheralsohasthestudentslineupataspotfar
beforethedoorwhentransitioning.Ireallylikethisandwanttoimplementthisinmy
classroomasitallowstheteachertohavemorecontroloverwhenthestudentsleave
theclassroom.Furthermore,allhertransitionsaredoneonlywhenshestates,go.
Studentsnowknowtolistentoinstruction,yetwaituntilthemagicwordisgivenbefore
transitioning.TheseareallproceduresrecommendedbyWong,whichmymentor
teacherfollowsclosely.Ireallyenjoyhisbookandknowthatasabeginningteacher,his
methodswillgivemethemostconfidence.
ManagingStudentBehavior
TherearesomanytheoristthatIhavebeenthinkingaboutandwanttoutilize.
LoveandlogicwasthetheoryIpresentedwhichwascocreatedbyJimFay.Thereisa
lotIloveaboutthistheoryandtherearemanythingsthatIdoeveryday.Loveandlogic


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isaboutempathytowardsthestudentandlettingthemmaketherightchoices(Love
andLogicInstituteInc,2015).However,IamnotfullycommittedtoJimFaysways.For
example,ifastudentforgothisorherlunchIwouldcreateanacceptablechoicefor
themsolunchwasavailable.JimFaywouldsuggestthatweprovideempathy,butuse
itasateachablemomentsothattheywouldneverdoitagain,thusnolunchforthe
student.Iwouldnotgothisfar,becauseIthinkweallmakemistakesandnotgetting
lunchwouldnotbeafairoption.However,JimFayhasotherideaswithmanaging
studentbehaviorthatIknowIwillutilizeinmyclassroom.Hesuggeststhatsometimes
waitingbeforegivingaconsequencecanhavemoreofaneffectonthestudent.For
one,itallowsyoutothinkabouthowyouwanttohandlethesituation.Secondly,it
leavesstudentsthinkingaboutwhatyoumightpossiblydo.Thiswaitingtimecanbe
moreeffectivethantheconsequence.Typically,weareusetogivingconsequencesfor
actionsrightonthespot,butIliketheideaofallowingmyselftothinkaboutwhathas
happenedandthencomingupwithaconsequencemostsuitabletothesituation.
ThereareothertheoristswhoIrespectandwouldadaptintomyclassroom.
Capturingkidsheartshasa4questionprocessformisbehavioranddisrespect(
1.What
areyoudoing?2.Whatareyousupposedtobedoing?3.Areyoudoingit?4.Whatare
yougoingtodoaboutit?
).Thesequestionsareverynonthreateningyetmake
studentsthinkaboutwhattheyaredoing.Imayevenpostthequestionsinmyroom,so
studentscanseethematalltimes(Flippen,2007).Combiningcapturingkidswithlove
andlogicwillbeanicestarttohowIhandlestudentbehavior.However,Iknowthat


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eachclasswillbedifferentandImayneedtoutilizeothermethodsdependingonthe
year.
CreatinganEnvironmentofRespectandRapport
Manytheoristbelievethatgreetingthestudentsatthedoorisacriticalpartofyour
everydayroutine.Thisgreetingallowsstudentstoknowyoucareanditalsoletsyou
evaluatesstudentmoods.IwantmystudentstoknowthatIamexcitedtostarttheday
andamhappytoseethem!Ithinkgreetingthestudents,askinghowtheirnightwasnot
onlyshowsthatyoucareforthem,butalsostartsthedayoffonanupbeatnote.
CapturingKidsHeartsisabigproponentofthisandtheyfurthersuggestyouexploreto
seewhereyourstudentsareat(askinghowtheirnightwasetc.)(Flippen,2007).Love
andlogicalsocreatesrespectintheclassroombyhowdisciplineishandled.For
example,ifastudentisupsetandactingoutaloveandlogicteacherwouldstate,I
respectyoutoomuchtoarguewithyouaboutthisandwouldlovetotalkaboutthis
whenyouareready.(LoveandLogicInstituteInc,2015).Ilikethismethod,because
thisstopsaconversationbeforetempersarerisenhigher(yoursandthestudents).
EstablishingaCultureforLearning
InmybeginningoverviewIbrieflymentiontheideaofcreatingasocialcontract
withmystudentsinthebeginningoftheyear.Thissocialcontractwillhelpestablishthe
safelearningculturethatIwantformystudents.Byallowingthewholeclasstocreate
thiscontract(guidedbytheteacherasneeded),studentswillhopefullytakemore
ownershipintothecontract.Havingthemandmesignitwillalsoshowhowseriouswe
willbetakingit.Thiscontractwillbereferencedthroughouttheschoolyearwhen


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needed.Ibelieveanotherbigpartofestablishingacultureforlearningisbymaking
surethestudentsneedsarebeingmet.Idontthinklearningwillbetakingplaceif
studentsdonotfeelsafe,caredfor,andrespected.ThisgoesalongwellwithGlassers
beliefsonthefiveprimestudentneedsthatmustbemettoensureaqualityeducation.
Glasserstatesthatsurvival,belonging,power,funandfreedomareallneededina
classroom.ManyofthesecrosspathswithotherideasIhavealreadymentioned(The
WilliamGlasserInstitute,2010).Forexample,belongingwillbemetwithmyeveryday
greetings,funwillbeincorporatedintoourlessonplansandIwillmakesuretogive
studentsbrainbreakstohelpreengagethem.Survivalwillbeworkedonbyproviding
asafeatmosphere(snacksandotheritemsmayneedtobegivendependingonmy
studentssituation).Powerwillbegivenwhentheyareinchargeofcreatingand
upholdingoursocialcontract.Furthermore,Iwillhavemonthlyjobsthatstudentswillbe
inchargeoffulfilling(paperpasser,lineleader,etc.).Lastly,freedomwillbe
incorporatedbyprovidingchoiceformystudentwheneverpossible.Theseideasjust
scratchthesurfaceofwhatIwillneedtodotoestablishalearningculture,theyarea
greatstartthatIfeelconfidentimplementing.
OrganizingPhysicalSpace
Iwantmyclassroomtobepurposelydesigned.AlthoughIwouldstarttheschool
yearoffwithstudentsinrowlikeWongsuggests.Afteramonthorso,Iwouldloveto
createamorecollaborativeenvironment.Iwouldlikestudentstositingroupsandhave
alotofpartneredwork(Wong,2009).Acarpetedspaceisimportanttomeaswell,
becausethisiswhereIwouldhavereadaloudandhavegroupdiscussions.Ihopeto


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haveacircletableorhalfcircletablethatcanbeusedasteachingtable.Beingableto
workwithcertaingroupswithmoreoneononehelpiscriticalfordifferentiation.
Technology
AlthoughImightnothavecontroloverwhattechnologyIhaveinmyclassroom,I
dohavecontroloverhowIutilizewhatIdohave.Technologyisconstantlychanging
anditismyjobtostaycurrentandknowhowtotobestusewhatIhaveinmy
classroom.Morethananything,itisimportantthatIgetmystudentsusingtechnology
becauseitissoimperativetotheirfuture.Luckily,GrandValleyhasgivenmemany
resourcestoallowmyselftostaycurrentwiththepracticesoutthere.Ifeelconfident
thatIcanbetterteachmystudentswithwhatevertechnologyisgiventome.Iamnot
intimidated,nordoIwantmystudentstobeintimidatedwithnewtechnologyandIknow
therewillbemanytimeswheretheyareteachingme.However,itisimportanttome
thatImakethemostofwhatIamgivenandthattechnologyisapartofmystudents
everydaylearningexperience.


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References

Flippen,F.(2007).
Capturingkidshearts
.CollegeStation,TX:TheFlippen
Group.Wong,
H.K&Wong,R.T.(2009).
Thefirstdaysofschool:Howtobeaneffectiveteacher
.
Mountainview,CA:HarryK.WongPublications,Inc.
LoveandLogicInstituteInc.(2015).In
LoveandLogic
.RetrievedNovember3,2015,
from
https://www.loveandlogic.com/articlesadvice/educators
TheWilliamGlasserInstitute.(2010).In
WGIUSteachingtheworldchoicetheory
.
RetrievedNovember3,2015,from
http://www.wglasser.com/theglasserapproach/qualityschools