Running head: CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT PLAN

Classroom Management Plan

EED 521
Beth L. Anderson
Dr. Tovar
Arizona State University
April 29, 2016

CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT PLAN

Table of Contents
Philosophy of Education..................................................................................................................3
School-Wide Management Plan......................................................................................................6
Classroom Management Plan........................................................................................................10
Classroom Narrative and Layout...................................................................................................19
Communication with Families.......................................................................................................21
Reflection.......................................................................................................................................23
References......................................................................................................................................27

CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT PLAN

Philosophy of Education
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe once said, Treat people as if they were what they ought to
be and you help them to become what they are capable of being.
I personally did not want to become a teacher until I turned 25, when I moved to Spain to
work on my Spanish speaking and to get to know and understand the culture. I became an
English teacher while I was there, and I worked with children three years old all the way up to
adults. I absolutely enjoyed how rewarding it was to see how even the youngest students could
learn and make such growth in only six months. When I decided to move back to the United
States, I was not sure that I wanted to teach here because Spain has quite a different culture than
the U.S. I decided to become a substitute teacher in Arizona to see if this was really the
profession for me. I was in a fourth grade class, and I gave instructions to the class to write a
paper and a boy was really upset and lashed out at me. I decided to let him calm down before I
walked over to his desk to have a one-on-one discussion with him. I asked him if there was
something wrong with the assignment and approached it from an angle of wanting to help
instead of just disciplining him because of his earlier actions. He mentioned that he was confused
and was unable to do the writing. I explained it to him differently and took the time to be really
patient with him and checked to see if he understood what needed to be done. He started crying
after we were done talking and said thank you for being so nice and understanding and helping
me instead of yelling at me. It took a lot for me not to cry because I was so happy that I could
make such a difference in such a short amount of time. After this situation I realized that teaching
was definitely for me. I wanted to be the difference maker in the lives of many students. That is
why I feel like this quote defines how I view teaching and how important a teachers role is in
the lives of their students. If I treated that student based on his actions it would not have solved

CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT PLAN

anything, but because I took the time to understand what the true problem was it allowed me to
help that student get to where he was capable of being emotionally and with the lesson
assignment. This is a main reason as to why I think differentiated instruction is very important
for my classroom; I needed to adjust to that students needs in order to get positive results.
Differentiated instruction is what supports the idea that all students can learn and it would
be applied to my philosophy of education in the way that I set up my classroom, prepare lessons
with all different kinds of tasks, use different methods for teaching, and making sure that what I
am teaching is getting through to the children in a positive manner. In the classroom I would
want it to be a safe and upbeat learning environment so students would want to be engaged, feel
comfortable if they make a mistake, and learn without shame. The approach of having
differentiated instruction in a classroom helps students that are unable to learn by just lecture,
audio, or visual lessons. I think having different types of lessons all the time would really help
my classroom stay engaged and want to learn because it would not get monotonous. I would
want to make sure that I use technology, reading, and a lot of student interaction in my classes to
meet the students needs. I would also make sure that the methods I used were helping the
students learn and assess their progress and change things, as it is needed. DI emphasizes
building community. Teachers work to build a learning community where students help each
other and share in each others success (Puckett, 2015, p. 31).
Community building in the classroom is more than just doing activities for everyone to
interact once in awhile. The whole concept that Carol Tomlinson discusses is that students and
teachers need to have an environment where everyone plays an important role. She gave an
example of how a coach takes individual players and uses them to network together in order to
help out the team. This needs to be done in the classroom in order for students to feel like they

CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT PLAN

belong and not isolated. If we do not use this method then the students are all individuals and
they worry about themselves, so the teacher is responsible for all of the work on their own. If we
implement a community in the classroom then students all contribute to success because they
played an imperative role, which makes the room more effective and students want to be there
because its a positive environment (Tomlinson, n.d.). I feel that differentiated instruction has
changed how I view teaching overall because it is no longer lecturing at the front of the room and
students regurgitating the information on a test. Now I feel it is empowering students to be
responsible for their learning and as long as I use multiple methods to help them achieve this
then I will become a great teacher.
Chapter 11 of Pucketts text demonstrates a lot of my own personal ideas when it comes
to my Philosophy of Education. Puckett states that having a positive and inviting environment
helps students learn and helps decreases negative behaviors. Students need to feel comfortable
and feel like they are a part of something in order to want to engage and even have good
behaviors.
The community of a classroom plays a key role in students learning. If children feel
relaxed and safe then they will be able to learn and want to come to class as opposed to feeling
disengaged and using negative behaviors because they do not want to speak or follow along. I
taught in a first grade classroom for four months, and the children needed to have a comfortable
and stimulating environment. All of the children felt confident in answering any questions
because nobody was made fun of or was told they were wrong. Every answer was analyzed and
they were praised for the effort they had done regardless of the answer being right or wrong. The
students were excited to be in class discussions. I agree with Puckett that a positive learning
environment sets the tone of how the whole class is run from behaviors to engagement. While I

CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT PLAN

was in my sixth grade rotation at Clarendon the students at first were unsure about me because I
hadnt engaged with them apart from greetings until I did my community builder. When I did my
community builder I was able to give them positive affirmations, and they got to learn
throughout my time there that I prefer to be positive in almost every situation. My mentor set the
tone of the classroom long before I was there, and it showed because every student felt
comfortable and were engaged in discussions. My mentor kept the classroom very upbeat, and
there were not many behavior issues in her classroom compared to other classes at Clarendon.
School-Wide Management Plan
The school-wide management plan is very important because if a teacher is trying to
get students to follow the structure in their classroom there needs to be support from the school
administration and other teachers. There need to be universal discipline structures so that every
teacher and student knows what to expect while being on campus. According to Barbara
Coloroso, discipline occurs best when teachers help students acquire an inner sense of selfcontrol, developed through trust, assigning responsibility, and giving students power to make
decisions. I feel that this supports my philosophy of education because it theorizes that students
respond to discipline in a safe and trustworthy environment. Students that are held to higher
expectations in a positive setting will react in a better way than those that are not respected and
held responsible for their own actions and learning. I believe that this needs to be the goal of the
school in order for discipline to be effective.
I have been interning at two schools for the past few months in the Osborn School
District, which has a universal discipline structure in place for teachers to utilize. One method is
called the 1,2,3, Magic, which is where a warning is first given, then the student is sent to the
back of the classroom to take a timeout or break from the class, then the student is sent to a

CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT PLAN

buddy room for a break outside the classroom, and lastly the student is sent to the Nest, which is
a classroom they stay in until the period is over. This is a structured process for disciplining
inappropriate behaviors. Each school can adjust this concept to fit to their schools needs; I have
seen how the middle school is different than the elementary school. The Osborn Middle School
(OMS) teachers have the choice to follow this discipline method or they can utilize their own
discipline procedures if they feel it is more effective. My mentor at OMS rarely used the 1,2,3,
Magic because he felt that it allowed the students to leave class and viewed it as a reward or a
way to get out of learning. On rare occasions students were given warnings and sent to the Nest;
this happened when a student was really out of line and disrespectful. My mentor felt that the
students needed to be held to a higher standard and would not allow for them to leave the
classroom because of their actions unless it was severe and needed to be dealt with at that
moment. The elementary school Clarendon had a different approach to the 1,2,3, Magic. Their
method was to give the student a warning, and they had to clip down on their hanging behavior
chart. If the behavior continued then the student clipped down again and sat at the back of the
classroom to separate from the others for a break. If this didnt help then the student would clip
down again and be sent outside to stand for a few minutes to completely be outside of the
situation in class, and lastly if this did not help their behavior change the behavior interventionist
was called and they would come take the student to their classroom to discuss what is happening
and what needs to be done to help prevent this behavior. I felt that Clarendons adjusted method
was more effective because most of the teachers were incorporating this method into their
classroom. OMS did not seem to be as effective because not every teacher was following this
method, and it did not give the students structure from class to class. In my future classroom I
think that I would incorporate a method similar to the 1,2,3 Magic step plan, but I would want to

CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT PLAN

make adjustments because I too do not feel that a student being sent out of the classroom will
help their future learning because they will miss important stuff while they are sitting in another
room.
Another school-wide management plan is that homework is not required and if given it
cannot be taken for a grade. This was a policy for Clarendon and Osborn Middle School, and
both of my mentors had different viewpoints on this. The elementary Mentor gave homework
and counted it as a participation grade, which is allowed because its not considered a homework
grade. The OMS mentor did not believe in homework at all and therefore did not give any to
their students. I find this interesting because this school-wide management plan also can be
adjusted and monitored by each teacher and what they feel is best for his or her students. I
personally think homework is effective but needs to be a reasonable amount so that the students
can practice what was discussed in class and also have time to do other necessities at home.
Clarendon Elementary School also has Response to Intervention (RTI) programs that
are used school-wide. There are three tiers that are incorporated into this schools management
plan. There is tier one which is the whole class teacher instruction, tier two where students are
given help in a small group setting, and tier three where the student is given one-on-one
instruction. The RTI program is applied into the schools plan because it allows teachers to get
their students the help they need in order to help prevent behavior problems due to lack of
understanding or needing help with what is being learned in the classroom. My mentor would
pull a group of students to the back table to work with them on what they were struggling with.
This was effective and allowed her to help them get review of what was being taught in the
whole class setting. Students were also pulled out of class to see resource teachers to get more
help in either small group settings or one-on-one if necessary. This school had an effective RTI

CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT PLAN

strategy in place. OMS on the other hand only had tier one and tier two and are working on how
to build an effective tier three to reach those students that need more help. At OMS the teachers
have mostly tier one whole class instruction and then they have a 45-minute block, which is their
tier two intervention. During this 45-minute block teachers had students in their class that were at
the same reading, math, or writing level that needed help to improve. This was still a whole class
instruction, but the students were placed based on their ability levels off of the NWEA testing.
The Principal of OMS mentioned that they were working on getting more help for the students
that need individual help and it is a goal of theirs to make it happen sooner rather than later.
There also was Positive Behavior Intervention Support (PBIS) at OMS, which was
where every student would have to get a Pride card signed every teacher they saw everyday,
whether they participated, turned in homework, and were respectful. If a student received all
Yess and did not get sent to the Nest then they would receive pride bucks. The pride bucks could
be spent at the Pride store where the students could buy food, drinks, posters, and also pay to get
out of detentions among other things available in the store. If students received Nos on their
pride card then they would be given detention and not get any pride bucks. This was a schoolwide PBIS program that every teacher had to sign and was not an option. There also was a more
in depth pride card that only certain students were utilizing because they were placed on this
positive intervention plan due to inappropriate behaviors. These students each had to write out
their goals everyday for every class and the teacher would rate them 0-2 whether they reached
their goals. A zero meant they did not do achieve any of their goal, a one meant they tried but
still had negative behaviors, and a two meant they fully met their goal for that class. The Positive
Behavior Intervention System at Encanto is having the students follow a saying of respecting
MOE (myself, others, and the environment). The MOE is addressed in every assembly and they

CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT PLAN

10

discuss the positive things that they have seen on campus by students. Also in the classroom my
mentor uses Dojo characters that puts a word to the positive behavior they see. For example there
is a picture of a character that represents friendship and my mentor says this student is showing
us this character by their current actions. The PBIS is very consistent and promotes positivity
among the campus.
Classroom Management Plan
In the classroom I try to focus on positive behaviors, and this helps because most students
prefer feedback and want attention whether it is good or bad so I really try to keep it positive so
they are getting what they need or want but in a supportive way. Puckett discusses discipline
plans in the classroom and how a variety of methods hold students accountable and keep them on
track. There are situations where students can be looked at or signaled in another way and they
will take that as redirection and stop whatever behavior was out of line. There are other times
where behaviors need to be ignored and students will usually stop them because they are not
getting the attention they want. Other times students need to have things taken away such as a
toy or objects that are distracting them. Discipline comes in many forms and this is where it is
imperative for a teacher to know and understand what each individual student needs and what
form of discipline they will respond to and actually help them in the long run. When students are
in a classroom that they feel they are important and have a specific role then they are more than
likely going to be open about things that upset them or makes them happy and this can help
teachers build classroom management to get students to work to the best of their ability. I really
like the operant behavior ideas of B.F. Skinner. I think that positive and negative reinforcement is
important. There needs to be a balance so students do not get used to getting positive
reinforcement and then change their behavior once the reward is gone. I would definitely

CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT PLAN

11

implement ideas from B.F. Skinner because I would want there to be a positive and negative
system in place for behaviors. I also like the ideas that Kohn has but I do not agree that teachers
should stop positive reinforcement completely. Kohn believes that students should just know
how they should act but it would be a student geared classroom where the students get to be
engaged in their learning and the class is student led. The teacher should be a facilitator and
allow students to explore their own path and develop critical thinking. I feel that I agree with
some of Kohns ideas because I would want my classroom to be student geared and focus on
their learning and critical thinking and not on behaviors. However, I believe that students need to
have positive rewards and consequences for inappropriate behaviors. I think that I could
implement a combination of these two discipline theorists into my own classroom management
plan.
Every teacher needs to have a positive learning environment, and this gets accomplished
by having the expectations known as soon as the students enter their classroom. In order to get
students engaged they need to have a say in what they think is important for them to follow. For
example, if a student does not understand why they need to treat others with respect then they are
less likely to follow the rule, but if the teacher has a class discussion of what everyone thinks is
important and explain why it is important then the students are more likely to follow the rules
that were established as a class instead of just given to them by the teacher. This is an example of
the rules I would want in my classroom, but it would ultimately depend on what each years
group of students decided upon. This is just an example of what the potential rules could be in
class but it will ultimately depend on each class and what they feel is important to incorporate
into the class.
1. Treat others with kindness

CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT PLAN

12

2. Keep your hands and feet to yourself

3. Listen and pay attention
4. Raise your hand when you need something
5. Work Hard and Play Hard
I would also utilize the clip chart method that Clarendon uses which demonstrates whether
students are making positive choices or are having behavior issues. The idea of the clip chart is
for students to be acknowledged when they are behaving in a positive manner and clip up or if
they need to adjust their behavior they clip down.

Figure 1, Clipchart for behavior., from Mrs. Koepsel

Each student begins at the Ready to Learn stage, and if they clip up there is Excellent Effort,
Outstanding, and Role Model, while if they clip down they get a Warning (Make Better Choices),
Buddy Room, and then Office. If students clip up then they get rewarded after a week of positive
behavior. However if a student clips down then they get disciplined based on their actions. A
warning is just a reminder to adjust their choices, the buddy room is where they take a break
from the class, if they get sent to the office then their parents get called right then and there. If
students have to clip down more than three times in a week then they lose out on any fun

CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT PLAN

13

activities planned that Friday. Fridays are the days that the class gets to have an extra recess or
brain breaks at the end of the day to reward all the hard work they have done for the week. I
think that this would be a great way to reward and discipline students and for them to visually
see that their actions are affecting their day. I would incorporate a similar method like this into
my classroom. I really think that it is important to reward students for making positive choices
because too many times the poor choices are acknowledged and the positive ones forgotten.
I have also heard about social contracts being set in placed for students and teachers to
easily discuss once everyone has signed the document. I believe that this would be really
important and make students know that they are accountable for their actions in class and also on
the school campus as well as at home. Students would have a say in what is in the social contract
and the students and I would agree on what is important and needs to be followed all the time.
The parents, students, and teachers sign this contract so that every party knows what is expected
of the student and helps everyone understand that if any of the contract is breached there will be
some form of discipline. This will be created the first week of school and the students will have
the first weekend to discuss it with their parents and bring it back signed by each parent/guardian
and the student the following Monday. There will be four general expectations that will be
addressed in the contract.
1. Respect
2. Responsibility
3. Safety
4. Positivity
These are main categories because most rules will fall under these headlines. We will have
examples of each category which we agree upon as a class so that students will know that raising

CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT PLAN

14

their hand falls under respect, completing assignments falls under responsibility, keeping hands
and feet to ourselves falls under safety, and treating others with kindness falls under positivity.
These contracts would be really helpful should a behavior arise so that everyone knows ahead of
time that the parent/guardian and student knew they had to follow certain rules.
I would also utilize a traffic stop sign in order to let students know what the volume level
should be in the classroom. This would be a visual so that students know when they should be
silently working independently (red), when they should be whispering and collaboratively
working with a partner (yellow), and when they should be using a speaking volume to multiple
partners collaboratively (green).

Figure 2, Classroom noise level., from Mrs. Aken

This is a great visual so students know what is expected of them at that moment, and they can
look up and see what the sign says they should be doing. This is also an easy way for the teacher
to remind the students that we are using our partner voice right now and it is getting too noisy. I

CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT PLAN

15

think that this would be very helpful with my classroom management plan because it is a visual
and a quick reminder to help students get back on track with their voice level.
I believe that effective classroom management takes place when a teacher allows students
to be involved with the rule making and each student is aware of what is expected of them
everyday and every time of the day. I think that a routine needs to be set in place and modeled so
students will know what to do each time the teacher does something. For example I think that
call and response methods are a great way to get students to stop whatever they are doing and
listen to the teacher so they know what needs to be done next. I will incorporate the strategies
that I have utilized when I was in a classroom full time and from the Boys and Girls Club. The
teacher says, Hi, Ho, Hi, Ho and the students respond, Its off to work we go and freeze.
This is a really great way to get students attention, and they usually sing it or make hand gestures
with it to make it more exciting. I would teach them this strategy within the first week of school
and use it on a regular basis so students get accustomed to this method so they know its time to
change their task or the teacher has something important to share with everyone. I also think that
the countdown method is really effective because it gives students the opportunity to finish what
they are working on or saying. Teacher would start at five and count backwards to zero, when the
teacher reaches zero the students would be frozen and silent. Then the teacher can give
instructions or directions of what needs to happen next. There are a lot of call and response
methods that I would incorporate into my classroom, one new one each week so that students do
not get bored of the same one and the teacher can keep it interesting.
Teacher Call
1. Scooby Dooby Doo!
2. Oh Me!
3. Ready Set!
4. Holy Moly
5. Maracroni and Cheese!

Student Response
1. Where are you?
2. Oh My!
3. You Bet!
4. Guacamole!
5. Everybody FREEZE!

CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT PLAN

16

6. 1, 2, 3 eyes on me
6. 1, 2 eyes on you
7. To Infinity!
7. And Beyond!
8. Ready to Rock!
8. Ready to Roll!
9. Peanut Butter!
9. And Jelly Sandwich!
10. Hot Fudge!
10. Sundae!
11. Zip it, Lock it!
11. Put it in Your Pocket!
12. Hands on Top!
12. That Means Stop!
13. Chicka Chicka!
13. Boom Boom!
14. Red Robin!
14. YUMMM!
15. Class, Class!
15. Yes, Yes!
Figure 3, Call and response tool., from Ms. Thomas
I know that these call and responses will be a fun way to get students attention when it is
necessary. These also help save the teachers voice because when students are on a green light
and all have a normal speaking level it allows the teacher to get students to focus quickly on
them.
I also think that hand signals are really helpful so that the teacher know what the student
needs, especially if it is a request for the bathroom or water.

Figure 4, Hand signal procedures., from Teachers Pay Teachers

I think that using these signals helps the teacher know what is needed and can respond from
across the room instead of needing to walk up to a student for them just needing to sharpen their
pencil. The quicker students learn that this is part of the routine the easier it will be for them to
implement them when they need something.
The routine in a classroom is one of the most important things that needs to be
established with students immediately so that they can become comfortable and aware of what is

CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT PLAN

17

expected of them and so they know what to expect from the teacher. In my classroom I would
have the students come in, get out the materials they need for the day, hang their backpacks on
the back of their chairs, sit down, wait for announcements to come on. Once announcements
come on students would know that they are expected to remain seated and silently listen to the
speaker. During this time the teacher would be taking attendance silently and listening to
important things being announced. When the Pledge of Allegiance comes on students and the
teacher would have to stand up quietly and hold their hand over their heart and state the Pledge
respectfully, or if they do not agree with the Pledge they must stand there quietly and respectfully
listen and wait for it to be over. If students are talking or being disrespectful during the Pledge of
Allegiance, they will have to clip down for a warning. This will help set the tone of how students
should be behaving during announcements and the Pledge of Allegiance everyday. Then we
would do Bell Work, students would grab the handout from the box labeled Bell Work and sit
down and work on it independently at a red light, silent level. Once Bell Work is completed we
would transition into math. Students would be expected to listen and wait for instructions. While
the teacher or another classmate is speaking the rest of the class would know that they need to
listen and pay attention. After the teacher has instructed them then the students would know it is
time to work collaboratively with a partner or independently depending on the lesson and what it
entails. This would be a routine that is normal for everyday and each subject. Each class that
comes into my classroom would know what is expected from them and they would know that the
routine is almost always the same. The classroom would also incorporate the use of technology,
which hopefully will be the Chrome Books for intervention or when we are doing centers.
During intervention the teacher would pull a small group of students that need help on something
in particular while the rest of the class is working independently or on centers. Centers would be

CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT PLAN

18

set up so that four to six students are working on specific sections in math, reading, and writing.
There would be five centers, and students would be placed into groups based on their level of
need once I have found out what they need help on. Every day they would rotate to each different
center and during this time they would be expected to be working and helping others in their
group. Students would have to follow a set of rules when they were using classroom technology
to make sure that they know they are responsible if anything went wrong. Rules would be
established before anyone could use technology so that every student shows they are responsible
enough to utilize it without teacher supervision. Technology rules would be posted in the
classroom so that students would know what is expected from them when it comes to using
technology.

Figure 5, Technology rules., from the Blog Whooos Reading

Technology is such an important factor in our society that it is important to establish rules and
guidelines for all students to follow so that they can become great digital citizens in the
classroom, which will hopefully carry over to outside of the classroom as well. Routine would be
established immediately and the students would know what is expected of them whether the

CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT PLAN

19

teacher or a substitute is in the classroom and these tools would help make my own classroom
have effective management.
Classroom Narrative and Layout
The classroom layout will have the students desks grouped into five per each group. The
whole concept behind this is so that the students are able to collaborate with each other whenever
it is necessary. Since student collaboration will be a big part of my lesson plans I would want the
students to be grouped so that it is easier for them to discuss and work together instead of
needing to move desks or move around the room constantly. I would have the students facing the
SmartBoard, which is labeled as TV on the layout. The SmartBoard would be a big part of the
classroom because it will be used for classroom presentations, watching videos, as well as
allowing students to come demonstrate on the board. This will be a great tool in the classroom
that helps manage student behavior because students will be able to see what the teacher is
modeling or talking about as well as allow them to come up and share their ideas or methods to
the entire class. There would be lots of bookshelves and storage in the classroom to prevent
clutter in the classroom so that students are not distracted in class. The shelves on the left side of
the teachers desk would be storage as well as shelves. In my mentors classroom there is a mix
of shelves and storage that are waist high so that there could be boxes labeled on top that I would
use to keep things organized. I would have boxes labeled as bell work and homework so that
students know where to get their work or turn in their work for the day. There would also be a
round rug on the floor that we would utilize during class to have classroom discussions or where
students could read independently among various other tasks. There will be a round table at the
back that the teacher will use for small group lessons or one on one instruction. There will be a
computer in the front right corner of the class so that the teachers can do group or independent

CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT PLAN

20

work but positioned so that the teacher can view what the students are working on while not
really working with them. The door will be at the back of the room to the right of the students
desks so that when someone walks in it will not be a distraction for every student. I feel that this
layout will be very effective for the positive environment that I want in my classroom and it will
be a great factor in successful classroom management. The clip chart would be hung at the back
of the room next to the door so when a student needs to clip up or down they do not need to walk
in front of the whole class to do this. I would have table points posted on the whiteboard, which
would also be earned Monday- Thursday, and the table winners would earn a small prize on
Friday. The bookshelves would be at the back of the classroom, and the students would be
allowed to have access to them when they finish their work early or even to check out and take
home for homework or fun reading. The easel at the front of the classroom would be the cart full
of Chromebooks so that students could access them easily when we are using them for centers or
projects. The teachers desk is placed at the front near the SmartBoard so that the teacher has
easy access to pulling things up during a lesson instead of wasting time walking across the room
to adjust things for each lesson.

CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT PLAN

21

Figure 6, Classroom layout., created at www.4teacher.org, by Ms. Anderson

Communication with Families
Dear Parent or Guardian,
My name is Ms. Anderson, and I am your students teacher for the year. I wanted you to
get a better understanding of who I am as a teacher and my personal beliefs about literacy to
show you how I plan on supporting your child in the classroom. I believe that every child can
learn how to read and write and become great in both areas of learning. I believe that reading and
writing are two of the most important things that a child will learn because these two things are
everywhere in society and the base of all learning that is ahead of them. In order for me to be an
effective reading teacher to your child I need to know what your childs background is with

CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT PLAN

22

reading and writing and any history they have with these two areas. I believe that in order for me
to be an effective teacher, we have to work together closely in order to ensure that your child is
reading to the best of their ability. I want your child to have positive experiences with learning,
especially in reading because it is very important for every subject in and out of the classroom.
I believe that I have to incorporate the knowledge I have from reading and teach
strategies I have learned throughout my career to help each individual student. I have to assess
each students progress and develop an individual plan for him or her to learn. I will maintain a
positive classroom environment where each student is able to work at their own pace and
everyone supports everyone. I will hold each child to high expectations, how they need to behave
and apply themselves so that they can get to where they need to be or to continue their skills. I
have a variety of books that include fiction, nonfiction, storybooks, magazines, and poems
among other sources to allow students to find what interests them and let them learn individually
and help them achieve goals we set for them. I will read to your child everyday and use a wide
variety of books to keep them engaged.
This will be an awesome year of learning, and every child will have great experiences
with reading and writing this year. I hope to impart each child with the love of reading or at least
let them have an appreciation of reading before the year is over. I would love to set up a great
form of communication from each parent/guardian to myself so that we can discuss your childs
reading and writing experiences and what we can do as a team to help them keep progressing.
I believe that every student can learn, and it is my goal to find out what they need in order
to be successful. We as a class will come up with our rules so that each student has equal
opportunity to learn and not be distracted by others. I will be sending home a classroom contract

CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT PLAN

23

that you and your student will need to sign so that we all know our responsibilities and what is
expected of us. I look forward to it being a positive year with lots of learning taking place.
In order for you to stay involved in your students learning I am available by email
banderson@osbornsd.org, phone (602) 555-5555, bi-weekly newsletter, and communication on
your student's homework agenda.
Thank you so much for your support and I look forward to working with you all year.
Ms. Anderson
Banderson@osbornsd.org
Reflection
My classroom management plan incorporates each descriptor of the TAP
Indicators of Managing Student Behavior and Respectful Culture because of the way my
classroom will be set up and how the students will be engaged play key roles in this. For the
Indicator of Managing Student Behavior students will be consistently well-behaved and on task
because they will have plenty of time to discuss and collaborate with peers and not sitting in the
desk all day long. Another thing is that the expectations in the classroom will be established from
day one by allowing the students to decide on the important rules as well as having the contract
in place, which will help the teacher, and students establish clear rules for learning and behavior.
To maintain appropriate student behavior, I have a reward system in place that allows students to
be surrounded by positivity as well as a clip chart so that students know when they need to be
redirected so they can reset. The teacher will also have an environment that is solely built on
positive affirmations so that students strive for that kind of attention. The activities in the
classroom will vary from handouts, iPads or Chromebooks usage, read aloud methods, student
discovery, and teacher instructed which will play an important role in students keeping positive

CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT PLAN

24

behavior. There are also consequences in place and students will know and understand that they
will be used if necessary such as moving seats, taking a break in another classroom and lastly
going to the office, which also will help maintain appropriate behaviors. I will overlook behavior
that is not a major problem and not affecting others learning. I will deal with students who have
caused a disruption by using the clip chart method or pulling them aside if necessary but not if it
will disrupt the entire class and can wait until after instructions are finished. I will attend to
disruptions quickly and firmly by utilizing the clip chart method because that is the easiest way
to let a student know their behavior needs to be adjusted. Due to these practices and expectations
being in place, each student will be successful in my classroom because I believe that those who
are held accountable to certain standards try to reach them in order to maintain that positive
relationship. The Respectful Culture TAP Indicator is also important in my classroom
management plan.
The way the teacher and students interact with each other is extremely important, and in
order to establish a respectful culture the students will know that they play an important role in
their own learning and others. They will have to speak to each other in a positive manner at all
times. If they disagree with one another they will need to do it in a positive way so that no
student feels shame. The students will learn how to speak openly and honestly about anything
and everything because there will not be any problems with disrespecting others ideas. The
environment will be built on trust, respect, and honesty. Being a kind and caring person will be
expected at all times, and that will go beyond how the students interact with the teacher but also
with how they interact with each other. Respecting other people is important, but also respecting
the technology is a must. Students will know and follow the rules of using iPads and
Chromebooks because they will be utilizing these technology devices to learn. My classroom

CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT PLAN

25

will be built on students discovering information for themselves and not just coming to learn
from me but from each other and all the resources available at their fingertips. I believe that all
students have something important to bring into the classroom and the way they view the world
will help others learn and that is why my class will be driven by many whole class and small
group discussions. This classroom will have positive relationships and interdependence
characteristics because that is the best way for students to learn. I will be a facilitator in their
learning, but I will not be the sole reason they learn. Students will be successful in this
environment because they will not be forced to learn but will discover the world in a fun and
respectful environment. Each student is unique and will be able to learn in my classroom due to
my emphasis on meeting all of the respectful culture and managing student behavior TAP
indicators.
Throughout this semester my classroom management plan has undergone some changes
due to things that I have witnessed in the classroom and what I have discovered with all the
different discipline theorists in my class. At first I had the mindset that students do well in an
environment where they use lots of handouts because that was how I had learned. Now I have
discovered that students need to be engaged and have so much more responsibility in their own
learning. I have decided to make my whole class student led and teacher facilitated in order for
them to actually want to be in the classroom. I feel that this change will help me become a better
teacher and will allow my students to be more successful. I also was very wary about having
technology in the classroom but I have seen students in a third grade class making books and
presentations on Chromebooks using Google Docs. This was really important to see this because
it made me a believer that even young students are able to learn and discover so much through
technology. Now I want technology to be a major role in educating my students because it really

CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT PLAN

26

is such a great resource to help the teacher and the students learn. I know that I have seen many
tools in all of my rotations, and I hope to incorporate as many of them as I can into my own
classroom management plan in order for my students to become successful and receive the desire
to learn from their classmates and myself. Therefore I leave you with this quote because I
wholeheartedly believe in it and think that everyone should try to help others learn to the best of
their abilities and push them even further. Treat people as if they were what they ought to be
and you help them to become what they are capable of being (Johann Wolfgang von Goethe).

CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT PLAN

27
Reference

Coloroso, Barbara (n.d.). Inner Self Control: Inner Discipline [Word Document]. Department of
Education, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ. Retrieved from Blackboard March 2,
2016.
Hannum, W. (n.d.). Learning Theory. Retrieved March 03, 2016, from
http://theoryfundamentals.com/skinner.htm
Kohn, A. (2012). Criticizing (Common Criticisms of) Praise (##) - Alfie Kohn. Retrieved March
03, 2016, from http://www.alfiekohn.org/blogs/criticizing-common-criticisms-praise/
Puckett, K. (2013). Differentiating Instruction: A Practical Guide. San Diego, CA:
Bridgepoint Education.
Tomlinson, C. (n.d.). DifferentiationCentralReach Every Learner Every Day Through
Differentiated Instruction. Retrieved January 26, 2016, from
http://www.diffcentral.com/Video_Clips.html#community