MANAGEMENT PLAN

CONTEXT

The setting in which I work at is Sabin K-8th Grade School which is a huge red brick building

that is located at 4013 NE 18th Ave, Portland, Oregon. The school has 377 students. Sabin's

Vision Statement is the following: “Sabin School strives to support all students in achieving

their personal best and inspires them to participate in a democratic society by creating learning

experiences that teach: wellness, interdependency, lifelong learning, critical decision-making,

empowerment & respect and regard for all people.”

The age group that I work with is 1st grade students. There are 22 students in the general

education class. The six classroom rules that are posted are the following: #1. Be safe and make

good choices. #2. Be a good listener. #3. Complete class assignments. #4. Share with others and

make sure to take turns. #5 Use kind words and be nice to others. #6 Work as a team.

As stated in the text (p.65), Jones points out that classroom arrangement should allow “for

maximum teacher mobility, physical proximity to students and the moment-to- moment

accountability of students.” The classroom is arranged with four tables spaced so it is easy to

walk between them. Each table is identified with a colored tub so that the table group knows

what table is being talked to. There is the blue group, the red group, the green group, and the

yellow group. There are two tables of 5 students and two tables of 6 students which adds up to

22 students total. In the classroom, the floor is nice and clean and the carpet is spotless. Books

are put away in medium sized tubs and the walls are covered with posters as well as big sheets of

paper which has either vocabulary words or words that the class has trouble spelling. In the

morning, the class starts the day with the Daily Tune- Up. The daily tune up contains filling in

the blanks, rhyming with words, and math problems . The rest of the day is structured with small
group activities, art or music, and wellness break. All students are expected to participate in these

activities.

PHILOSOPHY

According to the text, Gathercoal notes that “the basis of a teacher’s philosophy is generally

formed from fundamental beliefs concerning the basic nature of students, the way studentts

learn, the amount of control or freedom students need and the way students should respond to

authority of the teacher. This philosophy will provide the foundation for the classroom

management plan selected and used by the teacher.” For me, I am most comfortable with the

student-centered approach that views students as having “and inner drive to do what is right” and

they learn responsibility in a safe environment. I see my role as being pro-active. How much

freedom I’m prepared to give students depends on their behavior and it depends on their age.

Before I decide about how much freedom I will give my students, I will first have to teach them

the classroom rules as a lesson plan until they are familiar with them.

I agree with Jones that considers “classroom structure the centerpiece of classroom

management. Preparing the structure of the classroom is a proactive step that prevents the

majority of classroom disruptions.”

Below is the Step-by-Step Positive Classroom Discipline Plan developed by Jones that I find

important and comfortable using in the classroom.

Step-by-Step Positive Classroom Discipline

To use positive classroom discipline in your classroom, you will need to do the following things

1. Arrange your classroom for maximum proximity control.

 2. Establish rules for your classroom.

3. Employ limit setting by using nonverbal methods to control behavior.

4. Provide backups for when limit setting is infective

5. Train students to have responsibility for themselves and others through responsibility

training.

6. Provide preferred activity time (PAT) as reward for group behavior.

7. Use omission training for individual students who will not comply with classroom

standards.

Fredric Jones Positive Classroom Discipline approach believes that the discipline system

should be a self-eliminating. Jones feels that the discipline system should be internalized by the

students so that they act automatically as they should in the classroom. Therefore, some people

feel that the approach is invisible because the person observing does not see the teacher’s

intervention since the behavior has already been learned. I totally agree with this.

The behavior that I wish to see in my students is that they internalize classroom rules so that

they know what is expected in the classroom, the library, the lunch room, and when it is time to

go outside and play. Specific behavior that I would like to see in the classroom is students

knowing what assignments they must work on without being reminded and working in a way

that is not distracting to the other students around them. As discussed in the text book, “Bell

Work” is work that students do immediately as soon as they enter the classroom at the beginning

of the day, they sit down and start their morning assignments without the teacher telling them to

start their school work.

PROCEDURES
 “Procedures” is defined in the text as: specific “how -to’s” that shows students step by step

how to successfully follow the rules and procedures. Using COMP approach as discussed in the

text, rules and procedures need to be taught in the same way other content is taught. I believe

this to be true. Below are the steps for teaching classroom rules and procedures that I would use

in the classroom. Following these steps, are the classroom procedures I have developed.

Steps for Teaching Classroom Rules and Procedures (Page 127, table 7.)

Step one: Explain

Step Two: Rehearse.

Step Three: Test Knowledge of Rule or Procedure

Step Four: Reinforce

Step Five Reteach when Necessary

The following procedures are what I have and would use in a first-grade general education

classroom.

Entering the Classroom: They entered the classroom at 8:25 Am. Once it is time for class to

begin, the students begin to walk in to the classroom in single file and are welcomed by the

teacher and paraeducator. Then, the students go to their desks, take their belongings out of their

backpacks and get ready by sitting by at their assigned seats and their table group (blue, red,

yellow or green table).

Beginning the Day: The day starts off with the class working on their Daily Tune- Up that

contains rhyming with words, filling in the blanks, and math problems. The Daily Tune-Up is at

their seat when they arrive. After a 20 minute, the teacher goes over the answers and encourages

students to give the answer or to ask questions.

Materials Distributed: The materials are distributed to each table by the paraeducator. Each

table has their own crayons to share and pencils in their desk.

Handing in Work The class hands in work to the teacher or paraeducator by waiting for her/him

to come around to each table and collect the work.

Pencil Sharpening If a student needs a well sharpened pencil, they must not sharpen themselves

due to it being distracting to others. Sharpen pencils are taken from a cup of fresh pencils that are

located in the back of the room.

Asking Questions: The students can ask questions by raising their hand until they are called on.

Those who talk out of turn will not be called on and will be given a reminder to raise their hand.

Using Restroom: The procedure for using the restroom is that the student raises their hand and

asks the teacher if he/she can use the restroom. If it is not a good time to do so, the teacher will

tell them to wait for a later time. If the student is allowed to leave the classroom to use the

restroom, the paraeducator accompanies the boys while the girls can go to the restroom

independently. If the student or students need to get some water at the water machine, they can

do so before or after using the restroom.

Getting Class Attention: There are a few ways that the teacher gets the classes’ attention. One

way would be he/she claps their hands. The class would respond by clapping their hands to show

that they are listening. Another way that the teacher gets their attention is by saying “One, two

eyes on me.” The class would then respond by saying “One two, I eye on you.” The third way

that the teacher gets their attention is by saying “Class, class?” Their response would be “Yes,

yes?” These are the procedures that the teacher uses in order to get the class to listen to what she

has to say.
Leaving Classroom Art and Music: Before leaving to go to either art or music, the class will

line up in “line order” and will leave the classroom single file after the teacher thinks that they

are quiet enough to leave. The teacher asks the paraeducator to stand at the end of the line to

make sure the other students are not making any noise in the back.

Leaving Classroom for Lunch: Before it is time for the class to go to lunch, the teacher asks

her assigned lunch tub carriers to take down the lunch tub that contains the classes lunches to the

cafeteria a few minutes before the class lines up for lunch period.

Leaving Classroom for Wellness Break: A half hour before the final bell, the teacher has the

paraeducator take 4-8 students outside to run around for between 8-10 minutes. The students are

called by name and line up at the door. After that, the paraeducator counts how many students he

is taking outside for their wellness break so that the correct number of students will come

inside when their wellness break is over. This procedure continues until everyone in the class

has a chance to go outside.

Procedure if sick or hurt: If a student gets hurt or feel sick, the student will let the teacher

know so she can see if they need to go to the office or to the nurse’s office. If the teacher thinks

that it is nothing big, like a small scratch or cut, then the teacher give the student a Band-Aid. If

a student does not feel good or gets hurt during wellness break, then another student will take the

injured student to see the teacher before going to either the office or the nurse’s office.

Leaving for the Day: Before the school day is over, class cleans their desks, sweep the floor,

and pick up any trash that they find on the floor. Once the classroom is clean, three groups are

formed of students who are either going to Sun School, after care, or are just getting picked up

by their parents to go home. For those who are going home, the teacher and paraeducator wait
outside with the students until their parents come to pick them up. If there are some students who

have not been picked up yet, they are then taken to the office and wait for their parents there.

According to the textbook, Emmer (2006) and Cotton (1995) found that “inefficient

procedures and the absence of routines for common aspects of the classroom resulted in lost

instructional time and caused students to lose focus.” I believe that the above procedures that

are listed are effective in managing the students and I feel very little instructional time is lost.

RULES

Most classroom situation can be handled by the following six rules: #1. Be safe and make

good choices. #2. Be a good listener. #3. Complete class assignments. #4. Share with others and

make sure to take turns. #5 Use kind words and be nice to others. #6 Work as a team. These

rules are posted on two huge poster boards that are by the back windows. These rules are

developed by the teacher and discussed with the students. I believe it would be helpful if each

student would sign a contract stating that they understand the rules and agree to them. As

mentioned before, I feel that rules need to be taught to the students and used as an actual lesson

plan. These rules to not only manage the classroom but also to teach students how to behave in

the outside world.

An example of how these rules can be used, if a student is interrupting a classmate, the teacher

can remind the student that a class rule is “Be a good listener” and the class can discuss what a

good listener is.

REINFORCEMENT

The text defines “reinforcement” as: the presentation of a desired reward to increase the

likelihood that the desired behavior will be repeated under the same or similar circumstances.
 I strongly believe that using positive reinforcement is essential for 1st graders because it

encourages them and helps them learn appropriate behavior. This is especially true for younger

students. Positive reinforcement not only helps improve students’ behavior but it also helps

strengthen the relationship between the student and the teacher.

I believe it is important to use many different types of classroom reinforcement because

different types of reinforcement work with different kinds of students. The five different types of

reinforcement that I would use are verbal, nonverbal, graphic, activity and tangible.

Below is a chart of the types of reinforcements that I would in the 1st grade classroom.

Types of Classroom Reinforcement

Verbal Nonverbal Graphic
"Good (verb)ing" (e.g., "Good listening.") Smile Happy face
Direct eye
Class cheer Star
contact
“Good job waiting” Handshaking Note home
Nodding in
“Thank you for rising your hand” Award
approval
“Good question” Pat on the back Picture of student of the week
“Good job with your math homework” High five 1st place ribbon
Types of Classroom Reinforcement
Activity Tangible
Free time Sticker
Extra time on the computer Food
Pleasure reading Certificates
Line leader Pencils
Extra recess time Erasers
Special party Free book

CONSEQUENCES
 I believe that it is important that consequences be given when the rules are broken I also

believe that the consequences need to be plan ahead of time, as discussed by Canter and

Canter’s Assertive Discipline. “ The teacher needs to plan ahead with what the consequences

will be so that when a student breaks a rule, the teacher will know what to do at that exact

moment. “

Below are the consequences that I would be comfortable using in the classroom.

Consequences of Breaking Classroom Rules

First time to break a Rule: Warning
Second time to break a Rule: Five minutes in quite corner
Third time to break a Rule: No recess
Fourth time to break a Rule: 15 minutes in corner and parents are called
Fifth time to break a Rule: Sent to principal’s office
Severity Clause: Sent to principal’s office

IMPLEMENTATION

I agree with Canter and Canter that rules need to be taught. As stated by Canter, “Children

cannot obey rules they don’t not understand and teachers need to teach the rules and procedures

at the beginning of the year.” It is important to start the beginning of the school year by teaching

the rules as a lesson plan.

According to COMP, rules and procedures need to be taught in the same way other content is

taught. I believe this to be true. Below are the detailed “Steps for Teaching Classroom Rules
and Procedures” that were referred to in the “Procedures” section above. I would use these steps

for teaching classroom rules and procedures.

Steps for Teaching Classroom Rules and Procedures (Page 127, table 7.)

Step one: Explain

 Define a procedure or rule in concreate terms. This is especially important when the rule
contains words that might not be understood or open for interpretation, such as the term
respect.
 Describe the acceptable behaviors with words and actions.
 Provide a rational for why the rule or procedure is needed. This begins the process of
helping students of look beyond their own needs and desires.
 Model how the rule or procedure would look in action. Have several students
demonstrate how the rule or procedure should be followed.
 Present step by step directions for carrying out procedures. These steps should be written
as well as verbalized.
Step Two: Rehearse
 Have students practice the procedure, step by step, until all students can do the
procedures correctly.
 When students break a rule or do not follow a procedure, review the steps again and have
students model the appropriate behavior.
Step Three: Test Knowledge of Rule or Procedure
 Allow students to demonstrate their knowledge of rules and procedures by testing in
written form or having students demonstrate.
 Provide feedback on the accuracy of their knowledge and skill.
 Have students observe students as they move about the school or on the playground and
record when rules or procedures are not following rules and procedures.
Step Four: Reinforce
 Acknowledge when rules and procedures are followed.
 Provide praise and rewards for following rules and procedures.
Step Five Reteach when Necessary
 Plan to review rules and procedures after breaks in the school term or after long absences
from the classroom.
 When procedures or procedures or rules aren’t followed, take the time to remained
students of the rules.
 Reteach and rehearse when necessary.

Although all of these steps are important, I believe that Step 2: Rehearsing, and Step 5:

Reteach when Necessary, are especially important for 1st graders.