Running head: CLASSROOM DEVELOPMENT PLAN 1

Classroom Development Plan

Nicole Embury

Baker College of Owosso

Classroom Management
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Abstract

Classroom management is an important part that we have to plan before we step foot into

the classroom. We all know that classrooms don’t just work without a plan or instruction for the

students. The plan always adjusts and adapts for the students in the classroom. Classroom

management is not dependent on just one aspect. A good teacher makes sure that she has a plan

for all the key aspects to make a classroom run smoothly and make the classroom warm and

inviting for learning.

Please use the table of contents for navigating my Classroom Development Plan.
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Table of Contents

1. Section 1 – Self Awareness

2. Section 2 – Setting

3. Section 3 – Norms and Learning Agreements

4. Section 4 – Procedures

5. Section 5 – Assessment

6. Section 6 – Engagement

7. Section 7 – Behavioral Intervention

8. Section 8 – Diversity
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Section 1 – Self-Awareness

Before someone can teach others effectively, a teacher needs to know his or her self. By

establishing a sense of self-awareness, a teacher is able to understand his or her limitations and

work to improve his or her self, both personally and professionally. As much as some people

believe that teaching is what we do, it is a big part of who we are. We may not be the ones who

lecture or tell you what to do, but we are the ones who will give you to opportunity to learn and

grow.

I know that with my own self-awareness, I have had the opportunity to learn and grow

through my previous teaching position. I worked as a young preschool (2 ½ to 3 year olds)

teacher, and that is definitely an age where they test boundaries. To make sure that I did not lose

my mind and I can effectively teach, I had to learn a lot about myself. I think that I have been

very lucky with my exposure and experience in the various classrooms that I have worked in. I

know that when I started years ago, I didn’t know how to handle some situations, and I would

have been easily upset or frustrated.

I know that I do not have what some call “hot buttons” as there isn’t anything that can get

me very angry almost instantaneously. There are some behaviors that can frustrate and irritate

me, just as there are many for others. I do not like it when students get physical with the teacher

or with each other. I do know that I get frustrated if I have to constantly remind students of the

rules after they have been in class for a long time.

I know that when I get frustrated that I have to step back, take a deep breath, and refocus.

I know that if I am getting really frustrated with a behavior that I make sure to talk to the student

after I have refocused. Even if it is talking to a student about a behavior that continues, I try to

figure a different way to approach the student.

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I often tell myself to “Breathe!” and I like the phrase “Today is a Good Day for a Good

Day.” It helps me remember that although what has happened in the past few days may be a

possibility, that today is a brand new day to try again. Maybe there was something going on that

I don’t know about, and some days I have really bad days. I know that I had one recently that I

just couldn’t shake, so I made sure to talk to someone who knows me as a person and as a

teacher. It is nice to hear someone else provide feedback, especially if I am in a negative self-talk

and I am having trouble getting out of it. I know what I can do, and sometimes I have trouble

remembering some challenges I had to overcome or that I am making an impact on the students.

Sadly it can be discouraging when you cannot reach one student, and when I focus on trying to

help that one student, I sometimes forget that I have already helped all of these other students

learn and grown.

I know that with my classroom I would like to have a theme with inspirational messages

around the room. I know that I need to be reminded of positive things and that students need it

too. It will not be a room covered with posters with messages, but rather a few well placed

sayings to help.

I feel that I have been lucky with my life and my upbringing that I do not have any

groups of people that provoke negative feelings. I grew up in a very diverse environment and

community, which encouraged me to grow as a human being. I do not like hostile people, but I

think most people don’t. I know that I do not like it when some people act before they think.

There are specific things to expect from students that are developmentally appropriate, and any

teacher should know what is appropriate for their age group.

I have a growth mindset. I honestly believe that all students can grow and develop. I think

that running a young preschool class (2 ½ to 3 year olds) with the task of toilet training has
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helped me with that. I know that they got frustrated when they tell me that “I can’t” and they

wouldn’t try. I always told them that they try and I would help after they at least tried. If they

never tried and always expected the teacher to do it for them, they wouldn’t grow and a teacher

can’t always help 20 students with basic self-help skills or toileting. They are always so proud of

themselves and I am proud of them too.

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Section 2 – Setting

The setting of any classroom should be warm and inviting, but functional. It should be a

safe place for students to be and for them to learn. All teachers have an idea of how they would

like to set up their classrooms, and sometimes that changes with the actual available classroom.

As part of my warm and welcoming environment, I would make sure that the students

know that they are safe and always welcome. We would make sure that they know what to

expect every day with the rules and procedures posted. The students will know what to do first

thing in the morning and when it is time to go home.

If there is a conflict between students, I want to make sure that they would feel like they

can come to talk to me. I would make sure that everyone has help with conflict resolution. No

matter what the age our students are we may need to help them resolve an issue with another

student. With as many bullies there are, I want to make sure that my students get the help they

need. When it comes to tattling, I would make sure that they understand what is harmful and

helpful, especially with the younger elementary.

The use of tables is very functional for younger elementary, while desks are more

functional for upper elementary. Whether they are desks or tables, I would set up the working

spaces into groups. I have seen the theater style work for some teachers. When discussing this

with some teachers at the various schools I’ve observed, I asked why do they do it in the

different ways, and it depends on the group of students. The teacher that arranged her room in

theater-style did it to promote listening and try to limit the talking in her very talkative

classroom.

Many teachers who set up their rooms in groups typically use those groups often. It

provides some students with support when working on some assignments. For example, in a
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group table, the students could be at different levels, so a student who is more independent, or

has the concept down, could help a student who needs more support.

I am a firm believer that all students learn in different ways, and that hands-on learning is

very important for all students. I would have different areas for the students to work. There will

be an area dedicated to reading, an area dedicated to art exploration, an area dedicated to

computer/technology, and areas dedicated to math and writing. As long as the class has space to

work, I would like to have a space dedicated for the students to move around. I like the concept

of flexible seating for students during “reading to self” time, and I would like to have an area for

students who need to reset their bodies and regain focus. It would be away from others and it

won’t be a punishment place. I will make sure the students understand the point of the safe place.

I would have a classroom theme with warm colors, but not distracting bright ones. I will

have areas for information posted, but I will also have student’s work posted around the room. I

want the students to have the opportunity to display work they are proud of. There is a fine

balance in the classroom of distracting and overcrowded, and calm and warm.
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Section 3 – Norms and Learning Agreements

The norms and learning agreements for any classroom are based on different factors. The

norms for a classroom typically are the norms for the whole school with some adaptations for

that specific teacher. Any set of rules for a classroom should be written in a positive way. When

negative words are used, it impedes on the learning in the classroom.

Learning agreements are a good thing, and I think that the best grades to use those in are

Second grade and up. By then, students have some understanding of rules and abiding to those

rules and have more control over their own bodies. Learning agreements are great when the

students have a say in the development of the agreement and they can take ownership of that

agreement.

The best time to create a learning agreement is at the beginning of the year. As we would

brainstorm for what we should have on the agreement, I would have the students answer

questions of “What conditions do you learn best?” and “What rules should we make to create

these conditions?” For younger grades, I would make the language much simpler.

To help students create a learning agreement, I know that I have to think about how I

learn best. What may work for me doesn’t always work for others, but at least I have a plan in

my mind to help use as an example. I know that for myself I like it when I am able to focus. I

like to have a calmer environment to focus and learn. I know that there are some instances that

noise is not a bad thing, but focusing is an important part of learning. I like it when I am able to

be heard, so I would encourage the behavior of listening to others while they are talking and

encourage respect.

I like teaching Kindergarten, and I would not mind teaching 5th grade. I would adjust the

questions for Kindergarteners to be “How do we learn best?” The questions would help guide
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them to standards for being in a classroom. “Do you learn best when it is loud or quieter?” I

would let them answer, and then ask more questions. When I let them answer it, I give them the

opportunity to think about what they know and how it relates to them. I know that when we

simply tell students things, it doesn’t always make it stick unless there is a connection to it.

Questions for 5th graders would be similar to the questions “What conditions do you learn

best?” and “What rules should we make to create these conditions?” The students will be able to

understand and know how they learn. I would not just simply expect them to know what works

best as they may not have been taught in the past the best way that it works for them. I would

provide exploration into different learning styles and environments, so that our agreement best

suits us as a whole group.

When we write a learning agreement, we will write what we all agree to. There are so

many different types of learning agreements. There are some examples that are simple, such as

the teacher and students agree to simple statements, and there are some examples that are a little

more complicated. Those outline what the students agree to, the teachers agree to, and some can

include what parents agree too.

The norms in a classroom are parts of the procedures that we teach our students at the

beginning of the year. What may be the norm for one classroom may not work for another

classroom, and we will all hear “Well, Mrs. So-and-so didn’t do it that way.”
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Section 4 – Procedures

Procedures are what help our classrooms run. Even if a teacher is not as effective as he or

she would like to be with a group of students, a classroom runs better with procedures the

students know. I know that the first few weeks of school are always dedicated to learning

procedures. We have to teach students the procedures for the school and the classroom. Unless

we have been working at a school for a long time, we don’t know if a student is new to the

school that year, and after several months off, we have to review. Or in the case of

kindergarteners, we have to teach them how to be at school, and that will help set up the students

for success.

Several ways to help develop a classroom run smoothly are the following:

“Attention first” or quiet signal – Sometimes schools have a universal signal that is used for

assemblies and such. I like using a bell or turning a light on and off. I like using the lights to help

transition from specific things.

Daily inclusion activity – There are so many different activities that we can use for this. I know

that on Monday mornings, I like to have a time set aside to share. This allows them to share

about their weekend. For the younger ones, I like to have time for them to share by talking. For

students who are able to write, I like to use that time for them to write about it. It gives them the

chance to write anything they would like.

Materials center – I like having a central area that all materials are at. I like using little baskets or

a caddy of the basic materials students need. It also makes it easier for a teacher to restock as

they can see what may need to be sharpened or replaced with a caddy for each group or table.

Assignment center – With working with my CT, I have found that the students have several spots

to put different assignments and it is confusing. It does encourage the students to listen and
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follow directions. I would like to have a set place in my classroom to turn papers in. This allows

me to see how the students are doing, and what we might need to practice or work on. For

students who miss days, I want to have a spot (for grades other than kindergarten) for the

students to look for what they missed. The extra copies of the assignments will be available if a

student misplaces their assignment.

Transition management – I know that I will have a schedule posted for the students to see what

our day will look like so they know what to expect. I will also have a space that we always go

back to as a transition.

For working with partners, I will create color partners charts for each student. Each

student will have a partner for each color, and when we call the color “blue,” the students match

with their blue partner. After each quarter or semester, we will rotate them. That way no child

will be left out. There will be days that students may be missing, but we can adjust to

accommodate those days.

Emergency procedures – Schools have procedures we have to follow and some have schedules

for practicing each. If we are given notice, I will make sure to prepare the students for that

change that day. I will still have them practice the procedures outside of the drills so that we

know what to do and why. I will start talking about the procedures after we have been in school

for a few weeks.

There will be procedures for going to the bathroom, and there will be procedures for

other things. I will make sure that there are procedures for when someone finishes early, noise

level expectations, and lost teeth. Some wonderful teachers have created different checklists to

make sure all possible procedures are introduced.

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Section 5 – Assessment

I plan to use assessment tools to openly communicate with my students. There are some

things that I will be required to assess on a regular basis. I will try to communicate how each

student is doing to them and to show them their progress. I know that some forms of assessment

are required and they might be too complicated for the students to understand.

I like the idea of graphing some assessments so the students can see their own growth as

the graph goes up. I know that some teachers conference with students to set goals for different

forms of testing. I saw at a charter school that each student conferences with the teacher to set a

goal for the spring testing based on their fall testing scores.

When it comes to assignments and assessments, I like to look at their work as formative

assessment, and to monitor what I will need to do to help them. If the student doesn’t quite

understand the assignment or does it poorly, I like to allow them to redo it after having a

discussion or mini-lesson. This is especially true when it is an important concept.

Do-overs are a great way for the students to practice a concept with feedback. The

student can try again with a better understanding. Other than feedback, do-overs allows students

the opportunity to show what they have learned and how they have progressed. Typically this is

done by grades. If the student has shown understanding of a concept, their grade should reflect

that.

Formative assessments are a great monitoring tool. If we grade everything that the

student turns in, we will never be done grading. The important concepts should be graded, but

students don’t have to be graded on all the worksheets, activities and homework they do.

Assessments are a tool that we use to evaluate progress with a student. It is objective and

done solely with what the student knows. If a teacher is not objective, he or she is not helping the
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student learn or grow and it will hinder the student in the future. All teachers like students and

there are some that may be more frustrating than others, but it is our job and responsibility to

teach them.

Assessments should not be limited to tests and paper. There are other forms of assessing

what a student has learned, and it allows the students to display what they have learned.

Summative assessments are typically tests, quizzes, and projects. I like to use projects as an

alternative to testing, but I know that we have to provide feedback and documentation of growth

with any form of assessment.

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Section 6 – Engagement

Engagement can be challenging in any classroom. Some students may know the

information, some may be bored or not interested, or it could be that the student is lost. I know

that I will work to make sure that students are provided different opportunities, within my

control, to explore concepts in different ways.

Some schools have a curriculum that teachers have to follow, and sometimes those

lessons may not engage the students in the class. As long as the school allows for it, I would

adjust the lesson to allow the students to explore and discover the knowledge. There are some

basic things that are harder to discover without guidance, so lessons about the basic information

are important. After the direct instruction, students should be allowed to explore the information.

I like to use games and activities to strengthen the knowledge, and they also allow the

students to see the information in a different way. When we allow the students to explore

concepts in different ways, it helps them develop abstract thinking, and it encourages them to

make different connections to the knowledge.

I like to give students the comfort of knowing what will happen next in our schedule, but

it is nice to give them the opportunity for some things to change. Some of those changes are to

provide the students with variety. There are some times that students think they know what to do,

and that can stall their learning as they tune out. Changes are not bad, but we have to be careful

of what changes we make to keep students engaged. We might make adjustments as we go

through the school year, but for some students, changes can trigger anxiety. If we make changes

to accommodate new ways to engage a student, we need to have a solid reason why.
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Section 7 – Behavioral Intervention

Behavioral intervention is a key part of classroom procedures. We always want to

encourage our students and to help them grow and learn. Once the student knows the procedures,

we want to help them understand it. Upon understanding, the student knows why we have that

rule and procedure.

When a student doesn’t follow the rules and procedure, there are typically consequences.

It is important for the consequences to be appropriate. Logical consequences, which can help the

student regain self-control, reflect on their mistakes, and make amends, if possible, are things

that help redirect the student. It is not our job to punish or shame students. If a student’s actions

are more serious, the administration will be the ones to determine the consequences.

We are not all-knowing, and we cannot possibly understand why everything students do.

If we have solid concerns and constant behavioral challenges, we need to see help. The principal,

social worker, or school counselor may be a great resource for helping the problem.

So many teachers simply try to remove any distraction or try to ignore it. If we send the

student out, that student is not learning and there are still going to be other students not focused.

All teachers who want to teach can feel the stress of making sure all students are learning, and

when distractions occur, the teacher wants to continue with what he or she has to teach that day.

Students typically want to do well and they want to earn the approval of adults. When

there are challenges in the past, we may not know about everything in a student’s past, but we

are to help care for these students. If we know the story for a behavior, we can help

accommodate changes to help the student learn.

Consistency in routine and procedures is important for classroom management, but what

works for one student may not work for all of the students in your class. This is the balancing act
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teachers work on daily. Lessons may be created one way, but if it doesn’t work, we have to

adjust it. That is what we have to do for all students. It is hard and challenging, but if I find that

we have a behavioral problem of talking, I want to find a solution to help the students involved.

When we encounter behavioral challenges, we have to find a way to help those students.

Sometimes it is a transition or it could be a certain time of the day. If we can understand what

could be a trigger for some students, we can help accommodate it. It could be as simple as the

student has a job to help during a specific time of the day, or it could be that the student walks

with you and the line leader so they don’t run down the hall.

As I said, students want to do well and earn the approval of their peers and adults that

matter. As we show our students we care, we have to show all students that same compassion. If

a student is doing well, we need to let them know all the time. If a student struggles or has

challenges with schoolwork, we need to try to help them, and when they do it right, celebrate

with them. Students need encouragement.

The possible behavioral challenges that could appear in the classroom are numerous, and

some of them may seem small, such as tattling or having disagreements. While we help students

develop academically, we also help them develop socially. We can teach them the skills to help

resolve conflict, and to develop friendships. As much as people say that school is for learning,

students learn social skills too.

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Section 8- Diversity

All classrooms are diverse, even in small communities where everyone knows everyone.

We should share what makes each of us unique. We are similar and different in so many

different ways. When exploring what makes use similar and different, it is up to the student what

information they would like to share with their classmates.

I know that I like to do activities that explore how our class is the same and different.

Once we have explored our class, I like to encourage exploration of different cultures and

countries. Around the holidays, I have sent a home-to-school activity home to learn more about

what different families do around the holidays, and we explore them more.

For the students in the classroom, there are no labels other than their names. All students

are learners and explorers. Each one may learn differently and have differences, but the reason

they come to school is all the same.

If there were a student with special needs, I would do my best to make sure those needs

are met. I think that it would be challenging as I don’t have much experience with helping

special needs students. I would make sure that I explore different resources, such as the special

education teacher or the school social worker.

At the beginning of the year, I will have a paper to go home and have the student and their

families fill it out. It would be a paper that has different questions about the student and his or her family,

and this lets the parents communicate with me, especially if they are not able to come to the school.

For any elementary grade, we can always have working stations or centers. I like to do rotations

with language arts, and I can create bins or folders that each group should do at that station. The work will

be around one concept, but it will have a variety of ways to practice it. Each of the ways will be

appropriate for the student’s level. I also like to do that for math. It is a great thing to use after a

math lesson to reinforce the material.

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References

Alber, R. (2011, September 09). 20 tips for creating a safe learning environment. Retrieved

November 2, 2017, from https://www.edutopia.org/blog/20-tips-create-safe-learning-

environment-rebecca-alber

Jones, V. F., & Jones, L. S. (2016). Comprehensive classroom management: creating

communities of support and solving problems (11th ed.). Boston: Pearson.

Marzano, R. J., Marzano, J. S., & Pickering, D. J. (2003). Classroom management that works:

research-based strategies for every teacher. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision

and Curriculum Development.