Classroom Management Plan

Philosophical Model of Classroom Management and Discipline

The philosophical model I intend to use in my classroom is based upon Ron Morrish's
Real Discipline, Harry and Rosemary Wong's concepts of the first things that should be taught,
and Fred Jones' principles of effective teaching (Charles, 2014). By integrating these three
philosophical models I will have a behavior plan that includes positive behavior management as
well as discipline.
Based on the ideas of Harry and Rosemary Wong, I will begin the school year by
explicitly teaching students what they are expected to do (Charles, 2014). The first day and week
will be extensively planned and will include explicit instruction in classroom procedures. This
sets the expectations for the rest of the year and sets the students up for success in my class.
Students will be taught exactly what is expected of them in any procedure. Thorough, explicit
instruction on procedures and expectations will be carried out and practiced throughout the first
two weeks of school and retaught after long breaks as well as periodically throughout the year to
ensure students' perform procedures automatically.
In order to maintain an effective classroom environment, I will engage students in
learning as a means of preventing misbehavior. By designing engaging lessons with high student
input, I will decrease misbehavior. Each day will begin with bell work so students have
something they are expected to be doing as soon as they enter the classroom. This procedure will
be taught and rehearsed beginning the first day of school so that the tone of the classroom is set
from day one. To promote on task behavior students will be provided with step-by-step
instructions or models of how to complete a process, what Fred Jones refers to as visual
instruction plans (Charles, 2014). These visual instruction plans will show students how to do

their work one step at a time. Thereby allowing me to help students more quickly and efficiently.
In my classroom, responsibility and respect will be the focus of everything we do. For
students to learn my expectations for responsibility and respect I will train for compliance.
Training for compliance will go along with learning procedures the first two weeks of school.
Students will be given models of expectations and will be required to perform to the set standard
every time. If this does not happen students will be required to perform the action until they do it
to the required standard. Only quality work and performance will be accepted; each students will
be expected to perform at there best wherever that may be. Students will also earn the privilege
of making choices once they demonstrate their ability to handle their choices intelligently
(Charles, 2014). This will allow for a gradual release of responsibility so that students can
develop important character traits in addition to academic skills.
Classroom Philosophy Letter
Dear Parents and Guardians,
I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself and my philosophy of education
to you. I am thrilled to be working with your family this upcoming year as your students ______
grade teacher!
Throughout the year, I will be engaging your learners in a variety of ways. I believe that
students learn best when they are engaged in exciting and meaningful activities. With this said,
your students will be learning in a variety of ways that include various art forms, movement,
inquiry, and higher level reasoning. I believe that technology is the future and, when available, I
will be using this resource to expand and deepen class work. This will include secure class blogs,
Google Earth, and many other activities.
My goal this year is to make your students well rounded individuals who are prepared to

enter ______ grade. I also desire to create a safe environment for your learners so they are
willing to stretch themselves to try new things and reach their own goals. In order for this to
happen your student will have a great influence on the classroom. For example, on the first day
of school, the class will decide on their own classroom rules.
At the heart of teaching is assessment. I will use assessments to guide my instruction.
This way your learners will be appropriately challenged. In my class, wrong answers and
mistakes are treated as learning experiences and are used as a benchmark to know where we need
to grow for the next time we take a test. For these reasons tests are an opportunity for students to
show what they know, think of them as a celebration of learning, and will not be something to be
dreaded.
I think that parent communication is vital to students success. If you have any questions
or concerns that you wish to address before we meet feel free to call me at XXX-XXX-XXXX or
email me at brittnee.hinton@gmail.com.
I look forward to meeting you and your student soon! We have an exciting year ahead of
us.
Sincerely,
Brittnee Hinton
Organization of Physical Environment

Managing Student Behavior

Behavior management should be carried out in a positive way (Charles, 2014). For this
reason my class will use a clip chart system. A clip chart allows all students to begin each day on
a neutral level. Students are afforded the opportunity to decide whether their day will be a
positive or negative one. As students engage in responsible, respectful behavior they will be
allowed to clip-up or move their clothes pin up to the next level of the chart. If students engage
in negative behaviors they will have to clip down or move their clothes pin down a level on the
clip chart. At this point students will be required to think about the actions that resulted in them
clipping down. When the student has performed restitution for the poor action and has decided to

make better choices the student can return to the neutral zone of the clip chart.
The purpose of a clip chart is it allows students to be given praise for engaging in positive
behaviors. A clip chart also affords students the possibility of a clean slate; their past behavior
should not be help against them (Charles, 2014). With an emphasis on positivity students will be
more aware of what is expected of them rather than repeatedly being told what not to do.
Even minor misbehaviors need to be addressed immediately before they turn into a larger
issue. To prevent this from occurring I will use a combination of verbal and nonverbal signals.
Proximity is one of the most essential tools in managing behavior, this technique will be
employed when students are talking when they are not supposed to be, or for other minor
infractions. Cueing is also helpful in redirecting students to on task behavior and is another
management strategy that will be used in my classroom.
Creating a Respectful, Supportive Learning Environment
Having a classroom environment in which students feel safe is key to learning. If students
feel safe in the classroom they are willing to take more risks and learn new things (Mirsky,
2003). A respectful, supportive, safe learning environment will be achieved through my
connecting personally with students, communicating with them and their families about the
discipline in my classroom, and promoting proper behavior.
Getting to know each of my students is one of my top priorities. Knowing each student on
a personal level will not only help in fostering a respectful learning environment, it will also help
me to tailor lessons to meet the needs of my students. It is vital to know students' interests, home
situations, likes and dislikes in order to provide effective instruction and a supportive learning
environment.
For students to be successful, they need to know and understand the discipline policies in

the class. Parents or guardians of students also need to know what will be expected of their
student so they can support these actions at home when possible. Students will be explicitly
taught rules and procedures through modeling and repeated practice. Guardians will be notified
of the classroom discipline procedure through a letter or email as well as daily notes in the
student's planner. This will create a classroom community that extends to the students' homes.
A classroom can successfully be supportive and respectful if and only if the teacher
models these behaviors. I want my students to respect me and each other, so I need to be
respectful of them. By giving my students respect I will be promoting proper behavior through
my own actions. Proper behavior will also receive specific praise. Specific praise will help
students to know what they did to earn praise and the rest of the class will be reminded of the
classroom expectations.
Management and Facilitation of Instruction
The way in which instruction is delivered is key to an effective classroom. Lessons
should be engaging (Wilson, 2013). One way I can make every lesson engaging is by using my
voice. Through varying the tone, volume, and speed of my voice I can set the pace for a lesson
and make it more engaging for the class. Students should drive instruction by providing input, or
by having their needs taken into account when planning. In upper grades lesson should also
include collaboration. Giving students a say in their learning or allowing them the opportunity to
work with classmates will make them more invested in the lesson, especially since students in
upper grades are so social (Wilson, 2013).
To better manage my lessons I will begin by managing time wisely. Students will be
given time limits for each task and be reminded of these limits throughout a lesson. Providing
students with time limits will share the responsibility of managing time in the classroom with

them. Time limits will also help them to develop a sense of time and limit waste of time if
appropriate limits are given.
Promoting Classroom Safety and Wellness
Classroom safety and wellness is necessary for a supportive and respectful classroom
environment (Mirsky, 2003). Safety and wellness will be promoted in my classroom beginning
the morning of the first day. The school year will begin with me going to pick up the students
and introducing myself to them before we enter the room. As the year progresses I will greet
each student at the door by name every morning (Charles, 2014). Our class will also have a
morning meeting after the students complete their self start and I take role. The morning meeting
will be a time for me to ask students how they are feeling each day. By knowing where they are
starting I can better prepare myself to respond to their behavior appropriately (Mirsky, 2003).
Students who may be having a bad day will be instructed to go to a desk in the back of
the room, facing away from the other students, and take a breath. At the desk there will be a five
minute hour glass. Students can choose to watch it for one cycle or just breathe and calm down
for the five minutes. Once students have calmed down and are able to positively contribute to the
class they can rejoin the group without any consequence.
Interacting with Colleagues, Parents, and Others to Achieve Classroom Management
Objectives
Teaching is not done in isolation, it requires collaboration with colleagues, parents, the
community, and many others. Each of these groups of people can support me in reaching my
classroom management objectives. The key to receiving this support is reaching out.
Through interaction with my colleagues I can find out what is successful in their
classrooms. I realize that I have not encountered every type of student and some students may

not respond to the classroom management system I have in place. This is the perfect occasion to
reach out to a colleague, especially a teacher who may have had this student before. I can also
enlist one of my colleagues to be my buddy teacher so that when a student needs time away from
the classroom they can sit in the other class and ponder their behavior (Charles, 2014).
Parents are integral to achieving classroom management objectives. As long as parents
are made aware of the classroom expectations they are likely to support and guide their student
towards the appropriate behavior. Parents will be a part of my classroom before the students walk
through the door on the first day of school. I will send each family a copy of my classroom
philosophy letter so they know what to expect in the coming year. After I go over rules and
procedures with my students I will send another letter to each family regarding the discipline and
management policies of the class. Three to five parents will receive positive phone calls each
week so they can hear how their student is positively affecting the classroom environment.
Negative calls home may occur, but this will be as needed and much less often than positive calls
home. An open line of communication with parents will foster a positive relationship by showing
that I care about their student's success as much as they do.
Reaching out to the community can help me to meet my classroom management
objectives. I can use the community by connecting my objectives to the values of the community.
Most communities value collaboration. Since collaboration is key in my classroom students will
be able make connections between the larger community and our classroom community. The
community will also be brought into my classroom whenever possible. I will include guest
speakers, or mini field trips whenever applicable.
Involving the community and reaching out to parents and colleagues will help my
classroom management to be successful. This can only happen if I take the initiative and involve

the community, parents, and colleagues. There are many others that can assist in the success of
my classroom management, but reaching out to these three groups is a good start.

References
Charles, C.M. (2014). Building classroom discipline. United States: Pearson Education, Inc.
Mirsky, L. (2003). SaferSanerSchools: Transforming school culture with restorative practices.
Restorative practices eforum, 1-7. www.restorativepractices.org
Wilson, M. B. (2013). Teasing, tattling, defiance and more...: Positive approaches to 10 common
classroom behaviors. Massachusetts: Northeast Foundation for Children, Inc.