Holly McAllisters Classroom Management Plan

1. Philosophy
It is a teachers reasonability to give students opportunities and experiences that are
developmentally appropriate for their cognitive stages. As teachers provide these opportunities
they need to guide students by modeling and scaffolding supports to help them become more
precise and logical thinkers, through helping them understand the ideas that they have. (Wood,
Bruner, & Ross, 1976) In my classroom I want a balance of control where we mutually cooperate
to create a fun and engaging learning environment. Robert John Meehan said, If we are truly
effective teachers, then we are creating autonomous, independent, and self-directed learners.
My goal as a teacher is to help students to develop a healthy self-esteem, self-control and a love
of learning that will follow him or her for the rest of his or her life.
Discipline is not about punishment. Discipline is the practice of training people to obey rules
or a code of behavior. Discipline is important for creating a safe environment where students feel
that they belong and feel safe to take risks. Team building + safe environment = risk taking =
learning. Educators who teach directly and create learning environment relates to Vygotskys
theories. Teachers guide their students by providing the information and support necessary for
child to grow intellectually. (Woolfolk, 2007) The umbrella expectation of my classroom is
respect respect for yourself, respect for others and respect for the environment. All other rules
and produces fall under this expectation.
2. Physical Environment
The way that a classroom is set up can have great impact on students learning and order in
the classroom. To encourage team work and cooperation I arrange students desks into small

groups of four to five. I want

students to form relationships
and contribute together in their
discoveries. The groups are
arranged in a way that allows
for fluid movement around the
room. This makes it possible
for me to circulate among my
class. The psychologist Fred
Jones, tells us that it is
important to maintain close
proximity and eye contact
with students and to move
among them, during direct
instruction and while students
are doing group or individual
work. (Charles, 2014) The set
up of the room allows me to
do this.
In each group there is an empty desk where all the materials and frequently used equipment
students need is kept. Other materials are kept at the material center which is stored on a book
shelve that is located in the back of the room where everyone has access to it. It is not only
important for students to be part of a group but they need to feel significant to the group.

(Wilson, 2014) Students need to be valued individually. On the bulletin board, students work is
proudly hung under a sign saying, Look What We Have Done! It is very important to show
students that they are valued and their best work is expected.
3. Management of Student Behavior
Starting the first day of school, I ask my students what respect means, and how they can
show respect to themselves, others, and the classroom. We also will discuss non-examples. In the
following week, after continued discussion, we create a classroom contract that outlines our
classroom rules, and responsibilities of the students and the teacher. After everyone has signed it,
I included, it will be posted on the wall where everyone can see it. Harry and Rosemary Wong
give us a three-step method for teaching procedures, teach, rehearse and reinforce. (Charles,
2014) In the following weeks I will model and we spend time practicing the rules, procedures,
cues and other expected behaviors. These procedures and rules will be reviewed frequently
throughout the year, especially after long breaks.
When problems with behavior do arise, I first will give the students the silent signal that
they need to check their behavior against the classroom rules. The signal is eye contact with
raised eyebrows and I point to the class contract. If students begin to disagree and begin to argue
I show the stop signal. This signal represents that students need to do as I ask, and we will
discuss what happened later. If the problem continues I have the student go to the rethink chair
where they can cool down, and reflect on their behavior. To reflect they must answer, what rule
did their behavior contradict, why it was a problem, and what they can change for next time?
When students have cooled down and recollected themselves they may return to the group and/or
activity.

4. Supportive Learning Environment

Childrens social and emotional needs are strong motivators for their behavior. (Wilson,
2014) Children need to feel that they belong, that they are significant and important members of
the class, and they have a need for fun. As mentioned earlier, students work will be showcased
on the bulletin boards to show that they are important members of our classroom. To welcome
my students I stand at the door and greet them by name every morning, and I say goodbye to
them at the end of school. To create a supportive learning environment where students feel safe
and are willing to take the risks needed for learning I make sure that:

The environment is a comfortable place that students want to come to.

That my lessons are engaging and inviting for all my students, that they have realworld relevance to their lives.
I will add my personally to the lesson and infuse the lesson with appropriate humor,
challenges and fun activities.
In planning lessons I will keep in mind students needs and do everything I can to
meet their needs of safety, belonging, and fun.
I will plan activities that students can be successful.
Throughout the day I will model the classroom expectations, and create classroom
procedures that support a supportive learning environment.

In these ways I will be able to actively prevent misbehaviors from arising.

5. Manage and Facilitate Instruction
Every year, teachers gain a new set of students and along with these students comes a new
sets of needs. Teachers need to adapt how they facilitate their instruction to fit the needs of their
students. In the morning, as soon as students enter the classroom and put away their backpacks,
they are expected to write in their journals. This way they can get whatever they need to off their
chest and start the day fresh. The math and reading blocks are normally in the morning, because
students minds are sharper and fresher in the morning.

After lunch, I read aloud from a novel to model fluent reading. After the reading we begin
writers workshop. In the afternoon, I found that students interact with each other more easily.
The science and social studies block is after the last recess. At the end of the day, we review what
we learned that day and fill in our planners. Instruction time can be lost during transitions. To
manage these transitions we use Preferred Activity Time (PAT). Students are given a time limit to
complete a transition instruction. If students complete the task before the limit is up, the extra
time not used is added to the time students can do a preferred activity on Friday. Depending on
students needs the schedule of instruction will be modified.
6. Promote classroom safety and wellness
As mentioned earlier students need to feel physically and emotionally safe before they can
give their full attention. To serve students needs for emotional safety I welcome my students at
the door and greet them by name every morning, and I say goodbye to them at the end of school.
In the classroom I make an emphasis to get to know my students, their interests, hobbies, and
needs. This way I can plan responses for difficult students. To ensure that I connect personally
with my students and can meet their needs; I will meet with them at least once a week for goal
settings and student management skills.
To make certain that students are physically safe we will practice procedures for emergencies
again and again until they are automatic. It is important to reinforce procedures, as mention
earlier. If there are more serious challenges that students face, a action plan will be created by the
principal, guardians, and myself to ensure the safety of all the students in my class. When there
are specific needs in our class, depending on the sensitivity of the situation, we will hold a class
meeting to guarantee that everyone is informed on their part of the action plan.

7. Interact with colleagues, parents, and others achieve classroom management objectives.
When parents and teachers communicate together, students have greater success because they
receive more support. Many parents want to be involved in their childs education but lack the
resources or time. My goal is to make communication between parents and school as painless as
possible. Daily, students will fill out their planner with what they did in school that day and any
homework they have. Students guardian is to review the planner and sign it to prove they have
seen it. Weekly notes will be sent home to inform guardians on students behavior, problems or
highlights. Before the starting of the year, a welcome letter is sent to guardians informing them
on my teaching philosophy, management plan and classroom goals for the year. Email and a
classroom website are also used for communication.
To continually improve myself as an educator I seek to conference and collaborate with my
colleagues. There are ideas and activities that my students could benefits from that I have not
heard about before that my fellow educators can share with me and vice versa. We meet on a
regular basis. It is important to have a support system and action plan with colleagues when
difficulties occur with classroom management and student behavior.
I was lucky to grow up in a home environment that valued education. This is not always the
case for children that enter our classrooms and schools. It is the teachers reasonability to give all
their students opportunities and experiences to help close the academic gap and help them up the
ladder of a more successful live. They did not get into that ladder alone. They are there only
because someone helped them take the first step. (Tough, 2012) My goal as an educator is and
always will be to help my students become autonomous, independent, and self-directed learners.

References
Charles, C. (2015). Building Classroom Discipline (Eleventh ed.). New York City, New York:
Pearson Education.
Tough, P. (2012). A Better Path. In How children succeed: Grit, curiosity, and the hidden power
of character (p. 197). New York City, New York: Houghton Mifflin Publishing Company.
Wilson, M. (2013). Teasing, Tattling, Defiance. Turners Falls, MA: Northeast Foundation for
Children.
Wood, D., Bruner, J., & Ross, S. (1976). The role of tutoring in problem solving. British Journal
of Psychology, 66, 181 -191.
Woolfolk, A. (2007). Educational Pscyhology (Tenth ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education.