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Sarah Mickelberry
Bridgewater College
EDUC 370
Classroom Management Model for a Fifth Grade Classroom
Every successful teacher enters his or her classroom with a plan for management. There
is no possible way to run a fifth grade classroom, or any classroom for that matter, without a well
thought out strategy for managing 20 or so students in the classroom plus an idea of how one is
going to communicate with parents. Management is not just a matter of how one is going to
handle misbehavior; it is thinking about room arrangement, class rules, ways to resolve conflict,
organizing student and teacher materials, communication with parents, and much more. Every
management model will be different, because no two teachers are exactly alike. What works for
one person may not work for another. For this reason, it is important to consider ones own
beliefs about management in order to determine what will work and what will not with ones
personality. In the end, this will help to make the learning environment a successful one.
A classroom cannot run if there are no boundaries or guidelines for how everyone should
behave in the classroom. A behavior management plan provides these guidelines for both
teachers and students. Teachers need to be included in this plan, because otherwise it may seem
like the teacher is trying to control student behavior. In the end it is not about controlling
behavior, because as Linda Albert notes one can only influence students, not control them
(Albert 1995). Rather, behavior management is about setting guidelines that will prevent chaos
from occurring that would hinder learning. Chaos in the classroom distracts both students and
teachers. If the classroom is not well organized and there is a lack of structure then students can
become overstimulated or under-stimulated. This leads to misbehavior that will prevent learning.

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If student behavior is the root of the chaos in the classroom then the teacher cannot focus on
teaching because he or she is trying to manage misbehavior. A plan for management avoids time
spent trying to contain the chaos. It helps the class run smoother because issues have been
considered, along with solutions. Finally, behavior management serves the purpose of guiding
students in what appropriate behavior is in the classroom and beyond. Just because a student
exists a classroom does not mean that his or her sense of acceptable behavior should exit the
mind. Management plans should teach students life skills about how to interact with peers and
elders because that is a skill that will be needed in everyday life. Learning should be the priority,
and if there is an established management plan that keep students happy, encouraged, and excited
to learn, then problems are less likely to occur and a sense of success will be felt by everyone.
Everyone plays a role in classroom and behavior management. School Administration,
the teacher, parents, and students all have a part, and in order to have a successful classroom
everyone has to complete their part. The main role of the school administration is to support the
teacher and provide outside resources. They can do this by ensuring teachers have a safe school
environment to teach in and providing professional resources, such as reading specialists, ESL
specialists, or enrichment programs, that will help teacher to enhance all their students learning.
Providing teachers the support they need in order to have confidence that if they are put in a
tough situation with parents or a student is also a role the administration should play. Teachers
need to feel that their administration trusts their judgment in order to perform to the best of their
abilities. Teachers play the role of taking charge in the classroom and keeping lines of
communication with parents open. Taking charge in the classroom entails monitoring student
behavior and student work, creating a warm and inviting classroom environment that encourages

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cooperation and learning, as well as guiding students to resolve their issues and take
responsibility for their learning and behavior.
Like teachers, students have a role to play in the classroom as well when it comes to
behavior management. Students need to take charge of their own behavior and take their learning
into their own hands. Although it may be the role of teachers and parents to guide students to
playing this role, in the end it has to be the students who wants to take on this responsibility.
They have to learn to own up to their misbehavior and decide to change. Students also need to
take charge of their learning by knowing when to ask for help. Finally, parents round out
behavior management by providing the support needed in the home. Parents need to encourage
their children to make the right decisions, and support them in doing so. They also need to
communicate their concerns with teachers, because if issues are not voiced then they will not be
solved. While there are many roles that need to be played in managing students learning, if each
part is carried out then triumph will follow.
In an ideal classroom, all my students would come from a loving, two-parent home, in
which home life provided them with unending love, encouragement, and support. They would
come to school well rested and have had a nutritious breakfast. Parents would be jumping up and
down to volunteer in the classroom and be actively working with their child in all struggling
areas. This, however, is just a dream, not reality. I know I will have diversity in my classroom
and parents that will be less than willing to work with me and their child. I am a patient person,
and for this reason I think I will excel at working with students and parents that need a little extra
coxing. I am also not afraid to push students if I feel they can do better, so working with under
motivated students and seeing them improve would be very rewarding to me.

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Reflecting on all the different theories and strategies for managing a classroom, I have
discovered what I will definitely need in my classroom in order to create a successful
environment. At the top of the list is a sense of cooperation among students, parents, and me. I
need parents and students to understand that my priority will always be to help students find
success in their lives, but that can only be achieved by actively working together. Because I need
this cooperation element in my classroom, I need the arrangement of the desks in my room to be
in groups, or to be easily moved into groups. Tied up with this cooperation is honesty. My
classroom will have to have an honest atmosphere. This means from students, parents, and
administration. If something I am doing in the classroom is not working I want to know about it,
so I can work to fix it. In the same way, if something is not working for me I want to be able to
freely express my concerns and thoughts.
As for a managing style I need to be able to manage with a low stress model, because I
know I will already be putting lots of stress on myself about a million other things like teaching
students the information they need, forming lesson plans, and tailoring instruction based on what
assessments tell me. For this low stress managing to occur I will need students to take
responsibility for their own behavior. I know I will need to give students the tools and skills to
manage their own behavior, but after I have provided students with the knowledge I would prefer
to take a more hand-off approach to disciplining. It is a life skill to be able to take responsibility
for ones own behavior and make judgments about what is acceptable, and so I want my student
to begin to develop this in my classroom. I would prefer students to make a valiant effort at
solving issues among each other alone before bringing the issue to me. I believe all this is
realistic because providing fifth graders with this independence is a way to challenge them. In

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life there is not always an adult to run to in order to solve issues, so the sooner students become
self-reliant in solving problems, the better prepared they will be.
Even though there may be different priorities and reasons for them, rules are a part of
every classroom. Determining what the rules are and how they are formulated depends on
individual teacher preference. While some teachers, like Harry Wong, prefer to make all their
own rules and have them already posted the first day students come to class (Jansen, 2014), I
have the same ideas about rulemaking as Linda Albert in that I think that asking students and
parents what they envision is a great way to build the classroom community (Charles, 2005). At
the same time, teachers have the right to have non-negotiable rules if it will make the classroom
environment one of achievement. For this reason, Curwin and Mendlers approach to classroom
rules with the four subtypes of rules is how I will approach formulating rules in my classroom
(Huffman, 2014).
Before the start of the year I will come up with a list of rules that, as the teacher, I think
are a must, which Curwin and Mendler would call my flag rules (Huffman, 2014). Instead of
rules, however, I will call them commitments, because I feel everyone should commit to class
rules if they are made. A few of my non-negotiable commitments will include: (1) Never put
down a peer (2) Do not throw pencil, paper, or other objects and (3) Make an effort to be selfsufficient in solving issues before running to the teacher. I would introduce my non-negotiable
commitments to students on the first day so they have an idea of what my expectations are. After
introducing the commitments I would like students to make, I will have student formulate ideas
on commitments for the teacher and student developed commitments for students, so they can
express what their expectations for me and their peers are. Examples of commitments for the
teacher may be (1) Do not yell at students and (2) Do not hold grudges about misbehavior. An

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example of a commitments developed by students for students may be only touch what is yours.
Finally, I will work collaboratively with my students to come up with negotiable commitments,
which may be something like always try your hardest. All this would occur on the first day of
school.
After a slate of commitments is agreed upon by the whole class, I would send the list
home and ask parents for their input. This is important because, as Albert explains, getting parent
opinion on rules and other decisions made in the class is a great way to form those positive
relationships that will create a learning friendly environment, while also getting parents involved
(Charles, 2005). If any parent had concerns or thought something should be added to the list of
commitments I would work to accommodate the concern or work their suggestions into the list.
Once teacher, students, and parents, come to a final agreement on the class commitments I will
have everyone sign a form saying they agree to follow the class commitments. By doing this I
can then refer back to them and signature later in the school year if there is an issue and point out
that it is a class commitments that was agreed to. Doing this adds an element of accountability to
the classroom in that if students, parents, or teacher break a commitment they have to take
responsibility of the violation.
After there is agreement on the commitments I would spend the next few weeks
reinforcing them in the classroom. It is pointless to make rules and then not follow them. It
shows a lack of commitment from the teacher, which could transform into a lack of commitment
from students. My hope would be that students would eventually internalize the class
commitments, and then work to keep each other in line.
I am not under the impression that class commitments are going to magically prevent
misbehavior from occurring on its own. The commitments will have to be paired with other

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strategies for preventing misbehavior in order to succeed in establishing a classroom with a
positive learning climate. According to Fred Jones, an important factor in preventing
misbehavior is making sure that as the teacher one is illustrating the behavior expected of
students (Hughes, 2014). If students see desired behavior and traits then they are more likely to
adopt them into their lives. For example, I would be openly accepting of all students that enter
my classroom in the hopes that it would not only make everyone feel welcome, but encourage
students to do the same. According to Albert, misbehavior stems from students wanting to feel a
sense of belonging in the classroom (Charles, 2005). Because of this, I will make every effort to
make my students feel like they are contributing to the classroom community. I will do this
through having weekly jobs, such as class motivator, light controller, and messenger. Having
class jobs will also allow students to practice being responsible.
While I am not a promoter of frequent rewards, small incentives can be effective in
preventing misbehavior. Having a behavior motivator, such as filling a jar of marbles for good
behavior or having a class sticker chart of good behavior, is a great way to visually show
students if their behavior has been acceptable and reward the whole class if they reach a goal.
The visual whole class motivators and rewards are more effective than individual rewards,
because whole class rewards are an incentive for students to encourage each other to behave. If
there are only individual rewards or incentives students end up just caring about their own
behavior, rather than having the in it together mentality that I want. Although I prefer not to give
individual awards, affirming desired behavior does show students what expectations are. Sending
home notes of good behavior or leaving notes of appreciated behavior on a students desk is
another technique I plan to use to prevent misbehavior. Leaving a note of good behavior on a
students desk gives them something to be proud of and also work towards receiving again.

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Sending a note of good behavior home connects parents to the classroom, letting parents know I
care about good behavior just as much as misbehavior, and it also gives students an opportunity
to be recognized by their family for good behavior, which will hopefully motivate students to
continue the desired behavior.
Although initiating strategies to avoid misbehavior is important, keeping the class
stimulated and happy is also important, because a positive environment is essential for learning.
To keep the class stimulated I hope to give them as many options about what they learn and the
activities they complete as possible. If students have input in what they are learning they feel like
they are contributing, and it also puts their learning into their own hands. To keep the classroom
lively and moving I will make sure that student have something to do at all times. Whether it is
morning work when they first walk in, like Harry Wong suggests, or brain teasers when they
finish early, I will always have something to keep their minds engaged (Jansen, 2014). The more
students are engaged in work, the less time they have to be engaged in misbehavior.
As many prevention strategies I put in place, there will always be misbehavior that will
need to be responded to. I prefer not refer to anything as punishment, because my goal is not to
make the student miserable or exert authoritative power, but to teach them to learn from their
mistakes and guide them in making the right behavior choices. There will have to be
consequences for misbehavior, but I will work to ensure the consequences are respectful,
reasonable, reliably enforced, and related like Albert recommends (Charles, 2005). Sometimes,
for little misbehavior problems, students just need it pointed out that they are not doing what
they should be. For example, if a student is talking when he or she knows it is inappropriate I
might do as Albert suggests and give them a look or work his/her name into instruction (Charles,

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2005). By doing this I do not have to stop instruction or work, but I am not brushing student
misbehavior under the rug.
When possible I will let natural consequences take their course as Barbara Coloroso
describes (Walker, 2014). For example, if a student does not study and does poorly he or she will
have to take the bad grade. If there are no natural consequences then I will consider the issue and
come up with a reasonable consequence. When considering what the consequence will be it is
important to ask the student what he or she thinks the consequence should be. In doing this,
students reflect on the misbehavior and have a chance to consider why it was a bad choice and
what will make up for it. For example, if a student pushed another student in line for no reason, I
would ask what he or she thinks is an acceptable solution. If the student answered with an
acceptable, like apologizing and moving to the back of the line, I would have them do. Like
Curwin and Mendler, I believe offering choices about consequences is important because it gives
the student a sense of control over their behavior, which is my end goal (Huffman, 2014). So, if
the student could not think of anything I would suggest two options, such as apologizing and
moving to the back of the line or sitting out of recess for 5 minutes.
Although some misbehaving can be solved with a look or a simple question of what is
reasonable, some issues need more attention and discussion to get to the root of the problem. To
handle this kind of misbehavior I will have what I will call a Building Bridges place in the
classroom. This is an out of the way place in the classroom where students will go to work out
problems with peers, or if necessary the teacher. The Building Bridges area will consist of a
small table with some chairs, or a small carpet on which to sit. There will be a laminated list of
questions to guide students in discussing their issue and coming to a solution agreed upon by all.

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The questions are based on Linda Alberts 6 Ds of Conflict Resolution (Charles, 2005). My list
of questions are as follows:
1.
2.
3.
4.

What is the problem/disagreement

What are you felling/why did you behave the way you did?
What do you need to mend the relationship?
What are three possible solutions to the problem?(each student comes up with a

possible solution and then one together)

5. What solution does everyone agree to carry out to make sure this problem does not
happen again?
6. What is one thing you respect/admire about the person(s) you had the issue with?
Students will take turns asking these questions and responding until they have restored the
relationship that was broken. They end with a plan to solve the solution and a compliment about
the other person because I want students to always walk away from the Building Bridges area
feeling positive and building each other up. This Building Bridges area and process will be
introduced and explained to students within the first few days of school. I would model it for
them so they knew what expectations were and have them practice with a partner so they are
familiar with what the process feels like. In order to monitor and ensure the Building Bridges
area is being effective, I will have check lists that the students involved will have to fill out
together. There will be a place for student names, a brief description of the problem, and a brief
description of the solution. Students will place the completed check list in a locked box, and I
will check it at the end of every day. The following day I will make sure to ask the students
involved if the solution they decided on was working, and if it was not I would offer to sit down
to further discuss what could be done. This process allows student to be responsible for their
behavior and issues, but it also allows me to monitor what is going on in my classroom and
intervene in if necessary.
The Building Bridges area is set up for pairs of conflicting people, but if necessary I
would convert it to an individual practice. If a student was causing issues and disrupting the

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whole class I would send him or her to the Building Bridges area and have them fill out a sheet
with these questions converted from above:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

What is the problem?

What are you felling/why did you behave the way you did?
What do you need to make the right behavior choice?
What are at least 2 possible solutions to the problem?
What solution do you agree to carry out to make sure this problem does not happen
again?

Students would hand this into me, the teacher, and I would make sure their solutions were carried
out. This allows students time to reflect on their behavior choices and take responsibility for it. I
would also send the check list home to the childs parents with a little note saying if their
solution was a success, or if we still needed to work on solving the misbehavior.
I have no doubt this plan will need tweaking once in the classroom, but I feel that now
that I have reflected on my needs, the purpose of classroom and behavior management, and
possible theories to consider, I am better prepared to take on a classroom of students.

References
Albert, L. (1995). Discipline: is it a dirty word? [PDF file]. Retrieved from
https://www2.bc.edu/~peck/CooperativeDisciplineArticle.pdf

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Charles, C.M. (2005). Linda alberts cooperative discipline [PDF file]. In Building classroom
management (Chapter 12). Retrieved from
http://cherieholt.wiki.westga.edu/file/view/AlbertChapter.pdf
Huffman, J. (April, 2014). Richard Curwin and Allen Mendler: Discipline with dignity. Visual
presented to EDUC 370: Classroom management, Bridgewater College.
Hughes, K. (April, 2014). Fred Jones: Positive classroom discipline. Visual presented to EDUC
370: Classroom management, Bridgewater College.
Jansen, E. (April, 2014). Harry Wong: First days of school. Visual presented to EDUC 370:
Classroom management, Bridgewater College.
Walker, K. (April, 2014). Barbara Coloroso: Inner discipline. Visual presented to EDUC 370:
Classroom management, Bridgewater College.