Classroom Management Plan

By Miss Sheets

Teaching Philosophy
I believe that, first and foremost, a teacher should have a
passion for the career they have chosen. It is evident to students,
parents, and fellow teachers when someone is going through the
motions of teaching as opposed to diving into the profession
wholeheartedly. Teaching is not a nine to five, five days a week job; it is
a lifestyle, and teachers must be willing and ready for this lifestyle
when they go into it. I also believe teachers must love children; they
must see the inherent good in each student that walks through their
door and strive to accentuate each students individual strengths and
improve on their weaknesses. It is easy to pick favourites, but it is
important to love and appreciate each student for the qualities that
make them unique. It may not always be easy to find the good in each
student you come across, but it is necessary as a teacher. Children
need a champion, someone to believe in them, and that champion can
very easily be their teacher! Teachers, on average, spend more time
with students during the week than their parents do. Because of this,
teachers have a huge influence on the students they teach. I believe it
is our responsibility to live as role models for each student we have
and inspire them to reach the goals they have for themselves. By
presenting ourselves as humans who both make mistakes but also
strive to do our best in everything, we will build our students into
humble but driven individuals. As a teacher, students should be our
number one priority. After all, if it werent for them, we would not have
a job!
Teachers owe it to their students to create as many opportunities
for success as possible. Each student, regardless of their differences,
deserves an equal opportunity to achieve their goals in the classroom.
My goal as a teacher is to make sure this happens for each student I
come across. I believe it is important that, although it can be
inconvenient and time-consuming, a teacher tailors his or her lessons
and classroom to benefit each and every student. This is part of the job
and responsibility as an educator. It is also incredibly evident how
much more successful a lesson is when it is tailored to the learning
needs and styles of the students within the classroom. Why not tailor
your lessons around your students if it means the lesson will turn out
better? Students want to be respected and I believe this is essential to

any classroom. If there is a positive relationship between the student

and teacher the student will perform better and the teacher will be
more eager to aid the student in any way possible. I hope to build this
type of relationship with each student I am blessed to teach. There will
always be the easy students and, of course, the hard students.
However, there is always reasoning behind why a student acts a
certain way. I hope that, in my own career, I give an equal amount of
time and opportunities to my students, and remove student bias from
my teaching. By treating each student as if they are my favourite, I will
remove the idea of a teachers pet or favourite student from my
classroom. This is one of my biggest goals as an educator: to show
each student that they matter to me and that their happiness and
success are the most important things to me.
Schools are the builders of tomorrows citizens and teachers are
the ones getting their hands dirty during this building process.
However, it is the willingness of a teacher to do all of this without
hesitation that will create the positive learning environment necessary
for students to succeed. Being a teacher means putting the students
first. If and when this is done, the smaller parts of this profession tend
to fall into place a lot easier. Teachers have a lot of power in that they
educate the leaders of tomorrow. It is up to us to ensure that this
power is used in the most effective and positive way possible.

Classroom Procedures
Consistent procedures and routines are crucial for students of all
types and abilities and will allow classroom activities to occur smoothly.
Below I have shared some key procedures in the classroom and how I
plan to manage them specifically.
Attention-getting procedures:
To begin the day or a lesson I will stand where all students can see
me and say Boys and girls
If attention is needed in the middle of a lesson or activity and it may
be more difficult to bring the focus back to me, I may choose to
again say Boys and girls or say Eyes up loudly. When that is
said students must pause what they are doing and reply by saying
Eyes up and focusing their eyes and ears in my direction.
I may flick the lights on and off to gain quick or immediate attention
from students if and when necessary. This will be used as a lastresort choice in attention getting.

When the noise level in the classroom is becoming inappropriate for

the activity occurring I will use my N-O-I-S-E letters that will be
placed on the whiteboard at the front of the classroom. When the
noise level is too loud I will remove one letter from the word NOISE.
If, throughout the day, all five letters are removed from the
whiteboard the students as a group will be reprimanded based on
the severity of the behaviour exhibited when each letter was
removed from the board. This will be a silent reminder for students
to correct their volume without disrupting the lesson to give a
verbal reminder.

Question/answering procedures:
Coming up with age-appropriate questions during lessons will be
crucial for me to engage students in discussion. By using wait-time
to allow students to truly think through their answers, I am hoping
that engagement will increase.
Students will only be called on when they are sitting respectfully
with their hands raised. Students who shout out answers will not be
acknowledged unless it becomes a distraction for others. In that
case they will be asked to stop using their name, please raise
your hand. A simple command will reinforce the importance of this
routine.
I will thank and acknowledge correct answers through the use of a
compliment including the students name.
Transition procedures:
Transitions can be a stressful time for students and by using
routines this stress can be reduced. As I will be teaching in the
afternoons I will not be responsible for the start of day routines with
the students. However, if I am placed in the opportunity to teach in
the morning during my practicum I will use the same routines my
Teacher Associate has used to allow for fluid transitions between our
two teaching times.
To signal when I will be teaching the students I will thank my
Teacher Associate and ask the students to use the following two
minutes to prepare and transition over to the subject I will be
teaching. This will allow them to unwind between the lessons but
also grab the necessary materials for the subject I will teach. If
specific materials are needed in the lesson I will prompt students

with a list of necessary items before asking them to transition. They

will transition into my lesson when I say go or grab your
materials, signalling the instructions are done and they are free to
move.
Throughout the lesson I will use Group Leaders (one student in each
group of desks) to grab the materials needed for the given activity.
This will reduce disruption and movement during the lesson and
teach leadership as well. The end of the lesson or end of the day will
result in the same Group Leader returning all necessary materials to
where they belong and students cleaning up their own desk area.
Desks will be checked by the teacher regularly (two or three times
weekly) at the end of the day to ensure students are staying
organized and the end of the day will also include time for agendawriting and any final announcements made by the teacher.
The end of day routine of my Teacher Associate will be used to
ensure a smooth transition into my teaching time for the students
and to avoid confusion in which routines to continue with.

Routine procedures:
Late arrivals to class will be expected to get prepared for the lesson
as quickly and quietly as necessary. Any notes for the teacher will
be placed on her desk for her to read at her earliest convenience.
She will also discuss the tardiness with the student at the next
available time during silent work.
Absences, both long- and short-term will be brought to the teachers
attention as soon as possible. Students will be asked to meet with
the teacher individually during their first recess once they return to
school to discuss what work they missed and must catch up on. This
will previously have been prepared by the teacher.
Bathroom and water breaks will be allowed during silent work
periods and not during lectures.
Students will also be expected to wait to get out of their desks to
sharpen pencils or grab materials until all instructions are shared
and the teacher is done talking.
Students do not need to ask to sharpen pencils or grab materials so
long as they do so quietly during a work period.
Students will be expected, however, to ask to use the washroom or
grab a drink of water.
Late or missing homework will be discussed individually between
the teacher and student. They will be given two days to hand in the

late or missing homework before a discussion involved parents as

well.
During free time in the classroom students will be expected to stay
in their desks or sit on the floor if approved by the teacher during
that time. Free time can include working on homework, reading
silently, colouring or drawing, writing, or playing educational-based
games in small groups. The teacher must approve these games.
The fire drill and lockdown procedures available near the exit of the
classroom will be used and followed during my practicum. No
changes will be made to ensure that safety is kept and all students
understand their responsibilities during these times. These
procedures will be reviewed in a large group discussion monthly.

Building Positive Relationships

Relationship building is the most important aspect of school for
both the teacher and student. In my classroom this will be a heavy
focus. This will be done in the following ways:
Seating plan:
I will plan to change the seating arrangement periodically (goal is
monthly) to ensure students get acquainted with all of their
classmates. I will attempt to mix friends with those they do not
know as well in seating groups to allow students the familiarity of
those they know with the opportunity of getting to know others at
the same time.
Students will also be given the opportunity to tell me who they
believe they work well with for both group work and seating plans,
allowing them the opportunity to have a say in the process as well.
Recording of student interests:
Prior to the beginning of practicum I spent an afternoon with my
class. During this time I presented them with a survey to fill out that
allowed me to get to know them better while I planned over the
Christmas break. The survey asked basic information about the

children as well as their interests, hobbies, and favourite aspects of

school. This is a helpful beginning to working on incorporating their
interests into classroom activities.
I will work to continue this through conversations in the classroom
and follow-up activities as well.
Interactions:
I plan to begin each school day by greeting my students individually
in the morning as they enter the classroom.
I will also work to catch up with each student, during work periods
or transition time, as regularly as time permits.
By emphasizing the importance of regular communication and open
dialogue in the classroom I hope to build a place where students
feel safe in opening up to me about anything they wish to.
As well, I will use age-appropriate language with my students to
ensure there are no misunderstandings when we interact.

Intervention
Through the use of consistent routines in the classroom and a
focus on positive relationships with the students, I hope that
interventions will not be commonly needed. However, preparation is
key in the classroom.
Classroom rules:
Students will use their five fingers to recall the five basic classroom
rules I will use. They must respect: themselves, the teacher, their
classmates, their classroom, and the school as a whole. As a group
we will discuss what respecting each of these looks like and how I
expect them to achieve each of these on a daily basis. In turn I will
also follow these five rules. We will work collaboratively to ensure
everyone in the class understands what respect of all five
categories looks like.
Strategies:
Students will be expected to raise their hand to speak during the
lesson.

If students are talking out of turn or off-task I will not call attention
to them the first time it takes place. Instead I will use non-verbal
cues such as standing close to them or making eye contact with
them to remind them to correct their behaviour. The second warning
will become verbal beginning with their name, please This will
never be done with a raised voice and I will work to remain calm
throughout it. The third warning will include the same verbal
beginning with a warning this time that their behaviour is not
acceptable and must be changed immediately.
Students who are acting inappropriately or aggressively in the
classroom (towards any of the five categories they must respect as
previously mentioned) will be given these three stages of
intervention as well depending on the severity of their actions.
Anything directed at another individual negatively will not be
tolerated and immediately shut down by the teacher through verbal
cues. Based on the focus on respect and relationships in the
classroom, students will be expected to know what is tolerated
within the classroom and what is not.