Classroom Management Plan

Classroom Management Plan

Jessica Seng
Grand Valley State University
EDI 638-01

Classroom Management Plan

My classroom management plan includes many ideas from different management

theorists with various different thoughts and opinions. I want my students to have a
positive and warm experience in my classroom; one where they will feel comfortable and
safe and I have chosen theorists that fit my personal beliefs. I also want my students to
accept responsibility for their actions and treat their peers as well as myself with mutual
respect. My classroom arrangement will be one that encourages the use of technology,
inquiry, and student-to-student learning.
It is important that when my students walk into my classroom that they feel
comfortable, cared for, safe, and that they are in an environment of positivity. I will greet
them daily in order to get to know my students better and build deeper emotional
connections with them. I want them to feel comfortable enough to come with me with
their problems and concerns and know that I will help them to the best of my ability. This
is why I agree with Flip Flippen, the creator of Capturing Kids Hearts, he believes that
building strong relationships with students will benefit their learning and make them
successful in the classroom. Students are more apt to work harder for you when they feel
they have a deep connection with you (Flippen, 2007).
I want the classroom climate to be filled with positivity and supportive for student
inquiry. I do not ever want any of my students to feel that they are unable to answer a
question or share a comment in fear of someone retaliating in a negative way back
towards them. According to Harry Wong it is important to be a walking and talking
advertisement in your school and to your students. I will make sure that I keep a positive

Classroom Management Plan

attitude in my classroom and throughout my school towards my students as well as my

faculty and community members. I will lead by example with my positive attitude,
encourage positivity within my students, and address negative behavior before it becomes
problematic (Wong 2009).
Another part of Flip Flippins Capturing Kids Heart Theory is making a social
contract. My students and I will make a social contract together in order to hold each
other accountable for our actions and behavior. We will discuss how we would want to be
treated by each other and why it is important that we follow these rules. We will also
come up with consequences and strategies for conflict management. This is a good way
for students to take ownership in the classroom and take the social contract seriously
knowing we developed it together. I will follow the same set of rules that we create
together in order to keep up the walking advertisement of behavior I expect of my
students to have and lead by example. We will all sign the social contract together in
order to say we agree to the terms and consequences that come with it (Flippin 2007).
When it comes to discipline I want my students to learn how to correct their own
behavioral problems in order to be successful in school as well as in their personal lives. I
also want students to be problem solvers and try to work out conflicts together, using our
social contract as a reference. This is similar to Barbara Colorosos theory where she
promotes inner discipline. Inner discipline is when students develop their own sense of
self-control, which comes with the practice of solving problems on their own and with
their peers. Teachers are used as a guide to help students take positive charge of their
lives by showing them what they did wrong, assume ownership of the problem, and teach
them ways to solve it so it is not repeated (Coloroso, 2008). I want to be a last resort for

Classroom Management Plan

student-to-student conflict and issues, hoping they can build strong and understanding
relationships together on their own. I realize that there may be occasions when student-tostudent conflict management will not be successful and I will have to reinforce the social
contract expectations as well as provide punishment when necessary. According to Wong
it is important to establish and reinforce procedures right away in order to establish a safe
and consistent environment. I couldnt agree more with this theory and I will make sure
that our procedures and social contract are established and reinforced right away (Wong
2009).
When it comes to punishment outside of the social contract and in extreme
circumstances I know that it is important to take the time to find out why that behavior
took place. It is imperative that I find out why my student acted out in such a way and
what I can do as their teacher to help keep that from ever happening again. I will continue
to be nurturing and calm and explain to them that it is okay to make wrong decisions
sometimes, as long as they are able to learn from them and try to better themselves from
it. I also want my students to have the chance to problem solve and come up with an idea
of what they could do differently next time. This will hopefully prevent a similar situation
from happening in the future.
My classroom arrangement will be one that encourages the use of technology,
inquiry, and student-to-student learning. Technology will be used daily in my classroom
if not by me, then by my students, if not by both. There is no real telling what kind of
technology that I will become blessed with but it will be accessible to my students and
they will learn the correct way to use it as well as how to be respectful with it. This will
be an area that we will cover during our social contract development. I think it is very

Classroom Management Plan

important for students to feel comfortable using some of the provided technology on their
own in the classroom. It is something that should be eased into in order to make sure that
every student feels the same level of comfort with using it. If students do not feel
comfortable using the technology provided, it will not be utilized to its full potential.
I want my students to feel comfortable using inquiry based learning as well as
comfortable exploring deeper into the topics that we discuss in class. I feel that this is key
to higher-level thinking and higher cognitive understanding. In order for students to feel
comfortable asking these higher-level thinking questions and participate in the
deliberation of ideas, the comfortable classroom atmosphere needs to be upheld. There
also needs to be multiple resources around the room that are accessible to students at all
times. There needs to be various books, journals, newspapers, encyclopedias, as well as
technological websites provided that correspond with topics that will be covered in the
classroom. There should also be posters up around the room promoting inquiry and some
with sample questions on them that students can relate back to and answer in order to
practice and help develop this understanding.
Student-to-student as well as small group learning will be utilized and encouraged
in my classroom. Students desks will be in small group in orders to promote deep
discussion and learning from one another. Students who learn how to work successfully
with another as well as in groups will develop essential social, cooperation, and problem
solving skills that cannot be taught by just lecturing in front of the class. These skills need
to be practiced continuously in order for students to feel comfortable using them and be
successful using them in the future. This is why again, it is important to have a

Classroom Management Plan

comfortable, respectful, and safe classroom atmosphere where students are unafraid to
share their opinions, ideas, and questions, and are able to do so in a respectful manner.

I realize my classroom environment plan is a smorgasbord of

theories from multiple philosophers as well as a little personal
philosophy of my own but I truly feel that this will lead to a successful
environment for my students to learn and grow in. A classroom that is
inviting and comfortable in which my students are eager to attend
everyday. I want them all to feel that they are important and a crucial
piece to the classroom as well as to the success of one another. I want
them to accept responsibility for their actions both positive and
negative and hold themselves and their classmates accountable.
Accepting responsibility for their actions by making their own decisions
will help students develop self-confidence. I also want them to learn to
problem solve not only with their academics but also with conflicts that
arise in the classroom and at school with one another. I feel that these
are key concepts that will not only benefit them in elementary school
but will also help them succeed in the future. I also want them to leave
my classroom at the end of the year and know that I will continue to
always be their supporter and someone they can go to in the future for
help. I hope that they look back at their year with me in great fondness
and remember how special they were to me and continue on doing
great things with that in mind. I want them to remember that they are

Classroom Management Plan

special and cared for and that they will do amazing things in the future,
if they work hard and try to make good decisions and if they need me, I
will always be there.

References
Coloroso, B. (2008). Building classroom discipline. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson
Education, Inc.
Flippen, F. (2007). Capturing kids hearts. College Station, TX: The Flippen Group.
Wong, H.K & Wong, R.T. (2009). The first days of school: How to be an effective
teacher. Mountainview, CA: Harry K. Wong Publications, Inc.