Classroom Management and

Communication Plan
Management Style and Philosophical Beliefs (Artifact 1)
Strong classroom management is important for many aspects, on
behalf of the teacher and the students. One of the biggest reasons is
shown by a study by Kati Haycock (1998) that students of effective
teachers can gain up to 52 percentile points in their achievement over a
year's time. The average for yearly maturation is about 6 percentile
points. So, really the teachers effect is approximately 46 percentile
points. This is very significant and makes me realize my position as a
teacher. A second reason for effective classroom management is so that I
am not occupied with a misbehaving student and leaving the rest of my
students to deal with that students behavior. It is not fair to give most of
my attention to one student, they all deserve it. Having effective
classroom management also allows for a better relationship between
teacher and students. Students have more respect for a teacher who has
control over their classroom, and with respect, comes higher learning.
In order to have effective classroom management, I believe in the
theories of the Dreikurs and Albert Model (Larson & Keiper, p. 34).
S tudents at the middle school level are capable of being responsible for
their own behavior to promote learning. Not only do I want to teach my
students educational material, but lifelong lessons about responsibility,
accountability and selfdiscipline. I strongly believe in natural
consequences, such as peer response for bad behavior or losing a grade
in the grade book for forgetting homework. Students this age need to
learn that they have the ability to control their behaviors and actions. I
want to foster this understanding in my students.
I do not think that harsh discipline is helpful. If anything, it gives
students and angry feeling toward those who discipline them and leaves
them angry, in general. I would much rather use nonverbal cues to try to
squelch behaviors I do not want. If I need to escalate to verbal discussion,
I will be prepared for that as my next step. I really feel that it is important,
socially, for students this age to start learning how to be responsible for
their learning and behaviors. I expect them to do as they are expected or
deal with the natural consequences.
Challenging students is often something that teachers do not do

enough of. If a task is too easy, students get bored and get into mischief.
If its too hard, they get frustrated and often get into mischief. As a
teacher, I believe that it is my role to make sure that my students are
challenged enough to want to actively learn and stay in the flow. Artifact 1
is a teachers personal philosophy statement that sums up exactly how I
feel about my teaching and my future students.
Resource
Kati Haycock, Good Teaching MattersA Lot. Thinking K16. The
Education Trust. Volume 3, Issue 2, Summer 1998

Positive Classroom Culture (Artifact 2)

In order for a student to successfully learn, he/she needs to have a
positive relationship with the teacher. In order to build this relationship, I
want to show my students, through my actions, that I care about them
and their education. I want my students to feel like they belong and are
cared for in my classroom. In order to set this precedence in my room, I
want to begin the school year with some team building activities. I feel
like it is important for students to feel like a team and bond with each
other.
The two activities that I have in artifact 2 are team building activities, for
the students to feel included. I am trying to set up a support network for
the students to feel like they can have a safe environment to learn in. My
students will know that there are no wrong opinions and that everyone in
my class will be heard. We, as a class, will support everyone and make
sure that everyone is heard. These are points that I will make sure my
students understand in my classroom.
I want my classroom to be a relaxed but positive learning
environment. I feel that the use of music is beneficial in creating an
atmosphere like this. I will use music during nonlecture times to help
students to stay focused. (I prefer classical music when I am working, but
I think it will depend on the students in my class.) I do not have any
specific ways of gaining rapport with students but I know that this is
important in having a positive classroom culture.

Classroom Rules & Procedures (Artifact 3 )

I do not believe in strongly controlling a group of middle school
students. I would like to gain rapport and have a relationship with my
students. I believe that in order to demonstrate that, I need to have
expectations for my classroom that involve value of human life (see
Artifact 3). To demonstrate that, my first expectation is The Golden Rule:
Treat others as you would be treated. My wish is that students will gain a
sense of community in the room and want to treat others well. The next
item is that they need to come to class on time and prepared. To
demonstrate this, their homework is due 1 minute after the bell rings. This
way, students will need to be in class and prepared in order to turn it in. If
it is late, they have to put it in a different basket that I may or may not get
to grading. The third expectation is laugh with anyone but laugh at no
one. I want my classroom to be a fun and positive environment for the
students. In order for this to be achieved, the students must be respectful
of each others feelings. If they laugh with each other it is fun; if they laugh
at someone it is not fun for that someone. That last expectation is Be
responsible for your own learning. Students need to realize that I can only
say so many words that connect with their brains; they are the ones who
need to be active in their learning process.
Having procedures or routines for the classroom are important for
students. They like to know what is going to happen. I have general
procedures for the classroom. Here are my procedures for my classroom:
Entering class:
Students are required to come to class on time and prepared.
You have 1 minute after the bell rings to turn your homework
into the Will grade this week basket (also if you are tardy
with excuse). If you are tardy without an excuse put your
homework in the Will grade when I have time basket. Then
get out your notebook and write and answer daily questions
and learning objectives for the day.
During class:
You are expected to respond appropriately to discussion and
activities in the classroom.
Follow school and classroom expectations.
If food is allowed at school, I will allow a healthy snack
and water to be in my classroom. If gum is allowed by

school, I will allow gum.

A pass is required to leave my classroom: bathroom, nurse,
office. A pass is required to return to my classroom. If you do
not have one, you will be sent to the office to get one.
I believe that music is beneficial to brain functioning and
development (Ask me for research, if interested.) Music
will be played during nonlecture time.
Outside of class: You are expected to do your own homework.
Working with friends is appropriate but copying from friends is not.
Classroom Layout (Artifact 4)
The thought of a classroom layout is exciting to me. It can show how
welcoming and involved I want to be, as a teacher. I feel that group (24)
work is an essential component of learning for middle school students. My
room will be set up with tables sitting up to four students. This will allow
for individual and group work. If tables are not available, I would put four
desks together, but making sure that the group is angled to be able to see
the teacher and the teacher to see them from almost anywhere in the
room. The teachers desk would be located to the side of the room in a
corner, only to be used as a place to regroup materials and sit during
planning. There will be bookshelves located in the room, where space is
available. I feel that miscellaneous topic books are necessary for students
to be around. Other books may be textbooks or resources for me. Then,
as you are looking at the room from across the door, the front of the
classroom has a big open area for students to walk through. This is also
where the projector would be pulled up to or connected. There will be a
projection screen and dry erase board located at the front of the room. A
small table where work should be turned in also sits at the front of the
room. It will be the location for me to set my class items for class time
and lecture, if necessary.

Monitoring Classroom and Responding to Student Misbehavior

(Artifact 5)
When responding to student behaviors, I try to consider that these
students are made to sit still and be quiet for 6+ hours a day. I know that is
not possible for me. I try to take that into consideration and allow the fact
that some students have a hard time sitting still. That would not bother me

in a class. As a matter of fact, I would even let students stand as long as

they are actively learning. I am a person who is acutely aware of my
surroundings and quite aware of peoples attention. If I feel that a student is
not paying attention, I will give them some nonverbal cues to get focused.
If this continues, I will start walking around the room a little more,
especially near that person. I believe that usually students are aware this is
a tactic and try to straighten up. Proximity is my major line of defense for
behaviors. If the behavior still continues, I will directly address it while in
the classroom.
However, there are a few things that I would have to address. I refuse
to allow students to mistreat (verbally or physically) or even make rude
comments to each other. When this occurs, I will ask the offending student
to come up with a form of an apology, in private, for the one offended. I
want students to try to grasp the concept of treating others in a humanlike
way. I will definitely address this in my Expectations lesson at the
beginning of school but will also keep reminding students of this throughout
the school year. After reading Teaching with Love and Logic by Faye and
Funk, I am able to see a different perspective. I see that keeping control of
the classroom through classroom discussion and engagement, and not
engaging in argumentative behavior with students can and will help with
behaviors. I would like to try and deal with behaviors within my room
through a conversation with the student at the time that it occurs, rather
than sending a student to the office. I do not want to engage the student in
his/her behavior because it just creates a cycle of misbehavior (see artifact
5). I want students to realize that they are responsible for their own actions
and behavior.
Obviously, there will be rules made by the school and made by the
district that I will adhere to. These rules are made for a purpose and I will
try my best to adhere to them and to remind students of them, also.

Parents as Partners (Artifact 6, attached here)

As a teacher, I realize that parents are our best resource for
understanding our students. There will be some familial relationships that
are not the best, and will also have to take this into consideration.
However, I think that before school even starts, I would like to send out a
parent survey for them to fill out about their child. An example of a parent
inventory/questionnaire is artifact 6.

Depending on what school district I work in, these may or may not be
actual questions that I send to parents. This would involve questions that
ask about their childs favorite thing about school, ways of learning and if
the parents feel the students have too much/not enough homework. I also
would want t o know if students have an adult at home who would be
comfortable helping the student with homework, if needed. I just want to
get a feel of the child from the parents perspective. The way that parents
fill these out will even give me insight into the life of the child. It will help
me see if I might have an overly involved parent and how they want to stay
connected or that I might have a parent who is not so involved.
As a parent, I have gotten many phone calls after phone call about my
sons behavior. Honestly, they were behaviors that the teacher should have
dealt with and realized that is just my sons personality. I know that parents
only want to be called if it is a serious situation. I feel that for the most part,
sending an email will suffice. (How they would want to be contacted would
be a question on the questionnaire.)
I do feel that it is important for teachers to send information
regarding their class schedules and topics that they are learning about.
Providing a weekly email about the classroom goings on would be a great
way for communication with parents. I would send this information via email
for those who have it and paper for those who do not.

ARTIFACTS
Artifact 1

Artifact 2
Team Building Exercises
Piece of the Puzzle
The purpose is to allow students to see how they can contribute to a
group and how it is necessary for the whole group to be complete. The
instructor should explain this concept to the students. Teacher should have
a handmade poster puzzle paper cut into pieces that total the number of
students in the class. There should also be drawing materials and craft
items to decorate the puzzle pieces. Each student takes a piece of the
puzzle and decorates it according to their likes, dislikes, beliefs or ideas.
They need to make it something to represent them. When all students are
finished, then they have to put the puzzle together. The teacher can put
the puzzle in a frame to hang up for the classes to remind students how
they are a team.
Solemn and Silent
The instructor explains that this exercise will take selfcontrol.
Members pair up and stand back to back. On the count of three, everyone
must face their partner, look each other in the eyes, and then try to remain
solemn and serious. No speaking! The first to smile or laugh must sit down.
All who remain standing then take a new partner and the activity continues
until only one person has not smiles or laughed. (Second round of playing
can involve two teams competing to outlast each other.) If you get a pair at
the end who are both keeping a straight face, the rest of the group can act
as hecklers to disrupt them.

Artifact 3

Artifact 4
Classroom Design

Artifact 5

Artifact 6

Middle School Parent Inventory

What is your childs favorite subject in school?

How well do you think your child does in school?

Does your child do any extracurricular activities?

Has your child had too much, not enough or just the right amount of homework in
the past?

What kind of learner is your child? Do they need to touch things, just listen or be
up and moving to learn?
Does your family have any cultural aspects that are important for me to be aware
of?

Are there any adults in your home that would be able to help your child with
schoolwork, if needed?
What is the best way to contact you if there was an important situation to discuss
with you? Please provide contact information.
***Please note that I am available anytime that you need to talk. You can always
leave a phone message or email, and I will return it at my earliest ability. I would
love to schedule a time to meet you and get to know your family!