Classroom

Come to Life INTRODUCTION

My personal philosophy towards classroom management centers around a learning

environment based on cooperation and respect. I want my students to understand that every
individual in the room, including myself, is there to promote learning, and we are all in it
together. I feel that my weakest point in classroom management lies in responding to
misbehavior; therefore, I have developed a goal to develop a toolbox of possible responses and
techniques for this purpose.
My future classroom will be a 10th-11th grade chemistry class at either the regular or
honors level. This Classroom Come to Life project is created around my own high school
experience in combination with some things I have observed in my field placements. I want to
teach in a suburban area school, potentially outside of a larger urban city; therefore, I chose to
base my future classroom off of a demographic and setting I am already intimately familiar
with. The demographics for this school system as well as other useful statistics are listed below.

ENTRE 1 Classroom Environment: Physical Layout

General Setup

Testing Setup

Social Contact
The general setup is organized such that students are in close proximity and are able to
communicate with each other easily. The open set up also allows the teacher to circulate easily
and observe student progress as they work. No students are hidden in the middle of the row
out of the teachers normal circuit.
The testing setup has desks put in straight lines to minimize students line of sight to
each others work. Students will be randomly assigned seats for testing with a seating chart
projected as they enter the room. When the room is set like this, it is expected that students
will be seated quickly and quietly so that testing may begin as soon as possible.

Security & Shelter
The overall layout of the classroom is consistent with the expectations of a high school
chemistry lab including safety features such as a fume hood, safety shower, eye wash, and
lockable prep room with flammable/corrosive storage. Desks have a dual function as lab tables,
and each table fits two students. Lab benches with gas access and sinks line the walls, and
cabinets are positioned around the entire room both above and below the lab benches for
glassware and other chemistry hardware. Storage is located in the corner of the room for safety
eyewear and flame/chemical resistant lab coats.

Symbolic Identification

In addition to the obvious laboratory nature of the room, two major features will
contribute to symbolic identification in this chemistry classroom. Every year, students will be
assigned a project for Mole Day (October 23) in which they will make stuffed animal moles. This
is a common project that teachers implement to celebrate chemistrys favorite holiday for the
universal stoichiometric unit, the mole. These moles will be displayed on the tops of the
cabinets surround the room so that students, parents, and visitors can see the creativity of the

ENTRE 1 Classroom Environment: Physical Layout

class. Over the years, I will collect more and more moles to display, and these moles will serve
to provide a warmer climate in the room and inspire new students.

The chosen classroom layout does not provide a lot of open wall space as cabinets line
the walls for storage. However, it would not only be aesthetically pleasing but also useful to
have a version of the periodic table of elements shown on the ceiling tiles. Students will always
be provided a periodic table, so there is not conflict with testing. The periodic table is one of
chemistrys best known symbols, and this would truly distinguish this lab room as a chemistry
lab rather than any other science.

Task Instrumentality

The general seating arrangement is designed so that every student has a relatively clear
view of presentations at all time. Clustering tables into groups of four would be more conducive
to group work; however, I find it preferable to have all students facing towards a common focal
point. Additionally, the chosen layout avoids congestion in tight spaces between desks and
provides clear paths through the classroom. In order to maintain this set-up or quickly return to
it, colored tape will mark desk positions on the floor.

At the front of the room, the teacher has both a desk and a raised lab table for
demonstrations. The teachers desk is located at the front of the room as it is more conducive
to direct instruction to have a lectern at the front to keep notes on and provides the teacher an
unobstructed view of the entire classroom from a perspective that allows the teacher to see
every students face. The attached lab table will be equipped with a sink and gas output so that
demonstrations will be easily visible.

Pleasure

Chemistry classrooms can easily devolve into a hard, cold place due to the lab nature of
the room. However, the use of colors and patterns to decorate the teachers desk and boards at
the front of the room will combat this harsh perspective. Small pictures of chemical symbols
like the atom, a particular element, etc. added to the cabinets surrounding the room will also
add relief to the benches and hardware of the lab. Additionally, personal touches like the
stuffed moles described above under Task Instrumentality add a softer texture to the room.

Growth

To encourage student growth in science, specifically, chemistry, a classroom library will
be available at the front of the room containing books such as The Ultimate Visual Dictionary of
Science and other useful texts. Complimentary to the library, one of the bulletin boards will be
dedicated as a Random Acts of Science. One of the anchor activities available to students will
include the creation of a small brochure/poster no larger than a single piece of paper on a
random act of science in which students choose a nature phenomenon that interests them.
They are responsible for researching the science behind it and sharing that information. For
example, one brochure could explain how cohesive versus adhesive forces cause water to form
droplets on windows when it rains. These projects will be posted on the bulletin board for all
students to investigate and expand their knowledge.

ENTRE 2 Classroom Environment: Positive Climate

The first step in creating an effective learning environment is to develop a positive
classroom climate in which students are comfortable with themselves, their teacher, and their
classmates.

Positive Student-Teacher Relationships

Positive student-teacher relationships are key to developing authoritarian classroom
management such that students can trust but also respect the teacher. These relationships are
built on getting to know students. In order to learn more about students, their living situations,
their needs, and their preferences for learning, a Who are you? questionnaire will be
completed in class on the first day of school.

Who are you?

Note: I will not share your answers with anyone without your permission.
Basic Information
Name:
Name you like to be called:
Date of birth:
Parents or guardians names:
Email address(es):

Place of birth:
Phone number(s):

Any siblings? What age? Do they live with you?

Others who live in your household?
Who would you like me to tell when you do something especially well?

What language do you speak at home?
Are you new to this school?
If so, where were you before?

Activities and Interests
What time do you usually wake up?
When do you usually go to sleep?

How do you get to school?
How long does it take?
What do you do after school?

What are your other interests?


What do you imagine yourself doing ten years from now?


The Way You Learn
Do you like this subject?
Why or why not?

ENTRE 2 Classroom Environment: Positive Climate

What would you really like to learn about in this class?


Whats a fair amount of homework time to expect you to give to this class?


Describe the way you learn best.


How do you feel about working in groups?


Is there anything that could make this class especially hard for you?


Can you think of a way I could help you with this?


Is there anything else about you that you would like me to know?
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Teachers must be able to get to know their students, but it is just as important for
students to see their teacher as a human as well as an educator. Students dont want their
teachers to be a stranger; they want to know where I went to college, if I have had any other
jobs before this one, why I became a teacher in chemistry, and if Im married, have kids, etc.
These burning questions can easily be answered in the beginning introduction to the class.

In addition to these specific strategies, the teachers affect in the classroom can be
significantly beneficial to developing positive student-teacher relationships. This positive affect
includes being welcoming, learning students names, being fair, using humor, being aware of
adolescent culture, and more. The little things that teachers do to better understand their
students do not go unnoticed.

Once positive student-teacher relationships have blossomed, they must be tended to
like a plant in a garden. Adolescents deal with a lot of natural insecurity at this time in their
lives, and so it is especially important for students not to feel as if their teacher is going to go

ENTRE 2 Classroom Environment: Positive Climate

behind their backs. The simplest way to maintain these relationships is to follow through on
promises and keeping students trust. Secondly, I would like to make myself as available as
possible to students, whether that means opening my classroom for students to have lunch in
or staying afterschool a little longer for students to come in before they leave for the day.

Positive Peer-Peer Relationships

In order to be successful, students need to fulfill their drive for affirmation and feel like
they belong in the class. Positive peer-peer relationships constitute an important factor in
finding affirmation, and so teachers must provide opportunities for classmates to get to know
each other and interact positively. These positive interactions can be implicitly modeled by the
teacher and encouraged in instruction through cooperative learning lessons. To be more
explicit, get-to-know-you activities help students learn about each other in a manner they find
fun. For example, students can write a list of fun facts about themselves on a notecard and we
can use the first or last five minutes of class to try to identify who belongs to each set of facts.

Finding affirmation in school can be especially difficult for students that have to face
additional challenges, whether that means learning English as a second language, overcoming a
disability, or battling some other physical, emotional, or psychological problem. Helping these
students starts with knowing what challenges they face, which can happen through the Who
are you? questionnaire without becoming common knowledge to the entire class.
Additionally, students have misconceptions about who can and cannot do well in science. In my
classroom, I would like to start the year with an activity that puts students into the context of
science. The activity starts with students drawing the picture of a scientist, most likely they will
draw an older man in a white lab coat holding a beaker. Then, students will be asked to
describe their pictures in a class discussion before I reveal my personal drawing showing me
teaching in front of a class with a ponytail. To finish the activity, I would like students to throw
out their first drawing and draw themselves as a scientist. These pictures can be kept in their
binders or notebooks as a constant reminder that they can succeed despite what stereotypes
society has placed on them.

ENTRE 2 Classroom Environment: Positive Climate

Threatened or Lacking

Teachers need to develop a plan in case the mechanisms for developing a positive
climate fail or there is some situation threatening that climate. Positive classroom climates are
necessary so that students can learn; therefore, what constitutes a successful climate is defined
by the students. It may be useful to establish regular class meetings in which the teacher and all
students have an opportunity to put content aside and discuss how the classroom environment
is working for them. This meeting allows teachers to gather feedback and determine a new plan
for providing the appropriate supports that students need.
In order to be able to identify when something is happening that is threating the class
positive climate, teachers have to be aware of what is going on in their classroom. This concept
ties into developing positive teacher-student relationships and responding to misbehavior. If a
teacher has built a good rapport with their students, then students are more likely to come and
talk to them if there is an issue. Responding to these issues is a matter of discretion to the
specific circumstances, but I find that students often do not realize how their actions affect
others. Alleviating stress in the classroom can be as simple as conferencing with students and
explaining the perspectives of others.

ENTRE 3 Expectations & Routines

I want my future students to leave my classroom with a greater understanding of what
it means to cooperate and be interdependent on each other in order to succeed. My classroom
expectations are structured to create a learning environment in which the success of one is the
success of many and the failure of one is the failure of many.

Classroom Core Values
Cooperation
Respect

By the end of the school year, I would like students to reach the following core value
KUDs from participation in my class. The expectation for the class to adhere to these core
values will be expressed at the start of the school year, and the class will spend the first day
discussing and drafting what cooperation and respect mean to them. These ideas will then be
included in the KUDs for the year.

The student will
Know:
Understand:
Be able to:
- Working together as a team
- What defines respect
provides new perspectives
- Reach out to
- Why cooperation is
and different ways of
struggling neighbors
important for students to
thinking to expand your own
to provide additional
develop in school
understanding
support in a manner
- Successful peer
- In the real world,
that is neither
interactions are
coworkers are expected to
disrespectful nor
dependent on respect in
work together to achieve a
belittling
terms of tone, word
common goal
- Speak openly,
choice, and body
- Greater sensitivity and trust
honestly, and without
language
for all members of the
hostility to each other
- Respect is thinking and
classroom creates a more
and the teacher
acting in a positive way
positive learning
during conflict
about yourself and others
environment


These KUDs will be learned through modeling of behavior by the teacher, cooperative
learning activities, and a collective classroom management system. This management system
will work on the theory of a class economy. This system serves a dual role of increasing
motivation and engagement in the class and managing misbehavior and breaking of rules.
Students will gain or lose tokens for the class for the following reasons:

Income
Fines
All students present all week
+5
Tardiness
-1
100% on a test (anonymously) +1
Lab left messy
-5
All students complete homework +2 Inappropriate behavior -2
Bonus Work (Anchor activities) +1 Inappropriate Lab Wear -1

ENTRE 3 Expectations & Routines

Exceptional class behavior
No tardiness all week
No fines all week

+4 Not following directions

+1 Negative note from a
substitute
+2

-3
-4

Some of these gains/losses occur from individual success or failure, but many are contingent on
the success or failure of the class as a whole. This encourages students to learn to hold each
other accountable and develop positive interdependence. When the class gathers 50 tokens,
they will be rewarded with a food day in which they can bring in whatever food or drink they
would like to share for the entire class. This reward is reserved for days that are NOT in the lab.

A set of routines will be put in place to maintain the structure of a class period and to
increase the amount of usable instruction time. These routines may include:

Class-running Routines
Class Number for Each Student
Description: Each student will be assigned a class number alphabetically by last name.
Rationale
Implementation
Benefits
Using a class number system Students will be verbally
This system increases
makes organizational tasks
given their number during
productivity such that more
like alphabetizing and
attendance on the first day of time can be spent on content
creation of seating charts
class. They will be asked to
rather than managerial tasks.
easier.
write this number on the
front of their binder or
notebook, and every
assignment will have a space
for their name and their
number.
Random Seating for Testing
Description: Desks will be marked with class numbers and a seating chart projected for
students to find their seats quickly.
Rationale
Implementation
Benefits
This routine simplifies the
In the days before a test, the Random seating decreases
process of finding seats when teacher will take a moment
the temptation of students to
the room is organized
to explain the rules for
cheat while testing, and
differently. Additionally, this entering the classroom on
encourages them to be fully
routine can be applied to any test days in addition to other prepared before testing.
type of new seating
testing procedures.
arrangement.

ENTRE 3 Expectations & Routines

Folders for Absent Students
Description: Ready to go folders in a specified location for absent students to come collect
make up work. The students may take the folder home, complete the work, and return it to a
specified box or other location in the class to be graded.
Rationale
Implementation
Benefits
Absent students will
This routine will be explained Pre-made folders streamline
necessarily have make up
on the first day of class, and the process of making up
work when they return to
students will be reminded of work so that the teacher will
school, and this folder
the process whenever they
not be interrupted in class,
simplifies the process of
happen to be absent.
and the student can
collecting, completing, and
complete their work in a
returning this work.
timely fashion.
Attendance Board
Description: A two sided chart will have class numbers on one side, and students will move
their number to the other side as they enter the room to make taking attendance quick and
easy. This has the added benefit of allowing me to know which students are absent by their
number.
Rationale
Implementation
Benefits
Attendance takes up a
Students will receive their
This routine increases
significant amount of time in numbers on the first day of
productivity, and teaches
the beginning of every class, school, and we will start with students how to be
so having an attendance
a mock run by having
responsible for following
routine allows the teacher to everyone go to the board and directions such that if they
quickly identify who is
move their number. Starting do not, they will be marked
missing from class.
the second day, the
absent.
attendance board will be
used for attendance taking.

Lesson-running Routines
Popsicle Sticks
Description: Popsicle sticks containing class numbers will be pulled at random to answer
questions.
Rationale
Implementation
Benefits
Using popsicle sticks is a
This cold calling practice will This encourages students to
simple way to randomize the be introduced alongside the participate in class and
method of cold calling, and it classroom core value of
always have an answer at the
is easier to pull a number on cooperation such that every ready. Additionally, the
a stick rather than thinking of student is responsible to
randomization of cold calling
a number on the spot
actively participate in class,
decreases the possibility of a
student feeling as if the

10

ENTRE 3 Expectations & Routines

without always calling on the and it can be used
same numbers.
immediately.

teacher is consistently calling

them out to answer
questions.

Lab Roles
Description: Depending on the lab, roles may include a Facilitator, Materials Manager,
Recorder, and/or Safety Technician.
Rationale
Implementation
Benefits
Dividing the responsibilities
The general lab roles will be By having the opportunity to
in a lab allows each member taught as part of the first unit be in each lab role over the
of a group to focus on one
on lab safety (described
course of the year, students
particular aspect of good lab below) so that they will be
will be able to become
technique rather than all of
prepared to take on the roles familiar with each role and
them at once.
when the first lab comes
be able to combine them into
around.
one set of good lab practices.
SOL Review Question of the Day
Description: Students will have a section in their binders for them to copy down the SOL
Question of the Day and their answer. The class will go over the answers by cold calling, and
students are expected to write in the correct answer. These will be checked at random for a
classwork grade.
Rationale
Implementation
Benefits
Using SOL questions on
Review questions will start
By explicitly teaching this
content that students have
on the second day of classes, method of distributed review
already learn will contribute with a class example, but
over the course of the year,
to distributed review and
they will not be collected
students have the
allow students to refresh
until the second week of
opportunity to develop
their memory of older topics. school to allow students to
better studying and test
get used to the routine.
taking skills.
Chemistry Joke of the Day/Week
Description: The teacher will share a fun chemistry joke on a daily or weekly basis either in
reference to the current topic or on chemistry in general.
Rationale
Implementation
Benefits
I personally love the corny
Each lesson or unit will
Content area jokes can make
chemistry jokes I come
contain chemistry jokes
an intimidating subject seem
across, and including some
interweaved into content
a little less threatening, and
humor into what is
such that the joke relates to allow contribute to an
considered an extremely
the content that the class is
encouraging classroom
tough subject will allow
focusing on. Additionally, one environment by ensuring
students to develop more
line puns can be added at the that lessons to always
positive thoughts on the
beginning or end of any
contain a positive .
subject.
lesson to share a smile.

11

ENTRE 3 Expectations & Routines

Interaction Routines
Stoplight System for Technology Use
Description: A stoplight will be physically displayed at the front of the room.
Green light = use technology at will
Yellow light = ask for permission to use technology
Red light = do not use technology
Rationale
Implementation
Benefits
There should not be a flat
Students will be introduced
This system will teach
ban on technology use in the to the spotlight system
students how to use selfclassroom as technology can alongside the token economy control and understand that
have major benefits to
management system. It will
technology may only be
education. The stoplight
be explained that disobeying appropriate at certain times.
system allows variability to
the technology stoplight
Paired with the token
describe when technology is constitutes inappropriate
economy, students will be
appropriate and when it is
behavior and is associated
held accountable by each
not.
with a class fine effective
other to learn this fact
immediately.
quickly.
I need help Indicator
Description: Students will have a tower like block on their desk with one half painted red and
the other green. When students do not need help during individual work, the block will sit on
the desk green side up, and the student can turn the red side up if they want assistance.
Rationale
Implementation
Benefits
A visual indicator is a good
Students will be eased into
The indicator allows students
way for the teacher to be
using the indicators first by
to show when they need help
able to quickly know when a using them for informal
without having to raise their
student needs help. As
assessment (similar to a
hand and wait for the
opposed to raising hands, the thumbs up/thumbs down).
instructor. This maximizes
indicator allows for students After a week or two, students productive instructional time
to continue working while
will be comfortable enough
as students can trust that the
they wait for help to come.
with the indicators to use
teacher will come when they
them during individual work get the chance.
rather than defaulting to
raising hands.

As a high school chemistry teacher, safety is a major consideration in my classroom. The
first unit of my class will focus on safety procedures, rules for safety in the lab, and
opportunities to practice using safety equipment and following emergency procedures. By the
end of the unit, students will earn a lab technician certification certificate. If students do not
exhibit appropriate safety considerations, their certificate will be revoked until they complete
an afterschool safety lesson with me to remind them of how they should behave in lab.

12

ENTRE 4 Responding to Misbehavior

A major theme in classroom management involves responding to misbehavior such that
the punishment suits the crime. The teacher holds the responsibility for determining both
the severity of the crime and the corresponding punishment, a process that is largely subjective
to the teacher and allows for discretion. Whenever discretion is involved, it is critically
important for the teacher to be consistent and to self-evaluate to ensure that students are
treated fairly. Students will be introduced to these management structures on the first day of
class alongside expectations and routines.

Minor misbehaviors fall into two categories: acute and chronic. Several strategies can be
implemented to deal with acute, minor misbehaviors that avoid interrupting instructional time.
For events like not paying attention in class, nonverbal interventions can be effective in
redirecting individual students. This can be a simple as standing in close proximity to them or
tapping their desk to remind them of what they should be paying attention to. Alternatively,
small verbal interventions such as using a students name in an example of the content can
bring students back to the lesson. These strategies are intended to simply redirect students.
However, students must understand that breaking rules have consequences; as a teacher, it
may not be necessary for those consequences to affect grades. The first major management
structure to prevent these minor misbehaviors is the use of the class economy as described in
Expectations & Routines. A classroom economy sets up a system of accountability among
classmates in accordance with classroom core values such that misbehavior, whether individual
or class-wide, holds a negative consequence for the class as a whole.

Chronic, minor misbehaviors may constitute more individualized attention; therefore,
each student will have a daily participation grade. When a misbehavior becomes a reoccurring
pattern, students need some form of intervention. All students will start the day with a 3/3
(100%) participation grade. At the teachers discretion, points may be docked for events such as
reoccurring tardiness after given a warning that continued misbehavior would lead to a lower
participation grade. If a student has a weekly grade lower than 7/15 (assuming a 5-day school
week) or if they reach 0/3 on any particular day, they will be required to meet with the teacher
after class to talk about the issue and try to find a solution to help. If more than one of these
meetings must occur in a month, then a call will be made home. If the problem persists, then
further action such as a referral may be necessary.

13

ENTRE 4 Responding to Misbehavior

Planning substantial responses to more serious misbehavior is more complicated and
depends heavily on the specific misbehavior. What can be done when students are completely
apathetic to a class, belligerent, or if a fight breaks out? In these cases, I would like to develop a
toolbox of strategies that I can use. These strategies require a balance between intervening to
change behavior and disrupting instructional time as minimally as possible. This toolbox
includes:

Mandatory private conferences to identify the

problem or discuss how actions affect others

Isolation from the group such that seats can

be rearranged to separate problem students

Removal from the class for a short time to allow

students and the teacher to cool off followed
by a mandatory private conference, detention, or referral

Contacting parents out of concern rather than

out of anger to explain what is happening in class

These plans for responding to misbehavior or only as good as they are successful in
managing classroom behavior. As a new teacher, it is important to frequently evaluate this
management system: Is this system creating change? Are the students showing evidence of the
intended effects? Am I creating a sense of accountability? Additionally, input from students
may be valuable in determining if the punishment really does suit the crime. The classroom
meetings described in Classroom Environment: Positive Climate provide an excellent
opportunity to get feedback and make changes based on that information.

14

SIDE DISH 2 Working with Families

Establishing and maintaining positive and productive relationships with students
families depends on open lines of communication. Included is a list of some of the structures
for communication I would like to use:

Monthly parent newsletter

Monthly (approx.) positive phone call/email
@CHEMisTRY Twitter account for daily updates
Availability for meeting by appointment
Early establishment of a relationship and
demonstration of a willingness to get to
know parents and receive their feedback

At the beginning of the year, a letter will be sent home with students for their parent,
guardian, or caretaker to read over. This letter will include a brief introduction to who I am, an
overview of what students will learn in this chemistry class, and instructions for accessing a
class website or school-wide parent site if appropriate.

Dear Parent or Guardian,

I want to take this opportunity to introduce myself and tell you a little about my
classroom. My name is Julia DiOrio, and I am very excited to work with your student(s) and
explore the world around us through chemistry this year. This will be my first year at Cavalier
High School. I grew up in Yorktown, Virginia in a military family of five (Go Navy!). I graduated
from the University of Virginia in Spring 2016 with my bachelors in chemistry with
specialization in chemical education and continued to graduate a second time from UVA in Fall
2016 with my masters in teaching in secondary science. I currently live here in Charlottesville
with my two-year-old hedgehog, Tungsten. I absolutely love chemistry, and I hope to share
some of that passion to each of my students.

The main goal of my course is to understand the basic concepts of chemistry and
laboratory techniques. Over the course of this year, we will be covering the scientific method,
scientific measurements, the behavior of matter, chemical reactions, and more through a
combination of deductive and inductive techniques. Chemistry is one of the first classes high
schoolers encounter that requires them to not only understand abstract concepts but also
apply knowledge and math skills to problem solve based on those concepts. It can be a very
difficult subject, but I plan to provide the supports each student needs to be successful.

In my experience, I have seen the profound impact teachers have on their students. As
parents, you send your kids to be cared for by teachers for six hours a day, and so I strongly
believe in the importance of open communication between home and school. This
communication sets students up for a happier, more successful year. My hope for this kind of
open dialogue means that you will hear from me regularly in a monthly parent newsletter to
keep you updated on what is happening at school (follow me on Twitter @CHEMisTRY for as it
happens updates from the classroom). You may also expect emails/phone calls home once or
twice a month from me.

Your students have already filled out a small questionnaire for me with your information
as well as comments on how they learn best and how I can help them to succeed. Besides
maybe themselves, no one knows more about your student than you. I would also ask that you

15

SIDE DISH 2 Working with Families

take a few moments to send me an email letting me know (1) that you have received this letter
and (2) a little about your student and how I can best serve them.

I also invite you to come to our annual Back to School Night on September 20th so that
we may meet in person. I understand that we are all very busy, so if I dont see you on the 20th,
I would love the chance to hear from you through phone or email. If you have any questions or
concerns, do not hesitate to get in touch with me. I look forward to meeting getting to know
you over the course of this year.

Sincerely,

Ms. Julia DiOrio

Chemistry Teacher

(434)-777-7777

teacher@teacher.com


Having established a relationship with parents, it is necessary to start off on a positive
note. As suggested by Dr. Jesse Turner (principal at Monticello High School), I will seek the first
opportunity to call home to report something that a student has done especially well. This small
courtesy allows parents to be familiar with me before I may have to call home for something
more disciplinary. As a goal, I would like to make at least one positive phone call every month.

To maintain frequent and consistent communication, the parent newsletter will be sent
out at the end of the month to keep parents updated on what the class has done in the
previous month and what they look ahead to doing in the coming month. Rather than focusing
on an individual, this newsletter is intended to give a holistic view of the progress of the class
and inform parents of any opportunities to be involved.

Additionally, parents can also have a misconception of teachers as the bad guys trying
to fail their child. To combat this false image, I want to make it very clear from the beginning
that my class is academically difficult, but I am going to do everything I can to help my students
succeed. When a parent comes to me, I do not want them to find me on the defensive but
rather open to their feedback. It should never be a surprise to a parent that their student is not
doing well in my class. I will seek to keep them updated by phone or email and include them in
the conversation about additional support.

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SIDE DISH 5 Self Care

To be an effective teacher, I need to figure out how to balance my time between work
life and personal life while still finding ways to enjoy myself. This will require identifying my
personal characteristics that will prove challenging for this goal and developing a structure for
addressing these challenges.

What are the major characteristics of my personality/behavior that will affect my ability
to function as a teacher, balance my time, and enjoy life?

Characteristic
Effect
I generally prefer teacher related activities
like grading over lesson planning. I anticipate
Procrastination
having a problem pushing off lesson planning
until the last minute.
I am the type of person to spend six hours
planning for a 90-minute lesson to get
Perfectionism
everything to look perfect and aesthetically
pleasing. This will really cut into my personal
time.
I find that I will lack the motivation to start
Motivation
work, but once I start, I push through until it
is complete.
I know that I need to get around eight hours
Sleep
of sleep to be able to function during the day.
The little things that happen at work are
going to stress me out to know end at home.
Anxiety
I will need to self-monitor my thoughts to
keep work anxiety out of my personal life and
vice versa.
I grew up in an Italian family that had a home
cooked meal every night. I may not be able to
Love of Food
cook every night, but I will need to set up
some sort of regular day to make a nice meal.


To balance my time and overcome the effects of procrastination and perfectionism, I
will need to be diligent in the use of my calendar. I prefer to use iCalendar which will send me
reminders for events and give me the option to view an hourly today calendar. This calendar
will need to be set up at the beginning of the school year with blocks of time from when I wake
up to when I want to go to bed blocked off for getting ready in the morning, travel, classes,
planning periods, work time at home, and personal time. I do my best when I am set to a
repeating schedule that holds me accountable. This will force me to do my lesson planning at a
certain time for a certain amount of time. Additionally, this schedule will help me overcome my
motivation issue by giving me a deadline of what time I will start completing my work.

I know that managing sleep and my anxiety levels is going to be a major struggle,
especially as a new teacher. For sleep, I will need to aim for getting around eight hours a night

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SIDE DISH 5 Self Care

and never going less than six hours. The use of an hourly schedule will help me plan to get the
right amount of sleep. For anxiety, I need to be able to self-evaluate my mood and determine
when I need to take a break to use a coping mechanism. When I need stress relief, I typically
engage in game-like activities like jigsaw puzzles, logic grids, Sudoku, and video games. It may
be a good idea for me to keep a logic grid or book of Sudoku at work if I need relief during the
day.

Cooking and eating good food is something that I have always enjoyed, and I do not
want to see me lose my love of food when I become a teacher. Therefore, I would like to set
aside a weekends and/or some weekdays for home-cooked meals depending on my schedule. I
want to cook as much as possible, especially if I have a family, and these set days will provide a
safeguard for making sure that happens. Although, I want to be able to cook at home as much
as possible.

To make and foster positive relationships with others, I need to get more involved with
communal activities to get me outside of my house. I might get into a cooking class, invite some
colleagues out for drinks, go for a wine tasting, or set up a dinner progressive / pot-luck group.
It can be difficult for me to make connections with people in formal settings, so I want to take it
out of the context of the school and make events more inclusive and casual to really get to
know the people around me.

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DESSERT Reflection

When I entered this class in January, I was really excited to learn about classroom
management because I did not even know where to start in defining who I would be as a
teacher outside of instruction. I feel that this project has pushed me to clearly define my
personal goals and come up with concrete plans for my future classroom rather than just
getting a general idea. Im the type of person that needs a plan, and this project has made me
more confident in my ability to manage a classroom and be a teacher.

The most challenging part of the Classroom Come to Life project came with deciding
how in detail to explain every part. There are so many little rules or expectations that I could
have gone into and really nailed out the minutia, but I decided that would be too much. I
needed to focus on the big picture and the major structures I wanted to put in place. As a
teacher, I cannot plan out every detail or decide ahead of time how to react in every situation
that could occur, so it was good for me to have to let go of those small details.

My strongest section in this project was Entre 3 on Expectations & Routines. As a
chemistry teacher and Pinterest lover, I have so many ideas of laboratory rules and classroom
routines that I am getting to the point that I may have too many ideas. This project helped me
narrow down what I want as the essentials, and I will able to work from there. Entre 4 on
Responding to Misbehavior was the most challenging section for me to complete. I am still
developing confidence in my ability to effectively address and discontinue inappropriate
behavior. Hopefully, I will come to be comfortable with this through experience, and I would
like to revisit this section after I complete student teaching this fall.

Two of the most useful resources I used were the Classroom Management textbook and
Fires in the Bathroom that I read for the book review. Im not as much of a reader as I used to
be, but I think that I can get so much out of education books written for teachers, and I would
like to read more in the future. References sorted by each section of the project are given on
page 20.













(This is not part of my reflection, but I wanted to thank Dr. Pease, Maria, and Amanda for all
they have done both this semester and in the fall. Dr. Pease, you have been an extraordinary
professor and I have learned so much from you about how to be a good teacher, and not just
from the content of the class but from your teaching style. I will miss learning from you, but I
will never forget what you have taught me. I wish you all the best.)

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DESSERT References
References
Introduction
About Us. (2015). York County School Division. Retrieved from
http://yorkcountyschools.org/aboutUs/
Classroom Environment: Physical Layout
Weinstein, C. S., & Novodvorsky, I. (2015). Designing the Physical Environment. In Middle and
Secondary Classroom Management: Lessons from Research and Practice (5th ed.) (pp.
28-48). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education.
Classroom Environment: Positive Climate
Cushman, K. (2003). Knowing Students Well. In Fires in the Bathroom: Advice for Teachers
from High School Students (pp. 1-16). New York, NY: New Press.
McDuffie, T. E., Jr. (2001, May). Geeks & Nerds. Science and Children. Retrieved from
http://dev.nsta.org/pubs/sc/article1.asp
Weinstein, C. S., & Novodvorsky, I. (2015). Developing Positive Teacher-Student Relationships.
In Middle and Secondary Classroom Management: Lessons from Research and Practice
(5th ed.) (pp. 49-74). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education.
Weinstein, C. S., & Novodvorsky, I. (2015). Fostering Positive Peer Relationships. In Middle
and Secondary Classroom Management: Lessons from Research and Practice (5th ed.)
(pp. 75-93). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education.
Weinstein, C. S., & Novodvorsky, I. (2015). Knowing You Students and Their Special Needs. In
Middle and Secondary Classroom Management: Lessons from Research and Practice
(5th ed.) (pp. 114-148). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education.
Expectations and Routines
Weinstein, C. S., & Novodvorsky, I. (2015). Establishing Expectations for Behavior. In Middle
and Secondary Classroom Management: Lessons from Research and Practice (5th ed.)
(pp. 94-113). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education.
Huddleston, A. (2013, June 11). Science Lab Teams Freebie. The Science Penguin. Retrieved
from http://thesciencepenguin.com/2013/06/science-lab-teams-freebie.html
Responding to Misbehavior
Weinstein, C. S., & Novodvorsky, I. (2015). Responding Effectively to Misbehavior. In Middle
and Secondary Classroom Management: Lessons from Research and Practice (5th ed.)
(pp. 296-338). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education.
S. (2012, September 15). Behavior Week Surprise Addition: The Dos and Don'ts of a Token
Economy. The Autism Helper. Retrieved from http://theautismhelper.com/dos-donts
token-economy/
Working with Families
Eager, S. (2013, August 5). Back to School: Welcome Letters. A Special Sparkle: A
Collaborative Special Education Blog. Retrieved from
http://www.aspecialsparkle.com/2013/08/back-to-school-welcome-letters.html
Self-Care
Doyle, C. (2016, February 16). Teachers, Take Care of Yourselves. Education Week, 35(21): pp.
20-21. Retrieved from http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2016/02/17/teachers-take-care
of-yourselves.html

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