Miss Kylie Ruschs Classroom Management Plan

In a music classroom, students need to feel safe and encouraged in order to be

comfortable creating and performing music. In my future classroom, my top three priorities are

to create a classroom that is safe and conducive to taking risks, efficient, and aimed toward

student growth. In order to achieve this classroom, I need to have efficient classroom

management. I will achieve this through establishing and continually reinforcing clear goals,

procedures, and expectations. I will use techniques to keep students engaged and use appropriate

means of managing misbehavior.

I plan to have five main expectations. Four of the expectations will remain the same each

year. The fifth one will change depending on the students and the classes that I teach. I will

align my expectations to the traits that students need to improve. These expectations apply to my

students as well as myself. I expect my students to conduct all activities with respect,

responsibility, cooperation, hard work, and safety. These expectations guide the rules in my

classroom.

In the secondary or elementary music classroom, the rules regarding respect include

being quiet when the teacher is talking, using the proper technique to play the instruments in

order to keep them in good condition, and being kind to others in the class through courteous

feedback and appropriate use of personal space. The responsibility rules include staying focused

on the task at hand, modeling appropriate behavior for others, and asking for clarification or help

when needed. The rules in relation to cooperation include using teamwork to help and encourage

others, being willing to try new things, and listening carefully to all instructions. The hard work

rules include accepting challenges and continuously trying again after failure. The safety rules

include being aware of personal space, moving carefully around the room, and being supportive
of others when they take chances to create or perform. As a teacher, I will be respectful of

students at all times by listening to their ideas and maintaining confidentiality. I will be

responsible by always being prepared for class and having all of the required materials. I will be

cooperative by being patient with the learning process and adjusting my lessons according to

how the students are learning the material. I will be hard working by continually reflecting on

previous lessons and making them better through research and collaboration with other

educators. I will be safe by always knowing emergency procedures, creating lessons that do not

allow for students to hurt themselves or others, and creating a welcoming environment that

makes students feel safe when taking musical risks.

In order to reinforce these expectations and rules, I will state them explicitly many times

within the first week of school. I will offer students opportunities to practice the rules and

provide them with examples and non-examples. I will remind the students of the rules whenever

I believe the students have forgotten or as a precorrection before an activity. In the elementary

classroom, I will make the rules short and easy to remember so that I can have the students state

it whenever asked. If I plan to use the Orff instruments, for example, I may ask the students

what the rule is regarding the sticks, to which they will respond, If you clicky, no sticky! I will

also create a short song of the expectations that I will have the students sing if I feel they need a

reminder. Lastly, I will reinforce expectations through positive reinforcement of specific praise

and possible rewards for the students who are following the expectations. I will also be clear

with the consequences that occur if a student does not follow the rules and expectations. I will

be consistent with these consequences whenever they are needed.

In addition to setting rules and expectations, I plan to set clear procedures for my

students. I will have a goal for each procedure and specific steps that the students will practice.
One procedure to address in both the elementary and the secondary classroom is the way

students are to enter the classroom. In the elementary classroom, the goal is for students to enter

the classroom quickly, efficiently, and prepared to learn. In order to do this, the students will

need to enter the classroom in a single file line and look at the chart that is next to the door. The

chart will show them where to stand for the beginning of the class. The chart will show if the

students are to set up in rows, in a circle, at the instruments, or at their assigned bubble places.

The students will then go to that place while singing the welcome song. The students will stay

standing and will leave the materials or instruments untouched until told otherwise.

In the secondary band classroom, the goal will be for the students to enter the classroom

and get their instruments quickly and efficiently. Students should then have adequate time to

warm-up. In order to do this, students will enter through the band room door and go to their

assigned cubby. Students will take the instruments out of their assigned cubby and put the

instrument together. Single reed instruments will wet their reeds, double reed instruments will

fill their cup of water, and brass students will check to see if their valves need oil. The

percussionists will set up the instruments required for the pieces written on the board. The

students will put their instruments on or beside their chair (which were set up by the previous

class period). They will get a music stand and their folder and put it in their spot. The students

will look on the board to see which pieces are going to be rehearsed during the class period and

will take out each piece of music. Once they have everything set up, students will warm up at a

mezzo piano or mezzo forte volume.

Band students also need a procedure for receiving new music and turning music in after a

concert. The goal is for students to receive all the music needed and to return it in a well-

organized manner. I will set out new music for the classes on their chairs if possible, but if there
is not enough time in between class periods to do so I will have select students help me to

distribute it. If a student is not present, the person next to him or her will be in charge of keeping

that new music until the student returns. I will ask if all students have received the music, and I

will keep the extra parts in my office. The students will then keep the music in their folders. In

the class period following a concert, we will spend twenty minutes erasing music and organizing

it. The students will return it to me in the proper order listed on the board.

It is important for classrooms to have specific expectations, rules, and procedures to run

smoothly. Successful classroom management also requires high student engagement. In order to

engage my students actively, I will use physical movement, quick pacing, and many

opportunities to respond each day. I plan to have students move to the music multiple times

throughout the class period in order to feel the music in their bodies. In the elementary

classroom, this may include locomotor and non-locomotor movements. In the secondary

classroom, this may include clapping, marching, or swaying. This also helps students to remain

focused. I will pay attention to the pacing I use in my classroom and will try to allow the

students to spend more time making music than listening to me. I will try to find the appropriate

balance of moving quick enough to keep the students engaged but not too quickly that students

become confused. I will use many opportunities to respond throughout the class period. I will

use choral responses, individual responses, and many symbolic responses such as thumbs up or

down. If I have difficulty keeping students engaged, I will have other teachers observe me and

offer suggestions to help. I will also do research to learn new techniques regarding student

engagement.

If I use the aforementioned techniques, I will reduce many classroom management

problems, but misbehavior will still occur. In order to manage misbehavior, I plan to utilize the
management hierarchy and the magic ratio. The management hierarchy states that reinforcement

should occur most often in the classroom followed by negative and positive punishments,

respectively. I will try to encourage correct behavior and prompt students to consider their

actions when I reinforce students. I will use punishments only when reinforcement of proper

behavior has not worked. If a student is consistently displaying incorrect behavior, I will create

an individual behavior plan for him or her. The individual behavior plan will be formed by me

with help from the general classroom teacher (in elementary) or other subject teachers (in

secondary). I will be in contact with the parents regarding the best steps for improving the

students behavior in order to help him or her to learn better. Lastly, I will try to use the magic

ratio, which states that there should be five statements of praise for every statement of behavioral

correction.

I aim to have a safe, efficient, and growth-minded classroom. In order to achieve that

classroom environment, I will set clear expectations, rules, and procedures. I will keep students

engaged through various techniques, and I will have other teachers observe me if I am having

difficulty keeping students engaged. I will manage misbehavior by using the management

hierarchy and the magic ratio. I will be consistent with consequences and I will form individual

behavior plans if necessary. Ultimately, I wish to be a proactive rather than a reactive classroom

manager. If I aim to achieve the type of classroom that I have listed, I hope to form students that

are respectful, responsible, cooperative, hard-working, and safe.