Classroom Management Plan

Sammie Hansen

Preamble

Education has always been a passion of mine. I believe that every student should be

provided the opportunity to succeed and that every student can have great success. I believe that

students learn by doing and working together and I will provide ample opportunities for

collaborative work. My hope is that above all else, my students will leave my classroom more

helpful, responsible citizens than they entered it. I believe that treating students with the utmost

respect gets respect in turn. I believe in having high expectations, because students can meet

them.

Preventive Techniques

Maintaining a positive classroom environment

Maintaining a positive classroom environment is one of the quickest and easiest ways to

have an easy, running classroom. Being positive with your students prevents burnout on your

part and shut down on theirs. My job is to be excited about what we are learning and to teach my

students to be excited in the face of challenges. I want my students to maintain the positive

classroom environment by not talking down to one another and to be respectful of other learning

styles.

Building community

If I expect my students to be supportive and respectful of one another, I must build a

community that does so. In order to build community within my class, I will greet all of my

students in the morning. I will treat all of the with a high level of respect. I will demonstrate how

we should treat and speak to one another in the classroom.

 We will also have a class meeting, at least once a week, to problem solve, to discuss any

behavior issues and solutions, to resolve interpersonal conflicts, and also to give my students a

safe space to share their feelings with their peers and with their teacher. Students may submit

topics of conversation, worries, or problems they are encountering into a classroom mailbox.

These things will be addressed at the meeting or may be kept private if the student wishes. I also

expect that we will celebrate each others successes, and mourn each others tragedies.

Team building

Team building is a crucial part of building a community and a positive classroom. I plan

on using Playworks games as a big part of our team building. I also plan on using a large amount

of note writing to each other and to/from my students. I have found that when things are hard to

say, they are easy to write. I believe our class meetings will also contribute to our team building

as students learn to listen to each other and to resolve issues within our class.

Cooperative learning and engaging curriculum

I believe students learn so much from each other. I also know that I couldnt possibly

teach to every learning style there is. Sometimes students just need a chance to work together to

understand the material. There will be many opportunities to work together on assignments. I

believe in the I do, we do, you all do, you do method of scaffolding new instruction. This

model of scaffolding doesnt work if students dont have the opportunity to collaborate on new

ideas.

Additionally, while I dont think my job is to entertain, I do believe my job is to make

content accessible to my students. Engaging curriculum and well-designed lessons interest

students and they retain information better. Plus, I havent met any adult that likes to sit through

monotonous lecture, so I hardly expect children to do so.

Class jobs

Class jobs should be switched every week. They are an excellent way for students to feel like

they are a part of the community and help out.

Community leader- Answering phones, runs notes to office, general teacher help

Paper Passers- Passes out papers while I give instructions

Line Leader- Leads the line and tells me when the class is ready to go. Line leader should refer

to hallway expectations.

Table Washers- Wipes down table after lunch.

Floor Crew- Ensures that the floor is clean after school. (That said, every student is responsible

for the floor underneath them)

Architects- Ensures that desks get straightened.

Botanist- Waters plants

EPA- EPA is short for Environmental Protection Agency. This is my recycle team.

Classroom rules

I have only one. Be Respectful. That said, my class will come up with a list of

expectations of what being respectful looks like. This should be broken up to three categories of

being respectful to teacher, to property, and to peers. When the class has decided on the list, they

will sign it, telling me that they promise to do their best and make reparations when they dont

get it right.
Supportive Techniques

Circulate around the room and proximity

Proximity is one of the easiest ways to respectfully redirect behavior. I will circulate

while teaching to both ensure that I have proximity with my students and to monitor learning.

Proximity makes students who are off-task uncomfortable and prompts them to get back on task

without interrupting my teaching or drawing the classs attention to the issue. Circulating also

gives me a chance to assess how my students are doing with the material being presented.

Body language

Students can read you like a book. One of the simplest ways I redirect when the majority

of the class gets diverted is simply sitting on my chair and sealing my lips. I often tell my

students that I dont talk over them, because I think its rude to do that and I also find it rude

when students put me in a position to have to do that. My students catch on within a few seconds

and redirect their behavior. Otherwise, when it is one or two students, I generally make eye-

contact and raise my eyebrows. This generally works, as eye-contact makes many students

uncomfortable when they know theyre doing something incorrect or off-task. Otherwise, I am

generally moving around a lot and using my hands to talk. This conveys to my students that Im

interested and invested in whats happening.

Positive Feedback

I constantly draw attention to students doing well and staying on task. Students love

praise and not hearing their name when Im thanking students for being on task or doing what

theyve been asked corrects a lot of behavior issues. Plus this helps our classroom continue to be

a positive environment. I aim to give as many positive comments as possible, with as few

correctives as possible. (Forlini, Williams, & Brinkman, 2010)

Intervention techniques

Restorative Justice

The school to prison pipeline is real and has very real consequences. I dont think my

students are perfect, but I believe many of them dont have the right toolkit to address issues. I

believe in a restorative justice system. When someone is hurt or wronged, it rarely makes the

issue better to simply punish the offender. Additionally, it rarely corrects the behavior that

causes the issue. I believe students need to learn how to sincerely apologize, how to actively

listen, and how to make reparations when they hurt their peers or otherwise. Empathy prevents a

lot of interpersonal problems and aggression and restorative justice can teach empathy. Students

who fight or bully will listen to the person they hurt and hear how that affected them. They will

then sincerely apologize and find ways to repair the hurt or damage they have caused. (Wilson,

2013)

One-on-one conversations with students

I believe simply talking with your students can immediately solve a problem. This is two-

fold. The student hears what they are doing is wrong or inappropriate and you collaborate to

solve the issue. Additionally, you may find out the root cause of the behavior and be able to fix

or address it, improving the classroom experience for both yourself and the student.

Consequences

I believe in a 4-tiered consequence system. The first tier is redirection. Many students just

need to be redirected. The second tier is a conversation/conference with student and teacher,

followed by an apology written by the student. The third tier is going to the office and speaking
with the principal. The last tier is conferencing with parents. This should effectively clear up

issues with students.

Contracts

For some students, behavior is a daily issue. A variety of behavior contracts can solve

this issue. Some of these contracts may include earning tickets towards a prize when the teacher

catches you on task and working. Or a 3-chance system with tags or stickers on a desk, and if

you have all 3 at the end of the day/week/etc. you get a prize. Additionally, some students just

need a planning sheet, reminding them to do their work all day long. This should go home to

parents such that parents can see what their student did and did not do in class.

Phone calls home

I believe that open communication with parents is a great way to manage behavior issues.

With students who are repeating an inappropriate behavior, an important step is always to

contact home and see if this happens there and see if the parents have any suggestions. I only

believe that phone calls home should be used as punishment in extreme circumstances, such as

fighting or if the student is a physical threat to themselves or anyone else.

Procedures

Classroom arrangement

Classroom arrangement can affect every aspect of the classroom. In an ideal world, my

classroom will be set up in a table system of desks, such that whole tables can earn rewards.

This also makes for easy partnering and group work. The classroom will be arranged such that I

can easily and quickly access any part of the classroom. In circumstances where students
misbehave or otherwise prove that they cannot work with tables, my classroom will be set up in a

U-shape such that I can wander through easier and it is harder to disrupt the class.

Beginning of the day Routines

Every morning, we will start by discussing our schedule for the day and asking the

students how they were over the break/weekend/night. It gives students an opportunity to talk

right away, before they settle in to learning time. It also gives them a preview of what to expect

throughout the day.

Homework and Turning work in

Students will be expected to read every night as part of their homework. Students will also have

a small amount of math practice. Any additional homework is just work students did not finish in

class. Homework should be collected in their homework folders to be turned in at the end of the

week. Classwork will be handed in every day to the basket. Homework will be recorded in the

homework section of our whiteboard.

Assessment

There will be both formative and summative assessment in my classroom, as well as

formal and informal. Students will be progress-monitored every day with informal assessment as

I review their classwork or exit tickets and ensure that they are participating and learning. At the

end of units, students will receive formal, summative assessment in the form of tests.

Additionally, students will have district-mandated interim assessments.

Transitions

Transitions are a difficult time for any class. In order to maintain order, we will review

expectations throughout the day. Students will have expectations for whole group learning time

as well as independent work time. Before we transition, either teacher or students will announce
the expectations. Sometimes I will ask them to tell me the expectations, and sometimes I will tell

them myself.

Absent students

For rare absences, students will simply collect homework as noted on the homework

section of the whiteboard. They or their parents can email with any questions. For students

missing long periods of time or chronic absenteeism, I will email parents with information about

what we are covering in class, where to find resources for their student to learn the material, and

what needs to be done to makeup the material missed.

Other procedures

More detailed, minute procedures are dependent based on classroom and school settings.

For example, students will be able to get a drink in the classroom during independent learning

time and must raise their hands if they need to during instructional time.

Bathroom needs must be indicated by a secret signal. Students should not ask during

instructional time unless it is an emergency. When I notice the signal, I will nod my head,

indicating the student may go.

Students are expected to make silent, straight, and still lines. When they have achieved

this, the line leader will inform me that the class is ready to go. If there are issues in the hall, we

will walk back to class and try again.

Students are welcome to sharpen their pencils at any time EXCEPT instructional time.

Extra pencils will be kept in a cup in the back of the classroom. Students are always welcome to

eraser pencil toppers, but should ask during independent learning time.
End of the day routine

Students will be expected to clean up their desks, and floor. Additionally, they will be

expected to collect their homework/notes to home. Students will line up at the door in order to

prepare to leave and teacher will wish them a goodbye as they leave.

Communication with Parents/Guardians

Newsletters

I will send home weekly newsletters to parents reviewing what we will be covering in

class during the coming week. This helps them review with students as well as get meaningful

answers to the question, What did you do at school today?

Classroom web page

I plan on having a classroom website with resources for parents, especially within the

subjects of math and reading. I also plan to have resources for education websites and games for

students to explore and grow.

SEP conference ideas

I want my conferences to be positive, but helpful and meaningful. I plan on having my

students reflect with their parents as to how school is going as well as detail areas where they

need help. I will provide plenty of positive feedback and let parents know of areas in which they

can continue to help their child develop. I plan on asking the student to set their goals and have

their parents voice how they can help their child reach this goal.

General Communication

I will be available before and after school, as well as by phone or email. This information

will be sent home to parents during the first day of school as well as having my email posted on
the class website. I want to have an open door policy for parents. This strengthened home-school

connection helps students learn.

Conclusion

In a big way, this classroom management plan is under construction, unfinished, and not

ready. This is because every classroom is different, and every student is different. This is how I

plan to begin my year, and if it doesnt work, we will try something else. I dont expect that

every part of this plan will work. I do expect to try new things all the time.

References

Forlini, G., Williams, E., & Brinkman, A. (2010). Class Acts. Bronxville: Lavender Hill Press.

Wilson, M. B. (2013). Teasing, Tattling, Defiance and More. Turners Falls: Northeast Center for

Children.

Summer Pelton, Amazing 5th grade Site Teacher Emerson Elementary,

Field Experience

Peggy McCandless, Rockstar advisor/professor, University of Utah