Creating a classroom environment that is safe and inviting is an integral part of

maintaining a positive learning environment for students. When students know that they have

a place where they can go and be treated with respect, and valued for their input and

individuality then it becomes easier to build a community of learners. As a teacher it is

imperative to have a plan in place for how the classroom will look, where students will work,

and how the classroom will be managed in terms of procedures and discipline. Being prepared

with these key classroom features will help to establish a positive rapport with students from

the onset and will make building and maintaining a positive classroom environment with them

possible.

When students walk into my classroom on the first day of school I want them to enter a

room that is neat, organized, and vibrant with color and natural lighting. Along with the bright

captivating color there will be posters on the walls that represent various events from units we

will cover throughout the year. Most importantly though I want students to notice that some of

the bulletin boards and wall space in the room is still empty. When students walk into a room

that is completely decorated it gives off the sense that they are entering someone else’s space;

it gives the impression that they need to figure out how they fit into my environment. I want

my students to notice those blank spaces because I want them to see that we will build the

character of the classroom together as the year progresses.1 The goal is that when students

enter my classroom they see a space that is both inviting and ready for learning to take place.

1
Wong, H. K., & Wong, R. T. (2018). The first days of school: how to be an effective teacher. Mountain View, CA:
Harry K. Wong Publications. pg.104
 Beyond the cosmetic appearance and ambiance of my classroom, I intend to have the

room laid out in a manner that will promote collaborative learning among my students. The

desks will be arranged in pods of 4 to 6 facing one another so that students can work together

and collaborate more easily. The pods will serve as students’ groups for the marking period. My

desk will be located towards the front of the classroom in a space that is both visible and easily

accessible for my students. One feature that I would also like to include in my classroom is a

soft space (or soft corner); since many students do not do well being restricted to a desk all day,

I want my students to have a place where they can decompress if need be and still continue to

work. Also, towards the front of the classroom I will have the “student center” set up. This will

be the area where students can look and see things such as the daily agenda; see our class

contract and procedures posted; turn in assignments; get their absent work; and also get

materials like pens, pencils, or paper.2 The room will be organized so that there is a defined

student space, a defined teacher space, and a defined space for resources. While each of these

spaces will have their own specified functions, they will all be open and accessible for all those

in the room.

On the first day of school I will set the expectation for my students of a positive

classroom environment before they even enter my classroom. I will be standing outside my

classroom to greet my students as they arrive and enter. I want to greet them with a warm

hello and a friendly smile so that they feel welcomed into a safe, positive environment. I do

plan to have assigned seats for my students, but in order to avoid confusion or loss of class

2
Wong, H. K., & Wong, R. T. (2018). pg.106
time, I will assign their seats randomly by number. So as I welcome my students I will also give

them a card with a number on it and that number will correspond to a numbered desk. 3 This

way it’s simpler and more straightforward for students to find their desks.

Once class starts I will introduce myself to students and tell them my expectations for

them for the school year. My expectations for students will include the following:

 I expect students to come to class prepared, and always try their hardest

 I expect my students to make mistakes, and turn those mistakes into golden learning

opportunities

 I expect my students to never to give up

 I expect my students to surpass their expectations for themselves in my classroom

 I expect my students to succeed

After introductions we will spend the first day going over classroom procedures and

establishing a social contract together. Classroom procedures will cover things such as:

 Students not seated at their desks when the bell rings will be marked tardy

 Once the bell rings students will start each day by writing down the daily agenda in their

planners and then begin working on the daily warm-up

 When turning in assignments students will collect papers in their pods and one member

will turn in papers to the turn in bin

3
Seating with Numbers. (2018, June 27). Retrieved October 29, 2019, from
https://www.teachingchannel.org/video/assign-classroom-seats.
  Students must raise hand and wait for the teacher to call on them if they have a

question

The social contract will then cover rules and consequences developed by myself and students,

and will include rules such as:

 Students must treat their peers with respect. –e.g. keep hands and feet to self; do not

talk while peers or the teacher is talking

 Students must be accountable for their actions

 Students must come to class prepared with materials needed and homework finished

 If a student forgets materials in their locker they will take a tardy

 If homework is not finished at the start of class then the student will receive a late grade

for the assignment

As Dreikurs states in his teachings on discipline, “discipline at its best is seen in student self-

control” and that good discipline is most likely to occur in a democratic classroom; one where

the students and teacher work together in deciding how the classroom will operate.4 The social

contract we establish together will serve multiple purposes. First and foremost it is the

agreement between myself and the students as to what behaviors will and will not be

acceptable in class. The contract also represents the fact that I want my students to have a say

in the type of learning environment we uphold; it is one way in which I can give them some

control and a sense of responsibility and ownership for our classroom. Most importantly

4
Charles, C. M. (2008). Twentieth-Century Pioneers in Classroom Discipline. In Building Classroom Discipline (pp.
54–71). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education. pg. 63
though the social contract is the first step the students and I will take together in building a

rapport of respect for one another. In essence establishing the social contract with my students

is my way of telling them that I respect them enough, and value their input and judgment, to

include them in the process of building a positive learning environment. The important thing is

that I am not having my students adapt and mold themselves to my ideal environment, but

instead I am allowing them to shape the positive environment with me so that it better fits

their needs.

When it comes to classroom management and discipline I really do like Dreikur’s

principles of democratic teachings and using logical consequences. His theory really allows for

students to acquire a sense of accountability. It is for this reason that, when it comes to

discipline, I also really like the Responsible Thinking Practice (RTP) and the strategy of Discipline

with Dignity. I think both of these strategies work well together and they fit in with Dreikur’s

teachings. Through the course of this plan I have alluded to the idea that I do not want to

establish a classroom that is solely based on my input and values. I want to establish an

environment where my students know that they are respected and valued. These ideas tie in

directly with Discipline with Dignity. This strategy emphasizes establishing social contracts,

building connections, and acknowledging students’ issues as being valid; all so that students

come away feeling respected and are less likely to misbehave in class.5 My approach to

discipline starts here; I want to reach a point with my students where we have such a rapport

that conflicts are minimized. Then if conflicts do arise, that is the point in which I bring in the

5
Delisio, E. R. (n.d.). Discipline With Dignity Stresses Positive Motivation. Retrieved October 28, 2019, from
https://www.educationworld.com/a_admin/admin/admin534.shtml.
Responsible Thinking Practice. Once I have a connection established with students it becomes

much easier to address conflicts by simply asking them questions like, “what are you doing?

What should you be doing? What is going to happen if you continue what you are doing?”

These management strategies have become my preferred methods of working with

students because they leave room for growth. In the past I have worked in classrooms that

used either a reward or a token system for class management. On the surface the positive

reinforcement seems to work. However, the promise of a reward does not motivate students

for the right reasons, and when conflicts arise they are far less likely to take responsibility for

fear of punishment or loss of reward. The students I currently work with now I have built up

good connections with; they know that I care about them as individuals beyond the classroom. I

talk with my students about their sporting events, about the latest movies and TV shows that

are on, and about the music they listen to among other things. It is that level of rapport with my

students that make the following example possible. A student was watching the latest episode

of Riverdale during advisory and I caught them before they could change their screen. Instead

of yelling or getting mad, my first remark was to ask if it was the episode where Jughead almost

died. We then briefly talked about our theories for the show before I changed direction and

calmly asked, “as much as I would love to continue this conversation, what are you supposed to

be working on right now?” The student sighed and responded, “I know Ms. Bowman, I’m

supposed to be working on assignments during this time. I’ll close this and get back to work

now.” In this moment I did not have to belittle my student; I had a brief conversation and then

asked them a simple question. A question which both ascertained whether the student knew
the rules, and gave them an opportunity to own up to their actions. No yelling, no rewards, I

just treated my student with dignity and respect and refocused them using RTP strategies.

On a different note, because we live in a world that is becoming increasingly digital I

think it is vital to integrate technology into our classrooms, and so during the first day I will also

address technology usage. If the school provides chrome books for students (as my current

school does) then students will be expected to bring these with them to class each day. If not,

then there will be an area in the classroom designated for housing classroom chrome books for

students and each student will be assigned a specific (numbered) chrome book in class. Our

class homepage (home base) will be google classroom. This will be the primary way in which

students will be able to access assignments and resources for class. And while I will not permit

the use of cellphones in class at all times, there will be times when it will be appropriate;

students will be able to use their devices on occasion for music, or participating in class events

like a kahoot, a class blog, or a class twitter feed. Essentially, the goal for using technology in

my classroom will be that it is designed to enhance lessons and facilitate collaboration between

students.

Becoming a teacher is all about the preparation and planning, and with this classroom

environment plan serving as my guide I believe I will be able to establish a successful, positive

environment for my students. Through this plan I have laid out how I want my classroom to

look for students and how I can accomplish that goal. I have also planned for how I want to

greet my students on the first day and what we will discuss in class. I provided examples of

procedures, expectations, rules, and how I want to incorporate technology as well. I even

covered the type of classroom management strategies I want to employ. While all of these
factors provide a road map for me, they are not the most important feature of this plan. The

key for this plan is the why behind it all. I have made it clear from the beginning that I do not

want to create a classroom that reflects only my needs and wants as a teacher. This classroom

will not only belong to me, it will belong to my students as well. Whatever room I teach in will

be as much mine as it is my students’ and so it is vital that I listen to their wants and needs as

well in order to create a positive environment with my students.6 The reason this classroom

environment plan will be successful is because I did not forget what constitutes the most

important part of the classroom environment: the students.

6
Wong, H. K., & Wong, R. T. (2018). pg.118
 Works Cited

 Charles, C. M. (2008). Twentieth-Century Pioneers in Classroom Discipline.

In Building Classroom Discipline (pp. 54–71). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson

Education.

 Delisio, E. R. (n.d.). Discipline With Dignity Stresses Positive Motivation.

Retrieved October 28, 2019, from

https://www.educationworld.com/a_admin/admin/admin534.shtml.

 How the RTP® process works. (n.d.). Retrieved October 28, 2019, from

https://responsiblethinking.com/what-is-rtp/how-the-rtp-process-works/.

 Seating with Numbers. (2018, June 27). Retrieved October 29, 2019, from

https://www.teachingchannel.org/video/assign-classroom-seats.

 Wong, H. K., & Wong, R. T. (2018). The first days of school: how to be an effective

teacher. Mountain View, CA: Harry K. Wong Publications.