My Classroom Management Plan:
Level 5: Support
Level 4: Plan
Level 3: Life Skills
Level 2: Recovery
Level 1: Community
Level 1: Creating a Caring Community:
In order to create a positive caring classroom community I plan to do the following:
1. Community Building Activities:
- Integrate Icebreakers and Name games into the curriculum the first few weeks in order for everyone to get to know each other helping to build relationships within the classroom. Students need to feel a sense of belonging if they are going to succeed in the classroom (Brendtro, Brokenleg & Bockern's, 2010).
- Icebreaker Lesson Plan
- Assign the students a “Day One Letter” in which they tell a little about their background, hobbies, interests, scholastic abilities, etc.
- Design student and teacher collaborative rules/guidelines/expectations along with discipline procedures. Post rules on the wall in plain sight, so students always know what is expected of them (Villa, Thousand & Nevin, 2010).
- Arrange the tables, or desks so that none of the students have their back facing the front of the room, or facing a window preventing students from becoming distracted or off task.Try to seat students in a way that collaborative work is efficient.
- EX: Setting desks up in pairs, having desks grouped into tables, etc.
- Seating will be determined following the first week of class based off of the following factors: Who works well together/ who distracts one another from completing class work, who needs extra help/ has disabilities that require special accommodations, etc. The seating chart will be changed every month or two, so that students are able to interact with different individuals. For example, the students should be sat “boy, girl, boy, girl” if possible. This helps cut down on the chatting that happens in the classroom. Separate friends, so that distraction and side conversations are kept to a minimum. Move IEP’s, EL’s, and other “needy” students to the front of the room to ensure maximum support.
- Greet the students at the door everyday at the door. This helps teach students social interaction skills. It also allows teacher to check to check students emotional state and make sure headphones are out, hoods are off, there are no dress code violations, etc. before students are allowed entrance into the classroom.
- Always have the objective, agenda, and homework written on the board and have the students copy it down, so they understand what they need to accomplish everyday. This helps students better understand what is expected of them each day and what they are responsible for learning.
- Begin the class the same way. This helps the students get into the habit of winding down and preparing for class. For example, having SSR or bell work at the beginning of the class, so students know what is expected of them as soon as they walk in the door.
- Always walk to the center of the room before addressing the class. This teaches students to quiet down when you walk to the front of the room and want their attention without ever having to say anything!
- 10:2 Rule give students time to process information and eternalize it so students don’t become lost or frustrated. This is especially important for EL students!
- Always require that the students include a heading and title on their paper. Also have all written assignments in ink.
- Provide rubric for assignments that are graded not graded on a credit/no credit basis. (Example Rubric)
- Policies for Late/ Make-up Assignments clearly stated in syllabus.
Level 2: Recovery with Accountability:
In order to monitor students and provide support I will utilize the following:
1. Proximity:
- Walking around the classroom during class helps to keep students on task. It is important to never become stagnant and stay at the front of the room, or behind a desk! For example, walking towards a group of students who may be off task is a great way to redirect and re-focus behavior.
- Make eye-contact and give the “teacher look” to quiet chatty students or get a student/ students back on task. Usually a quick way to get a student back on task without interrupting the rest of the class.
- Thank students who are on task. Call attention to students off task by name and ask if they can focus on the task at hand (Villa, Thousand & Nevin, 2010).
- Use tone inflection when dealing with a more pressing behavioral issue, but never yell. (Teacher Voice)
- Capable: Educators must foster an "I can" belief in students
- Connection: Educators can connect with their students and help their students connect with each other through acceptance, attention, appreciation, affirmation, and affection (The 5 A's)
- Contribution: Educators can foster student contribution by encouraging student input in class matters, school activities and community engagement as well as encouraging students to protect the environment and creating a circle of friends. Albert, Linda. (1996). Cooperative Discipline. Philadelphia, PA: American Guidance Service.
- Use 1:1 conferences to address student behavior. Sometimes this is as simple as pulling a students outside of the classroom during class to quickly address an undesirable behavior. Usually behavioral issues are best addressed away from the rest of the class.
- Understand that most negative behavior is secondary. Try to get to know the student on as an individual basis to get to the root of the problem (Brendtro, Brokenleg & Bockern's, 2010).
Level 3: Life Skills- Long Term Support:
In order to provide my students with life skills offering long term support I will do the following:
1. Emotional Literacy
- Incorporate Claude Steiner’s theory of the idea of emotional literacy into classroom conduct and procedures. Students will be taught appropriate expression of feeling addressing the feelings of others and apologizing for any hurt caused to another student (Steiner 2002). For example, it’s ok for a student to be upset over something and want to express negative feelings, but it is not ok to take it out on others.
- Require a greeting every day before each student enters the classroom. This teaches students to acknowledge and greet others.
- Group project allow students to learn collaboration with others. They learn how to interact with different personality types and with different types of learners which they will encounter in all facets of life. For example, "Think, Pair, Share" is a great activity to use on a daily basis to encourage student interactions and collaboration.
- Leave late and make-up work up responsibility up to the students. I will provide an area in the room where there will be file with a written agenda, daily assignments, and homework assigned for each day. If a student was absent, he or she will need to find out what was missed on his or her own time and arrange an appropriate due date for make-up work. This is important because it not only teaches students responsibility for their learning and success, but it also helps with behavioral issues (Brendtro, Brokenleg & Bockern's, 2010).
- Past Due Assignment Log
- Incorporate the BGFL Multiple Intelligence Survey and the True Colors Personality Quiz into the curriculum at the beginning of the year. I think that it is important for everyone to understand how they learn and communicate along with how others learn and communicate because it can help with collaborative practice in the classroom and further in any career field.
- BFGL Multiple Intelligence Survey
- True Colors Personality Quiz
Level 4: Somewhere Else Plan:
1. Outside cool down:
- Letting a student go outside to cool down and take a “meta moment” to stop and reflect on a situation before making a rash decision can help flustered students calm down and make responsible decisions regarding their actions. (Brackett & Kremenitzer 2011).
- Allow the student to go into a neighboring teacher’s classroom to fill out a “processing form” to think about what he or she did. This adult-guided behavior helps students to understand why their teacher sent them to processing while coming up with solutions to the problem and finding solutions to behavior before re-entering the learning space (Bombara & Kern, 2004).
- Processing Form: Front + Back
- Following the event, a student will have to conference with their teacher while filling out an adult-guided behavior contract before re-entering the learning space. This allows for accountability and consistency so the student knows what is expected of them and the consequences if the negative behavior continues. (Villa, Thousand & Nevin, 2010).
Level 5: Wrap-Around Support
- Individual Education Plan
- IEPs often include specified behavioral supports requiring specific instructional strategies. Although not seen in a large percentage of the population, these specific supports can have a profound effect during difficult episodes.
- Collaboration with a students teacher’s (past and present), counselors, aides, case managers, and parents can help provide a helpful support system to a student who is struggling. These individuals can help provide insight into the students behavior and specific needs. Additionally these role models can help the student discover plausible goals and an effective plan on getting there (Villa, Thousand & Nevin, 2010).
- Developing a specific plan that delegates what each party does (teacher, student, parent) to help alter and replace negative behavior helps to develops better communication and better addresses student needs (Villa, Thousand, & Nevin, 2010).
- If negative behavior persists, I will have the student begin filling out a behavior journal regarding how his or her specific behavior is affecting learning and his or her ability to complete assigned work. This allows the student to be reflective and take responsibility for their own actions. It also provides written documentation of behavior from the student allowing parents, councilors, case managers and administrative staff to all be on the same page and able to come up with a viable solutions to promote the individual students success (Villa, Thousand, & Nevin, 2010).
Presentation:
In order to present my classroom management plan and personal philosophy to my students, I will provide a copy in my syllabus on the first day of class. During class, we will go over these procedure to clarify any questions that the students may have. Then, the students and their parent/guardian will need to sign this “behavioral contract” stating that they understand behavioral procedures. Additionally, I plan to post my Behavioral Management plan on my professional websites, so that parents and students have access to it all year long.