Anna Woodall

October 22, 2013

Classroom Management Plan

Classroom Management Plan

I.

Philosophy:
As a teacher I will strive to make my classroom an enjoyable, learning filled space.
Although I plan to teach music and not one of the more traditional school subjects I still
will have high standards of excellence for my students and will aim to teach them about
instruments, music theory, other languages, and different cultures as well as shaping them
into a performance ensemble.
My philosophy of classroom management will draw mainly from three different
models, COMP by Carolyn Evertson, Inner Discipline by Barbara Coloroso and Assertive
Discipline by the Canters. From these three models I will take parts that I hope to meld
into a cohesive whole. From the COMP model I intend to incorporate the importance of
organization and being ready for problems before they arise. (Oliver, R, pg 190) I also
intend to use the aspects of visibility and accessibility when arranging my classroom,
because I believe that these are both key elements in creating a productive classroom and
extremely key in creating a good musical sound.
From Colorosos Inner Discipline model, I will incorporate some of her Critical Life
Messages. While I do not believe it is necessary or beneficial for teachers to coddle
students I do think that it is important to sometimes incorporate these messages into
teaching because it helps the students believe in themselves. I also think that one of the
first steps to having a productive classroom is to have an enjoyable one where students do
not feel uncomfortable or judged, and these messages help with that.
The third model I will be drawing from, that of Assertive Discipline outlines the kind
of teacher I hope to be in the classroom. The ideal teacher in the Canters model is
assertive but not hostile or wishy washy. They simply say what they mean and mean what
they say, but they do not do it with malice or ill intent. I want to have this in my
philosophy because I think that a teacher is one of the most important influences a
student can have in their school experience.

II.

Statement of Purpose:
The goal of this classroom will be to develop a greater understanding and
appreciation for music. It shall be our purpose to use this love of music to positively
affect everyone, both in the school and in the world.

III.

Rules:
1. All backpacks, books and electronics must be placed in the designated area during
class time.
2. Use only pencils on all music.
3. Respect the property of others by leaving it alone.

4. Take good care of our classroom and practice rooms by consuming all food and
drink before class. (Only exception is water with a secure top.)
IV.

Room Arrangement
My classroom is arranged for the convenience of a performance ensemble. It
has tiered floors in place of movable risers in order to help provide a line of sight to
the conductor. There are also stacks of chairs against one wall. While these chairs will
be available if necessary, they will not be used on a daily basis. Instead the students
will stand in a designated formation that will be dependent on the music being learned
or performed. (Musical Room Arrangement) This arrangement will also be dependent
on the type of ensemble that the students are a part of. A diagram of the full classroom
layout is included on the back page of this project.

V.

Procedures:
Part of my procedures in my classroom will be the installation of choir officers.
These officers will include a President, who shall be responsible for taking role
and helping with whatever the teacher asks, one or two Librarians (depending on
the size of the choir), who shall be responsible for the passing out and collecting
of music, and one Section Leader for each section, who shall be responsible for
helping during sectionals and keeping order in their sections during class time.
The President and Librarians shall be elected by the class; however the Section
Leaders will be chosen by me and may or may not already hold other offices as I
see fit. Other procedures shall be as follows.

When entering the class, students will place their backpacks and electronics
along the front wall, retrieve their personal music binder and move to the
middle of the room to be ready to sing before the bell rings.
When requesting a bathroom or water break, the student shall raise their hand
and display the appropriate signal (Sign Language R for restroom and W for
water). They must then wait to be given permission by the instructor before
they go.
When passing out or handing in music, the students shall follow the
instructions of the class librarians. (Ex- Come forward by sections, place the
music in the proper pile, etc.)
When gaining the teachers attention, the students shall silently raise their
hand. If a song is being played or sung, students should wait until the music
stops to be recognized.
For a Fire Drill, the students shall follow the exit plan as outlined by the
school administration. (Ex- Line up, Proceed to nearest exit, Take role, etc.)
For an Earthquake Drill the students shall all get along the front wall in order
to avoid objects that may fall and harm them.
For a Lockdown Drill, students shall quickly and quietly proceed into the
Uniform Storage room and remain there until the all clear is called.

VI.

Consequences:
Positive Consequences:
Level 1- Shall include things such as verbal praise, and small pieces of candy
(to be eaten after class).
Level 2- Shall include things such as extra credit points, early clean up and
singing a song of the classs choice*.
Level 3- Shall include a day of watching a movie of the classs choice. (This is
a post-concert or end of the year reward only.)
*I will have taught the class several short silly songs from which they can
choose at this time.
Negative Consequences:
Level 1- Shall include things such as a verbal warning or coming to stand on
the front row of the choir.
Level 2- Shall include things such as coming to stand by the director and a
call to the students parents after class.
Level 3- Shall include an office or other disciplinary referral.

VI.

Crisis Plan:
Behavior Crisis Plan:
1. Send class president to the office with a discipline referral form.
2. Send the rest of the students to the band room.
3. Calm the crisis student down and wait for outside help.
4. Recall other students once the crisis is resolved.
5. Have a quick class meeting to debrief the incident if necessary.
Medical Crisis Plan:
1. Send class president to the Nurse with a medical referral form.
2. Remove other students from the immediate vicinity. (Send them to the band
room if necessary.)
3. Monitor crisis student.
4. Take other action as directed by the school nurse.
5. Have a quick class meeting to debrief before continuing with instruction.

VIII. Action Plan:

The four things I have included in my toolkit are a letter to the parents of my
students, a poster with the classroom rules on it, a worksheet that would be a
typical example of homework (Music Theory Fundamentals) and a certificate
that would be used for student awards at the end of the year. The parent letter
is to help me as a teacher connect to the parents of my students, a skill which I
believe is extremely important. The poster with rules will be put in a
prominent place in my classroom so that the students will always be aware of
what is expected of them. The music worksheet is also for the students

because I believe that is important to teach all the skills of music, not just
singing. Lastly, the certificate shall be used at the end of the year to give
special recognition to exceptional students.

References
Oliver, R., & Reschly, D. (2010). Special Education Teacher Preparation in Classroom
Management: Implications for Students With Emotional and Behavioral Disorders. Behavioral
Disorders, 35(3), 188-199.

Musical Room Arrangement. (2013). Retrieved November 5, 2013, from Classroom

Management: Music website:
https://sites.google.com/site/classroommanagementinmusic/home/classroom-layout-1

Music Theory Fundamentals. (20011). Retrieved November 5, 2013, from Lawrence University
website: http://www2.lawrence.edu/fast/BIRINGEG/media/theory_funds/index.html