Building a

Class
Community
through classroom management

Creating a positive and motivated environment centered on

consistency, perseverance, and personal responsibility.
Tori Kessel
Fall 2014

Table of Contents
Philosophy of Classroom Management 3
Working hard. Building each other up. Creating strong minds.

The First Days of School. 4-6

Setting the foundation to a successful year.

Prevention Strategies.. 7-15

Learning the protocol to build safely and successfully on the foundation.

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Philosophy, Class Motto, and Rules . 7

Class Running Procedures.. 9
Lesson/Interaction Procedures .. 11
Praise Phrases and Stretch Breaks. 15

Intervention Strategies. 16-22

-Holding students accountable for repairing their misalignments.

Family School Relationships. 23-26

Telling the neighborhood what were building.

o Letter to Parents... 25, 26

Works Referenced..... 27
Crediting the many previous classroom management architects and builders who inspired me.

Philosophy of Classroom Management:

Were building a community of strong minds
We work hard to build one another up and create strong minds. Our minds are always under
construction as we create a community of learning with challenge, creativity, innovation, and positivity. To make
our construction zone classroom a safe and effective place for learners, a strong class management plan is
necessary. Good management starts with sincere love and belief in the value and potential of each student
communicated through intentional question asking, attention to students needs, smiles, stories, and laughter. I
also recognize that for my plan to be effective there absolutely must be mutual trust between me and my students
and an essential way I will earn students trust and respect is through the creation and consistent enforcement of a
fair and understandable set of class expectations. This management plan strives to create a positive and motivated
environment centered on consistency, perseverance, and personal responsibility.
At a building site, people are working together to create something amazing. Each worker has his or her
role and goals and works effective toward those. Creativity, hard work, and careful attention to procedures and
safety must be faithfully attended to in order to move forward on the project. Likewise, in our class of little
workers, we know that to create and learn, we have to work hard, and part of working hard is not taking shortcuts,
having a positive attitude, and keeping one another accountable to build up the team, to build up our class, and
build our minds to create a community of motivated learners.
Just like a construction site has safety protocols and procedures to ensure the effective running of the site,
so our class will have specific procedures, rules, and consequences that allow our class to run effectively and
efficiently with optimum opportunities for learning. Procedures, rules, and consequences do not stifle fun and
learning, but rather add to them. Once students rise up to these class expectations, they will experience
opportunities to strengthen their minds free from impediments of distraction, disruption, and disrespect. Our
class will be a safe place where all students can learn together, and we will not tolerate behavior which inhibits that
or compromises the safety or academic progress of others. Our class under construction will be an amazing
place for learners who are ready to rise to the challenge of being a part of it. With a comprehensive management
plan and a consistent but warm demeanor that motivates students to rise to that challenge, all students, no matter
their background, will find themselves contributing members to an exciting group of young creators.
The set of the following class expectations and systems that make up my plan include first day of school
plans, prevention strategies (policies and procedures), intervention strategies (how I will respond to misbehavior),
and strategies for connecting with my students families. When communicated effectively to my students and their
families, and enforced consistently and lovingly from the start, this management plan will usher students into a
safe place to create, build, learn, and grow together with spirits of thankfulness and wonder!

First Days of School:

Setting a strong foundation for the year
What a precious gift and responsibility the first days of school are! The first days of school for my class I
have two goals that will set the foundation for a great year. My goal is that the first days of school students will 1)
be excited that they get to be in my class and learn this year 2) to clearly understand what our expectations and
classroom policies are and be able to adhere to them. During the first days, children are nervous, less
comfortable and less likely to stir the pot as a result. I want to maximize on this fact in my classroom and use
the time to clearly establish rules, policies, and expectations, correcting even minor infractions to show I am
serious while still being happy and fun. I know that the initial impression of my classroom and self will establish
the tone and culture and will therefore, come into the first day with great preparation and confidence (even if I
dont feel it completely) because though what we do in the first days of school is importantly, how we do it and
how I act and carry myself in the classroom is imperative. The first days are primarily about setting a tone and
establishing routine so that the rest of the year can go well. The classroom must be managed before students can
learn, and the first days of school are ESSENTIAL for creating a learn-ready environment centered on clear
expectations that will lead to optimum opportunities for student involvement and learning in the classroom.
Students of all ages need to be shown right from the beginning they are loved and valued and essential part of our
community. I will use the first days of school to communicate their value through my own demeanor and also
through enforcement of expectation, hopefully launching a great-learning filled year!
Design and set up a learn-ready, dynamic environment:

Arrange tables in rows facing one direction but with partners

Write a sign that says Welcome to 5th grade with Miss Kessel! Ive been waiting all summer for you!
clearly on board so my name is easily read and remembered.
Have schedule, objectives, and word of the day on board as I would any other day (even if objectives are
something about learning routines).
Decorate walls and doors with welcoming, happy poster, but still simple. Make a place for each students
work (i.e.: a grid wall, or clothes pins and twine hanging station) that is currently empty but will be filled as
soon as possible with student work.
Keep my desk area distinct, organized, and clear.
Build class library: filled and organized according to library plan.
Display books as appropriate around class and at library.
Display class theme clearly on one wall (Working hard to build each other up and create strong minds!)
Put up my Westmont college pennant.

Make students feel wanted, welcomed, and secure:

Greet students at the door with a smile and

welcoming phrase
Have student names on desk (so they know they
have a place)
Learn their names as quickly as possible and start calling them
by their name as much as I can
Introduce myself explicitly and share for a minute about my life.
Remain calm and confident and take time to clearly go through procedure and
information, rather than looking rushed, flustered, or fake. A calming presence will hopefully
make students feel more secure and demonstrate that I am trustworthy.

Establish and practice routines/communicate and model proper behavior and respectful tone:

Model, test, correct, how not to do it, try again-with everything every time.
Have students model or act correct and incorrect behavior when possible (gets them INVOLVED in the
process).
Communicate specifically and clearly what and how students will be doing with each and every transition,
activity, or step of the classroom day. Correct if they are wrong, not in an angry way, but a simple, quick,
sincere way.
Teach each policy or routine as it arises and do not relent until it is done correctly (this means, how to get
attention when I first need to get their attention, how to line up and go out to recess when we first line up
for recess, how we use and store our pencils when we first use pencils and more).
Send a letter home on the first day about our class. Make it simple and direct.
Send another packet/note home at end of first week with our classroom management plan which the
parents must sign that they understand.

Enforce behavioral expectations:

Set a tone of excellence through requiring students to enter into the classroom correctly on the first day.
Tell them at the door what is expected of them (with a greeting and a smile); politely ask students to do it
again if they did it incorrectly.
During morning meeting on the first day, clearly address our four class rules (we will be reviewing these all
week). Then during the rest of morning meeting, enforce those rules without first day grace.
Model model model kindness, uplifting tone, and procedures such as how to walk in the classroom, and
line up, transition, and more (see prevention strategies for explanations of procedures).

Have Some Fun (AKA, Share enthusiasm and excitement for learning):

Play a get to know you game.

Play music and do a little dancing or play a game outside.
Tell a quick and funny antidote of my life in 5th or 4th or whatever grade it may be and relate it to how
excited I am that they get to have their year of learning together ahead of them as well.
Do a collaborative art project together.
Start the first chapter of an exciting chapter book that we will be reading all week.

Dive into learning and high academic expectations:

Teach an academic lessons. Ones that are high
interest, participatory, clear, and even a bit of a fun
challenge for them. One that say, We are here to learn,
and were up for the challenge!
Do some writing such as filling out an interest
survey, writing a story about our summers, or making
predictions of what the year will look like.
Give a very simple homework assignment the first
day. Doing this will hopefully communicate, right from the
get go, we take ownership of our learning both in and out of
school. Plus, children I imagine are more likely to do
homework the first day so might as well get them while
theyre hot.

Build class community:

Have a morning meeting.

Ask each child an individual question in which they
will share their answer with the class (in the form of a
survey or chart or verbally through introducing their
table partner).
Create a birthday calendar.
Play some type of cooperative game towards a
common goal to emphasize playfulness and break
down barriers between groups.
Provide as many opportunities for them to work in a
variety of groups mixed up throughout the first week.
Be explicit about being inclusive at recess and lunch.
We invite people in who do not have a place, and if
someone asks to sit or play with us, we always say yes.

Prevention Plan:
Learning the protocol to build a safe and effective community
Whether they know it or not, children desire boundaries. Boundaries allow us take a step towards our
goal without fear of stepping in the wrong place. Likewise, clear and appropriate boundaries at school and in the
classroom set children up for success, because they become aware of what is expected and can perform inside that
expectation to their fullest potential. Establishing and communicating class policies and procedures as soon as
possible is foundational for a smoothly running year, and for giving my students ownership of their actions and
learning.
Most of my plan is based on consistent, predictable routines and expectations. I do not believe in a high
volume of rewards and punishments and try to avoid money, treasures, and tickets as much as possible because I
think that it can often be unnecessary, time consuming, and distract from learning. Behaviorist models of
discipline that focus on extrinsic reward undermine what students are capable of: having self-control and
monitoring their own working and learning. With these prevention strategies, and corresponding intervention
strategies, the focus is developing an expectation and holding students to that expectation in order to protect
students right to learn and enjoy school. They are more about creating a community of learning than they are
about having a bunch of rewards and punishments, or worst, inconsistent rewards and punishments. Ultimately,
when we make class fun together, that is the reward in itself. Following rules allows us to have fun in class. Once
students make that connection realize that following rules leads to more freedoms, then we all benefit.

Specific classroom management procedures that prevent both discipline and instruction problems and
increase time for learning are also essential in my prevention plan. The goal is to eliminate distractions and wasted
time. I believe that students need structure and predictability. Often misbehavior is a result of lack of clarity to
what the correct action looks like. Hence, my procedures listed below prevent confusion of what or how we are
supposed to act at a particular time, curving misbehavior and establishing and enforceable expectation.
Procedures are also often fun, and increase enjoyment of learning and student engagement. In order for these
routines to be effective, they must be established, taught, modeled, and followed consistently. If there is an
exception to a rule (i.e.: students can leave seats without permission during choice time) it will be clearly defined
before activity as to maintain consistency and clarity of expectations. Our class will be a safe, fun, and effective
place for learning because we have the following systems in place that allow that to happen.

Class Motto and Rules:

Class Motto: This motto will be posted in our class, and we will say it with excitement, as a cheer during various
transitions or before starting a big project. It ties in our class theme, sums up our goals, reminds us of why we do
what we do, and how we treat one another in the process.

We work hard,
To build each other UP,

And Create Strong Minds!

Class Rules: In our construction site of strong minds, there are certain rules we all must abide by in order to
prevent learning injuries. This means these rules help us to learn from one another, and learn on our own in
the best way possible, without distractions in interruptions to learning that can come from not following directions,
calling out, not listening well, and disrespect.

Class Running Procedures:

Every construction site in America has to abide by certain OSHA (Occupational Safety and
Health Administration) policies which are mandated polices put in place to protect workers and
their work. All workers and employers must abide by these protocols to prevent injury or
accident both in the present and down the road. Our class running procedures are our class
OSCA policies. These procedures are day to day systems which allow our class to run smoothly,
predictably, and consistently.
Administrative: Administrative procedures keep me from wasting time where it does not need to

be wasted and increases student personal responsibility.

Taking attendance and lunch orders: Upon entering, students move their lunch card by their name. They
move the blue card for home lunch or red for hot lunch. This will allow me, or my attendance checker,
or quickly look at chart and take attendance and lunch count.

Distributing School Notices: Thursday Folders will go home and be returned on Friday. All notices and
returning of school work will be done that day. During the week, work will be organized in their cubbies
as needed. On Thursday before lining up for leaving, students will pack up, walk past cubbies and grab
Thursday folder, and then go to line. The next day they will return their Thursday folder, empty and with
signature, into my in basket near entrance of class.

Student Movement: Facilitate tight transitions both for the whole class and individual students

with these student movement policies.

Entering the room at the beginning of day: Students will line up outside, backpacks hung outside if
appropriate, any HW in hand. I will shake their hands as they enter. They will go straight to their seats to
start seat work which is on board, or possibly silent reading or journaling, depending on day. After 5 min
of seat work, I put on music and we sing a song to start class. This song may vary depending on our unit.

Leaving room for recess and lunch: Students stand behind desk with chair pushed in, quietly waiting.
Once all students are ready, I excuse them partner by partner to go outside to get their snack form their
backpack and line up outside. Once everyone has lined up, we walk together to recess. I will use the line
method to have them line up in proper form by lets get to a 1 holding my hands to achieve a 1 level
line.

Leaving at end of day: At 1 min before end, I give them permission to pack/clean up. Then once they are
packed, I release them by partner groups outside to get their backpacks on and line up. Then when line is
at a 1, we walk down to be released.

Restroom: Students are encouraged to go during recess/lunch. If they need to go in class, they may ask
my by using the R restroom signal. I give them a nod if they can and a shake if not (non-verbal). I may say
no, and they know that. If I find this being abused, I will talk with the individual students for whom it is a
problem. Only one boy and girl student can be gone in bathroom at a time. On the way out, they take
pass which they wear around their neck.

Going to a specialty times: Similar to lining up for recess. By desks behind chairs. When were ready we
line up, in class this time, quietly. When we go to specialist time, it is extra important we are quiet while we
walk. If Im in a younger grade we walk with our hand in a particular position depending on specialty time

(like a book for library time, behind our backs for art time, in shark fins for PE, by our side for music, and
like a puppy for computer time).

Hall Song: Here we go walking down the hall thinking sh sh sh sh sh sh sh We look good! We look
fine! We can walk in one straight line!
Option 2: From the front to the back you all know how to act! Safe hands, check your feet, zip your lips.
And follow me.

Individual Students Go To Specialist: When a person enters the room, they are greeted by our greeter
student. The person tells the greeter who or what she/he needs, the greeter student goes to that students,
quietly taps him/her on the shoulder, and student goes to door to specialist. If specialist does not come to
class, teacher will ring the bell and say resource or whatever it may be, and those students know to stop
what they are doing, and go together to their activity, leaving class quietly without distracting class.

Pencils and Sharpening: First, students will not be able to bring

in their pencils and pens; they have to leave them in their
backpacks. It can just be too much of a distraction. To keep
track of teacher given pencils, here are some options:
Option 1: Students receive one pencil with their number on it
that they parent in THE GREAT PENCIL CHALLNEGE.
They are allowed to sharpen pencils at electric sharpener only
during free work time. They must hold up their pencil with
point in air and I will excuse them via a nonverbal nod and point
to go sharpen pencil.
If they lost a pencil, they must use a crayon, colored pencil,
anything until next day. They will write me a note that day and
put it in note box. I will give them a new pencil next day with
their number and B on it to signify it is the next pencil. The
goal is to keep track of your pencil baby as long as possible, until
it is no longer useable. If a student keeps his/her pencil until the
stub, the pencil goes onto our mobile of remembrance, with all
the pencil who have served their time faithfully. I see this being
best with 3-6th grade.
Option 2: Two jars. They exchange. There is honor system and
personal responsibility. This would be ideal for any class that is
naturally more responsible and honest.

Getting materials: I will introduce materials as they come up (i.e.:

how we handle crayons will be discussed the first time we use
crayons, before that there wont even be any crayons out at all).
When there are materials the whole class needs, my row leaders
of the day/week will hand them out to their row from the bins in
the back of class where I put out all supplies before a project.

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Housekeeping Procedures: A clean and orderly classroom is a happy classroom that sets high

expectations for quality across all levels! These housekeeping procedures and class jobs do just
that.

Class jobs: I will have a little white board and will rotate class jobs per day to start out and then per week.
A few months into the year, once most people have had a chance to try each chore, I may find it helpful to
have students stay in a job they really like and are good at! Class jobs will include:
o host/greeter
o librarians (2)
o row or table helpers (5, one for each row)
o botanist
o desk cop
o paper returner (files papers into cubbies)
o Reminder (reminds me of certain things I may forget)
o Flag salute leader
o Receptionist (answers phone)
o Attendance monitor
o Line Leader
o Carpenter (aka: pencil sharpener)
o Caboose
o Understudy: If a student who has a job is absent, understudy performs their job in their place.
I may not introduce all the jobs at once. Some I will do the first day or weeks, and as needed introduce a
new job and person, so we can learn properly what performing that job looks like.

Cleaning desks: During the start of a random time at each day (the start of silent reading, possibly right
before recess, or maybe immediately coming back from lunch) we will have 5 min to perform jobs.
Students not doing jobs will be silent reading or working on whatever independent activity theyre doing.
During this time, the desk monitor will go around and check desks to make sure they are clean and
organized (they can refer to pictures of clean vs. disorganized desks for reference). If a child has an
unclean desk, desk cop will write down his or her name and that child will have to stay at recess or lunch
or after school to clean it, unless that is not possible at my school in which case the student will lose choice
time.

Lesson Running Procedures: How do I make sure each minute in the classroom is valuable

and that lessons lead to learning? Having routines when doing lessons, for students and for
myself, give us as learner systems for creating our strong minds.

Morning Routine: Students shake hands with me, enter, put up attendance/lunch card, and go to desk. If
they have something to turn in/return, they will put it into the return basket immediately upon entering.
They pull out notebook or possibly book (depending on what is on board) and start bell work. Once bell
rings they continue working for five min. Attendance monitors checks and records attendance. If they
had homework that needs checking, that will be out on their desk and I will come around and check
during bell work time. If I have younger grades we will do a morning meeting every day, transitioning
from bell work to carpet via a song. In older grades well start out with a class chat, introduced by me (via
a question or here we go!), and then move on to pair share our bell work or homework, depending on
the day. From there we may do some class sharing/solving via cold call and then transition to our first
activity of the day.

Moving Between Centers: Movement between centers will occur with a warning bell at 1 min, and then a
short song at the time of movement, when song is over, students are already working at centers. I think a

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warning bell is key for having everyone transition at the same time because some centers often take more
or less clean up than others.

Type of writing utensils: We will use our class given pencils, unless otherwise stated. They are not
allowed to bring in any outside writing things into class for individual use.

Procedures for Confusion: If you do not understand something simple about an assignment, you may ask
your academic partner unless it is a silent time in which no discuss is allowed (see how noise level
expectations are communicated below). There is no excuse to not be doing work. If you do not know
how to do something, you pull out help card from desk and put on it on your desk and keep on trying
(help card is a laminated 3 x5 card with the work HELP on it). If needed, students can raise their hand as
well but normally help card will be sufficient. I will need to remind students to put help card back into
desk once they have been helped.
Poster: If I dont get it I can:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Reread instruction on assignment and board.

Check to see what I do know and start working on that.
Quietly ask my academic partner for help.
Try something, even if I dont know if it is right.
Pull out help card and continue working while I wait.

Early finishers: We will have an early finisher board/list called Fun when youre done or Keep the
thinking going. This will list four activities for students to do if they are done and may include working on
an ongoing project, answering a challenge question of the day, or creating something. I never just want to
give a child more work, nor do I want to reward them with free time. Normally, unless otherwise stated,
silent reading will always be an acceptable form of Keeping the thinking going if a student finishes his
assigned work.
Early finisher work will be kept in a pocket of the students Incomplete or Early Finisher Work
folder which each student will keep in desk. Only if the incomplete work pocket is empty will the child be
able to work on something from the Early Finisher board. Then if they do that, they will store any done
work in the early finisher side of the folder. This will be good for organization and will help me during
conferences to see what students need to do.

Reading logs: if they are in older grades and it is possible (5th and up) I would LOVE to do a website
question/answer board for blogs. They have to answer and comment on 3 questions a week. They all see
one anothers answers so its fun and increases accountability! Not to mention would be a super easy way
for me to check and grade them.
If that is not possible, students will answer questions about their book in their homework
notebook. Rather than having them list how many minutes etc., students will three times a week, write
down the book and answer a question of their choosing which I give them. These questions may be Tell
me about a character in the book that has done something surprising or What has been the most unique
thing about this book so far? or If you were explaining this book to someone else, how would you
explain it?. They have a homework notebook in which they keep all their work. Left side pages are for
Reading Log questions, right side pages are for homework. Then when I go to check them, both reading
log and HW will be open in one place.
The following day they will share with their partner what they read and their answer to their
question. Then I will call on a few random people who will have to tell me what their partner told them,
and the partner will say if it was correct. If so, we do a class cheer!!

Another Student is Distracting: When another student is distracting or talking to a student during learning
time, the student can give the distracting student the youre distracting my learning peace sign towards

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him. This is a non verbal symbol that tells distracting student to stop, and allows for the other student to
continue working without having to talk him/herself. Since the number one reason for off task behavior is
distracted by other students, this policy puts the responsibility on the students to be an aid in eliminating
that distraction.

Interaction Procedures: How am I going to interact with my students? How will I get their

attention? How will I communicate directions and expectations to them? These procedures will
answer those questions.

During whole class lesson: I will distinguish if I want a whole class response by saying Tell me, class, what
is the date of the signing of the Declaration of Independence? and individual response by asking the
question and cold calling on a random individual at the end, and individual volunteer response by saying
Raising your hands, what is the date of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and no response
by saying Think in your minds with mouths closed and hands down, what is the date of the signing of the
Declaration of Independence. These different cues allow my students to participate without fear of
participating out of place and make it clear what is expected. Also, changing it up keeps students engaged
and allows me to adjust class discussion based on need/topic. Along with my words I will also use hand
signals (i.e.: tell me class I put out my hands for response, think in your minds, I hold my hand up to my
mind and tap my fingers against my head).
During whole class lessons/discussions, students will you the me too or disagree signs to
participate in discussion without verbally saying anything. This will also allow children to challenge or
affirm what another child says and give me a chance to draw attention to a child to stretch it (i.e.: I see
Jeannette agrees, what can you add to make his example even better? I see Juan disagrees, can you tell us
why?)

When I do not want to be interrupted: I have fake lei I will wear when I am with small groups, individual
students, or need to not be interrupted for whatever reason. Students will know that when I am wearing
my lei, you dont come talk to me unless it is an emergency- which we have stated means the three Bsbarfing, burning, and bleeding.

My signals to get student attention:

Golden Frog. I have this golden frog
which croaks when I run the rod along
its back. This is a soft but interesting
way to bring back students to class.
Verbal Cues include:
o Class class- yes yes (however I say
Class, class answers yes in a
similar manner the same amount
of times).
o Teacher says Dun dun dun dun dun class say: Dun dun
o Teacher Hands and eyes! Students Hands and Eyes

Note to teacher basket: If I am in second grade or above, on or near my desk I will have a note basket. If
a student needs a new white board marker, needs to talk to me about something, has a broken chair, or a
logistical nonacademic, non-imperative request they will write it in a complete sentence on the note with
their named signed. I will read it at recess/lunch/afterschool and address it when students return and we
have free work time.

Noise Level: There is merit to having students be able to talk at times, it is necessary a helpful for growth!
Sometimes though, things get too loud and sometimes, things need to be completely silent. On the white

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board there will be a space for noise level and I will write quiet clarification, silent, or collaboration
during normal work time depending on noise level I desire. Im guessing quiet clarification will be the
norm (this will be for times like rotations, working on finishing art projects, random *finish x, y, and z*
times). This means students can quietly ask a partner for help. We will practice again and again what this
sounds and looks like. If students are too loud, after one warning we will go to complete silence for the
rest of the activity with any talker moved to independent corner. During quiet clarification time, I hope to
have melodic music on in the background at most times. I have noticed in class when there is soft but fun
melodic music in background during independent work, it decreases chaos and noise overall and makes
things more peaceful because it sets a tone.

Visitors: Greeter will get up and greet visitor directly upon entering, even if I am teaching. Greeter is
trained to quietly go and welcome the visitor to class with a handshake and Welcome to our class! My
name is ______. How can I help you? If they are there just to observe, student will show the guest to a
place where they can observe and then go back to activity, if the visitor needs the teacher immediately, the
student will go to me and tell me quietly. If the visitor is there for an extended period of time, I will make
it a goal to always introduce visitors in my class within a few minutes of their arrival. I always wondered as
a student what random people were doing in our class, and as a student teacher, I always really appreciate
it when teachers introduce me to the class briefly, even if I am just there to observe. This is a
demonstration of hospitality and lowers anxiety caused by having a stranger in class.

Welcome to our
classroom!
My name is ____________.
How may I help you?
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Questions, Praises, and Encouragements to Offer My Students

Specific, intentional questions, praises, and encouragements redirect and reaffirm students to be better, work
harder, and enjoy learning and class more. As I authentically off these to my students at deserving times, I hope
my students will feel safer, more encouraged, and more affirmed as learners in our class community.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.

Is everything ok? How can I help you?

What would be a better choice here? Can you make that decision on my own or do you need my help?
You are in charge of your learning.
I know you can get this answer, check back over because its not 100% correct just yet.
I wonder what you could do to solve that problem.
You did it, you kept trying and you did it!
Things are more fun if they are a little challenging!
We are here to help each other learn and build each other up. Lets make that happen!
I can see youre building up your strong mind!

Stretch Breaks!

Stretch breaks are important to cross the midline, get blood moving, mix up a lesson, and reengage students,
especially at that critically 10-15 min mark in a lesson which students are most likely to be off task. Studies show
that an appropriate amount of stretch or brain breaks leads to further productivity and involvement after the
break. The following breaks are simple, fun, short, and effective brain breaks to loosen up the class before
jumping right back into the lesson alert and ready!
1. Coconut stretch: Spell out COCONUT letter by letter with body.
2. Chaos countdown: 5 seconds of chaos starting now! 5-4-3-2-1
3. 1.5 min of discovering something new around the class: students have 1.5 min to walk around class and
look at something.
4. Dance break to a song (i.e.: Happy, or Twist and Shout, Rock Lobster, Share it Maybe, I Like to Move It)
5. Pick up the flowers, smell the flowers, throw the flowers yoga with breath at end.
6. Go Noodle! A website with a ton a great brain breaks clips for freeeeeee
7. Running through the rainforest simulation
8. Cross your elbows to your knees
9. Move your hands and then try to move them in different directions
10. Triangle pose: yoga pose where you make a triangle by standing on one leg and bringing the other leg up
to your knee. Switch.
11. Say hello! Give the students 2 minutes to say hello to their friends.

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Intervention Plan:
Holding students accountable for repairing their misalignments

Students will undoubtedly misbehave, and it is essential that I as a teacher work in my students best
interest and one way I do this is not allowing them to get away with misbehavior. Students will test me, but they
want me to pass the test, and I will pass the test. In order to pass the test, I have developed a strategic, specific
intervention plan in which I have a predicable systematic way to respond to misbehavior to change behavior,
ultimately make the best learning environment possible for every student in my classroom. I have an intervention
plan because I want to protect the rights of each of my students to enjoy school and to learn, and if a child violates
that right for himself or other students, with the help of my intervention plan that student will clearly understand
what he did that was wrong and also feel the weight of action by having to face a consequence.
Like any good intervention plan, my intervention plan corresponds directly with my prevention plan. My
intervention is specific, predictable, and consistent. This teaches students that they are going to be held
accountable for their actions, and that what happens to them is their choice alone, because consequences are and
reasonable responses to their own misbehavior.

My classroom management plan, the rules and consequences,

are like a contract between me and my students. When they misbehave and I choose to ignore it, I am not
upholding my end of the contract. As I hold students accountable to correct and restore their misbehavior, I will
do so with a warm and calm demeanor which ultimately focuses on positivity and creating and happy environment
of learning.

General Guidelines for Responding to Misbehavior:

Stay calm
Not take breaking rules personally
Focus on the behavior not on character of student
Not bring unnecessary attention to the misbehaving student
Respond quickly, predictably, firmly, and with kindness
Follow communicated intervention procedures
Preserve student dignity and class time on task
Bring attention back to learning
Each day is a new day

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My intervention plan is aimed at quickly stopping misbehavior, not wasting class time, not drawing more
attention than necessary to misbehaving students, and making the environment a place where everyone can learn.
If a student does something that jeopardies the learning environment for other students by breaking one of our
class rules, it is essential that every time I consistently respond to the misbehavior and carry out the consequence.
Also, I believe it is essential that all students are treated equally, and that all students receive the same responses to
misbehavior. This means that, for example, just because Sydney constantly calls out, she does not receive more
grace when she calls out than Devin, who never does. No matter how many times it happens, each time Sydney
breaks a rule, she receive an automated consequence, and eventually will learn that she will not be treated
differently, and will rise up to the level of the other students. Each day the student comes in with a new chance, a
fresh start, and I will greet them each day with a smile and a welcome.

Appropriate Responses
When a student misbehaves, I need to have a plan for what will be my immediate response. Before
misbehavior occurs, I need to already have in place what will be done so that I can be consistent in my
management. The responses below are going to be communicated to students and parents as consequences for
violating class rules, and it will be clear that when a student breaks a rule, they will receive this response. The goal
is to restore the students towards behavior and

General Consequences: These consequences will normally follow misbehavior or violation of class rules.
Though overall, responses will be appropriate to the misbehavior, in general, this will be the sequence for
acknowledging and correcting misbehavior. The reasoning and execution behind each step of these consequences
is explained below.

1. Warning.
2. Time out.
3. Note/Call home (see parent note).
Warning:
A warning will normally be the first response to a misbehavior. If a student calls out once, I will wait until that
student is done saying what they are trying to say, and then, in a calm normal voice, say Sydney, that is your
warning because you called out without raising your hand. And will continue with class as normal, as if nothing
happens. It is matter-of-fact, not frustration communication. This is a simple and clear and non-threatening way
to make a child aware of and personally responsible for his or her rule breaking. I warn the student after he/she
has broken the rule (not during) because I want to without a doubt, be sure of what is happening and that there is
in fact, a breaking of a rule. If I let the behavior play out, then inform the student of the rule he/she broke and
the proceeding consequence (i.e. warning or time out) there will be no room for question or argument, I will not
have to raise my voice, and calmness and switching right back to the lesson or class proceeds immediately.
Time Out:
If Sydney calls out again after her warning, I will say, calmly and in a matter-of-fact manner Sydney that is your
second call out, you need to go to the time out desk because you are disrupting our learning. Sydney will walk
herself over to the desk, and wait in time out for however long a time I deem necessary (normally about 15 min).

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Time out will be in the form of moving to independent corner to silently work on whatever the class is doing, but
removed, physically and emotionally from the class. Though the student still is required to listen and do the work
we are doing as class, he/she will not be able to participate nor will I acknowledge the child during his/her time in
time out. We dont do _____ here, so if you do ____ you cant be here because you are disrupting learning.
That ideology is the basic reason for time out. We will have modeled and discussed what being in time out looks
like before anyone even goes there. Students will walk themselves over to time out without disrupting the class as
I continue to teach. Students will be in time out until they can prove that they are ready to leave time out, and that
looks like (as we have modeled and discussed) sitting quietly and working for at least 15 min. If a student is
goofing around in time out, than clearly he is not ready to rejoin the class. As Michael Linsin says on his blog
Smart Classroom Management, time out is an effective form of classroom and behavior management because it
protects learning and the class, sends a message, holds students accountable, replaces the tendencies to admonish,
allows for reflection and remorse, and makes the student accept responsibility for his or her actions. When
implemented correctly I believe time out (possibly called the corner desk or alone time for older grades) can
be a very effective way to correct misbehavior.
Note/Call Home:
If a student has had time-out already, and comes back to the class welcomed happily, but then a third time breaks
a rule, the third consequence will be a note and phone call home. Right when the rule is broken a third time, I
will say Sydney, you called out a third time, since you already went to time out for calling out today, you have to
take a note home. Then at my earliest convenience, I will quickly fill out the parent note home (see in back of
plan) put it in an envelope, and give it to Sydney to take home. Sydney will take it home, have her parent sign it,
and return it to me the next day.
In many cases, I may find it helpful to give parents a call to let them know it is coming. I will be kind, matter-offact, keep the conversation short, but let them know to expect it. I do not expect parents to punish their child for
the misbehavior, that is not my goal in sending a note home. It is rather a signal to the student that his actions
have consequences that affect others and that his parents have a right to know. Because the student is also
responsible for bringing the note back, it helps him to practice responsibility, something that his misbehavior
demonstrates that he needs extra practice in. I want my management plan to teach personal responsibility,
accountability, and trust, and being consistent about sending a specific and simple letter home models and
reinforces those principles.
If a student loses the note or does not bring it back, I will give him another one the next and again call the parents
to follow up.

Minor Misbehaviors: These behaviors include soft talking, daydreaming, tapping pencils on desk, distracting,
passing notes. Depending on the behavior, I may put into place the general consequences (loud talking during
another students talking would lead a child to a warning), but I also may find it more effective to respond with the
following:

Ignore
Use proximity
Non-verbal response (like the ignoring hand, or showing to put down pencil)
Private correction
Lightning quick public warning/correction
Narrate positive behavior (I see most of you are coming right to the floor without talking at all!)

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Chronic misbehaviors: I will respond to chronic misbehavior in the same way that I would respond to minor
misbehaviors. If my classroom management plan is working properly, minor misbehaviors will not become
chronic misbehavior because I will not wait for a rule to be broken multiple times before I enforce it. The first
time a student does not meet the behavior expectations of the classroom, he or she will be warned and the
consequence plan will go into effect.
If there is an issue that becomes chronic, such as coming to late daily, rarely following directions, getting out of
seat often, not participating, and time out and notes home were not effective, I will initiate additionally
intervention strategies such as:

Private conference with me

Help students increase awareness and responsibility for misbehavior through self-monitoring/selfevaluation
Problem solving process to get to the root of the issue and come to a solution together
Use the behavior contract (see attached).

More Serious Misbehaviors: There may be times where a child loses it, is dangerous, lashes out, or more. These

are more serious misbehaviors and need to be responded to in a different manner for the safety and redirection of
the child and other classmates.
Though I cannot predict the huge variety of misbehaviors that may occur, I can develop how and why I will
respond to certain types of behavior, which will allow me to build up a system to respond to more serious
behaviors of any kind. In general more serious misbehavior will be handled by the following:

Establishing a positive relationship with student

Asking the student about him/herself not related to school
Private correction and conference
Offer choice
Use behavior contract that I will develop with student and parent

Responses to dangerous behavior:

If a student throws a tantrum or starts to get physically crazy, my first response should be to the other students in
class, telling them if necessary to stay away from that student. Then I will let the misbehavior play out as much as
possible (unless there is a safety threat, in which I will call for help immediately and/or usher the other students
out of the classroom).
Once the student calms down, is done with his outburst of anger or rudeness, I will say, Ok Devin, have a seat
and well talk about it later. And then I will continue on with my lesson and class right back to normal. If the
student does not participate, that is fine.
After a few hours (or less with younger students), once the student seems to be back to normal, I will go up to him
and tell him that his behavior was not acceptable for the classroom and that he will have to spend the rest of the
day, or half day, in extended time out. I do not want to talk it out extensively; I want to hold him accountable for
his actions. I do this because I do not want to enforce the consequence at the height of his anger, or else it may
only escalade. I absolutely believe that he should be held accountable for his actions, but only at a time when he
can receive the consequence as it is meant to be taken, that is why waiting to address it until the student has
performed the immature or aggressive behavior, and then come off it, and processed it personally, will I go up
and inform him of his consequence. It also allows me as a teacher to stay calm, and respond to him at a time we
are both at better places emotionally.
Then I will call home and explain what happened.

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Concluding Comments
These rules and consequences may seem harsh, but when followed, they prove to my students that I am
someone who is fair and that they can trust. They will be effective because I will be a teacher who creates a
classroom that students want to be a part of. This is essential, and when students want to be a part of my
classroom, they will not want to go to time out, and they will curve their behavior. I am not at my students mercy,
nor are they at my. Rules and consequences have been communicated from the first day to parents and students
alike, so there is no surprise. On the first day of school we entered into an agreement of how we act, and it is my
job to hold them accountable to that agreement. I will do it with kindness, calmness, and clarity. My students will
feel safe in class because they know what is expected of them and what will happen if they misbehave. For
students who are faced with so much unpredictability in life and at home, it is essential that I am a kind and
trustworthy adult in their life, and part of that is holding students accountable, without judgment or a grudge,
without taking it personally or changing the rules on them, but by showing them that in our class we can trust one
another and learn together in happiness and safety. Ultimately, we want to work together to be a community that
builds one another up, and with responses to misbehavior that aims to restore students to be productive members
of the classroom, we can create that community of learning together!

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Dear Parents,

broke the following rule today,

___ Follow directions the first time.

___ Listen attentively to your teacher and fellow classmates.

___Respect your classmates and your teacher.

____ ____________________________________
Additional Comments:

Classroom rules must be followed in order to protect the rights of every student to learn and
enjoy school. By choosing not to follow them, your child interfered with those rights.
Please acknowledge receiving this letter by signing your name at the bottom and having your child
return it to me tomorrow.
If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at vkessel@westmont.edu, call me at
_____, or come in.
Thank you for your support!
Sincerely,

Miss Kessel

Parent Signature___________________________________
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Behavior Contract

I ,_______________________, agree to make the following positive

behavior changes:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________
If I dont make the appropriate changes, I will have this
consequence:
________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
We will review my contract on this date: ________________

Child signature:________________________ Date: _____________

Parent signature: ______________________ Date: _____________

Teacher signature: ____________________ Date: _____________

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Family-School Relationship:
Connecting and communicating what our young builders are creating
Families and parents are immeasurably valuable to a childs education. No matter how little or how much
parents/guardians seem to be involved in their childs education, they are their childs first teacher and influence.
Intentional communication and collaboration between home and school can lead to huge benefits for students
and teachers alike as we together partner in providing the best education necessary for our student.

Though the

levels of parent involvement can vary drastically from family to family and community to community, it is
overwhelming true that parents do desire the best for their child and me as a teacher play an imperative role in
tapping into that desire and bridging that gap between school and home through having a communication plan.

Just as a contractor is in constant communication with his or her client to ensure

the best possible result, so I as a teacher will make every effort to be in
communication with the families of my classroom to ensure we are working
together to help students build their strong minds.
Strategies for Communication: In many cases, it will be I, the teacher who has to initiate and provide opportunities

for communication with parents and families. It is clear that communication and partnership in education is
essential for healthy classroom, and below is a collection of specific strategies I will use to communicate with
parents and give parents the most simple and direct opportunities to communicate with me. I believe strongly in
adjusting practices depending on the needs and demographics of the community we are in, so not all of these will
be effective for every group of students and parents.
1) Open door/come in at the beginning of day. As my school allows, I would love to open my classroom ten
minutes before class starts to allow and encourage parents to come to the classroom to drop their child off
in person. This would give me a chance to greet and briefly converse with the parent, establishing and
building trust and a relationship with one another.
2) Send home parent letter on first day of school. See following pages for parent letter and translated parent
letter. This introduction will set expectations of open communication, encouragement of parent
involvement in students learning, and put parents at ease, confident that their child is in the best place to
be cared for and receive a quality education.
3) Send home an Our Class packet in the parents native language with an outline of our class management
plan, our basic class schedule, and some encouragements for how parents can be involved in their childs
education this year and support their childs learning at home.
4) Communicate with parents in their native language as often as possible (I speak Spanish and hope to use
this skill respectfully as often as I can to bridge the often wide gap between Spanish-speaking Hispanic
parents and their childs white English speaking teacher).
5) Encourage parent volunteers: In the first few weeks of school, through communication in weekly folders,
verbal communication at the start of day, website, emails, and announcements at back to school night,

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create a plan for parents to come and volunteer in the classroom. I will try to establish as quickly as
possible a consistent schedule of parent volunteers as well as allow additional times where parents can help
at their discretion and availability.
6) Class website: depending on the demographics of my school, I will likely have a class website where I
have links to the Thursday Folder contents, school announcements, and signups for volunteering, class
pictures and videos, and ideas for further learning at home.
7) Thursday Folders: Weekly folders students bring home with parent information, flyers and the following
8) Bi-weekly newsletter with an optional note sheet attached for children to bring back when they return their
Thursday folder that says Note for Miss Kessel. Parents can use that to quickly communicate with me
any concerns, praises, questions, or comments they have about their child or the classroom.
9) Parent-teacher conferences: Most schools have set times for parent teacher conferences during each
grading period. I will use this time to connect with parents and together come up with ways to foster their
childs academic, moral, and social growth at school.
10) Calling/notes home for both positive behavior as well as chronic or serious misbehavior (see intervention
plan for more information). In addition to following my management plan and sending home notes/calls
home when necessary as a result of misbehavior, I will make it a goal to contact each parent by phone for
a positive behavior at least once every grading period.
11) Use my students as the connection! I will incorporate specific motivations, encouragements, and mini
assignments that motivate my students to go home and share with their parents what they learned or
require them to ask their parents questions that further our classroom to home connection. I have to be
careful about requiring assignments that students from different backgrounds may not be able to
accomplish (i.e. picture collections, extensive background family history projects), but I will be explicit and
intentional about telling my students to share project or paper xyz with a family member, or to go home
and ask a family member what he/she thinks about xyz and journal about it. I want to emphasize to my
students as well that learning happens at school and at home and that the two can be connected as well!
12) Sundays in the park: I would love to host and organize, preferably 2-3 times a year, a Sunday afternoon
time in the park for families and teachers to gather in the most local and central park for a non-school
related time of community. I believe that this kind of gathering would be especially effective if I worked in
a school in a densely populated, lower income area where the local park is often already a central
gathering place, and normally, school-home spheres are not bridged. Coming together over non-school
specific activities can increase trust, establish relationships, communicate care, and build a community.
This could be adjusted as appropriate for the community, but the premise is creating a space for some
type of outside of school weekend or evening gathering/event to break down barriers and further schoolfamily relationship.

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Dear Room 7 Families,

I truly feel privileged to teach my favorite grade at this wonderful school. It is a joy to
work and learn alongside my students, and it is with the utmost sincerity when I say that
teaching is my love and passion. Fifth grade is an amazing age, when students can
challenge themselves deeply, ask and answer complex questions, and are developing their
own interest and passions. It is also critical year, as students prepare for middle school.
We will do all that is in our power to not only prepare your child academically, but also
instill in him or her a love of learning and willingness to persevere to carry into the
formative junior high years.
I grew up on an avocado grove in San Diego County and graduated of Westmont College
in Santa Barbara with a degree in Elementary Education and a minor in Spanish (I am
happy to speak with you in Spanish at any time). At Westmont I earned both an
elementary teaching credential and a secondary credential in math. Learning and
teaching all subjects bring me joy, but math especially excites and challenges me and I
am confident that this year our class will discover that we all can be mathematicians and
that math is so much fun!
In our class, having a grateful attitude is essential. Rising to challenges causes us to
learn, and we do that daily with thankful spirits. To reaffirm the attitude were
developing in school, I encourage you to remind your children what a gift it is to learn
and go to school, and to positively encourage them to persevere even when they are
frustrated or tired. You and I will work together to give your child the best opportunities,
so it is very important that we talk with and support each other this year. If you have
any questions or comments about our class, please let me know. If you have a concern
with your childs performance or think he or she needs help in a certain area, tell me so
we can provide the help needed. Email is the best way to reach me though you are also
welcome to talk with me in person!
As parents you play an especially critical role in the invaluable skill of your childs
literary development. It is essential your child is reading DAILY and as much as
possible, and between our classroom, school, and community libraries, we certainly have
resources available. The number one predictor of students success in school is parent
involvement, and giving books as gifts, reading and writing at home, and reading to your
child are all simple ways to be involved in your child in literacy development.
Youll receive more information about our class in the upcoming weeks but for now, know
that though we are serious about learning, we are also
serious about having fun and there is no doubt well do a lot
of both! I look forward to getting to know and partnering
with you to make this a wonderful year for you and your
student!
With joy,

Tori Kessel

Email: vkessel@westmont.edu

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Hola Familias de Cuarto 7,

Es un gran regalo ensenar en mi grado favorito en esta escuela magnifico! Me alegra
mucho trabajar y aprender con mis estudiantes y hablo en serio cuando digo que ensenar
es me pasin. Quinta grado es un gran era porque los estudiantes pueden preguntar y
responder preguntas grandes y estn desenvolviendo sus propios intereses y pasiones.
Tambin, es un ano tan importante porque es un ano de preparacin para escuela
secundaria. Vamos a hacer total que podemos preparar tu hijo en sus acadmicas y
tambin su actitud aunque l puede ir a escuela secundaria con un preferencia por el
aprender y el fuerza perseverar.
Cuando yo era nia, viva en un grove de aguacates en San Diego. Gradu de Westmont
College en Santa Brbara con un credencial a ensenar escuela elementara y
matemticas. Me encanta aprender y ensear todo de las clases pero las matemticas
tienen un lugar especial en mi corazn y tengo ganas de aprender matemticas con
nuestra clase porque todos podemos ser matemticos y las matemticas son muy
divertidas!
Es imperativa que tenemos una espirito de gracias en nuestra clase. Asumir retos es
aprender y asumimos retos cada da con agradecimiento. Ojala que Uds. recordar a sus
hijos que es un privilegio aprender e ir a escuela. Tambin, alentarlos perseverar con sus
trabajos cuando son frustrados o cansados. Ud. y yo van a trabajar juntos dar su hijo las
oportunidades mejores. Debido a esto, es esencial que nosotros hablemos y apoyamos
otra a otra este ano. Si tienen cualquier pregunta o comentos sobre nuestra clase o
estudiante, por favor, dgame. Si piensas que su hijo necesita ayuda extra en una rea de
escuela, dime do modo que podemos darle el ayuda necesita. El email es lo mejor
comunicar con migo pero tambin, puede venir a mi clase hablar con migo en persona.
La tarea en nuestra clase es mnima. En general, hay un pregunto grade de matemticas
cada semana, practica cada da, y a veces un ensayo. Trabajo en clase que no est
terminada va a cambiar a tarea. Lo ms importante es tu estudiante lee CADA DIA y
mucho. Tenemos un biblioteca en nuestra clase y un a nuestra escuela y tambin hay la
escuela de comunidad, entonces siempre hay libros por tu hijo! Su primera tarea es una
carta a m y es para el mircoles.
Vas a recibir ms informacin sobre nuestra clase pronto pero
ahora, sabe que estamos muy comprometida a aprender y
tambin, a disfrutarnos y por supuesto vamos a hacer los dos
en nuestra clase. Tengo ganas conocerse ms y ser su
compaera en el educacin de su estudiante. Juntas haremos
un ano magnifico!
Muchsimas gracias,

Tori Kessel
Email: vkessel@westmont.edu

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Works Referenced:
Crediting the many previous classroom management architects and
builders who inspired me.
Biffle, Chris, and Jeff Bates. "First Steps." Whole Brain Teaching. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Nov. 2014.
Denton, Paula, and Roxann Kriete. "Chapter 1: Week One." The First Six Weeks of School. Greenfield, MA:
Northeast Foundation for Children, 2000. N. pag. Responsive Classroom. Web. 14 Sept. 2014.
Linsin, Michael. How to Set the Tone on the First Days of School Smart Classroom Management. August 9,
2014. http://www.smartclassroommanagement.com/

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