Management Notebook

Classroom Management Notebook

Heather Coates
National University

Management Notebook
Table Of Contents
Section 1: Philosophy of Discipline and Management

Beliefs about Classroom Management and Discipline

Goals of Discipline and Management System
Approach to Discipline

Section 2: Preventative Measures

Home-School Communication Philosophy and Plan

Cultural Considerations with Discipline
Legal Issues Regarding Students with Special Needs

Section 5: Strategies for Dealing with Challenging Students and Situations

Hierarchy of Interventions
Strategies for Building Relationships
Techniques to Break the Cycle of Discouragement

Section 6: Utilizing the Support of Other Educators and Caregivers

15-16

First StepsRedirecting and Warning

Consequences
Student Accountability

Section 4: Working Effectively with Diverse Students and Families

814

Structuring the Classroom Space

Daily Schedule, Routines, and Procedures
Rules or Norms of Behavior

Section 3: Supportive and Corrective Measures

37

Identifying Needs
Documentation
Referral Process

17-19

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Section 7: Legal Issues Regarding Discipline

FERPA
Compelling State Interests/Duty of Care
Student Rights
Teacher Rights

Section 8: Professional Dispositions and Growth Plan

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Section 1
Philosophy of Discipline and Management

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The three most important things that must be taught the

first week of school are discipline, procedures and
routines.
~Dr. Harry Wong~

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Discipline
model
Jones Tools for
Teaching

Overall Goal or
Purpose
This model is
designed to get
students involved
in the learning so
they are behaving
better in the
classroom.

Carter and
Canters
Assertive
Discipline

This model puts the

students in charge
of their behavior by
using positive
reinforcement and
modeling of the
expected behavior.

Giving students
responsibility for their
own behavior takes
pressure off of the teacher
and allows students to
decide how they will act
in the classroom. This
makes misbehavior less of
a scene in the classroom.

The teachers role is

to model or teach the
acceptable and
expected behavior.
The teacher is also to
remain calm and talk
to the student in a
respectful manner.

Gossens Model
of Restitution

This model allows

students to fix the
mistakes they have
made to be the
person that they
want to be.

Asking students to take

charge of their own
behavior will give them
responsibility and
encourage them to act
better and monitor their
own behavior.

Show the students

respect and model
what is expected of
the students. If the
teacher makes a
mistake they should
correct themselves
and let the students
know they made a
mistake.
The teacher is to
train the students
how they are
expected to act, and
then show them how
they are expected to
act, after this they
are to manage and
monitor student
behavior.

Morrishs Model This model shows

of Real Discipline how students
should act, and
behave in the
classroom. This
model trains,
shows, and
manages student
behavior in the
classroom.

Beliefs about Behavior

Allowing the teacher to be

less of a bad guy and
more of an educator
allows the students to
want to learn. I would
utilize this model in
different lesson other
than math so that
students are active
learners furthering their
own education.

Teachers cannot expect

that parents will come to
school well disciplined
and knowing how they
are supposed to act. This
model shows students
what is expected of them
and then manages how
they are expected to
behave.

Teachers role in
the classroom
The teachers role is
to get students
involved and get
their attention on
the lesson so they
have lesson time to
be a distraction or
do things they
should not be doing.

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The teacher is responsible for setting the tone and structure of the classroom. The
teacher is responsible for creating positive classroom management and deciding the
discipline that works best in their classroom. With proper classroom management teachers
will need to discipline less and will have a happier and well-behaved class.
It is impossible to discipline students if they are not aware of the rules in the
classroom. Taking time at the beginning of the school year to teach students the rules and
expectations in the classroom will lessen the need for severe discipline in the classroom. I
believe that taking time at the beginning of the year to work with students and teach them
what I expect in the classroom the rest of the year will be able to run smoother. It is
important to me to ask the students what rules they think we should have in our class. If I
create unrealistic rules and expectations for my students they will feel as though they are
never satisfying my expectations.
My goals for both classroom management and discipline in my classroom will be to
explain all of my expectations to my students. I will want to ask my students also what they
expect of me. I would like to set the goal of learning from every situation in my classroom
and asking myself how I can handle it better the next time. When I first begin teaching I will
try not to be too hard on myself; I will use all of my errors to learn and grow as a teacher. I
would like to create procedures that I will teach my students at the beginning of the year
and utilize these throughout the school year. I have done observations in which the
teachers use cheerleading chants as the procedure to get students focused on a new
activity. My goal is to find a chant or hand signal that works for me and implement it in my
classroom. As far as discipline I would like to set the goal of never getting visibly upset. This
may be unrealistic but allowing my students to see me get visibly upset will show them that

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they are in control. I want students to feel confident in me as their teacher and comfortable
being in my classroom.

What you do on the first day of

school will determine your
success for the rest of the year.
~Dr. Harry Wong~

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Section 2
Preventative Measures

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Structuring the Classroom Space

Seating arrangement for the beginning of the year

I have chosen the above seating chart for the beginning of the school year because I
would like to focus on procedures, classroom management and rules. The above seating chart is
less likely to be distracting than having table groups. However, I do like the idea of the students
having a partner that they can work with certain activities on. I will also allow students to ask
their elbow partner for clarification and questions while they are in this seating arrangement.
Seating arrangement for after procedures and rules are reviewed

I believe that once students have mastered the procedures and rules placing them in group
seating will allow them to work with their peers. This seating arrangement will allow students to
collaborate in their table groups. I would like to adjust the classroom to incorporate a reading
carpet also. I am interested most in teaching kindergarten and the kindergarten classes I have

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been in all have smaller tables and larger areas for the students to sit on the carpet near the board
and on a reading carpet. I believe that incorporating the different instructional areas will allow
the students to mentally transition from activity to activity. The kindergarten classes I have
observed also have table families and the class discipline is typically done using the table
families. This seems to bring the students closer and hold each other accountable for their
behavior in the classroom.

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Daily Schedule, Routines, and Procedures

8:00 8:15 am: Reading log/Independent Work or Reading
8:15 8:30 am: Calendar
8:30 9:00 am: Running Club
9:00 9:55 am: Lesson
9:55 10:10 am: Recess
10:10 11:25 am: Library, Computer Lab, or Lesson Time
11:25 12:05 pm: Lunch
12:05 12:25 pm: Sharing or Activity Time
12:25 1:00 pm: Lesson
1:00 1:15 pm: PM Recess
1:15 2:20: Lesson and Activity
Students will begin the day by hanging their backpacks outside, bringing their reading
folder into the classroom and placing it in the basket. Students will go to their desks and begin
working on projects they havent completed; if they are caught up on all assignments they will
chose a book from their table reading basket and begin reading. Parent volunteers and I will
individually pull students to read their take home book. The parent volunteer or I will log how
the student did in their take home reading journal. The student will choose a new take home book
from their family basket, place it in their reading folder and place it in their cubby.
After each student has taken a turn reading their take home book to either a myself or a
parent volunteer, we will join on the carpet to say the Pledge of Allegiance and go through the
calendar. I will do running club with my class daily to get some of their energy out. On Tuesdays
and Thursdays I will hand out sticks to my students so we can track their progress.

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Once we have completed running club, used the restroom and gotten a drink, we will go
back into the class for a lesson. I will leave this to be flexible as I can choose what subject we
will go over as a class. After the lesson we will go into our AM recess. I will try to take my class
to the library or computer lab at least once a week depending on behavior in the classroom. Next,
students will go to lunch. I will allow students to calm down by either doing a sharing time or
activity time after lunch. Our afternoon lesson will be from 12:25 until 1:00 pm. Students will go
to a pm recess everyday from 1:00 until 1:15 pm. The final portion of the day will be either a
lesson or activity before the students are dismissed.
Rules or Norms of Behavior
Students will be expected to begin each day in the same way. I will share the rules I have
for our classroom and ask students if they have any other rules we can consider. The rules for my
classroom will be to respect each other, be polite, no lying, no tattle telling, and respect our
classroom and school. I think it is important to ask students if they feel they can contribute any
important rules to our classroom. We will discuss any suggestions and I will analyze the
suggestions and come to a conclusion of if they will benefit our classroom or not. Ultimately I
have to decide what is safe and best for the students in my class.

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Section 3
Supportive and Corrective Measures

16

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First StepsRedirecting and Warning

Direct students attention back onto the activity by asking a question

Make eye contact with student to give warning

Remind student of what they should be doing

Ask student if they think their behavior is appropriate

Take away one point every time reminding after the above
Consequences

I will allow students three verbal warnings throughout the day. At the second warning I
will take away one of the students three points. If I have to continue reminding the student I will
warn that they are going to get their recess taken away. If students do not change their behavior
they will stay back for recess and have to do community service instead. Before the end of recess
I pull aside the student and discuss their behavior and how they will alter their behavior to be
more positive the rest of the day and days ahead.
Student Accountability
The students will be held accountable by assisting in the creation of the classroom rules.
Having all students be able to contribute to the classroom rules will hold them accountable for
their future actions. I will also have a chart on the board starting at three, each morning each
student will have a clothespin on this portion. Once students go down in points they will need to
move their own clothespin. Having students move their own clothespin will allow them to
visually see when they will get their recess taken away and hold them accountable for changing
their behavior.

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Section 4
Working Effectively with
Diverse Students and Families

18

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Home-School Communication Philosophy and Plan

I will begin the year sending home a letter for parents the first day of school. I will ask
the parents to inform me of any special circumstances or things I should know about their child. I
will include an about me portion so that parents and students can get an idea of who I am. I
will give parents my information in the letter and ask them to communicate with me whenever
possible. I will send home a newsletter to parents each month with a personal note written about
their student. If students are having difficulty in my class with academics or behavior I will call
the parents to discuss further action. I would like to do a family luncheon two times during the
year so parents are able to be more involved in the classroom.
Cultural Consideration with Discipline
I think it is important for all students to feel as though they are treated equally in the
classroom. I believe it is important to teach students how they are expected to act in the
classroom. Not all cultures are taught to act the same way with their peers and with adults
therefore I think it is important to work with students and show them how to appropriately act.
At the beginning of the year I will work with students and teach them what is appropriate during
group work and what is appropriate when we are working as a class. I will also teach students
about appropriate ways to handle disagreements and arguments with classmates so that all
students are on the same page.
Legal Issues Regarding Students with Special Needs
My goal is to have all students, including students with special needs, succeed in my
classroom.
Individualized Education Programs: The term individualized education program or IEP
means a written statement for each child with a disability that is developed, reviewed, and

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revised in accordance with section 1414(d) of this title. Individualized education programs need
to be utilized in the classroom so that all students are able to succeed regardless of any disability.
Each IEP is designed to assist the student with succeeding in the classroom environment.

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Section 5
Strategies for Dealing with Challenging
Students and Situations

21

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Hierarchy of Interventions
As listening and attention lessen, I will increase ways in which I get my students focused
and back on task. David Quiroz and Scott Stage conducted a meta-analysis showing that in
general, disciplinary interventions resulted in a decrease in disruptive behavior among almost 80
percent of the subjects in the studies they analyzed (Marzano, p. 28). Disciplinary interventions
can be used subtle, starting with eye contact; lessening in subtleness by using the students name
to draw the student back on task. This idea of
starting with a lower type of intervention and
increasing discipline and intervention will
allow the student to not feel embarrassed or
called out during their time in my
classroom. I believe that the interventions do
not necessarily need to be spoken or
introduced as students will be able to tell trough the look and use of name that they need to get
back on task or it will go to the next step. If none of the actions work, I will inform my student
of the behavior I would like to see, if it does not improve, I will pull my student outside and
discuss what needs to change. My final resort will be involving the parents and having a parent
teacher
meeting to
discuss the
students
behavior.

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Strategies for Building Relationships

Getting to know my students is a

large part of being a teacher and
keeping their interest and focus
in my classroom. Understanding
the actions of my students and
why they are acting a certain
way will allow me to
communicate with the student
and create a plan to how the student will change their behavior. Students may be reaching out for
attention or because they feel helpless in or outside of the classroom and therefore knowing
when and why my students are acting out will allow me to monitor the student behavior and
what is going on. Next, I will try to create a connection or commonality between the student and
myself so that I am able to relate to the student and have a better relationship with my student so
that they can feel comfortable and confident in my class, creating less of a behavior problem. I
will build a positive relationship with the student by observing them to find out what they are
interested in so that if the student misbehaves we are able to discuss something they are
interested so that we can create a stronger bond. I will also monitor how I interact with the
students so that I am sure I am treating all of my students in a fair and reasonable way so that
they do not feel as though I do not like them, or am ever angry at them. The above will allow me
to create strong bonds with my students which will help the discipline and behavior in my
classroom.

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Techniques to Break the Cycle of Discouragement

As shown in the image below, the cycle of discouragement is negative behavior; negative
teacher responses, punishments, and consequences; and
unfulfilled esteem needs/low success-failure ratio.
Maslows Hierarchy of Needs explains that an
individuals behavior is driven by two levels of
need: deficiency needs and growth needs
(Managing Student Behavior, Slide 4). In
order to break the cycle of
discouragement the students selfactualizing needs, esteem needs,
love or belonging needs, safety
needs and physiological
needs must be met first. If
students are not able to focus on school because these needs are going unmet, the student is more
likely to act out and have negative behavior. I will engage students in the classroom so that they
are less distracted and therefore acting better in the classroom. I will break the cycle of
discouragement in my classroom by making students feel needed, intelligent, wanted, and loved.
Helping students feel needed and loved will encourage positive behavior in the classroom;
ultimately students will feel less discouraged and more empowered.

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Section 6
Utilizing the Support of Other
Educators and Caregivers

25

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Identifying Needs
I must identify student needs so that I am able to understand what each student needs in
order to be successful in my classroom. To get to know each of my students I will meet one on
one with them at the beginning of the year to get to know them personally and assess if they will
have any special needs in my classroom. I will ask my students what they need to be successful
in my class; this way I am able to meet their personal needs. At the beginning of the year I will
assess where students are at each of the subject levels by giving them simple assignments and
problems to solve. This will show me where each student is academically and what they are able
to be successful with, and what they will need additional help with. If I believe that any of my
students will have difficulty in my class as a whole, I will assess if they may need an
individualized education program or IEP in order to assist them in their success. If through these
assessments I see that students will struggle in all areas, I will suggest the see the school
counselor for further analysis. This is important so that I can ensure my students needs are met
even if it requires assistance from outside my class.
Documentation
Documentation will allow me to review student growth throughout their time in my class.
I will utilize the below documentation to tally times students misbehaved so I am able to discuss
their behavior with both the student and parent. If I notice at a certain time daily the student is
misbehaving more often, I will ask the student to get up, stretch, and refocus. If I notice a student
has a difficult time behaving during a certain subject, I will seat them closer to the front of the
class, I will also pull them aside to clarify the assignment and check for understanding. Charting
behavior of students who often misbehave will allow me to see their progress throughout the
year and work with them, and encourage them to make better choices about their behavior.

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https://www.teacherspayteachers.com

Referral Process
When students act out, or has inappropriate behavior in the classroom I will have the
following procedures in place.
1. Step aside and meet with the student individually to discuss their behavior, explain what I
expect to see and ask them how they are going to change their behavior.
2. If the behavior is reoccurring I will meet with the student during their recess to set up a
behavior plan, during this behavior plan, cues will be set to get the student back on track.
If the students behavior drastically changes for the better, I will again meet with the
student to discuss how they are making better decisions in the classroom.

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3. I will email the parent after I have met with the student about creating a behavior plan.
This is so that the parent can help reinforce and ask their child about their behavior.
4. If behavior is still an issue in the classroom, I will have the student and principal meet for
a meeting to discuss school rules, the students behavior, what may be causing the
behavior, and ways that we can encourage more positive behavior in the classroom.
5. If the student still has inappropriate behavior in the classroom, I will conduct a parent
teaching meeting in which we all set goals for the child to better their behavior and
discuss consequences and any positive reinforcement.

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Section 7
Legal Issues Regarding Discipline

29

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FERPA
FERPA, or Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, protects the privacy of students
educational records. Parents are able to review the childs education records however there are
certain requirements for copies being made. Parents are able to request the students education
record be corrected if they think something is incorrect. Schools are only allowed to release
student education records to other parties whom are specified through the United States
Education Department.
Compelling State Interests/Duty of Care
Under the California Department of Education, every student has the right to access of a
quality education. The duty to protect children in the public schools from discrimination,
harassment, intimidation and bullying is the responsibility of the local education agency
(LEA) (CDE). Education Code Section 220 prohibits discrimination in which is defined as a
hate crime.
Student Rights
Education Code section 200 et seq. prohibits sex, ethnic group identification, race,
national origin, religion, and mental or physical disability discrimination in education (OAG).
Enrollment in public school classes is legally unable to be based on sex. Schools must be
considered a safe environment for students. Students with disabilities must be given appropriate
accommodations. English language learners must be given the proper testing and
accommodations in school.
Teacher Rights
Teacher rights are defined by the California Department of Education under the
California Code of Regulations in Title 5, Division 1, and Chapter 6 located at

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https://govt.westlaw.com/calregs/Browse/Home/California/CaliforniaCodeofRegulations?guid=I
8B65E720D47F11DEBC02831C6D6C108E&originationContext=documenttoc&transitionType
=Default&contextData=%28sc.Default%29
School District Handbook
The Poway Unified School District utilizes separate Student Handbooks for each school,
however the district wide rules and policies are outlined for items such as dress code,
objectionable materials/prohibited items, locker searches, tardies/absences, cell phone use,
hazing, harassment, and/or bullying policies, and cheating, plagiarism, and/or forgery policies.

Dress Code (including hair, tattoos, etc.): school clothing but be clean and appropriate
for school and should follow standards of common decency, shoes must be worn while
on campus. Clothing or any visible tattoos may not express profanity, violence, drugs,
alcohol, sexual references or gangs. Clothing my cover the stomach, butt, and chest areas.
Underwear must not be shown. Undershirts are encouraged with any see through, or
backless shirts.

Objectionable Materials/Prohibited Items: Skateboards, bicycles, scooters, skates, and

rollerblades are not allowed to be ridden on campus grounds. Firearms, knifes,
explosives, and other dangerous objects such as pepper spray, lasers, and any pellet type
of gun are prohibited on campus. Alcohol, narcotics, dangerous drugs, unauthorized
prescription pills, and other controlled substances are not allowed on campus. Tobacco
products or any product that contains tobacco is not allowed on a school campus.

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Locker Searches: Lockers are subject to search when there is reasonable suspicion.

Tardies/absences: If a student arrives late four or more times the teacher may send the

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student to the administration. Absences will be cleared through the homeroom teacher
and a parent or guardian must call within 24 hours of the absence.

Cell Phone Use: Cell phone use is left to the discretion of the teacher. Teachers are able
to confiscate any cell phones of students not following the rules. The school district is not
responsible for any lost or damaged cell phones.

Hazing, Harassment, and/or Bullying Policies: Hazing, harassment, and bullying of

any kind is not acceptable on any school campus. Students not abiding by these rules are
subject to District discipline, misdemeanor penalties and forfeiture of entitlements.

Cheating, Plagiarism and/or Forgery Policies: Students are expected to NOT engage in
any cheating on tests, fabrication or falsification, forgery, unauthorized collaboration,
plagiarism, theft/alteration of materials or equipment. Disciplinary actions for any
violation of the above can include, but are not limited to, expulsion, suspension, dropped
from a class, or no credit.

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Section 8
Professional Dispositions
and Growth Plan

33

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Classroom observation and volunteering in the classroom has enabled my progress

towards achieving my goals. Being able to volunteer and be an active participant in a
kindergarten classroom has assisted with my classroom management skills and understanding of
how to handle certain situations. I have utilized the teachers I know to create relationships and
bonds with other teachers. I dont believe at this time that anything has hindered progress
towards achieving my goals.
During student teaching, I plan to work on and develop my lesson planning skills and I
want to develop my discipline skills. I have modified my goals from TED 606 to be the above
goals. I plan to work on and develop my lesson planning skills further by working closely with
my master teacher to create lesson plans that benefit and further the students knowledge and
understanding. I plan to do this by creating lesson plans and asking my master teacher to review
them. I will also ask my master teacher to allow me to implement some of my lesson plans so I
am able to gain knowledge in what does and does not work. I plan to further develop my
discipline skills by observing my master teacher, taking notes, and actively practicing my
discipline and classroom management. I will measure the achievement of my goals through
discussion with my master teacher. Since my master teacher will be observing and teaching me, I
will discuss with her/him what I can do to better my discipline and what I am already doing well.
I will observe student interest and success to measure for my success with lesson planning. The
above measurements are meaningful to me because I will receive feedback from someone who is
experienced with teaching and therefore this should better me as a future teacher and in my
student teaching position.
The above goals will help with my classroom management, as I will be able to keep the
students attention focused on the lesson if the lesson is of interest and well thought out.

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Working on my classroom discipline will affect my further classroom management as once I set
consequences and discipline students will understand how the classroom should be set up. I will
encourage open communication with parents so that they are aware of what is going on in the
classroom and how their students are behaving. I believe communication is a key factor in
parents feeling their students are being successful. For families whom are culturally or
linguistically diverse, open communication will allow them to help their student succeed in my
classroom. This will encourage parents to ask for extra help with their students and ask for
clarification on assignments. Open communication will encourage the success of students in my
classroom, as communication is key to any situation in or out of the classroom.

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References
California Code of Regulations. (n.d.). Retrieved December 19, 2015, from
https://govt.westlaw.com/calregs/index?__lrTS=20151219203151669&transitionT
ype=Default&contextData=(sc.Default)
California Department of Education. (n.d.). Retrieved December 19, 2015, from
http://www.cde.ca.gov/
Chapter 6 - Education. (n.d.). Retrieved December 19, 2015, from
https://oag.ca.gov/publications/CRhandbook/ch6
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). (n.d.). Retrieved December 19, 2015,
from http://www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/ferpa/index.html
Laws, Regulations, & Policies. (n.d.). Retrieved December 12, 2015, from
http://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/se/lr/
Managing Student Behavior. (n.d.). National University. PowerPoint
Marzano, R., & Marzano, J. (2003). Classroom management that works research-based
strategies for every teacher. Alexandria, Va: Association for Supervision and
Curriculum Development.
Westview Wolverines Student Handbook. (n.d.). Retrieved December 19, 2015, from
http://powayusd.com/PUSDWVHS/2015-2016 Miscellaneous/STUDENT
HANDBOOK WEBSITE.pdf