Classroom Management Plan

Morgan Regular

November 1, 2017

Dr. Hewson

EDUC 5903 E
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Classroom Management Plan

As a teacher, I feel it is important to create a positive learning environment where my

students can grow and excel in their learning development and as individuals. It is important to me

to create a space where students feel safe and secure. After much reflection and research, I have

designed a plan that I believe will be both effective and fair for my students. This plan will explain

my approach to building this classroom environment with my students and will describe how I

will go about implementing different strategies.

Classroom expectations

At the beginning of the year, I will explain to my students that our learning environment

will be what the class makes it. I would like my students to understand that they are contributing

to the classroom as much as myself. To do this, I will lay out my behavior plan and explain it

thoroughly so that all students are aware of, not only what the expectations are, but also why they

are in place. An important part of this discussion will be incorporating both rules and values, as

this will give students an awareness of the significance of my classroom guidelines. I have learned

through reading Curwin’s, “Dignity and Responsibility in the Classroom”, that it is important to

incorporate these two factors so that students understand that rules are in place for a reason and

each rule is valuable in maintaining a positive learning environment.

Classroom rules and values

To implement these two elements, I will thoroughly explain why I have each rule in place

and how they work to control the classroom atmosphere, so that it remains a calm and positive

learning environment. Explaining classroom respect is something that I feel all students need to

understand to form a strong bond in the classroom. I will explain to my students that it is important

to respect one another because our class is a community and we need to build each other up and
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encourage one another. The goal here is for everyone to feel comfortable in this learning

environment and give everyone the opportunity to be successful in their own learning goals.

Therefore, it is extremely important that the students support and respect one another. To keep

these rules and values fresh in my student’s minds, I will have them posted on a wall throughout

the entire school year. In presenting my expectations in this way, I believe it will create an

environment where the students understand that they are in charge of their own actions and this

will help them make informed decisions when it comes to their behavior.

Building a community in the classroom

In presenting my classroom expectations, rules, and values in this way, I strongly believe

that it will help students come together as a class and build an atmosphere of understanding and

inclusion rather than competiveness and exclusion. In a positive learning environment, it is

important that students work together to reach their goals and provide support and help for one

another. It is important that my students feel comfortable asking questions to not only myself, but

also their peers. I do not want learning to be seen as a competition, but rather a team effort to help

one another learn and grow in a welcoming and enriching environment.

It is also important for me to build strong relationships with each individual student. As a

teacher, I never want my students to doubt that I care about them and that I am fully invested in

the progression and success of their learning. I never want them to feel afraid or uncomfortable

coming to talk to me about a concern they might have. My biggest goal is for my students to

understand that I am there to support, encourage, and aid their learning. I am there for their own

benefit and I am willing to do whatever I can to give my students the greatest opportunity at

success.

Consequences and consistency

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As I developed my classroom management plan, I considered the difference between

punishments and consequences as discussed in Curwin’s, “Dignity and Responsibility in the

Classroom”. Punishments are a form of deterrence that is used to achieve the proper amount of

misery for an individual’s actions. Consequences, on the other hand, teach students about better

decision making and helps students learn how to make better choices. Therefore, as part of my

classroom management plan, I will be using consequences rather than punishments. I will ensure

that when I give consequences, I take into account the individual student and their specific needs

to design a consequence that will work best for them. At times, this process will involve the input

of the student if they feel they would benefit from a different consequence than the one I suggested.

By using this approach, I will be recognizing that each student has different needs when it comes

to learning, and this includes consequences.

I would also like to take into account tips from the chapter “Solving Problems Together”

by Kohn’s. After reading this, I developed a system of dealing with problem-solving and

consequences that will work best for my students. First, when a child does something that is

considered “bad”, I will recognize it as a problem we need to solve together, rather than an

individual problem in which the child needs to be punished. I will see these instances as a teaching

and learning opportunity. In these situations, I want my students to feel that they can lean on me

and trust me, as this will develop feelings of respect towards me. Finally, an important piece of

advice that I took from this chapter and would like to carry with me throughout my career is to

talk less and ask more. As teachers, I think we often feel we need to be the ones talking, explaining,

and directing. Too often we control the conversations and tell the students what they need to do,

rather than allowing them to talk through and discuss their own feelings and thoughts on a

situation. However, it is my goal to allow students the opportunity to control the conversation and
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express their thoughts and feelings as this would help them come to their own resolutions and

cause them to see and understand their own behavior in a new way. Using this approach, students

will be given the chance to engage in reflection as I, the teacher, will be giving them guidance, not

instruction.

As an educator, I will follow the advice of Marzano in his article, “Rules and Procedures”,

which highlights the importance of following through on consequences. After studying this article,

I have developed an understanding of the importance of maintaining consistency and always

following through on what I say as a teacher. When it comes to enforcing rules and consequences

I will always be aware of the decisions I make and I will stick to them so as not to lose my

credibility with my students.

Problem-solving

An important area to consider when talking about consequences is the process involved in

coming to a resolution, also known as problem-solving. In keeping in mind Coloroso’s six steps

to problem-solving from his article, “Kids are worth it! Raising resilient, responsible,

compassionate kids”, I have come to a conclusion on how I would like to approach problem-

solving in my classroom. First, I will talk to the student involved in creating the problem and allow

them the opportunity to identify and define the problem. Next, I will encourage the student to come

up with a list of viable options to deal with the situation. During this process, I will focus on

guiding the student and refrain from directing or instructing. In doing this, I will help the student

come to a decision on what they should do without me directly telling them. This will teach them

valuable problem-solving skills that will help them in the future. The student will then plan and

put this option into action. Afterwards, the student will engage in self-evaluation and reflection.

They will think about what caused the problem, how it could be prevented in the future, and the
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effectiveness of their resolution strategy. This process is extremely beneficial because it teaches

students valuable lessons, responsibility, and how to resolve difficult situations.

Classroom routines

While designing my classroom management plan, I realize that disruptions and

misbehaviors in the classroom are inevitable. This is why I have determined specific strategies that

I will use in my classroom to handle behavior problems through rules, values, and consequences.

However, I have also brainstormed and developed a plan to keep these factors to a minimum. After

reading Marzano’s “Rules and Procedures”, I know that the most important factor in maintaining

classroom management is having a routine and sticking to it. Students need structure in the

classroom. Therefore, if they do not feel like they have a routine, or if the transitions between

activities are not smooth and there are frequent pauses, interruptions, or surprises, students will

not feel at ease. They will not get the sense of calm that comes with knowing the teacher has

everything under control. This sense of uncertainty can cause students to start acting out due to the

lack of organization and structure. Students need to know what to expect in their day to day lives

especially, when it comes to their learning environment.

Given this information I, as an educator, am going to be organized and always have a plan

in place. I will have a morning routine that will allow the students to ease into the day and an end

of day routine that will allow students to unwind. I will also have a regular class schedule that I

will follow each day. To make my students aware of these routines, I will have a morning routine

and afternoon routine posted in my classroom along with a detailed class schedule that my students

can always refer back to, so they will always know what to expect. As well, every morning I will

write any important changes or notices on the board and read them first thing in the morning so

that students will have plenty of time to adjust to these changes.

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Having a routine and being organized is also important for avoiding downtime. A key tool

that I will include when designing my lesson plans are sponge activities. Always having a

supplementary activity ready if students finish the initial activity faster than anticipated is crucial

to keeping control of a classroom. Problems start to arise when kids get bored and that is something

I, as an educator, will always take into account when planning a lesson. It is important that students

are always engaged in something throughout the work day, so as not to waste precious time.

Engaging teaching

It is my goal to always create a learning environment that is engaging and that motivates

my students to want to learn. To accomplish this, I will create lesson plans that incorporate multiple

teaching strategies. I will incorporate group work and hands-on activities. I will also include

physical movement in my teaching so students do not get restless, and develop activities that allow

the children to share their ideas and express their learning. In addition, I will have different centres

in my classroom that will be there for the students use when they are having difficulty focusing. I

will have a listening centre, a reading centre, a calming area, and an area with an exercise bike for

those who need more physical movement throughout the day. Using these strategies will help the

students to be fully engaged over the course of a day, which will greatly improve their learning.

I believe that implementing this plan in my classroom will have a positive impact on the

students. It will create an environment where the students feel safe, secure, and eager to learn.

They will recognize that my classroom is a community and will feel the support from myself and

classmates that they need to excel in their learning. Having a plan in place to avoid downtime,

remain in control, and build relationships will provide my students with all the tools they need to

be successful. Finally, maintaining an engaging learning environment will be critical for my

students to remain focused and interested in learning.

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References

Coloroso, B. (2010). Kids are worth it! Raising resilient, responsible, compassionate kids.

Toronto: Penguin Canada.

Curwin, R. L., Mendler, A. N., & Mendler, B. D. (2008). Discipline with dignity: New

challenges, new solutions. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum

Development.

Kohn, A. (2006). Beyond discipline: from compliance to community. Alexandria, VA:

Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Marzano, R.J., & Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. (2005). A

handbook for classroom management for works. Alexandria, Va: Association for

Supervision and Curriculum Development.