Classroom Management

Notebook

Rachel Wexler
 Table of Contents

Section 1: Philosophy of Disciple and Management …………………………………………………………………………1

Models of Discipline Graphic Organizer ……………………………………………………………………………….2

My Philosophy of Discipline …………………………………………………………………………………………………3

Self-Discipline Graphic—Goal ………………………………………………………………………………………………5

Code of Ethics for Teachers …………………………………………………………………………………………………6

Section 2: Preventative Measures ……………………………………………………………………………………………………8

Structuring the Classroom Space …………………………………………………………………………………………9

Daily Schedule, Routines, and Procedures …………………………………………………………………………11

Rules or Norms of Behavior ……………………………………………………………………………………………….12

Section 3: Supportive and Corrective Measures …………………………………………………………………………….13

First Steps—Redirecting and Warning ……………………………………………………………………………….14

Consequences ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………14

Incentives ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….14

Student Accountability ………………………………………………………………………………………………………14

Section 4: Working Effectively with Diverse Students and Families ………………………………………………..15

Home-School Communication Philosophy and Plan …………………………………………………………..16

Cultural Considerations with Discipline ………………………………………………………………………….....17

Legal Issues Regarding Students with Special Needs ………………………………………………………….18

References …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….19
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Section 1

Philosophy of Discipline

“I have come to the frightening conclusion that I am the decisive

element. It is my personal approach that creates the climate. It is my
daily mood that makes the weather. I possess tremendous power to
make life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an
instrument of inspiration; I can humiliate or humor, hurt or heal. In
all situations, it is my response that decides whether a crisis is
escalated or de-escalated, and a person is humanized or de-
humanized. If we treat people as they are, we make them worse. If we
treat people as they ought to be, we help them become what they are
capable of becoming.”

-Haim G. Ginott

Models of Discipline Graphic Organizer
Discipline Overall Goal or
Model Purpose
To build a positive
Curwin and Mendler environment where
Discipline with Dignity conflict is minimized and
hostile behavior is
reduced
To have students think
Coloroso about their problem and
Inner/Self Discipline what their plan is to solve
it. Have students develop
an inner sense of
responsibility and self-
control.
To have students learn
responsible ways to meet
Kagan and Scott their needs without being
Win-Win Discipline disruptive through
working with teachers
collaboratively, on the
“same side”, to co-create
solutions to problems.
To enable students to
strengthen themselves by
Gossen repairing their mistakes
Restitution and developing self-
discipline to become the
person they want to be.
Beliefs about
Behavior
Rewards and punishment
are not adequate in
changing behavior,
students need intrinsic
motivation in order to
change and take
responsibility for their
behavior
Behavior should not be
controlled or manipulated
through the use of
rewards or threats, rather
students should learn
proper behavior through
taking ownership of their
issues and having the self-
discipline and
responsibility to address
it.
There are four types of
disruptive behavior
(aggressing, breaking the
rules, confrontation, and
disengagement) which all
stem from universal and
basic human needs,
known as the seven
student positions
(attention seeking,
avoiding failure, angry,
control seeking,
energetic, bored, and
uninformed).
All behavior is purposeful
and there are five
positions of control that
motivate human
behavior: punisher,
guilter, buddy, monitor,
and manager.
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Teacher’s Role
in the Classroom
To create clearly defined
limits that give students a
sense of safety and
predictability, to build
relationships with
students, to be warm,
and to establish a
democratic atmosphere.
To show students what
they have done wrong,
giving them ownership of
their problem, providing
suggestions on how to
solve the issues, and
ensuring their dignity
remains intact.
To show students they
care about them and
understand their point of
view and working
together with students to
come up with a solution
to solve disruptive
behaviors and help them
learn responsible ways to
meet their needs without
being disruptive.
The validate students
misbehaviors, identify the
external and internal
motivation of the action,
and identify would could
be done better in the
future
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My Philosophy of Discipline

The issues of classroom management and discipline are at the center of establishing a

classroom that promotes student learning and success. As a teacher it is critical that you

become an effective classroom manager to ensure that your students have the most optimal

environment for them to learn in. According to Marzano, students taught by teachers who are

the most effective classroom managers can expect to gain 52 percentile points a year’s time. To

be an effective classroom manager requires that you not only develop a disciplinary method,

but implement agreed upon rules and procedures, develop meaningful relationships with

students, and have a mindset that all students can succeed.

After reviewing numerous discipline models, I believe that teachers must analyze the

various components of each model and determine what aspects of each align best with their

personality and their classroom in order to develop their own disciplinary method. Identifying

effective strategies used in each method allows me to formulate the most effective strategy for

my personal classroom and situation. Although I do not have a classroom of my own yet, based

on my examination of the various discipline models there are certain aspects of each that I feel I

would implement well and would allow for an effectively managed classroom. One of the

foundations of my disciplinary approach would be based on Curwin and Mendlers Discipline

with Dignity model that focuses on creating a positive environment where conflict is minimized.

With this approach you are taking a proactive approach, rather than a reactive approach, by

eliminating certain problematic behaviors before they occur by providing students with an

environment where they a treated with dignity and develop meaningful relationships with the
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teacher. One of the “the most obvious aspects of effective classroom management involves the

design and implementation of classroom rules and procedures” (Marzano et al., 2003). To aid in

the development of an environment of prevention I would make genuine connections with my

students and make the establishment of rules a democratic process by having the whole class

work together to determine the most appropriate classroom rules. Another aspect I would

include in my disciplinary approach, which comes from Gossen’s restitution model, is making

students aware of the source of their behavior so they can better understand their actions and

develop self-discipline. I think this is extremely value as it helps maintain a smooth running

classroom, but more importantly helps children develop the skills to better conduct themselves

in the classroom and in their future.

Overall, I hope to manage my classroom in a caring manner so that students feel

respected and return the level of respect to both myself and their classmates. Additionally, I

want to implement a disciplinary system that is based on the prevention of disruptive behaviors

through an organized, safe, and comfortable environment with the goal of having myself and

students work together to identify the source of their behavior and a viable solution when

problematic behaviors arise.

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Self-Discipline Graphic—Goal
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Code of Ethics for Teachers

Preamble
The educator, believing in the worth and dignity of each human being, recognizes the
supreme importance of the pursuit of truth, devotion to excellence, and the nurture of the
democratic principles. Essential to these goals is the protection of freedom to learn and to
teach and the guarantee of equal educational opportunity for all. The educator accepts the
responsibility to adhere to the highest ethical standards.
The educator recognizes the magnitude of the responsibility inherent in the teaching
process. The desire for the respect and confidence of one's colleagues, of students, of parents,
and of the members of the community provides the incentive to attain and maintain the
highest possible degree of ethical conduct. The Code of Ethics of the Education Profession
indicates the aspiration of all educators and provides standards by which to judge conduct.

PRINCIPLE I-Commitment to the Student

The educator strives to help each student realize his or her potential as a worthy and effective
member of society. The educator therefore works to stimulate the spirit of inquiry, the
acquisition of knowledge and understanding, and the thoughtful formulation of worthy goals.
In fulfillment of the obligation to the student, the educator--
1. Shall not unreasonably restrain the student from independent action in the pursuit of
learning.
2. Shall not unreasonably deny the student's access to varying points of view.
3. Shall not deliberately suppress or distort subject matter relevant to the student's progress.
4. Shall make reasonable effort to protect the student from conditions harmful to learning or to
health and safety.
5. Shall not intentionally expose the student to embarrassment or disparagement.
6. Shall not on the basis of race, color, creed, sex, national origin, marital status, political or
religious beliefs, family, social or cultural background, or sexual orientation, unfairly--
a. Exclude any student from participation in any program
b. Deny benefits to any student
c. Grant any advantage to any student
7. Shall not use professional relationships with students for private advantage.
8. Shall not disclose information about students obtained in the course of professional service
unless disclosure serves a compelling professional purpose or is required by law.

PRINCIPLE II- Commitment to the Profession

The education profession is vested by the public with a trust and responsibility requiring the
highest ideals of professional service. In the belief that the quality of the services of the
education profession directly influences the nation and its citizens, the educator shall exert
every effort to raise professional standards, to promote a climate that encourages the exercise
of professional judgment, to achieve conditions that attract persons worthy of the trust to
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careers in education, and to assist in preventing the practice of the profession by unqualified
persons.
In fulfillment of the obligation to the profession, the educator--
1. Shall not in an application for a professional position deliberately make a false statement or
fail to disclose a material fact related to competency and qualifications.
2. Shall not misrepresent his/her professional qualifications.
3. Shall not assist any entry into the profession of a person known to be unqualified in respect
to character, education, or other relevant attribute.
4. Shall not knowingly make a false statement concerning the qualifications of a candidate for a
professional position.
5. Shall not assist a noneducator in the unauthorized practice of teaching.
6. Shall not disclose information about colleagues obtained in the course of professional service
unless disclosure serves a compelling professional purpose or is required by law.
7. Shall not knowingly make false or malicious statements about a colleague.
8. Shall not accept any gratuity, gift, or favor that might impair or appear to influence
professional
decisions or action.
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Section 2

Preventative Measures

“The purpose of room arrangement is to facilitate

mobility and proximity.”

“The optimal room arrangement allows you to get from

one student to next with fewer steps.”

-Thoughts from Fred Jones (Tools for Teaching)

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Structuring the Classroom Space

There are various different ways in which you can structure the classroom space

depending on lesson purpose, student needs, and your classroom culture. Although no one

arrangement is inherently better than others, it is important that when setting up your
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classroom you are cognizant of how the set up affects student engagement and work flow. For

instance, with grouped seating arrangements students are able to better interact with one

another while with row seating arrangements students are able to better complete work

independently. Hoping to teach in a Kindergarten or first grade classroom, I believe there is an

increased importance in having students interact with their classmates and learning how to

work collaboratively and cooperatively with others. With that being said, I plan to set up my

classroom in a similar manner to the group/work station set up. With this arrangement

students are easily able to engage in partner or group work without having to disrupt the flow

of the lesson with desk rearrangements. Furthermore, students still have the ability to work

independently in this set up with the addition of simple folder separators.

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Daily Schedule, Routines, and Procedures

Example Kindergarten Schedule

8:00-8:30 Morning Work

8:30-8:45 Calendar Time
8:45-9:45 Guided Reading, Small Group, and Literacy Stations
9:45-10:00 Recess
10:00-11:00 Social Studies & Science
11:00-12:00 Art / PE / Music
12:00-12:45 Lunch
12:45-1:45 Math
1:45-2:30 Free Choice Centers
2:30 Dismissal

Routines and Procedures

 What to do when you enter the classroom each morning

 How to respond to/ask a question and wait to be called on

 What are the walking routes/how to move around the room

 How to change center activities

 What the classroom jobs are and how to perform each job

 How to line up and stand in line

 What to do if you have to the bathroom/signal

 What to do if you need a drink of water

 How to clean up properly

 Where and how to wait for your turn to get ready to go home
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Rules or Norms of Behavior

Rule Corresponding Procedure(s)

Respect yourself, your peers, and their Ask and receive permission before borrowing
property something

Be in your seat and ready for class when the Place your completed homework in the
bell rings homework basket as you enter class and
begin your morning problem

Get permission to talk 1. Raise your hand to request a turn when

the teacher is talking
2. Use indoor voices during a class discussion,
waiting for a pause in the conversation to
insert your thought

This is an example of what my classroom rules may look like. The specifics of the

established rules will not remain constant as I will work with each new class to determine what

the classroom rules should be. I believe that classroom rules should be established in a

democratic manner where the students work together with the teacher to determine what the

specific rules of the classroom should be. Including the students in the process of creating rules

and having them vote on what they believe should be the rules that govern the classroom gives

them a sense of control of their environment and empowers them. Furthermore, making the

agreed upon classroom rules a contract that each student must sign off on gives students a

greater sense of ownership, which in turn, make them more likely to commit to following the

rules. A classroom where student’s ideas are valued and where they get to be involved in
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processes such as creating classroom rules creates a safe and controlled environment that

students can thrive in.

Section 3

Supportive and Corrective Measures

“An effective teacher manages a classroom; an ineffective

teacher disciplines a classroom”

-Harry Wong
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First Steps—Redirecting and Warning

 Non-verbal directives
o Hand signals
o Eye contact
o Physical proximity
 Direct and specific verbal direction of what to do
 Warn of established consequences
 Stop lesson and wait
 Praise students who are on task

Consequences
 Written plan for improvement
 Guardian contact
 Loss of privileges
 Repeating task/behavior correctly and appropriately
 Short detention
 Move student to another seat/area

Incentives
 Reward tickets/auctions
 Select fun activity from “activity shelf”
 Special privileges
 Extra free time
 Positive note/call to guardian
 Awarded a certificate/medal

Student Accountability
 Creating and signing off on classroom rules
 Clip system to indicate daily level of behavior
 Offering timely feedback
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 Achievement chart

Section 4

Working Effectively with Diverse Students and Families

“Diversity may be the hardest thing for society to live

with, and perhaps the most dangerous thing for society
to be without”

-William Sloane Coffin Jr.

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Home-School Communication Philosophy and Plan

Creating a partnership with parents is critical to student success. Although students

spend a lot of time within the classroom, the majority of their time is spent at home. It is

important as educators that we create a support system for students that extends from the

school to the home. Creating partnerships with parents allows teachers to develop stronger

relationships with their students and increases parent involvement in their child’s education.

With a strong foundation that is composed of both teacher and parent students are able thrive.

 Create a partnership with parents

 Develop two-sided communication and trust

 Encourage dialogue

 Schedule a conference during the first weeks of school

o Hopes for their child’s year

o What their child likes or is good at

o Insights about how their child learns best

 Create a monthly or bi-weekly classroom newsletter for parents

 Listen to parents

 Discuss the school’s approach to discipline

 Send weekly work folders home

 Keep the balance of power equitable

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Cultural Considerations with Discipline

As a teacher is it is imperative to be aware of your biases and values and reflect on how

these influence your expectations for behavior and your interaction with students. Equally as

imperative is being knowledgeable of and taking the time to understand your student’s

backgrounds. When implementing discipline your goal is not punish students, but to establish

an environment in which all students have an equal opportunity to learn and succeed.

 Recognition of one’s own cultural lens and biases

 Knowledge of students’ cultural backgrounds

 Awareness of the broader, social, economic, and political context

 Ability and willingness to use culturally appropriate management strategies

 Commitment to building caring classroom communities

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Legal Issues Regarding Students with Special Needs

Individual with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)

Ensures that special needs students receive appropriate free public education in the least
restrictive environment necessary to meet those students’ needs. It helps students receive the
extra assistance they need but allows them to participate in the same activities as children
without special needs whenever possible.

Individualized Education Programs (IEP)

The Individual with Disabilities Education Act requires that students who qualify for special
education must have a developed Individualized Education Program (IEP) that establishes the
specific education for a child’s explicit needs. The educational plan must be designated in
writing and should be developed after an initial meeting that involves both guardians and
educators.

Education for All Handicapped Children Act

The requirement that public schools must provide children with special needs with the same
opportunities for education as other children.

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act

A federal civil rights law that provides services and changes to the learning environment to
meet the needs of the child as adequately as other students.

Least Restrictive Environment

The legal requirement that students with disabilities be educated with their chronologically
aged peers to the greatest extent possible, and that typically means in the general education
classroom. Any necessary support and service is provided to meet students’ needs.
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References

California Depart of Education. (2015). Duty to protect students – Equal opportunity and access.

Retrieved from http://www.cde.ca.gov/re/di/eo/dutytoprotect.asp .

Charles, C. M.(1999). Building Classroom Discipline (6th Edition). Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

Rimm-Kaufman, S., Sandilos, L. (n.d.). Improving Students' Relationships with Teachers

to Provide Essential Supports for Learning. American Psychological Association.

Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/education/k12/relationships.aspx

Culturally Responsible Classroom Management Strategies. (2008). NYU Steinhardt School of

Culture, Education, and Human Development. New York University.

Evertson, C. M., Emmer, E. T., & Worsham, M. E. (2003). Classroom management for

elementary

Lambert, N. M. (1995). Seating arrangements. In L. W. Anderson (Ed.) International

encyclopedia of teaching and teacher education (2nd Edition). Oxford: Elsevier Science.

Marzano, R. J., Marzano, J. S., & Pickering, D. J. (2003). Classroom management that works:

Research-based strategies for every teacher. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

teachers (6th Edition). Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

Wong, H. K., & Wong, R. T. (1998). The first days of school: How to be an effective teacher.

Mountain View, CA: Harry K. Wong Publications, Inc.

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