RUNNING HEAD: CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT PROJECT 1

Classroom Management Project

Zach Zimmer

National University
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Abstract

A good classroom management plan is the manual for a new teacher wanting to run a

structured and successful classroom. The management plan should lay out clearly defined rules

and procedures that students will be following day to day, as well as the rewards and

consequences that will ensue whether students choose to obey these rules and procedures or not.

A plan for strategies to support students who struggle in the classroom, how to engage and

motivate students, a plan to foster students social skills, and a plan to introduce students to a

culturally diverse classroom are some of the components that round out a proper classroom

management plan.
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Introduction

Classroom management is an important tool that all first year teachers should formulate

and have ready by the first day of school. Teachers should clearly define to both students and

parents what their expectations is of students while in their class. Rules and procedures, rewards,

consequences, intervention and support strategies, engagement and motivation, social/emotional

skills, and culturally responsive training are but a few of the classroom management categories

that every teacher should clearly define from day one.

Rules and Procedures

Having clearly defined rules that are easy for students to understand is important to a

smooth running PE class. The following are some basic rules that all PE classes should follow

on a daily basis.

● Students must be dressed out in proper school athletic attire.

While students often push back against this particular rule, it is important for student to be in

athletic wear to avoid risks of injury as well as being easily recognized as PE students. A great

example of this is the importance of wearing proper shoes while in PE. While seemingly a

mundane thing, not wearing proper shoes can lead to the student slipping due to lack of grip,

injury from prolonged usage of improper shoes for activity (such as shin splints or rolled ankles),

and much more. Also, it is important to remember that dressing out is a part of a student’s daily

grade. If a student continues to not dress out there grade will inevitably suffer.

● Absolutely no rough housing/rough play

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While PE is a great time for students to get out of the classroom and out of their desks rough play

will not be tolerated. PE is a time for kids to be active and have fun, but rough housing almost

always creates greater problems. Whether that be injury or bullying stemming from rough

housing, it will not be tolerated and consequences will ensue.

● No phones out during class

There are several reason why cell phones are not acceptable in the PE classroom. Most

importantly, they are a distraction from the activity and reduces participation. Cell phones are

easily Broken when dropped during regular physical activity. Finally the are easily stolen when

set down or left out during activity

Clear routines or procedures are essential for PE teachers. From the first day of classes

PE teachers should begin to work with their students on practicing their start of the period

procedures. As Wong states, “procedures provide these opportunities: Students given

responsibilities from the moment they enter the classroom, students waste little instructional time

by following a consistent routine, and teacher’s time freed to welcome students as they enter the

classroom.” Since having high activity time is essential to a good PE lesson these routine give

teachers critical time that they would otherwise spend rounding up the class. The following are

some standard procedures that are used by most PE teachers.

● Starting every day sitting in roll call order in the classes designated area
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PE instructors should spend an ample amount of time teaching their students his/her roll call

expectations. Students should be sitting in proper roll call order when the instructor exits the

locker room. The first name on the roll call sheet will sit in front all the way to the left. Students

will then sit behind them in alphabetical order. To make sure the lines aren’t too long the lines

will consist of no more than eight students.

● After roll call class will always complete a daily warm-up

It is very important to perform warm-up exercises at the beginning of the PE class. Sports

medicine information.org explains, “The most important reason for doing a warm up is to

prevent injury during exercise; keeping the muscles warm will prevent acute injuries such as

hamstring strains and will stave off overuse injuries by allowing the body to prepare steadily and

safely.”

● When transitioning to a new subject/area students will stay in front of the teacher.

This procedure is a great practice since it allows the teacher to keep their eyes on the entire class

at all times. This procedure can become a daily game where students may owe ten push-ups if

the instructor beats them to the new area. To keep student interested and to create some fun the

instructor might occasionally jog or even race the students to the next station.

Rewards
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Rewarding students is important for any classroom, including PE. Rewards are a great

tool to encourage students who are displaying respectful behavior, working hard, and other

generally positive attitudes/behaviors. As Ministry of Education in Guyana states, “An effective

behavior modification system within the classroom often includes rewards. Students are

motivated to achieve and conform to appropriate behaviors when either intrinsically or

extrinsically rewarded.”(2016)

● Pick your sport day

A common reward that student’s will see in my classroom is pick your sport day. Anytime a

class achieves no non dresses from Monday to Thursday they will receive a pick your sport day

on that Friday. During pick your sport day students will get the opportunity to choose one of

three different sports that they will play. This could range from basketball, ultimate frisbee,

soccer, football and so much more. Students will even be given the option to simply walk

around the black top and socialize with their friends if they don't want to play any sports for that

particular day. Dressing out is a very big component of PE, and students who follow this rule

will be rewarded.

Consequences

Handing out consequences is always a slippery slope in the classroom, but are a necessary tool to

curb breaking the rules or problematic behaviors. In my PE class I will always strive to hand

down logical consequences rather than outright punishment for a problem behavior. As We Are

Teachers states, “ One of the best ways to teach our students to accept responsibility for their

mistakes and behavior is to use logical consequences instead of punishment. Logical

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consequences are intended to teach students the hows and whys of good decisions, rather than

making them sorry for making a bad choice.”(2012) In my PE classes I believe in not making

students feel bad for doing the wrong things, but rather to think about why their behavior was

wrong.

● Non dresses

Non dresses are going to be the overwhelming amount of consequences that are handed out in

my PE class. It is important for students to remember that dressing out is a daily responsibility

that will overwhelmingly affect their grade if they continue to not dress out. On top of this,

dressing in proper athletic wear is one of the biggest deterers of unnecessary injuries in PE

classrooms. If a student does not dress out for PE for they day (either partial or full non-dress)

they will be asked to sit out of the day’s activity. This is not meant to be a punishment, but

rather to ensure that no unnecessary injury is sustained as well as ensure that school clothes are

not ruined during a PE lesson. It is important for students to understand that while they will lose

dress out points for the day there are options for them to make up the points they missed out on.

Lunch time PE and after school makeups are two options that students have to makeup lost

points. Students can attend a short 25 minute PE lesson during lunch or after school dressed in

proper athletic gear and these points will be restored.

● Warning/phone call, lunch detention, after school detention

As Wong states (2018), “ Effective teachers produce results from a classroom that is predictable,

reliable, and consistent.” (p.11) In my PE class I will hold students accountable by the same
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three step process for consequences. The first step when a student receives a consequence, either

breaking rules or procedures, will always result in a warning to the student as well as a call home

to parents. During the warning I will pull the student aside, away from the rest of the class, and

explain why they are receiving a consequence and why the behavior is unacceptable. If the

student continues with the behavior a lunch detention will follow. If the students still

demonstrates the behavior they will be assigned to serve after school detention. Any further

consequences, the student will be referred to student services to receive proper consequence from

the school discipline office.

Intervention & Support Strategies

In my PE class I strive to make sure every student’s needs are being met so they can succeed to

the best of their ability. Lee explains intervention as follows, “intervention is a specific program

or set of steps to help a child improve in an area of need. Kids can have many different types of

needs. If a child is having behavior concerns, a school may offer a behavioral intervention, such

as positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) or a behavior contract. For subjects like

reading or math, there are instructional interventions. (These are sometimes called academic

interventions.)” (Instructional Intervention: What You Need to Know). The following are a few

of the support strategies that will be offered to students in my class.

● Phone calls home to parents

Anytime an issue arises in class, behavioral or not, I will always call parents by the end of the

academic day to discuss the situation. This will ensure that parents are fully aware of what is

going on with their child at school. Calling parents will also be a great way to work with parents
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on the best method moving forward and best methods to help the students succeed in PE. Often

parents, and sometimes the teachers themselves, can give crucial information that will help

formulate a plan for the student in the future.

● After school/lunch time make up

As stated above in the consequence segment all students will be given the opportunity to

participate in either lunch or after-school PE makeups to earn points they have lost. Life throws

us a curveball every once in awhile, students should not be punished if something out of their

control happens. After school and lunch PE makeups will consist of 25 minute lessons where the

student is required to dress out in athletic wear just as they would in PE. Once completing

makeups students will receive full credit for non-dresses or loss of participation points.

● Loaner PE clothes

With a large amount of points in PE designated for dressing out, accommodations will be made

for students who happen to forget their PE clothes for the day. When a student forgets their PE

clothes they are allowed the opportunity to come exchange their school ID card for a set of

loaner PE clothes for the day. Before going any further, I want to stress to both students and

parents that the loaner clothes are washed every day. This way students do not have to feel

weird or awkward for using a loaner set of PE clothes, if they ever need to. It is important to

note that loaner clothes are not a permanent solution.

● Alternate activities for students

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With the wide variety of sports and activities that we will cover in our PE class there will

inevitably be students who can not perform the current activity or sport. These students will

have the opportunity to perform alternate activities for credit. A great example of this is our

annual swim unit. Every year there are a handful of students who struggle in the pool or simply

do not feel comfortable. Obviously, accommodations will be made for these students. In my PE

class one of the biggest goals is to make a fun, inclusive environment where all students can

succeed, no matter there prior ability.

Engagement and Motivation

Engagement and motivation in the PE could possibly be one of the toughest components

to incorporate into a class. When it comes to motivation for students there typically two

components, extrinsic and intrinsic motivators. The Association for Applied Sports Psychology

explains the two as follows, “Athletes compete in and practice sport for a variety of reasons.

These reasons fall into the two major categories of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Athletes

who are intrinsically motivated participate in sports for internal reasons, such as enjoyment,

whereas athletes who are extrinsically motivated participate in sports for external reasons, such

as material rewards.”

● Positive reinforcement for all students

I strive to offer positive reinforcement to every student, not just the ones who demonstrate

mastery of a skill. Every student needs to hear that they are doing a good job. Whenever

entering the PE class you will commonly hear phrases such as, “Great job Erica, way to keep

your elbow in on your free throw shots. Remember to bend your knees slightly, it will help with
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your power.” These forms of positive reinforcement are crucial as they are good for

discouraging bad behaviors, encouraging good behaviors, offering feedback for students, and

much more.

● Progression

While it might be students least favorite aspect of PE, fitness is an inevitability in PE classes.

Since fitness is one of the primary reasons that students dread or even hate PE, it is important to

find ways to turn this negative into a positive. During our fitness segments I will diligently keep

track of student’s mile times. Whenever a student PRs, personal bests, I will do my best to make

a big deal to not only the student but that class as well. Progress is sometimes more important

than passing. Furthermore, if a class has more than 6 PRs on a mile day, they will receive a pick

your sport day that same friday.

Social/Emotional Skills

One of the most overlooked skills that we strive to develop in PE is the development of

social skills amongst students peers. Scholastic.com brilliantly wraps up the importance of

social skills, “You may be hoping your child will learn how to read and write in the first few

months of preschool or kindergarten. But there are many other skills that she needs to master

before an academic focus is appropriate. Studies show that the most important skills to learn in

the beginning of the year are social: cooperation, self-control, confidence, independence,

curiosity, empathy, and communication.” While it is important for students to learn proficiency

in math, science, and reading learning how to get along with people around you is one of the
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most important skills we can teach young people. The Physical Education environment is the

best and often the easiest place for this to happen in the secondary setting.

● Team Building games/exercise

Students in my class will not only be participating in typical sports or physical activities we will

also do team building units. Team building exercises are a great change of pace for students in

PE. Instead of pitting students against each other, in a basketball game, where the goal is to beat

the other team, team building exercises focuses on working together towards a common goal.

● Abundance of different partners

In my PE class I strive to encourage multiple, different interactions between all students in my

class. It is easy for students to be caught in the groove of working with the same partner every

day in their PE class. This does not help them grow, by working on their social skills with a

wide variety of different personalities and people. One of the exercises that students will be

introduced to in week one is the toe to toe method. When a partner activity is occuring in class I

will start the class by running, or another motor movement, around the gym. When I blow the

whistle students will get toe to toe with the closest person to them. This practice encourages

students to branch out and meet/get to know different classmates.

Culturally Responsive Training

Schools have become increasing culturally diverse of the years, especially here in

California. Due to this, it is as important as ever for young adults to learn about all the different
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cultures out there, especially there fellow classmate’s. Underneath is a map of the ever changing

diversity of the United States. Map provided by Dan Keating and Laris Karklis (2016)

● Talk about origin of sports/activities

To raise cultural awareness in my PE classroom I will always discuss the particular sport or

activities cultural origin. Students are often too surprised to hear that many of the popular sports

they love to play originated from another country and culture. I’ve found this to be a great

practice to broaden students horizon and raise a new appreciation for cultures outside their own.

● Know student’s backgrounds

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At the beginning of every year, around the time I receive my class roster, I will begin to get to

know my students. When I receive my classroom roster I will diligently work to begin learning

and understanding the different backgrounds that all my student’s come from. During this time I

will also be choosing specific sports or activities that derive from a few of my student’s families

cultures.

Summary/Reflection

Having a clearly defined classroom management plan prior to the start of the year that

every student and parent can read is important for every teacher. In PE it is important to layout

your expectations, rules, and daily procedures that your class will be carrying out. Being clear

and hammering home the rules and procedures with your class will help class run smoothly.

Rewards and consequences are the best tools a teacher has to teach their students right from

wrong in their classroom. Rewards are the greatest opportunities to reinforce positive behaviors

that students should be modeling in the class, while consistent consequences help teachers show

not only the individual student but the whole class what is deemed unacceptable behavior in the

class. While first year teachers may still be learning how to best teach their curriculum, having a

clear classroom management plan will ensure that they run a smooth classroom from day one.

References

M. (n.d.). The Advantages of Rewards in the Classroom. Retrieved May 4, 2019, from

https://www.education.gov.gy/web/index.php/teachers/tips-for-teaching/item/2102-the-

advantages-of-rewards-in-the-classroom

W. (2017, May 23). Logical Consequences in the Classroom. Retrieved May 4, 2019, from

https://www.weareteachers.com/logical-consequences-in-the-classroom-2/
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Lee, A. M., J.D. (n.d.). Instructional Intervention: What You Need to Know. Retrieved May 4,

2019, from https://www.understood.org/en/learning-attention-issues/treatments-

approaches/educational-strategies/instructional-intervention-what-you-need-to-know

Hatch, S., Thomsen, D., & Waldron, J. J. (n.d.). Extrinsic Rewards and Motivation. Retrieved

May 4, 2019, from https://appliedsportpsych.org/resources/resources-for-

coaches/extrinsic-rewards-and-motivation/

S. (n.d.). Why Social Skills Are Key to Learning. Retrieved May 4, 2019, from

https://www.scholastic.com/parents/family-life/social-emotional-learning/social-skills-

for-kids/why-social-skills-are-key-to-learning.html

References Cont.

Keating, D., & Karklis, L. (2016, November 25). Where the country is becoming more diverse.

Retrieved May 4, 2019, from https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/national/how-

diverse-is-america/?noredirect=on