"It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expressions and knowledge." - Albert Einstein
Classroom Management Plan
Philosophical Statement:
My classroom management philosophy is a mixture of several different theories. I believe that Lee Canter’s Assertive Discipline would be what I use most. I would teach my students acceptable and unacceptable behaviors, and I when I see a student following the rules, I would make sure to recognize that student so they know that I am happy with them. When there is a student who is misbehaving, I would have a series of consequences; each consequence increasing each time the child exhibits the bad behavior. (Canter) Since I know that students will sometimes have an off day, I want to make sure we can start each day with a clean slate. (Canter).
Another theory that I believe in is B.F. Skinner’s Behavior Management. I believe that children have to be taught how to behave. There are several procedures I will be doing in the classroom that the students will have to be taught. (Skinner) For example, I will teach the students how to line up quietly, move from one area to another, get ready for lunch, and pack up at the end of the day. The students will be conditioned to do each of these procedures daily. (Skinner)
Fred Jones’ Positive Discipline Model is also another theory that makes up my classroom management philosophy. I believe in preventing misbehaviors before they occur from Jones’ model. By thinking about how students can possibly get in trouble, as a teacher, I can put the students in better situations where I believe they can succeed. (Jones)
Rules:
I chose the rule respect everyone and everything around you because I believe it is a general statement that can apply to all situations in the classroom or school. The students should always respect their teachers, peers, and the environment. I chose speak kindly as a rule because it also can apply to all situations. The students should always speak kindly to everyone no matter where they are. Follow all directions the teacher gives you is an important rule for me to have since I am going to be teaching early childhood. There are so many directions that I will be giving the students so having this as a good general rule will be important. Listen when someone is talking is another good rule to have for my early childhood class because it can apply to all situations. Many times younger students have a hard time waiting their turn to talk, so by having this as a rule, they will be practicing it everyday. I chose keep your hands, feet and objects to yourself because it can apply to all situations anywhere in the school. I feel this rule is important because I have been in classrooms where students were poking other students with pencils and it ended up becoming a big problem that took away instruction time to handle.
Procedures:
Instructional Expectations:
· Group Lessons: Walk quietly to the rug; sit on your bottom; keep hands to yourself; if students prefer to stay at their seats during the lesson, they must still pay attention – if I think they are not listening/paying attention, I will ask them to come sit on the carpet; eyes on the teacher while teaching; do not blurt out answers – raise hand if student would like to share something or answer a question; do not disrupt the learning of others by talking or bothering them in any way.
· Independent Work: After giving students their materials (worksheet, journals, etc.), walk quietly back to seats; get started immediately; write your name and date in the top right corner; work quietly so no one disrupts the learning/thinking of others; when finished, raise your hand for me to come check it or put it in the appropriate area if I am not checking it immediately.
· Partner Work: Students pair with partners they will actually complete their work with instead of just socializing – if they cannot work appropriately together, I will assign different partners or they will have to work independently; partners can choose a spot around the room to sit and work together; do not sit directly beside another set of partners.
· Small Group Work: Students will be in centers working in small groups quietly. They may whisper or talk lowly if the assignment calls for it. I will be working with a group of students, and if a student not in my group has a question, they must raise their hand to get my attention.
Non-instructional Expectations:
· Beginning the day: Enter the room quietly; unpack book bags; take out agendas, homework folders, and reading folders; hang up book bags on correct hooks; turn in homework folder, agenda, and reading folder; make lunch choice; complete morning work quietly at their desks; after morning work is complete, read.
· Ending the day: Get book bags when each table is called; leave agenda on desk to get their color in their agendas; put homework folder and books in their book bags; clean around their area; put agenda in their book bags after receiving a color; push in chairs and sit quietly on the rug until they are dismissed.
· Entering the classroom: Enter quietly and sit in your seat. Remain quiet and wait for further instructions.
· Signals: I will say give me five, students are to hold up their hands with five fingers, I will count down from five and when I get to one, students should be silent.
· Questions: If students are unsure about something, ask another student sitting next to them. If they still are unsure about it, they may hold one finger in the air and ask me for clarification.
· Lining up: The line leader (of the week) will line up first. I will call each group by their color (red group, green group, blue group, yellow group). When a group is called, students from that group must stand up, push in their chairs, and walk quietly to the line. Students stand facing the front, one behind the other, hands by their sides, without talking. Electrician (off the week) turns off lights before leaving the room.
· Individually leaving the room: Take the hall pass and walk quietly to the destination; go straight there and come straight back.
· Turning in work: Students make sure their name and date is at the top of their papers and turn in their work to designated basket/drawer. If they do not finish by the time we start another activity, they are to keep it at their desks and finish it later during the day.
· Restroom: While staying quietly seated, students hold up two fingers to use the restroom. If it’s during a lesson and is not an absolute emergency, students are to wait until after the lesson is over.
· Water: Students may bring a water bottle to keep at their desks if they would like to. Otherwise, students hold up three fingers if they would like to get a sip of water. If it is during the middle of a lesson, they have to wait until the lesson is over to get water.
· Pencil Sharpener: Pencil sharpener (of the week) sharpens pencils at the end of the day. There are extra pencils in a bucket labeled ‘Sharpened Pencils’ if their pencil happens to break throughout the day. They are to put the unsharpened pencils in the bucket beside it labeled ‘Broken/Un-Sharpened Pencils’, which will get sharpened at the end of the day.
· Lunch: I will have the student line up according to whether the students picked first or second lunch choice at the beginning of the day. Choice one in the front, choice two behind choice one, then lunch boxes. A different student is assigned each week to give out Hand Sanitizer. That student gets the Hand Sanitizer from the classroom and passes it out to each student in line. Students walk down the hall in a straight, quiet line, one behind the other. They enter cafeteria quietly, get their correct lunch choice, go to our lunch table and whisper to the students they sit beside.
· Fire drill: Students should immediately stop whatever they are doing; quickly and silently get in line one behind the other; walk to our designated area on the playground; stand in a straight, silent line, one behind the other; teacher takes attendance – hold up green card if all students are present, hold up yellow if a student in elsewhere; wait until we are told it is clear to head inside; walk back to class in the same straight, quiet line; go inside quietly; continue assignment from before the fire drill.
· Student Tables: Pencils, one library book per student, and crayons should be in the color bins on each table; clipboards and other worksheets, journals, or textbooks we are using should be directly in front of each student’s seat on the table; area should be clean and neat before we leave the classroom.
· Free Time: Finish previous assignments that need to be made up; read library book; work on math facts; create books.
· Recess: Line up using our line procedures; once we get outside, they may go play. No flipping. When the bell rings, students are to line up with our class.
· Center Transition: When it is time to change centers I will have an alarm that plays soothing music to alert the students to change. Students will follow a pattern/rotation of which center to go to next.
Consequences:
Positive:
Tangible:
Social:
Activity:
Negative:
Tangible:
Social:
Activity:
Philosophical Statement:
My classroom management philosophy is a mixture of several different theories. I believe that Lee Canter’s Assertive Discipline would be what I use most. I would teach my students acceptable and unacceptable behaviors, and I when I see a student following the rules, I would make sure to recognize that student so they know that I am happy with them. When there is a student who is misbehaving, I would have a series of consequences; each consequence increasing each time the child exhibits the bad behavior. (Canter) Since I know that students will sometimes have an off day, I want to make sure we can start each day with a clean slate. (Canter).
Another theory that I believe in is B.F. Skinner’s Behavior Management. I believe that children have to be taught how to behave. There are several procedures I will be doing in the classroom that the students will have to be taught. (Skinner) For example, I will teach the students how to line up quietly, move from one area to another, get ready for lunch, and pack up at the end of the day. The students will be conditioned to do each of these procedures daily. (Skinner)
Fred Jones’ Positive Discipline Model is also another theory that makes up my classroom management philosophy. I believe in preventing misbehaviors before they occur from Jones’ model. By thinking about how students can possibly get in trouble, as a teacher, I can put the students in better situations where I believe they can succeed. (Jones)
Rules:
- Respect everyone and everything around you.
- Speak kindly
- Follow all directions the teacher gives you
- Listen when someone is talking
- Keep your hands, feet and objects to yourself
I chose the rule respect everyone and everything around you because I believe it is a general statement that can apply to all situations in the classroom or school. The students should always respect their teachers, peers, and the environment. I chose speak kindly as a rule because it also can apply to all situations. The students should always speak kindly to everyone no matter where they are. Follow all directions the teacher gives you is an important rule for me to have since I am going to be teaching early childhood. There are so many directions that I will be giving the students so having this as a good general rule will be important. Listen when someone is talking is another good rule to have for my early childhood class because it can apply to all situations. Many times younger students have a hard time waiting their turn to talk, so by having this as a rule, they will be practicing it everyday. I chose keep your hands, feet and objects to yourself because it can apply to all situations anywhere in the school. I feel this rule is important because I have been in classrooms where students were poking other students with pencils and it ended up becoming a big problem that took away instruction time to handle.
Procedures:
Instructional Expectations:
· Group Lessons: Walk quietly to the rug; sit on your bottom; keep hands to yourself; if students prefer to stay at their seats during the lesson, they must still pay attention – if I think they are not listening/paying attention, I will ask them to come sit on the carpet; eyes on the teacher while teaching; do not blurt out answers – raise hand if student would like to share something or answer a question; do not disrupt the learning of others by talking or bothering them in any way.
· Independent Work: After giving students their materials (worksheet, journals, etc.), walk quietly back to seats; get started immediately; write your name and date in the top right corner; work quietly so no one disrupts the learning/thinking of others; when finished, raise your hand for me to come check it or put it in the appropriate area if I am not checking it immediately.
· Partner Work: Students pair with partners they will actually complete their work with instead of just socializing – if they cannot work appropriately together, I will assign different partners or they will have to work independently; partners can choose a spot around the room to sit and work together; do not sit directly beside another set of partners.
· Small Group Work: Students will be in centers working in small groups quietly. They may whisper or talk lowly if the assignment calls for it. I will be working with a group of students, and if a student not in my group has a question, they must raise their hand to get my attention.
Non-instructional Expectations:
· Beginning the day: Enter the room quietly; unpack book bags; take out agendas, homework folders, and reading folders; hang up book bags on correct hooks; turn in homework folder, agenda, and reading folder; make lunch choice; complete morning work quietly at their desks; after morning work is complete, read.
· Ending the day: Get book bags when each table is called; leave agenda on desk to get their color in their agendas; put homework folder and books in their book bags; clean around their area; put agenda in their book bags after receiving a color; push in chairs and sit quietly on the rug until they are dismissed.
· Entering the classroom: Enter quietly and sit in your seat. Remain quiet and wait for further instructions.
· Signals: I will say give me five, students are to hold up their hands with five fingers, I will count down from five and when I get to one, students should be silent.
- Do not interrupt the teacher or another student when they are talking.
- Raise your hand to be called on – One finger: Question/Comment, Two fingers: Bathroom, Three fingers: Water
· Questions: If students are unsure about something, ask another student sitting next to them. If they still are unsure about it, they may hold one finger in the air and ask me for clarification.
· Lining up: The line leader (of the week) will line up first. I will call each group by their color (red group, green group, blue group, yellow group). When a group is called, students from that group must stand up, push in their chairs, and walk quietly to the line. Students stand facing the front, one behind the other, hands by their sides, without talking. Electrician (off the week) turns off lights before leaving the room.
· Individually leaving the room: Take the hall pass and walk quietly to the destination; go straight there and come straight back.
· Turning in work: Students make sure their name and date is at the top of their papers and turn in their work to designated basket/drawer. If they do not finish by the time we start another activity, they are to keep it at their desks and finish it later during the day.
· Restroom: While staying quietly seated, students hold up two fingers to use the restroom. If it’s during a lesson and is not an absolute emergency, students are to wait until after the lesson is over.
· Water: Students may bring a water bottle to keep at their desks if they would like to. Otherwise, students hold up three fingers if they would like to get a sip of water. If it is during the middle of a lesson, they have to wait until the lesson is over to get water.
· Pencil Sharpener: Pencil sharpener (of the week) sharpens pencils at the end of the day. There are extra pencils in a bucket labeled ‘Sharpened Pencils’ if their pencil happens to break throughout the day. They are to put the unsharpened pencils in the bucket beside it labeled ‘Broken/Un-Sharpened Pencils’, which will get sharpened at the end of the day.
- Classroom Library: Three students may sit in the classroom library at a time to read; choose one book to read; put the book back neatly after reading it; put pillows back neatly.
· Lunch: I will have the student line up according to whether the students picked first or second lunch choice at the beginning of the day. Choice one in the front, choice two behind choice one, then lunch boxes. A different student is assigned each week to give out Hand Sanitizer. That student gets the Hand Sanitizer from the classroom and passes it out to each student in line. Students walk down the hall in a straight, quiet line, one behind the other. They enter cafeteria quietly, get their correct lunch choice, go to our lunch table and whisper to the students they sit beside.
· Fire drill: Students should immediately stop whatever they are doing; quickly and silently get in line one behind the other; walk to our designated area on the playground; stand in a straight, silent line, one behind the other; teacher takes attendance – hold up green card if all students are present, hold up yellow if a student in elsewhere; wait until we are told it is clear to head inside; walk back to class in the same straight, quiet line; go inside quietly; continue assignment from before the fire drill.
· Student Tables: Pencils, one library book per student, and crayons should be in the color bins on each table; clipboards and other worksheets, journals, or textbooks we are using should be directly in front of each student’s seat on the table; area should be clean and neat before we leave the classroom.
· Free Time: Finish previous assignments that need to be made up; read library book; work on math facts; create books.
· Recess: Line up using our line procedures; once we get outside, they may go play. No flipping. When the bell rings, students are to line up with our class.
· Center Transition: When it is time to change centers I will have an alarm that plays soothing music to alert the students to change. Students will follow a pattern/rotation of which center to go to next.
Consequences:
Positive:
Tangible:
- Stickers: If a student makes a 100 on a paper.
- Pom-Poms: Will be given to student’s group if they are all on task.
- Super Star Punch Card: A star will be punched when student shows good behavior.
- Notes Home: Sending positive notes home when students show good behavior.
Social:
- Verbal Praise: When student shows good behavior.
- Thumbs up: When student answers questions correctly.
- Phone Call: Call home to let parents know of student’s good behavior.
- Student of the Week: Student who shows outstanding behavior.
Activity:
- Extra Computer Time: If student gets all work completed correctly.
- Outside time: When students have been good and completed their work timely.
- Teacher Helper: Can help when finished with all work.
Negative:
Tangible:
- Yard Stick: Students will get two warnings before their color is changed.
- Time Out: Student can be moved to an isolated area in the class until behavior subsides.
- Parent Contact: Calling or sending a note home/email to parents to let them know of their child’s behavior.
Social:
- Class Reminder: When some students are misbehaving remind of rules.
- Individual Reminder: Talking one-on-one with a student about their choices.
- Lunch Detention: Student sits at a table alone during lunch.
Activity:
- Office Referral: When student cannot be reasoned with and bad behavior is persistent.
- Field Trip: Students will be unable to attend field trips if their behavior is not appropriate.
- Recess: 5 minutes of students recess will be taken away if their behavior is not appropriate.