By: Ben Pilley, Bailey Sisson,

Joni Unger, and Lauren Hall

Assignment #2 Case Study
Causes
Teacher roles determining underlying causes
Mr. Dillion is not using the progression of discipline properly and is
going to the extreme right away by yelling. We view this as a detriment
to the relationship between the student and teacher, and will not prove
to be beneficial for Mr. Dillion in the long run, especially since the
students are at such a young age. An environment that fosters yelling
is an environment that is not maintaining a positive, productive
learning environment. (Woolfolk, Winne, Perry, 2013, p.440) Based on
how the student interacts with Mr. Dillion (continuing to talk throughout
a lecture and work time) we feel that there is a possibility for a lack of
respect in Mr. Dillions classroom, which leads to a lack of or
undeveloped relationship between student and teacher. Having a
positive relationship is crucial for classroom management. (Woolfolk et
al., 2013, p.454) We feel there is a lack of reinforcement provided by
Mr. Dillion, which has lead to a lack of motivation in the students. It
appears that Mr. Dillion does not have well-established routine and
procedure with his class, which leads to chaos throughout a lesson.
Routines and procedures need to be developed, which can help with
classroom management, and it is the role of Mr. Dillion to implement
routines and procedures. The more students are engaged in their own
learning process, the more beneficial the learning environment will be
for students and Mr. Dillion. Mr. Dillion is not engaging his students
enough to foster a positive learning environment. For example, is a
lecture the most beneficial thing for a Grade 1 class? On the note of
unengaged students, there was no mention of differentiation in Mr.
Dillions teaching to incorporate all the different learning styles. Mr.
Dillion should take into consideration catering to each of the learning
styles to help with engagement. There appears to be a lack of
consequences in the classroom. Mr. Dillion should be implementing
natural and logical consequences to his students based on behavior.
(Woolfolk et al., 2013, p.446)
Student roles determining underlying causes
The students in Mr. Dillions class are repeatedly talking out of turn and
elevating the noise level in the class to an unacceptable level. A
possible cause for this behavior is that the students do not know what
is expected of them. If the students do not have a clear assignment to
complete, they will be more likely to become disengaged with the
material and less motivated. The students may lack the intrinsic and
extrinsic motivation to work in class. The students may also be
distracted by social goals (Woolfolk et al., 2013, p.410). They may be
prioritizing their friendships with one another over learning and

By: Ben Pilley, Bailey Sisson,

Joni Unger, and Lauren Hall
therefore are more interested in talking to one another than engaging
with the material. Students at the grade 1 level have shorter attention
spans and are not at a cognitive level to be sitting for a long period of
time. (Concordia Department of Education, 2013). These students need
brain breaks or to switch tasks more often in order to stay engaged
with the material and not chat with one another.
Environmental roles determining underlying causes
In terms of how the environment of the classroom could have
contributed to the underlying cause of the issue in our case study, we
determined that student placement and seating arrangements likely
contributed to students lack of attention. As stated in the textbook,
the way seating is arranged and where students are assigned to sit can
greatly aid or hinder the students ability to learn. Students who need
more interaction and stimulus should sit in the front whereas students
who are more self-directed learners can be successful in the front or
the back. As well, arranging seating in horizontal rows promotes
individual work as well as focus on the presenter (Woolfolk et al., 2013,
pp. 447-448). If the Mr. Dillion in this case study had students who are
easily distracted sitting in the back of the classroom and/or had
students sitting in pods, it could easily have lead to talking when they
were supposed to be listening. Aside from seating arrangements and
student placement, another factor related to environment is how Mr.
Dillion assigned groups. In order to create optimal working conditions,
it would be important for Mr. Dillion to take careful thought and
consideration of who would work best together when making groups.
What may the students be obtaining or avoiding through the
behavior?
Obtaining:
Poor learning strategies
Grade 1 students are still learning to be students. They dont
have a solid understanding of what is expected of them. If they
are in a class where there is no discipline and where they can
talk whenever they want to, they will expect this to be the norm.
They will not learn appropriate classroom behaviour, how to work
independently or how to work productively with others.
Control of the classroom
Although Mr. Dillion is temporarily obtaining the desired results
through yelling, the students have the control. There is not a lot
of learning happening, there is no respect for Mr. Dillion, and
students are doing what they want to do rather than what they
should do.
Meeting their social goals
Generally, children would rather play and have fun than learn. In
this case, because the learning is not enjoyable, the students

By: Ben Pilley, Bailey Sisson,

Joni Unger, and Lauren Hall
would rather talk. Their desire to socialize is being met. (Woolfolk
et al., 2013, p.410)
Avoiding:
The students appear to be (subconsciously) avoiding responsibility and
accountability. The students are continuously talking instead of doing
work and learning. It is the role of the teacher AND the students to be
responsible and accountable for their work. At such a young age Mr.
Dillion needs to take on a larger role relating to responsibility and
accountability.
What might the teacher be doing that may be causing the
behavior?
There are a variety of actions or inactions on Mr. Dillions part that may
be contributing to the students behavior. Mr. Dillion may not be
providing clear guidelines or expectations for the students. The
students should be told clearly what their assignment is and what they
will need to accomplish in order to complete the assignment. Mr. Dillion
should be creating clear learning objectives that tell the students what
they are to learn, not what they are to do (i.e., The students will
compare and contrast the 8 planets to one another, not, the students
will know chapter 5). This will help motivate the students to stay on
task rather than chatting.
Mr. Dillion may not be creating a positive learning environment
conducive to learning. It is the responsibility of Mr. Dillion to cultivate a
classroom environment that is task-oriented and predictable for
student success. (Wong & Wong, 2001, p.88). A predictable classroom
environment means that the teacher has implemented and practiced
routines and procedures for different situations. Transition periods in
class provide an opportunity for students to get off task and start
talking if there is no clear procedure for switching tasks. (pg..) In
addition Mr. Dillion should have an appropriate set of rewards or
consequences for students who are not following instructions or
guidelines. The students should know exactly what will happen if they
are talking out of turn or too loud in class and this consequence should
be followed through with every time. Mr. Dillion should also implement
discipline with appropriate steps. It seems Mr. Dillion goes straight to
yelling at the students to be quiet when they talk, rather than starting
with some other cue to get the students attention.
Another aspect of the learning environment Mr. Dillion may be
neglecting is the seating plan or group arrangements. Mr. Dillion should
know which students are likely to engage in conversation with one
another rather than with the material and not put those students in
groups together. Mr. Dillion should also place the students in such an

By: Ben Pilley, Bailey Sisson,

Joni Unger, and Lauren Hall
arrangement that they have a clear view of the area they are supposed
to be focusing on (the board).
Action Plan
Goal: The students will not talk while the teacher is speaking and will
work quietly when working in groups.
Intervention Plan
1. Create classroom rules & consequences and display them in
the classroom
Students need to have a clear understanding of what is expected of
them (Woolfolk et al., 2013, p.450). By creating classroom rules and
displaying them, students know what is expected of them and have a
constant visual reminder. Although students may have a better
understanding of rules if they have a part in creating them, before
students can contribute meaningfully to class rules, they need to trust
the teacher and the situation. This may be difficult at this point
because they have not developed positive relationships with their
teacher and therefore dont have the trust they need to contribute.
(Woolfolk et al., 2013, p.446) In creating the rules, Mr. Dillion needs to
remember that rules should be positive and observable and that
having a few general rules that cover many specifics is better than
listing all the dos and donts (Woolfolk et al., 2013, p.444). Rules need
to be clear. For example, if the rule is respect and be polite to all
people, students need to know what you mean by polite(Woolfolk et
al., 2013, p.444). Whatever the rule, students need to be taught the
behavior that the rule includes and excludes. It will be important to
have examples, practice, and discussion with students (Woolfolk et al.,
2013, p.445).
Different activities require different rules. Because we are introducing
rules to the class, it may be confusing to students to have different
rules for different situations. To avoid confusion, Mr. Dillion should
make some kind of visual tool (a sign, pictures, etc.) listing the rules for
each activity. (Woolfolk et al., 2013, p. 445). All rules need to be
discussed with the class to ensure that everyone understands what is
expected of them and why it is important to follow these rules. Once
the rules have been made, there also need to be consequences for
breaking rules. These consequences need to be logical and match the
level of misbehavior. For many infractions, the consequence can simply
be to go back and do it right. After committing an infraction, students
should be encouraged to reflect, self-evaluate and problem solve
(Woolfolk et al., 2013, pp.445-446). Because having rules will be new
to the students, there may be some resistance. It is important to be
consistent and to stop misbehavior quickly and firmly but not harshly.
(Woolfolk et al., 2013, p.450)

By: Ben Pilley, Bailey Sisson,

Joni Unger, and Lauren Hall
2. Establish routines & procedures
Students need to know how to get things done in class. They need to
know when its acceptable to move around the class, where to return
books/materials, whether or not they need to line up before recess, etc.
Routines and procedures are essential for smooth transitions and will
eliminate confusion, disruptions and wasted time. Routines and
procedures should cover the following areas (Woolfolk et al., 2013,
p.443):
1. Administrative routines, such as taking attendance
2. Student movement, such as entering and leaving or going to the
bathroom
3. Housekeeping, such as watering plants or storing personal items
4. Routines for accomplishing lessons, such as how to collect
assignments or return homework
5. Interactions between teacher and student, such as how to get
the teachers attention when help is needed
6. Talk among students, such as giving help or socializing
Once routines and procedures have been established, they need to be
communicated to the students. As they have not had routines and
procedures up to this point, Mr. Dillion will need to give clear directions
at each transition until students have learned what is expected of
them.
The Suggested Transition Sequence (Roscoe, 2012, p.31) should be
followed:
1. Get attention
2. Give instructions: when - what - how- who
3. Check for understanding
4. Give Start now cue
5. Monitor
6. Reinforce - give positive feedback to maintain appropriate
behaviour
When creating rules and procedures for the class, Mr. Dillion needs to
think ahead and plan for events such as a fire drill or a lockdown.
These events need to be well planned and communicated to the
students. This will avoid confusion and prevent it from becoming an
unexpected event. To overcome this challenge Mr. Dillion should
practice these procedures with the students and discussed their
importance.
3. Create and display a noise meter
A noise meter is a visual tool to remind students what noise level is
acceptable for the activity. For example, is this a time where there

By: Ben Pilley, Bailey Sisson,

Joni Unger, and Lauren Hall
shouldnt be any talking or is appropriate to have a quiet discussion?
Because the main problem is the noise level and because the
appropriate noise level will vary depending on the activity, it is
important to have something students can refer to. Having a visual
reminder will help eliminate questions or confusion among students.
The noise meter will need to be shown and explained to the students
before using it. It is important that all students understand how to
interpret the noise meter. At first they will likely need to be reminded
often to refer to it but will gradually begin referring to it on their own.
4. Apply the steps of discipline
We want to eliminate yelling from the classroom. The steps of
discipline are an effective way to get students attention and keep
them on task without yelling. It communicates to students in a positive
way that their behavior is not acceptable. The steps of discipline
(Woolfolk et al., 2013, pp.455-456) are as follows:
Make eye contact or move closer to students
Try verbal hints
Ask if students are aware of negative effects of their actions
Remind students of procedure
Ask students to state correct rule or procedure
Tell students in a clear, assertive and non-hostile way to stop the
misbehavior
Offer a choice
If these steps are followed, students will have a better understanding
of what is expected of them, which will help avoid and prevent
misbehavior.
5. Effective seating and group arrangements
The way a classroom is set up can have a big impact on learning. The
desk arrangement should vary depending on the activity in order to
enhance learning. For example, horizontal rows encourage students to
focus on the instructor and work well when students are working in
pairs. However, horizontal rows are not effective for whole-class
discussion (Woolfolk et al., 2013, pp.447-448). Circles are great for
discussion and still allow for independent work. Clusters of four permit
students to talk, share materials, and help each other. Neither clusters
nor circles work well for whole-class instruction and may make
classroom management more difficult (Woolfolk et al., 2013, p.448).
Students should be placed where they can learn best. Learning styles,
personalities and behavior should be taken into consideration when
assigning seating. Seating should be designed so that students can see
instruction without moving their chairs or desks (Woolfolk et al., 2013,
p.449) and students who continually break the same rules should be
seated away from students who may be influenced by them (Woolfolk
et al., 2013, p.459).

By: Ben Pilley, Bailey Sisson,

Joni Unger, and Lauren Hall
Although seating has been assigned to enhance student learning, Mr.
Dillion still needs to move around the room so all the action isnt taking
place in one spot. Mr. Dillion should make eye contact with and direct
questions to students sitting farther away. Seating should vary so the
same students are not always sitting in the back. (Woolfolk et al., 2013,
p.447)
When grouping students, it will be helpful to use different grouping
strategies for different activities, i.e. pairs versus small groups
(Woolfolk et al., 2013, p.183). Students can also be grouped according
to their zone of proximal development. These arrangements can
include small groups, partners, individuals, and even the whole class
depending on which grouping best supports each students learning for
the task at hand (Woolfolk et al., 2013, p.498). Assigning groups will
prevent students from creating groups where socializing is the priority
and Mr. Dillion can have students with different strengths work
together so they can help each other learn.
6. Brain breaks
If students are getting restless, a brain break such as dancing, going
for a quick run, singing a song, etc., is a good way to refocus them. If
students are particularly chatty at the beginning of the day, it is better
to start with something active rather than having them sit quietly.
Incorporating movement and short breaks will enhance learning
(Roscoe, 2012, p.23). After the activity, it will be important to use the
proper steps (outlined in Establishing Routines and Procedures) to have
a smooth transition back to the learning activity.
7. Long-term goal to develop relationships with students
The first step in classroom management is having positive relationships
(Roscoe, 2012, p. 28). In order to create a positive learning
environment with effective classroom management and gain the
respect of his students, Mr. Dillion must develop positive relationships
with them. It is also crucial to know the students personally in order to
incorporate their interests in lessons. If the students are interested and
engaged, they will be more likely to pay attention and less likely to be
disruptive. The second step for classroom management is having a
safe and caring environment. As Mr. Dillion puts the previous steps in
place, he can begin to develop relationships with his students. They
may resist at first because they have not been in a safe and caring
environment up to this point and may question Mr. Dillions sincerity. It
may take more time to develop those personal relationships than it
would have had these steps been put in place right from day one. It will
be important to be consistent and positive in order to earn the
students trust.

By: Ben Pilley, Bailey Sisson,

Joni Unger, and Lauren Hall

Action Plan Reflection

Student perception:
We feel that the students should have a mostly positive reaction
to the action plan. The implementation of brain breaks would
make days more fun for students, but also help them stay
engaged while learning. Also, having routines in place to create a
positive learning environment is something we believe students
would take a liking too. We feel Mr. Dillion may encounter
difficulties when you begin implementing rules, as students have
not previously had rules or consequences in Mr. Dillions class.
Learning climate:
We believe it will be a more positive learning environment where
students will be able to learn, all learning styles will be used, and
the environment will be safe where students can ask questions
(without fear of being yelled at).
How could it have been prevented?
Mr. Dillion could have implemented discipline, rules and routines
on the first day, which would have helped create a positive
learning environment (Woolfolk et al., 2013, pp.449-450). (KSA
#7)
Mr. Dillion could have gone through the progression of discipline,
which might have proved to be more successful than going
straight to yelling. (KSA #8)
Mr. Dillion could have clearly laid out guidelines and
expectations. (KSA #6 & #11)
Mr. Dillion could have offered brain breaks to help keep the
students attention, especially since theyre so young they have
a short attention span.
Mr. Dillion could have implemented all the learning styles in his
lessons, which would have helped maintain attention and helped
with classroom management. (KSA #5)
Who needs to know about this plan?
At this point, this is a problem between students and Mr. Dillion
and no one else (including parents and administration) needs to
be involved.
References
Effective classroom management Ideas for the 1st Grade. (2013,
January 28).
Retrieved November 2, 2015, from http://education.cu-

By: Ben Pilley, Bailey Sisson,

Joni Unger, and Lauren Hall
portland.edu/blog/curriculum-instruction/how-to-manage-a-firstgrade-classroom-effectively/
Roscoe, K. (2012). An Introduction to Curriculum & Instruction: First
Steps Towards
Effective Teaching and Learning.
Wong, H.K. & Wong, R.T. (2001). The First Days of School: How to Be an
Effective
Teacher. Harry K Wong Pubn.
Woolfolk, A., Winne, P. H., & Perry, N. (2013). Educational Psychology.
(6th ed.).
Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Canada Inc.