Classroom Management Plan

Jackie Klein


Part 1: Management Style and Philosophical Beliefs:
Before one can create a classroom management plan, its vital to have
first established a set of philosophical beliefs regarding education.
Reading the management text Discipline with Dignity was very helpful
to me in several ways. It first discussed the ideals and optimism of first
year teachers: Realize you will not reach every child, but act as
though you will. From this, I understand that I cannot burden myself
to be superman to every student that comes through my door.
However, students most easily perceive my mood and demeanor, so
positivity in a classroom is an absolutely necessity. As Parker Palmer
said in his work The Courage to Teach, We teach who we are. These
two ideas theories describe how important energy and attitude are to
me as an educator.
When a teacher has a well-run classroom, everything goes smoothly
(or at least, fewer things go wrong). Having students know what to
expect from you goes a long way in making your job easier, in terms of
behavior management, routines and norms, and student expectations.
The better established expectations and environment are, the less
time you have to spend on management, the more time you have to
spend on content.
Part 2: Establishing a Positive Classroom Culture
My main concern in a classroom as an English teacher is establishing
an environment in which students feel safe to contribute in discussion
and in their writing. It is important to have boundaries that are all
based on respect for others and self. I would absolutely spend some
time instructing on how to give constructive feedback and how to
enter into a dialogue with someone, not a debate. I strongly believe in
a no-tolerance policy on bullying and my classroom culture reflects
that. I would also make my students aware of any school or district
policies on inappropriate behavior and ensure that these are enforced.
All of this would be modeled by myself in classroom discussions and in
suggestions given in writing.
Part 3: Developing Classroom Rules and Procedures
One thing I know to be true is that norms and daily rituals are a
teachers best friend. Id want to establish a daily norm that occurs at
the beginning of class. Knowing that there will be something to
complete at the beginning of class allows for both structure in the
class and independence for students. I think it would work well to
have a rotating norm one day might be journaling, the next might
using a Word Wall, a quick write, SSR, etc. This could serve both as an
anticipatory activity or review of previous lessons, or as another way
to address the content.
Part 4: Classroom Layout
My first decision in making my classroom was that I wanted to have
individual student desks so I could more easily rearrange them
depending on the days activities groups for collaborative work,
circles for discussion, rows for exam taking. I would also love to have a
reading corner with a comfortable sofa, rug, and plenty of
bookshelves. It would simultaneously create a more inviting
environment while reminding students that reading shouldnt be a
punishment; it should be enjoyable. I would also love to have a smart
board or apple TV so as to integrate technology more easily. I plan to
include plenty of environmental print including learning objectives,
posters, and students work.
Part 5: Monitoring the Classroom and Responding to Student
Misbehavior
Having a good environment and relationships with students is a
majority of the work done in classroom management. One way to take
action against misbehavior Ive learned to use is reframing a situation
to give it a positive spin. By expressing the behavior in a better light,
the student is more willing to react positively. This also falls in line
with my central philosophies of classroom management that
attitude in a classroom can go a long way. I have also come to love the
simple redirecting questions, What are you doing? What are you
supposed to be doing? What steps are you going to take now?
I do understand however that these technique will not always work,
nor will it always be appropriate. Over time, I have grown to
understand more exactly the power of proximity, the mention of a
name, and the increasingly effective Mom-look. For my first years
especially, I will probably utilize the see me after class line so that I
have more time to think about appropriate consequences and get
back to the group lesson immediately rather than risk starting a power
struggle.
Parents as Partners:
I strongly believe that parents and school staff should be equal
partners, and all parents want the best for their children. Even though
these arent 100% accurate all of the time, I should learn to expect this
from them because, as I have discussed, attitude makes so much of a
difference.
One way I can do this is by supplying parents with information about
my units before I do them, such as media I plan to use. This gives
parents an idea of what to expect and also shows my respect for them
as a companion in their childs learning process. It also shows that I am
flexible to accommodating their beliefs within reason and that I too
only have the best intentions. Another way to involve parents is to
send out a monthly newsletter covering the recent goings-on of the
classroom.