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Classroom

Management Plan

Classroom Management
Plan
By Molly Rockefeller


Rockefeller 1

Classroom Management Plan

Table of Contents

Classroom


Physical Classroom Organization

Basic Features



Student Learning
Classroom Operations

Student Records

Displaying Student Art Work

New Students

Substitute Teachers

An Orderly Classroom


Disciplinary Policies

Disciplinary Procedures

Infractions

Student Disrespect

Bullying

Playground Conflicts

Lack of Motivation

Cheating

Principal Involvement

Routines & Procedures


Routines/Procedures
Differentiation

Equal vs Equity
Parental Involvement
Compliment Jar
Fieldtrips
Leaving the Classroom
Free Time

Professional Ethics
Professional/Ethical
Disagreements With Colleagues
Favorites

References

3-4
3
4
5-7
5
5-6
6
7
7



8-11
8-9
9
9
10
10
10
11


11-15
12
13
13
13-14
14
14
15


15
15
16


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Classroom Management Plan

Physical Classroom Organization


Basic Features
When I began designing my classroom I thought back to how my favorite classrooms in
Elementary School were designed and tried to incorporate them and make it my own.
After entering the room there is a recycling bin and a trash-bin next to the door. I chose to
have both because I dont want paper going to waste and its a convenient place for
students to have the ability to throw things away on their way out the door (no one wants
a cluttered classroom). I chose to place another trashcan next to my, the teachers, desk at
my convenience so I wouldnt have to walk to the front of the room each time I needed to
throw something away.
While thinking about how I wanted to set up various storage throughout the room I
decided to separate the students storage from my own storage. The students storage
space will be either cubbie holes or lockers depending on school (Im personally fine
with either option). My storage space is located behind my desk so I wont have to worry
about students getting in to it. Storage includes two filing cabinets, a closet, and some
shelves. On my desk is the phone and computer.

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Classroom Management Plan


In the front of the room there is a small desk by the projector/ smart board. This desk will
have a pencil sharpener and extra pens/pencils for the students to use. This desk will also
have a nicely organized bin for students to turn in their work. Students will be expected
to keep this desk organized and
clean to ensure that no ones work
goes missing. Underneath the
desk will be a box for lost and
found. In 5th grade students often
leave things behind.
Student Learning
In the front corner there will be a
nice big rug and a large chair.
This area will be known as the
reading corner and will be used
for various reading opportunities;
such as, individual reading time, class reading time, quiet time, etc. It will also be used as
an area where students can work in small groups and sit on the rug. I have also put a large
square rug in front of the projector/ smart board so that students can sit on the rug during
various activities and give them a chance to get out of their desks.
As we head to the back of the room you can see that there are two desks with computers
on them. This will allow students the opportunity to work on the computer during class
time. For many activities or units there will be a cycle system set up where students are at
different locations working on different things so that everyone will have the chance to
work on the computer. Students need to master various skill levels in technology, which
is why I wanted to include computers in the classroom.
There is a large desk/table in the back of
the classroom next to the teachers desk.
This desk will be used for small group
activities, to get individual help from the
teacher, or for various activities or
models where students will need more
space to work. I think it is great to have
an extra table somewhere in the
classroom so that students can work on
different work or get more individual
help from the teacher.
The walls will not be dull and white in
my classroom. There will be a bulletin board that is a calendar so that students will
always know what day it is and when various assignments/projects are due. With the
calendar there will also be a place where students can pick up work from the time they
were gone in class. There will also be places around the room where students work will

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Classroom Management Plan


be hung up to show appreciation. By the reading corner their will be a continuous word
wall where vocab words will be added.

Classroom Operations
Record Keeping
It is my personal goal to stay as organized as possible while keeping students
grades/materials organized. I will follow whatever record keeping or databases my
school district requires of me. Since technology is becoming more and more
advanced I will do the majority of my grading on excel. This will allow me to stay
more organized. I can format the excel sheet to be color-coded. This means that I
will have scores that are below average in red so that I can be immediately alerted
and group those students together.

I will have a different
working excel
document for each
subject to stay more
organized. At the end
of each week I will
print off/back up my
computer to ensure
that I have my grades
with me at all times.
The one bad thing
about technology is
sometimes it crashes,
so I will prevent this
from hurting me by
printing it off and
keeping it in a binder.
The binder will be in
my desk so that it stays confidential and students cannot look at one anothers
grades.

Record keeping is not just about grades. I will also need to keep a separate binder
full of my students information. This will be information/documents such as:
Student IEP goals (if applicable)
Running Records
Clipboard Cruise spreadsheet
Differentiated work for TAG students
Anything else that needs to be added after the year starts

Displaying Student Art Work
Im a firm believer in displaying students work around the room and in the
hallways (if the school allows it in the halls). I believe that this allows the students to

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Classroom Management Plan


show off their work and be proud of their product. I will be displaying their work
around the room using bulletin boards and even hanging 3-D models from the
ceiling. This truly brightens up the
room and shows the students that the
teacher cares for what they have
made and allows their peers to see
others work of art.

New Students
If a new student were to join my class
during the course of the year, I would
make sure to explain to current
students what is happening. This is
important because new students
might be uncomfortable and scared
by coming in to a new class and
school and it is vital to explain these
possible feelings to current students. I was a new student to a new school in fourth
grade and was very nervous. It was amazing how easy it was to slide into place
when the students and teacher are welcoming and make you feel apart of
something.
Once the student comes in and joins the class I will reinforce what the class rules are
and explain them to the new student. This will be a good time for the rest of the
class to be reinforced of the class rules that they themselves made up. During the
students first week of school I will sit them by a classmate who is a great helper. My
practicum teacher had a new student come in this past year and she sat the new
student next to a girl who loved to help/explain things to her peers. This allowed the
new student to be easily caught up on what the class was working on.


















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Classroom Management Plan



Substitute Teachers
I will have a binder prepared for any substitute teacher that comes to my classroom.
I feel it is necessary for substitute teachers to have all the rules, classroom
procedures, and emergency information in one place so there is no burden on the
substitute. The binder will contain:
Emergency Information: This section is extremely important since the
substitute may not be familiar with our school and might need this
information. It will include the phone numbers to the front office, nurse, and
a list of teachers numbers that can be used as a resource. Along with his
information will be the procedures for tornado, fire, intruder, or any other
disaster plan.
Welcome to Ms. Rockefellers Classroom: In
this section there will be a description of
the classroom and where necessary items
can be found in the class.
Classroom Schedule: In this section there
will be a general layout of what time
everything occurs at and includes
when/where specials are/take place at.
Classroom Expectations: This will outline
the class rules and what the expectations
of students is for bathroom breaks,
leaving the classroom, and discipline.
Students: This will have a roaster of the
students with a picture of their face next
to the name. This will allow the substitute to easily take
attendance and learn names faster.
List of Jobs- This section will have a brief description of class jobs and who
has the current jobs to better hold the students accountable.

An Orderly Classroom
I will ensure my class runs smoothly in an
orderly way by following Wongs three tips
on how to teach students to follow
classroom procedures. These three things
include 1) to teach, 2) to rehearse, and lastly
3) to reinforce. This means that I will first
teach my students what the rules are in our
classroom. Then we will practice following
the rules together. And finally I will reinforce
the rules that are in place by following
through with the consequence.

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Classroom Management Plan







Actions,

not words, define our rules.


-Robert J Mackenzie

On the first day of school I will introduce the classroom rules to the class.
These rules will be stated to the class as guidelines in creating their own 3-5
rules/procedures for the classroom.
I believe that it is important for the
students to be involved in this
process so that they will hold
themselves more accountable,
especially by the time they are in
fourth grade. The rules I introduce
will be the rules found in Setting
Limits in the Classroom; Cooperate
with your teacher and classmates,
respect the rights and property of
others, and carry out your basic
student responsibilities (2010).
After students have created the rules
for the classroom, we will hang it up
on the wall to show its importance.
The picture shows an example of the
rules students create and how it will
look in the classroom.

Infractions
While handling students misbehaving in class I will use the democratic approach as
seen in Setting Limits in the Classroom. This means that I will be both firm and
respectful with the student to show that I do mean what Im saying and will be
carrying through with what Im saying. My focus in the class will be to learn and
teach, which means that I do not want my students sent to the office or miss the
majority of the lesson. I will explain to the student what they have done wrong and
then will follow through with the consequence I have given.

I know that I will come to a situation where students push the limits to far and I will
implement the time-out system. This means that after I have explained to the
student what they have done wrong and asked them to stop and they continue that
bad behavior I will sit them away from their classmates in the back of the room. This
way the student will still be able to listen to the instruction that is going on and if
after enough time of them behaving they can rejoin the class. But in the rare cases

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Classroom Management Plan


that the student continues to act out, that student will be removed from the
situation and placed in a trusted colleagues classroom. This will show the student
that you meant what you had said and will allow you to continue teaching the class
with no disruption from that particular student.


Instead they maintained a respectful

attitude, held their ground firmly, stated


their rules and expectation clearly, and

followed through with instructive

consequences when students did not chose to

cooperate.


Once the student has completed their time in time-out zone I will treat them as if
they have a clean slate. This means that I will not hold a grudge or act disappointed
by that child. It is important to show the student, especially the next day that you
still care for them and respect them.

Student Respect: Put-Downs vs. Boost-Ups
My seventh grade teacher had a system that helped manage our respect towards our
peers. I really liked how she carried through with this because it kept our classroom
environment friendly and made us all show respect towards each other. A put-down
is where one student would say something mean to another student, hurt someone
elses feelings, or put down someones opinion. Anytime someone would do one of
those things, the teacher or a classmate would call that student out on it and say no
putdowns in class then the student would have to turn around and say two boost-
ups to whoever they put-down. A boost-up is any form of compliment or apology.

I believe that in the upper elementary grades and in middle school, this type of
system would work to keep students respectful of one-another. Because students
are allowed to call each other out on being mean there is more student
accountability. Students learn how to better interact with one another and it showed
that there is a zero tolerance for bullying or negativity.

Bullying
There will be a zero tolerance for bullying in my
classroom. Any type of bullying, verbal, physical,
emotional, or cyber will not be tolerated and will be
addressed immediately. I will follow any rules that my
school/district has on bullying and put those into action.
I believe that bullying needs to be stopped and if I see
any student bullying another student I will talk with that
specific student in a one-on-one setting to take action to
ensure the safety of my students.
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Classroom Management Plan



Playground Conflicts
I strongly believe that playground rules/conflicts need to follow a protocol that puts
students safety first. If students are not following the rules and behaving in an
unsafe manor they will need to have a punishment to show how seriously the school
takes playground safety. If students are misbehaving they will have to sit by the
teacher (by the fence or wall) for a certain amount of time. I know that when I was
in school this method worked because no one wanted to miss recess time.

Lack of Motivation
Many students will go through a
phase of not wanting to complete
their work and not feeling motivated
by anything in the classroom.
Keeping every single student
motivated in the classroom will be
one of my toughest jobs, but it is
important. This is a very
circumstantial type of obstacle that
will be different for every student. If
I notice a student who is
unmotivated by their independent
reading I will offer a list of books or try to find something in that interests them. The
key to fighting unmotivated students is to learn about their interests and what
drives them to want to learn more.

The best teachers dont give you the answers. They


just point the way and let you make your own
choices, your own mistakes. That way you get all
the glory. And you deserve it.
Mr. Schwester
Cheating
Cheating will not be allowed nor tolerated in my classroom. With all the information
on the web there will be numerous opportunities for students to plagiarize their
work or even copy from their peers. Students will know my expectation of them and
know that I do not tolerate this type of behavior. One of my past elementary school
teachers had a system of 1, 2, 3. In this system if you were caught cheating once
you would be warned and had to do the test/quiz/paper again. If you were caught
cheating twice you would have a note sent home to your parents explaining the
situation. And if you were caught cheating three times you would have to have a
conference with your parents, teacher, and possibly the principal if his/her schedule
allowed it. This rule will be in-place so students know how serious it is when you do
not do your own work.
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Classroom Management Plan


Principal Involvement
I believe that principals should only be used for disciplinary if it is an absolute must.
Principals do so much for the school and are usually busy throughout the day
carrying out their duties/responsibilities. I will only use office referrals if the
student has not been following the rules and pushing the boundaries repeatedly for
a long period of time and the principal must be involved.

A rule is a dare to be broken, whereas a


procedure is not.
-Wong

Routines/Procedures
The most effective classroom is a classroom that has procedures. These procedures
will become routines for the students, thus making the classroom predictable, which
ensures students will feel safe. My classroom will follow a very similar day-to-day
plan, which means that we will have subject areas taught around the same time each
day. This will help students know what is
coming next and they wont feel surprised
or intimidated throughout the day. This is
key to making students feel comfortable.
During the first week of school I will teach
my students classroom management
skills so that they can get into the swing
of my expectations of them (Wong).

Students will be assigned/given jobs
throughout the year. These jobs are
more so a list of classroom helpers.
Students will be rotated to different jobs
each week so that each student can have a
chance at every position. The list of jobs
and whom they belong to each week will
be posted on the bulletin board or white
board in the front of the room. It will be
posted there so that the students are held accountable and if any sub were to come
into the class they will know which student has which job. Jobs and descriptions are
as follows:

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Classroom Management Plan



Line Leader: This is a very important job and will be given to a student who
has been following the class procedures and being exceptional. Students will
know that it is a privilege to lead the lines out in the hallway, going to lunch,
and recess.
Office Messenger: This student will have the privilege of going to the office
when needed to pick up things for the teacher such as copies, attendance
sheets, etc.
Papergirl/boy: Two students will hold this job/position each week. These
students will be in charge of passing back papers to their classmates and
picking up papers when needed.
Plants: Whichever student has this job for the week will get to water all of the
plants in the room. It will teach students to take care of the things in the
class.
Pick-Up (trash) Duty: Before we leave the classroom for the day and go home,
the student who is on Pick-up duty or trash duty will look around the room
and make sure that everything is neat and tidy so the custodians do not have
to work especially hard in our classroom.
Door Holder/ Caboose: The student who is the door holder/caboose will be in
charge of holding doors for the class to exit the room and then will follow at
the end of the class line.


Differentiation
As a teacher, I know the importance of differentiation and will be extremely
proactive in this area. I will have numerous student centers for activities in all of my
subject areas. These will be used as frequently as possible. Student centers allow a
blend of whole-class, group, and individual instruction, which will allow me to
better differentiate for my student. This will allow me to continually assess students
so that Im always aware of where
they stand in my class.

Another word for teacher is coach and
thats exactly what I will be towards
my students. I will constantly and
continually raise the ceilings for all of
my students. Its important to do this
often to ensure that talented and
gifted students (TAG) are being
motivated to learn. On the other end,
struggling learners need to be pushed
as well in a different way. Make sure
that you are praising students often
for their successes; this will further motivate them to push themselves and gain
deeper comprehension.

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Classroom Management Plan


Equal Teaching Vs. Equitable Teaching
This category can also be placed under differentiation because it emphasizes that
teachers be equitable rather than equal. Many people believe that equal education
means that teachers will give
each student the exact same
tools and assistance as each of
their peers in the classroom. I
truly believe that is not the
correct path to go while
teaching. I believe that you
must give students what is
needed in order to give him or
her the opportunity to have the
same learning experience as
their peers. This means that if a
child is gifted you give them a
more advanced worksheet than
their peers, thus pushing them
at their level of learning. A
metaphor that one of my professors gave in one of my classes is that if two children
are watching a game (one student is much taller than the other) you wouldnt just
leave the shorter student on the ground (aka giving them the same tools). Instead,
you would grab a bench or chair for the smaller student so they too can watch the
game. Teachers must use individualized teaching strategies to keep each student
engaged in class.

Parental Involvement
I will keep the parents involved starting on the first day. I know that this will be a
difficult task since every parent is different and plays a different role in their childs
life. For this reason, I will keep this relationship as positive as possible. Depending
on the district I will meet individually with the parents so that I can better
understand the background of the student (Sue Jones). During this meeting I will
show the parent that they are the expert on their child and that this will help me
build a bridge between classroom life and home life.

During the school year I will have a website posted for the class that gives parents
the ability to see what is happening in the classroom on a week-to-week basis. This
will have a list of upcoming tests, homework assignments, and any projects that are
coming up. Its extremely important that the parents have no surprises about what
is going on in the classroom.


Compliment Jar
Working in a school is an extremely collaborative effort. In many instances teachers,
staff/faculty, parent helpers, and other adults are in and out of the classroom and
will have the opportunity to observe/help out with our class. Its extremely
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Classroom Management Plan


important to me that the class is on
their best behavior and be respectful
to the adults around the building. So,
I will have a compliment jar in our
class. Anytime one of my students or
the class receives a compliment
from another adult on their behavior
they will get to put a scoop of raw
corn into the jar. When the jar
becomes full the students will be
able to get a special treat of their
choice; cookies, cupcakes, popcorn,
brownies, etc. the next day.

Field Trips
Field trips are a great way to better engage students in what they are learning about
and allows them the opportunity to truly experience the unit and possibly use hands
on materials. Yet, field trips can cause a teacher a lot of stress because they will
always be worried about their students behaving and everything going smoothly.
There will be stricter of rules for the students while going on a fieldtrip. Students
must follow these rules to ensure their safety and to respect the facility they are in.
If students do not follow the rules below they will lose their opportunity to attend
the next field trip and may have further consequences depending on the behavior.
Listen to the teachers, parent chaperones, and the facilitators
Stay with the group you were assigned to
Be on time
Use your quiet voices

Leaving the Classroom
Whenever students leave the classroom the teacher needs to know where that
student is going and approximately how long they will be gone. This is to ensure the
safety of that student is coming first and allows the teacher to uphold their
classroom responsibility of the students. I will have a bathroom pass that my
students will use when they need to use the restroom. The students will remove the
pass from where it is placed in the room and put it on their desk. The pass will be
brightly colored so it stands out. Now, when the teacher glances around the room
they will be able to easily see who is gone because the bright bathroom pass is on
their desk. This also avoids any germs that are in the bathroom, since the pass never
leaves the room.





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Classroom Management Plan


Free Time
I realize that every student works at a different pace
and will be finishing various class work at different
times, which means there will be free time for students
throughout the day. Being someone who loves
productivity, I want my students to use this time
wisely and continue/deepen their learning. At the
beginning of the school year I will explain to my class
what they can be doing during this time and will have a
chart hanging around the room to remind students of
their free time expectations. This is a working chart so
students can continue adding productive things to it
throughout the year.


Professionalism
Each day is a new day in my mind. This means I
will go into class wearing professional attire and
bring a positive attitude. This positive attitude
will show the students that I am ready to learn
and will create a safe/positive learning
environment. Part of being a professional is
timeliness. I will show my respect towards my
principal and school by being on time each and
everyday and stay the whole day and longer if
my students need it. My students come first.

Disagreements with Colleagues
There is bound to be drama and disagreements
while working with colleagues in such a
collaborative setting. As easy as it is to get
sucked up in this drama I will have to be consciously aware that speaking about
particular students in teacher lounges/cafeteria is going against student/teacher
confidentiality. If I ever find myself in a position where one of my colleagues is being
disrespectful or negative towards another staff member, teacher, or student I will
politely excuse myself from the conversation. If I cannot escape the conversation, I
will politely and respectful let my colleagues know that I do not want to engage in
this type of activity. I know that this will be difficult, but I want to be a positive role
model to not just my students, but also my colleagues.

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Classroom Management Plan



Favorites
I know that not having favorites will be one of my biggest struggles as an educator.
After listening to Sue speak to our class about teachers being equitable to their
students, I know that this means to treat students how they need to be treated to
better their successes in the classroom. This means that I wont have favorite
students and treat them extra special because I enjoy their personality, instead I will
treat the students in a manner that betters their learning environment.

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Classroom Management Plan


Mackenzie, R. J., & Stanzione, L. (2010). Setting Limits in the Classroom: A Complete
Guide to Effective Classroom Management with a School-Wide Discipline
Plan (3rd Ed.). New York: Three Rivers Press.

Rogers, K. B. (2006). A menu of Options for Grouping Gifted Students. Waco, TX:
Prufrock Press, Inc.

Wong, H. K., & Wong, R. T. (2009). The First Days of School: How to Be an Effective
Teacher. Mountain View, CA: Harry K. Wong Publications, Inc.

Sue Jones

http://clutterfreeclassroom.blogspot.com/2011/07/job-charts-setting-up-
classroom-series.html

http://mrsshannonsclass.weebly.com/classroom-management.html

http://candicercox.wordpress.com/tag/study/

http://teachers.saschina.org/evoge/2012/08/21/we-love-learning-centers/

http://www.afb.org/info/living-with-vision-loss/for-job-
seekers/careerconnect-virtual-worksites/classroom-for-blind-teacher/1234

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