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Classroom Management Plan

Rebecca Gross

1 November 2019
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Table of Contents Page

Qualities of an Effective Teacher…………………………………………………………...... 3

Procedures for the First Days of School………………………………………………………. 5

Procedures for the Students…………………………………………………………………... 6

Procedures for the Classroom………………………………………………………………… 8

Procedures for Instruction……………………………………………………………………. 9

Procedures for the Teacher…………………………………………………………………… 10

Teaching Procedures and Expectations…………………………………………………….. 12

Reinforcing Expectations…………………………………………………………………… 12

Actively Engaging Students………………………………………………………………… 13

Behavior Management and Consequences…………………………………………………. 14

Establishing Relationships with Students…………………………………………………… 15

Philosophy of Management and Discipline…………………………………………………. 16

References……………………………………………………………………………………. 19
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Qualities of an Effective Teacher

When asked what defines an effective teacher, many would answer that a teacher

needs to be able to teach the students. While that is true, there are many things that need to

happen before students can the master material. Teachers need to acquire and demonstrate

many characteristics to be an effective teacher, characteristics in which I believe can be

organized into four categories. An effective teacher continually acquires knowledge and

skills, has positive expectations for the students, is a good classroom manager, and works to

obtain lesson mastery.

An effective teacher will continually look for ways to improve their knowledge and

skills (Schwan, The Effective Teacher PowerPoint). While important, improving skills and

knowledge is more than attending staff development meetings and taking courses to renew

teaching certification. Teachers can improve their skills by “going back to college; joining

professional organizations; attending conventions, conferences, and workshops” (Wong, The

First Days of School, p. 14). Being in attendance is only part of acquiring knowledge and

skills. While attending these events, teachers need to be engaged by listening, asking

questions, stating their opinions, and so on. Doing so will not only allow that person to learn,

but others in attendance to as well. Other options for improvement include working with

colleagues and learning from mentors and coaches, books, journals, DVDs, the Internet, and

obtaining advanced degrees (Wong, The First Days of School, p. 18). There are so many

options for expanding one’s knowledge and skills; he or she must simply be willing to be

engaged and learn.

Next, effective teachers have positive expectations for their students (Schwan, The

Effective Teacher PowerPoint). Having positive expectations means that the teacher believes
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in each learner and that the learner can learn (Wong, The First Days of School, p. 11). All

students have the ability to succeed and they need someone to tell them they can. It is

important that the teacher conveys his or her expectations to all students on the first day of

school. “The learner will produce what the teacher expects the learner to produce” (Wong,

The First Days of School, p. 11). For example, if the teacher believes a student is lazy and

won’t do well in his or her class, he or she is setting the student up for failure. However, if a

teacher believes each student can learn, the students will. The teacher just needs to plant the

seed and let the students grow.

Another characteristic of an effective teacher is having good classroom management

skills and using consistency in routines and procedures (Schwan, The Effective Teacher

PowerPoint). Consistency within the classroom helps kids feel safe because they don’t like to

be surprised. Consistency also helps teachers stay on task and accomplish their objectives. A

classroom management plan should be created before school begins and should go into effect

on the first day of school. To help recall all parts of the plan and to effectively communicate

expectations to the students, effective teachers use scripts to organize the class the first week

of school. Things can be easily forgotten in the excitement of the new school year and having

a script will help prevent miscommunication and forgotten parts.

Finally, an effective teacher demonstrates lesson mastery. Lesson mastery consists of

three things: knowing how to design lessons, deliver instruction, and assess and provide

corrective feedback for students (Schwan, The Effective Teacher PowerPoint). These three

things will be designed and implemented based on the needs of the students. It is suggested

that teachers also look to research to improve their lessons. The effective teacher uses proven,

research-based teaching practices and uses research data to improve teaching and learning
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(Wong, The First Days of School, p. 34). Research-based practices and individualized,

differentiated instruction can help students master material.

In conclusion, many traits and actions taken by an individual go into creating an

effective teacher. Teaching should not be looked as a job that needs to be done to make a

living. Students depend on teachers to be a positive role model in their lives and m ake an

impact. Teachers need to be willing to expand their knowledge and skills used in the

classroom, have positive expectations for their students, create a good classroom management

plan, and demonstrate lesson mastery. I hope to acquire the skills discussed so I can become

an effective teacher and set my students up for success. I believe an effective teacher can

change the world.

Procedures for The First Day of School

The first procedure I created for the first day of school is the start of class. S tudents will

come into the classroom and put their backpacks and coats away in their assigned cubby.

Next, they will be asked to put their daily folder in their basket. Then they will sign in my

moving their name clip. After completing this step, they will sit down in their seat and play

with the morning tub found on their table.

The next procedure is the agenda for the day. Posted in the front of the room will be a

visual schedule for students to look at. Each activity will have a label and a picture so students

can see what is happening and having labels will enhance literacy skills. Tasks/activities on

the chart will vary, especially if I teach preschool, which could be a half day or a full day. A

copy of the daily schedule will be given to parents at the beginning of the year.

Next, I wrote a procedure for an opening assignment. Since I will be teaching younger

students, my opening assignment won’t be a traditional worksheet, for example, but rather
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morning tubs. Morning tubs will contain activities that can be completed either individually or

with their table mates. The morning tubs will be rotated each day, so students don’t become

bored with the activities. Morning tubs will also be switched out at the end of each month to

include activities that go along with each season or holiday. All morning tubs will contain

activities that work to improve students’ fine motor skills and cognitive thinking skills.

Students will have 10-15 minutes with their morning tubs before the next activity.

Expectations for the morning tubs will be covered the first day of class and reviewed

throughout the year as needed.

The fourth procedure I created for the first day was a procedure for attendance. If I

teach half-day preschool, students will be required to check themselves in each morning by

moving their name from “home” to “school.” If I teach full-day preschool or higher grades,

they will have to move their chart form “start” to either “school lunch” or “lunch from home.”

If students forget to sign in, a gentle reminder will be given to the students.

The final procedure I wrote for the first day of school was a dismal procedure.

Students will be required to clean up the center, their desks, or any materials they are using

before leaving for the day. Next, they must push in their chairs and pick up their daily folder

from their baskets. After completing these steps, they can get their backpack and coat, then

leave with their parents/guardians.

Procedures for Students

The first procedure I have for students is how to turn in notes and forms. I will have a

blue basket on my desk labeled “notes from home.” All students have to do is put the notes or

forms in my basket, preferably at the beginning of the day so I can look at them right away.
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Next is my procedure for late arrivals. Since I will be teaching early childhood, I will

have no penalties for arriving late; they are not in control of when they arrive. Instead, I ask

that the students enter the classroom quietly and put their backpacks and coats in their

cubbies. Next, they should put their daily folder away and sign in. Then they can join in on

the activity the rest of the class is completing.

When students are absent, I will have an absent folder prepared for them with the

homework assignments they missed as well as any notes or forms that need to go home to

their parents. When the students return from an absence, they will need to go to my desk, find

the folder with their name on it and take that folder home. The left side of the folder will

contain papers that can stay at home and the right side is what needs to be returned to school.

I would like the students to return the folder back to school with the completed work within

two days of their absence.

The next procedure is for organizing homework. Each student will have a daily folder

that will double as their homework folder. The left side of the folder will contain items that

can stay at home. The right side of the folder contains papers that need to be finished and

brought back to school. The daily folders will be kept in baskets with their names on it along

the wall in the classroom. The students need to take the folder home each night and bring it

back every morning.

The fifth procedure I wrote for students is how to write their names on their papers.

Since I plan to teach preschool, not all students will know how to write their name. For

students that don’t, I will write their name for them at the top of their paper and they will have

to trace over my writing and then write their name independently below. Once they have

learned to write their first name, I will teach them to write their last name using the same
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procedure. They can write their first name and then I will write their last name for them. They

will need to trace their last name and then write their full name independently below.

Finally, I was given a trick for using glue from my kindergarten cooperating teacher.

She uses glue sponges. To make the glue sponges, you place a sponge in a small Tupperware

container and put glue around the glue sponge. The sponge then soaks up the glue and all

students have to do is gently dab whatever it is they are need to glue onto the sponge . This

reduces the chances of kids making a mess and takes up less space. I plan to have one glue

sponge for every two students.

Procedures for the Classroom

The first classroom procedure I wrote is for getting students’ attentions. I will use

attention getters that students will have to respond to. For example, I could say, “1, 2, 3, eyes

on me.” The students would then respond with “3, 2, 1, talking’s done.” Another example of

an attention getter is for the teacher to say, “peanut butter” and the students to respond, “jelly

time.” Once they have responded to my attention getter, they will need to stop what they are

doing, look at me, and listen to my directions.

Students will ask for bathroom breaks by using hand signals. They will hold up on

finger to show me they need to use the restroom. They will need to wait for me to reply with a

thumbs up before they can go. Once they receive a thumbs up, they will move the clip on the

bathroom chart with their name on it from “classroom” to “bathroom” then go to the

bathroom. When they return, they must move their name to “classroom” again.

Asking to replace a broken or dull pencil will also require a hand signal. Students will

hold up two fingers then wait for me to respond. If they receive a thumbs up, they will put
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their old pencil in the can labeled “sharpen please” and get a new pencil from the can labeled

“ready to write.” This must be done quietly so they do not disrupt the rest of the class.

Next, I have procedures for collecting and returning papers. When I need to collect

papers, I will ask the students to stack the papers in the middle of the table in a n eat pile. At

the beginning of the day, I will assign one student the task of being the teacher’s assistant.

They will pick up the papers and then set them on my desk. I will return papers at the end of

the day and students will be told where to put them in their daily folders.

The fifth procedure I have is for finishing work early. When students finish work

early, they must check to see if they have late or unfinished work to complete. If they don’t or

once they have completed the late or unfinished work, they can choose to eith er read a book

or draw in their journals. This must be done quietly so the other students can do their work.

Procedures for Instruction

One procedure I created was for reading time. I will have a separate corner in my

classroom with books for students to read and couches/chairs for them to sit on. They can also

sit on the floor if they would like. The first step for them is to pick a book. Then they must

choose a spot to sit that is at least an arm’s length away from other students. Next, they can

begin reading their book quietly. When they are done with their book, they can choose

another one, but they cannot have more than one book at a time.

The next procedure I wrote was for assessments. I would like my assessments to be

completed one-on-one during center time. I will call a student to come back to my desk. The

student will complete the tasks or answer questions I give to them. While I am completing the

assessment with the student, the rest of the class is expected to stay at their assigned center

and follow the rules and procedures for their center.

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My third procedure is for free play. During free play, students will find a place and

toys to play with. They must be nice to the objects they are playing with, share with their

friends, use whisper voices, and put away toys when they are finished playing with them.

They can move to another spot in the classroom and play with different toys only after they

have cleaned up with the ones they are finished playing with.

Next, I wrote procedures for snack time. I will announce to the students when it is time

for snack and they will put away the materials they are using. Then they will wash their hands

and find a seat at the snack table. If I work in a preschool that is located at a church or is

affiliated with religion, we will say a prayer before eating. Each day, I will have an assigned

snack helper that is in charge of bringing snacks for everyone in the class and the snack helper

will pass out their snacks to the rest of the class. Then the students can eat and talk using

indoor voices. Before moving on to the next activity, students will be expected to clean up

after themselves.

The fifth procedure I wrote for instruction was think-pair-share. First, I will ask a

question or give students a prompt to work with. They will be given some time to think to

themselves. After they have time to think, they will find their partner and shar e their ideas

with one another. Finally, they will share what they discuss with the class.

Procedures for Teacher

The first procedure I wrote for myself is how to deal with an angry student. When I see

a student becoming frustrated or when they display an undesirable behavior, I will allow time

for the student to calm down and encourage them to go to the calm down spot in my room.

The calm down spot will provide the student with stress relievers such as a journal to draw

their thoughts and feelings in, a stress ball to squeeze, and so on. While they are calming
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down, I will try to figure out the trigger(s) for the behavior. If the trigger is something I can

prevent, I will work towards preventing it in the future. After the student has calmed down, I

will talk to the student. This discussion could include why the behavior happened,

replacement behaviors, and possible consequences for the behavior. If needed, the student and

I will make a behavior change plan.

Next, I wrote a procedure for classroom visitors. Before the visitors even arrive, I will

prepare the students by telling them there will be a change in the schedule and review

behavior rules and expectations for visitors in the classroom. When the visitor arrives, I will

introduce the visitor to the class. If they are a guest speaker, I will remind them what the

objectives for the lesson are and let them know how much time they have before we need to

move on to the next activity. Depending on how long the visitor plans to stay, I will give them

a copy of the classroom rules and procedures as well as a schedule. I would do this

specifically for student teachers or teacher aides.

The next procedure I hope to never implement is for the death of a student. In the

event this does occur, my first step will be to notify the parents and guardians of all the

students in my class so they can help their children cope at home. I will also contact the

school counselor to come speak in class and talk to students on an individual basis. In class, I

will allow for class discussions about the student who passed and read books about how to

cope with loss. I will also allow for alone time when needed.

I also created a procedure for the death of a parent. I also hope this is something I

never have to encounter but I will be prepared if it does. I will notify the parents and

guardians of the students in the class because the students will probably end up talking about

it at home. I will contact the school counselor so they are aware of the death and can speak to
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the students affected if needed. I will read books about emotions and the loss of loved ones in

class. I will allow alone time for the student(s) and observe the student(s)’s behavior.

The fifth procedure I wrote was for parent-teacher conferences. The first thing I will

do is send out letters to parents to schedule times for conferences. I will plan and prepare for

the conferences before they occur by making notes about each student, preparing student

portfolios, and printing out progress reports. When it is time for conferences, I will greet

parents at the door. I will set a timer as a reminder of how much time we have to complete the

conference. I will take notes on what the parents or guardians say. Before concluding the

conference, I will ask for any questions, comments, or concerns.

Teaching Procedures and Expectations

An expectation is knowing what you can or cannot achieve (Wong, The First Days of

School, p. 37). An effective teacher sets up expectations for his or her students before they

even enter the classroom. He or she sets up rules, procedures, and consequences to help

students achieve these expectations. The teacher then communicates his or her expectations to

the students at the beginning of the school year. “Students tend to learn as little or as much as

their teachers expect. Teachers who set and communicate high expectations to all their students

obtain greater academic performance from these students than teachers who set low

expectations” (Wong, The First Days of School, p. 42). Having high expectations for students

will help increase academic success.

As previously stated, I will set up my rules, procedures, and expectations for my students

before the school year even starts. The first week of school will be spent teaching my rules,

procedures, and expectations so that as the semester goes on, more time will be spent on

instruction rather than correcting behavior. These rules, procedures, and expectations will be
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reviewed throughout the year as needed, especially before and after long breaks from school. I

will teach these concepts through modeling and providing examples and nonexamples so

students know the correct behavior.

Reinforcing Expectations

I will reinforce expectations using the following methods: posting expectations in the

classroom, having the students practice, monitoring progress, providing immediate corrective

feedback, and offering praise for following expectations and rules (Schwan, Expectations and

Rules PowerPoint).

I will post my rules, procedures, and expectations for my students in my classroom so

if they forget a concept, they have a visual aid to help them. If I notice the students are

struggling to follow an expectation or are unsure of what is expected, I will reteach the

expectation and then have the students practice. I will monitor their progress and provide

immediate, corrective feedback as necessary. While corrective feedback is important, it is also

important for me to offer praise for demonstrating an expectation correctly. I will offer verbal

praise to the students to show acknowledgement for their efforts and hopefully encourage

them to continue this behavior.

Actively Engaging Students

Actively engaging students in lessons is a great way to ensure students are learning the

content and manage behavior problems. One way for students to be actively engaged is

providing opportunities to respond. According to Dr. Schwan’s Active Engagement

PowerPoint, there are three ways for a student to respond: verbal responses, written

responses, and action responses.

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Verbal responses I plan to use in my classroom include think-pair-share, choral

responses, and class discussions. This ensures that all students are thinking, sharing their

ideas, and listening to others rather than one person being called on to answer a question or

complete a prompt and the other students being “off the hook.” I would be able to use these

verbal responses at any grade level and they are appropriate for early childhood education

because I teach the rules and expectations for each way of responding.

The next way for students to respond is through written responses. Since I will be

teaching preschool or kindergarten, written responses may not be ideal or applicable because

students don’t have writing or spelling skills. However, I can still ask the students to draw

their responses to a question or prompt and they will be engaged in the activity that way.

The last way to respond is through actions. One example of an action response

provided in the Active Engagement PowerPoint is gestures such as thumbs up, thumbs down,

clapping, or pointing. Students can also hold up respond cards that are labeled true or f alse

and so on. Technology tools can also be used to engage students in the activity. Action

responses are a great way for students in early childhood to answer questions or prompts and

get in some physical activity.

Behavior Management and Consequences

As discussed in Dr. Schwan’s Student Misbehavior PowerPoint, all behavior has a

function. Functions for a behavior could include wanting power, revenge, or attention,

disinterest in the content, and even triggers that occur outside of the classroom. It is the

teacher’s job to figure out the function of the behavior.

My first step to managing behavior is using positive reinforcement. I want to highlight

and draw attention to as much desirable behavior as I can in hopes that students will
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demonstrate that behavior rather than an undesirable one. Positive reinforcement and behavior

prevention strategies I can use in the classroom includes verbal praise, a reward system, social

stories, visual schedules, sensory tools, teaching relationship skills, teaching resolution skills,

and so on (Wold). I want to be proactive and prevent as many undesirable behaviors as

possible.

Despite my best efforts at preventing challenging behavior, they will still occur in my

classroom. All undesirable behavior needs to be addressed regardless of the excuse (Schwan,

Student Misbehavior PowerPoint). Interventions I plan to use for undesirable behavior include

writing behavior contracts, assigning peer mentors, providing structured breaks, referring

students to a counselor or having behavior meetings between the teacher, student, and

parents/guardians (Wold). When an undesirable behavior occurs, I want to talk with the

student about their behavior, explain why it is not acceptable, and come up with a plan to

change or reduce the behavior in the future. I want to stay away from punishment as much as

possible. Punishment doesn’t work; it simply stops a behavior. As teachers, we want to go

beyond stopping a behavior and help children understand why their behavior is unacceptable

and possibly equip them with a more acceptable replacement behavior (Wold).

Establishing Relationships with Students

Establishing relationships with students is arguably the best way to prevent and reduce

challenging behaviors in the classroom (Wold). Relationships help form trust and a level of

respect between the teacher and the student. Teachers can get to know the students, their

strengths and weaknesses, and what is going on in each of the children’s lives to help shape

their instruction to best fit the needs of the students.

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Dr. Schwan’s Teacher/Student Relationship PowerPoint highlights the importance of

understanding each student’s story. Students face situations such as homeless, eating

disorders, incarcerated parents, poverty, sexual and physical abuse, alcoholism, and so much

more that influence their ability to perform well in school. “School might be the only place

where the needs of these children are addressed” (Schwan, Teacher/Student Relationships

PowerPoint). All teachers need to provide an environment that feels safe to each and every

student.

In order to form relationships, teachers need to establish an appropriate level of

dominance, establish clear and flexible learning goals, be aware of the needs of different

students, and show all the students that they care about not only their education, but them as

an individual (Schwan, Teacher/Student Relationships PowerPoint). I will provide an

environment that is consistent by establishing rules, procedures, and expectations before the

first day of school and giving consequences for behavior that are natural and logical.

One way I hope to form relationships with students is by taking at least two minutes

each day to talk to a student about something other than academics (Wold). This shows that I

take an interest in their personal life. I can attend extracurricular activities and sporting events

to show students that I care as well. I also want to have a box in my room for students to drop

notes or drawings into about anything they want me to know. When they submit something to

the box, they can be sure that no judgement will come from it. Finally, I want to form

relationships with students by gearing my instruction towards things that interest them. For

example, if I know a student is fascinated by fire fighters, I can have a dramatic play center

that allows them to dress up like a fire fighter and use pretend fire fighter equipment.

Philosophy of Management and Discipline

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As Dr. Schwan stated, classroom management is necessary for effective teaching and

learning to take place (The Critical Role of Classroom Management PowerPoint). Classroom

management directly impacts student learning. Students cannot learn in an environment that is

too loud, unorganized, or one in which they don’t know what is expected of them. With the

correct procedures in place, management can help reduce, sometimes even eliminate, these

issues and increase learning within the classroom. “Kounin concluded that it is the teacher’s

behavior that produces high student engagement, reduces student misbehavior, and maximizes

instructional time” (Wong, The Classroom Management Book, 2018, p. 5). As shown through

research, classroom management needs to be in place before instruction and learning can

effectively take place.

Classroom management and discipline are two terms that are often confused as sharing

the same meaning. As a result, the term “classroom management” has received a negative

connotation. However, as learned in class and through the textbook, they are completely

different concepts. Classroom management is concerned with how students work and stresses

the importance of having procedures in plan to ensure students are productive and successful

(Wong, The Classroom Management Book, p. 8). Discipline, on the other hand, involves

creating rules and trying to control student behavior using punishments (Wong, The

Classroom Management Book, p. 8). Discipline does not benefit the students nor the

teachers. Classroom management is proactive, promotes responsibility, and produces

predictable behavior (Wong, The Classroom Management Book, p. 9). Classroom

management shows results and benefits the students while discipline does the opposite. It is

important not to confuse these terms for these reasons.

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Consistency within routines and procedures helps build trust with your students

(Schwan, The Critical Role of Classroom Management PowerPoint). Students that are unsure

of classroom expectations and procedures will be anxious, as a result, displaying undesirable

behavior. Consistency fixes that. “Students want to come to a school where there are no

surprises. They trust the learning environment that has been established. They know what to

expect, and it happens each day. Trust comes from the surety of consistency” (Wong, The

Classroom Management Book, p. 13). I like this quote because it is exactly right. Consistency

in one’s schedule is important, no matter the age. I, a college student, like hearing what we

will accomplish in our next class, knowing exactly when homework is due and how

assignments should be completed, and so on. Students trust us to stick with the routine.
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References

Schwan, A. (2019, April 29). Active Engagement PowerPoint. Lecture presented in Classroom

Management at Northern State University, Aberdeen.

Schwan, A. (2019, April 29). Expectations and Rules PowerPoint. Lecture presented in

Classroom Management at Northern State University, Aberdeen.

Schwan, A. (2019, April 29). Teacher/Student Relationships PowerPoint. Lecture presented in

Classroom Management at Northern State University, Aberdeen.

Schwan, A. (2019, January 10). The Critical Role of Classroom Management PowerPoint.

Lecture presented in Classroom Management at Northern State University, Aberdeen.

Schwan, A. (2019, January 19). The Effective Teacher PowerPoint. Lecture presented in

Classroom Management at Northern State University, Aberdeen.

Wold, C. (2019). Lectures presented in Behavior Management of Expectational Children at

Northern State University, Aberdeen.

Wong, H. K., & Wong, R. T. (2018). The Classroom Management Book (2nd ed.). Mountain

View, CA: Harry K. Wong Publications.

Wong, H. K., & Wong, R. T. (2009). The First Days of School: How to Be an Effective Teacher

(4th ed.). Mountain View, CA: Harry K. Wong.