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Classroom Management Plan

Omar Villarreal
LBS 302
Jherilyn Chrisostomo
Spring 2019
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Classroom Management Plan

Introduction

I am currently doing my fieldwork at George Washington Elementary School, which is

located in Compton, California.  The classroom that I am placed at is a 3rd and 4th grade combo

classroom.

There is an English learner (Student A) in the classroom that I am doing fieldwork in.  The

student’s academic and linguistic development is not at her current grade level.  She can talk

English perfectly and can carry on a sentence without a problem. One major problem that the

student has is her spelling.  I have noticed that the student is having problems with identifying

the sounds of some letters. For example, to write the word “Tiger”, she wrote “Licher”.  The

teacher has had me work with her and a couple of other students because their spelling and

writing is not at their current grade level. The teacher has informed me that the student is very

smart and can write long sentences with no problem, but her spelling is not good.  The student

can only read simple sentences and words. One of the student’s interests is writing about animals

and food. The teacher has informed that she is getting much better, compared to when she first

started in the classroom.

         There are a couple of students that are struggling academically in the classroom that I am

in, but there is one student (Student B) that stands out the most.  This student is struggling

academically and linguistically. The student cannot read or write at his current grade-level and is

not motivated to learn.  The teacher has had me work with him for a couple of weeks and it is

extremely difficult to get him to pay attention to me or do the work I assign him to do.  While

every student is doing their work, he just sits down and plays with his pencil. He usually breaks
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the tip of his pencil so he can have an excuse to get up and sharpen it.  The student seems to

come from a household of very low-income, as his shirt is always dirty and sometimes complains

about being hungry. I believe this may be the core reason why he is struggling academically.

One of the student’s interests are video games.

         There is one student (Student C) in the classroom that has an IEP because of a learning

disability.  The teacher was not able to tell me what the student is diagnosed with, but will look

in her file and let me know as soon as she can.  I have been observing the student for a couple of

weeks now and she seems extremely smart. Although her writing and spelling is not great, she is

able to stay on task and complete her assignments.  The teacher has put her in my group with

other students so I can help them with their reading and writing. The teacher has informed me

that she was a premature baby, which is likely to be the reason she has a learning disability.

My classroom management plan is likely represented through the engagement focus on

Pinto’s (2017) classroom management spectrum. As a culturally responsive teacher I will make

sure to engage with them and make them feel at home. It will be a place where they will not be

judged, discriminated, threatened, abused, or neglected. I will make it my goal to understand

what all my students are going through and what they are struggling with to help them the best

that I could; doing this will allow all my students to be fully engaged in classroom and have a

positive attitude towards school.

As a future teacher, it is extremely important to have a classroom management plan that

helps you manage your classroom, and also allows you to have some control of your students.  In

this classroom management plan essay, I will cover the classroom climate, expectations and

rules, routines and procedures, maximizing instructional time, diverse learners, social and
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emotional development, peer collaboration, and parent communication and involvement, that I

will be using in my own classroom.

Classroom Climate

In the following paragraphs, I will be discussing my classroom climate plan.  One of the

most important things to remember as a future teacher is that all students come from different

cultural backgrounds which is why it is important for us future teachers to learn how to be

culturally responsive.  My goal is to create a classroom environment that values diversity, equity,

and inclusion. I will value every student’s diversity by understanding that every student will

come with their own unique communication style, behavior, learning style, and different ethnic

background.  My goal will be to make sure every student is comfortable in my classroom by first

having them draw a self-portrait of themselves and then displaying it in the classroom. By

students drawing a self-portrait of themselves, it will allow me to understand the way every

student sees themselves.  Also, each student will be able to appreciate their peer’s facial

uniqueness.

To provide equity in my classroom, I will need to observe all of my students and

accommodate to their needs, if needed.  For example, if one of my students does not see well

from the back of the classroom, I will make sure they sit in front of the classroom.  I can also

write with bigger letters or make the font size bigger to make sure they are able to see perfectly.

To provide equity, I will also use the Universal Design for Learning to provide a flexible

learning environment that students can easily accommodate to, despite their learning differences.

Inclusion will be a big part of my classroom environment.  I will make sure that every

individual with a disability is able to learn along with general education students.  This will
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allow students with special needs to receive the same curriculum as general education students

but with certain limits and accommodations.  This means that I will need to design my lesson

plans and curriculum to fit every student. Also, by including every student, they will be able to

learn from one another and appreciate every student despite their learning needs and

accommodations.

To make a successful classroom management plan, it is important to address conflict

resolution which include: restorative justice, conflict resolution, bullying, discrimination,

harassment, intolerance, and fair/respect free of bias.

Restorative Justice will definitely be supported in my classroom.  According to the article

Restorative Practices, “Restorative Justice is an evidence-based practice effectively used to

reduce suspensions, expulsions, and disciplinary referrals...the victim and wrongdoer have the

opportunity to share with one another how they were harmed, or how they will work to resolve

the harm caused”.  Using restorative justice in my classroom will reduce referrals to the

principal’s office which can result into suspensions. If one of my students is suspended, they are

losing instruction time and learning time which can then result into the student falling behind in

class. Also, by supporting restorative justice, my students will be able to solve their issues on a

personal basis which can result into a more respected environment between the both students.

Students will also recognize that I care about their education and instead of sending them to the

principal’s office, I am making an effort of resolving the issue instantaneously.

There is a big chance that a student in my classroom will be bullied by their classmate.  In

my classroom, there will be zero-tolerance for bullying and as the teacher, I will make sure it

does not happen to any of my students.  One way to make sure no one in my classroom is being

bullied is by having one-on-one weekly conversations with my students. This will allow students
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to have the confidence to tell me anything they are going through and say anything that is

bothering them.  There is a good chance that one student will confess that they are being bullied

or a classmate is being bullied. I will put an end to bullying in my classroom by using restorative

justice to make peace between my students.

Discrimination, Harassment, and Intolerance will neither be tolerated in my classroom.

Discrimination in my classroom will be reversed by making sure every student is culturally

aware of their peer’s cultural background and differences. No one is allowed to discriminate

their peers because of their physical or mental ability in the classroom. Harassment will be taken

care of instantaneously, whether it is physical, sexual, or verbal harassment by speaking to the

student, parent, or principal. Intolerance will be dealt with by making sure my students are all

aware of their differences. For example, at the beginning of the classroom I will ask each

student to share a hobby or something they are interested on. This will allow students to reflect

on everyone’s answers and understand that each person is different from each other. It will also

allow students to be fair and respect one another, without being biased towards anyone.

Expectations and Rules

To create a safe classroom environment, it is important that I create some classroom rules

that students can follow. I will set up my classroom rules with my own students at the beginning

of the class so they are able to be remember them and not have an excuse about them if they

decide to break them. Once my classroom rules have been created, I will make a huge poster to

place on my classroom wall so students are able to see them every day. My students will be

required to follow all classroom rules, which also include PBIS from the school itself.

According to an article shared in class, “Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS)

is a general term that refers to positive behavioral interventions and systems used to achieve
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important behavioral changes.” By also enforcing PBIS from the school, my students will be at

their best behavior.

I will manage and monitor my classroom by using specific strategies that are presented in

the book From Discipline to Culturally Responsive Engagement by Laura E. Pinto, which

include: contracts and sunshine calls. I will use contracts at the beginning of my class, to have a

strong partnership with my students and their parents. Also, by using contracts, the students,

parents, and teacher, are able to know what is expected of them. I will also use sunshine calls at

the beginning of the school year to build a successful relationship with my student’s parents and

communicate positive news to them. By providing sunshine calls, my students will be rewarded

for their good behavior in the classroom.

Routines and Procedures

According to the book From Discipline to Culturally Responsive Engagement, “Routines not

only mean a smoother-functioning classroom, but they also allow students to feel a sense of

security over the course of their time in the classroom”, which is why routines and procedures

will be huge in my classroom. One routine I will implement in my classroom is something that I

learned from my fieldwork teacher. The teacher has a ringing bell that students can press once

they are finished with a big assignment that has been given. By using this strategy, it will allow

me to see who needs help with their assignments, and will also allow me to give another

assignment to the student. Another routine I will use in my classroom will be to get all of the

student’s attention when it is getting out of control. The signal will be to raise up my hand

without making a noise. Once students see that my hand is raised up, they will automatically

raise up their hand without making a noise. By using this procedure, students will automatically

stay quiet and all attention will be given to me. Another routine I will use in my classroom, is to
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have students make a straight line when entering or leaving the classroom. By using this routine,

it will allow my students to be organized and also allow me to have full sight of who is present,

who is missing, and who is following directions.

Maximizing Instructional Time

As a teacher, maximizing instruction time will be extremely important. One technique I

will use to maximize my instruction time, is by doing a “Do Now”. According to

teachingchannel.org, ““Do Now” activity is any activity you assign to your students as they walk

into your classroom. This activity should tie into what they learned the day before and what they

will be learning today.” “Do Now” activities will be passed out at the start of every class to set

the expectation at the very beginning. “Do Now” activities can include: reading passages,

reviews, quizzes, tests, or an in-class assignment. The activity will keep all the students on task

from the beginning instead of trying to get them back on task. Another technique I will use is

called “The Timer Method”. By using “The Timer Method”, everything will be timed which

allows students to have a daily routine. It also helps students be more efficient, responsible, and

a lot more productive in class because it does not give them a chance to waste time. An

additional technique that I will use in my classroom to maximize instructional time is by having

a set schedule. The set schedule will be written on the board on a daily basis, allowing students

to be aware of how much time they have on a certain lesson before proceeding to the next.

Diverse Learners

As a culturally diverse teacher, it will be important for me to understand that I will have

specific students that require different instruction needs. For example, there is a huge possibility

that I will receive English learners, students with special needs, and students who are struggling
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academically or emotionally. Having students who need individualized instruction will require

for me to set up small group instruction.

For English learners, I will need to informally identify who my English learners are and

see what their English proficiency is. Once I know what my ELL students are capable of, I will

set up small group instruction for them where they will be able to work with other bilingual

students, which is something that was done in my fieldwork classroom for Student A; this will

allow them to learn from them and make it easier for them to understand the language. Once

they have been placed in groups, I will make sure I help them by giving them bilingual handouts

and reading it with them. I will make sure I read slowly and try to pronounce every word

perfectly. Every handout should have words with synonyms so they are able to use different

words. At the end of every week or two weeks, I will assess my ELL students to make sure they

are learning at a steady pace and allowing them to be self-aware of their English language

learning.

For students who require special needs, I will make sure they are placed in an

individualized group where they can receive the help they need or satisfy their learning needs.

For students that have special learning disabilities, they will receive the help they require by

giving them special handouts. For example, Student C was placed in an individual group with

me where the teacher had me working one-on-one with her. The teacher would assign special

handouts that allowed me to help her with her reading and spelling. For gifted students,

advanced handouts will be given to them to satisfy their learning. Gifted students should all be

grouped together and each should be given handouts that are more advanced than others,

depending on the gifted student. Just like my ELL students, special needs students will be

assessed weekly to determine their learning progress.

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For my students who are struggling academically and/or emotionally, they will be placed

in a group where they can work one-on-one with me. Working one-on-one with me will allow

the students to gain some trust and confidence with me where they will be comfortable enough to

tell me what they are going through. It’s extremely important for students who are struggling

emotionally to express what they are feeling towards someone who they trust. In this group, I

will make sure they are comfortable enough to do their work without a problem or any worry.

Social and Emotional Development

During my fieldwork, I had the opportunity to work with some trauma affected students.

According to an article shared in class, “Many children have experienced multiple traumas, and

for too many, trauma is a chronic part of their lives” (Krasnoff). Some of the students were

physically abused, bullied, faced hunger, or faced violence in their family or neighborhood. All

of this trauma can affect a student mentally and can affect their education as well. As a

culturally responsive teacher, I will make sure I am aware of all of my students who are being

affected by trauma. By being aware of students being affected by trauma, I will be able to

understand why they are behaving certain ways or not completing their homework. As a

culturally responsive teacher, it is my responsibility to understand that some children live in

poverty where their parents are not supportive or knowledgeable enough to help their children.

Peer Collaboration

There are several strategies that can be used to promote collaboration among diverse learners.

One great strategy that can be used is found in From Discipline to Culturally Responsive

Engagement, which is called “Talking Chips”. By using talking chips, students are given 2 or 3

poker chips. Depending on the amount of chips given, students are able to collaborate in the
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class that many times. This will allow students who are not participating as much, to collaborate

in class. Another strategy found in the same book is called “Celebrating Mistakes”, which

allows students to understand that everyone makes mistakes in life and while learning. By using

this strategy, my students will not be afraid to make mistakes in class and will not fear failure.

The last strategy I will use to promote collaboration among my diverse learners is Strategy 41

“Judicious Use of Humor and Satire” which explains how a teacher’s humor positively affects

their classroom. By using this strategy, my students will have less anxiety and/or stress to

participate in class.

Parent Communication & Involvement

As a teacher, it will be important for me to have full communication with my student’s

parents. One strategy I will use are newsletters. Newsletters will be used in my classroom

maintain continuous communication with my student’s parents. Providing newsletters to the

parents will allow parents to know what is going on in my classroom, the learning activities that

are being done, and the environment of the classroom. I will also create a social media page for

the classroom, where student’s parents can join. This will give parents an opportunity to

communicate effectively with me and ask any questions regarding what is being done in my

classroom. It will also allow parents to ask how their child is doing, and what they can do to

help if necessary. By using both of these strategies, I will have a stronger partnership with my

student’s parents that will promote positive behavior and support their learning.

It will also be important for my student’s parents to be able to engage in their child’s

learning. In order to fulfill this, I will schedule meetings and open houses for them to attend

whenever they are available. According to the book From Discipline to Culturally Responsive

Engagement, “Inviting parents into the classroom offers an opportunity for teachers to have face-
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to-face communication with them”, which is why it is important to always welcome parents into

their child’s classroom.

Conclusion

As a culturally responsive teacher, my classroom management plan will promote inclusion,

diversity, cultural awareness, and strategies to make my students the best they can be. My

classroom management plan includes: classroom climate, expectations and rules, routines and

procedures, maximizing instructional time, diverse learners, social and emotional development,

peer collaboration, and parent communication and involvement. Providing all of this into my

classroom will allow me to be a culturally responsive teacher that cares about their student’s

well-being.
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REFERENCES

Algozzine, Wang, & Violette (2011) George Sugai, OSEP Center on PBIS Center for Behavioral

Education & Research, University of Connecticut, November 8, 2011.

Krasnoff, B. (n.d.). A Practitioner's Guide to Educating Traumatized Children. Education

Northwest.

Mediratta, K. (2014). Restorative Practices: Fostering Healthy Relationships & Promoting

Positive Discipline in Schools.

PINTO, L. E. (2017). FROM DISCIPLINE TO CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE

ENGAGEMENT: 45 classroom management strategies. LOS ANGELES: SAGE

PUBLICATIONS.

Start with a "Do Now". (2018, June 27). Retrieved from

https://www.teachingchannel.org/video/class-starting-teaching-strategy