MacKenzie Hooker

EDU 402

Dr. Haberlin

Wesleyan College
 I have always had a passion for teaching, from bringing home my school books and

creating my own classroom with stuffed animals as students, to teaching my first lesson plan

over a virtual platform to a screen full of kindergarten students. Educating future generations,

becoming a role model to even just one student, creating a safe space for students to thrive and

succeed, and learning about the interests, personalities, and characteristics of other individuals

are just a few reasons in wanting to become an educator. There is no other profession that allows

one to receive the rewards of an educator. Even though I know my teaching philosophies will

change over the course of my career in education, I hope to always use a student-centered

approach while in the field. I believe that creating relationships, establishing routines and

procedures, allowing for student involvement, and strong classroom management techniques will

help me to create and strive in the classroom of my dreams.

As with every classroom, classroom management is a key characteristic that must be

present in order to obtain a positive and behaved learning space. I believe this is put in place

using structure and upholding the rewards and consequences for certain behaviors. In order to

have a space that allows students to be creative, innovative, successful, and well-behaved, I must

present and establish expectations, procedures, and rules within the first time meeting my

students. In order to accomplish this, I must be willing to listen to the students and be open to

their ideas. I want to have a well-behaved classroom in which behavior does not become a

distraction while learning. The most important aspect of my classroom that I wish to provide is a

space of community. Additionally, I want to use the ideas of others including Rafe Esquith,

Tracey Pendley, and Ron Clark and techniques such as those presented by the masters class and

the practice of withitness.

Rafe Esquith
 An educator that demonstrates a well-behaved classroom where each student is able to

strive and exceed their abilities is none other than Rafe Esquith. While listening to him speak via

Zoom, I was able to gain entail on how he manages his classroom productively using a variety of

techniques. Esquith uses a management technique pulled from Lawrence Kohlberg, the Six

Levels of Moral Development and modified the levels to fit within a classroom setting.

According to Esquith, these levels include “behaving in school because one does not want to get

in trouble, behaving in school because one wants to receive an award, behaving in school

because one wants to impress their teacher, behaving in school because one follows the rules,

behaving because one is considerate of other people, and behaving because one has a personal

code of behavior in their heart” (2014, YouTube). At the end of each year, Esquith strives to

have each of his students displaying actions from level six of moral development, such as the

story he shared of Felix.

Other techniques of his that were of interest to me include that of an economic system in

which students are paid for their work, rather than their behavior. He believes that students

should not be rewarded for good behavior, as that is an expectation for each of his students.

Esquith also mentioned that in the case of behavior that becomes distracting during a lesson,

many educators remove the student from the classroom in hopes the student will behave upon

their return. However, Esquith believes that removing a student from the lesson is far more

beneficial than removing the student from the classroom. However, the biggest takeaway that I

took from listening to the wise words of Esquith was to try and focus on kid #2. During his

lecture, he describes that there are three different kids within a classroom. Kid #1 is the gift from

God, the student that loves to be at school. Kid #3 is the devil child, the student who refuses to

do their work and threatens the success of others. Kid #2 is the student that does good in school,
but they never get noticed. This student has somehow fallen through the cracks and gets passed

from class to class each year. As I would like to keep a student-centered classroom, I must

recognize each students needs. In order to do this, he recommends at the end of the first day,

grab a sheet of blank paper and write the names of each student in your class. Then, look over

your roster and find the students that you forgot. These “forgotten” students, are your kid #2’s.

Tracey Pendley

A variety of student-centered management techniques were presented during a

presentation via Zoom. Pendley focuses her teaching style by creating relationships, focusing on

growth, and allowing for student ownership. She states that an educator should connect with their

students every morning and every afternoon so that the students know they are being heard.

According to Jennings, “Giving each student our full mindful attention for even a short period of

class time gives him or her the message “I see you”. By making these important moments of

connection with our students, we let them know we value them as individuals—they’re not just

one lost among the many” (2015, p. 148).

Pendley also uses a system of consequences in which she allows her students to help

make. They discuss all of the possible consequences for certain actions and behaviors. Her

version of classroom consequences are listed as: 1. Verbal Reminder, 2. Take a Break, 3. Loss of

Privilege, 4. Parent Contact. I believe that in a future classroom I would use similar, if not the

same, consequences that are listed above. I enjoy how the students are given a verbal reminder of

the expected behavior but I enjoy the second consequence the most. Instead of punishing the

student for behavior herself, she allows the student to choose how long they should sit out of a

classroom activity. This gives the students responsibility for their actions and allows them to

gather themselves for as long as needed before returning to the classroom. I could see myself
using this behavior technique in a classroom of my own and I am curious to see if the personal

decision of how long a student should sit out creates a difference in their behavior when they

return. I am also curious to see how the behavior is effected when the teacher chooses how long

a student should sit out for. Overall, I love how this technique gives students the opportunity to

grow from their mistakes and take ownership for the actions.

Ron Clark

Even though we were not able to visit the Ron Clark Academy due to the pandemic, we

were able to speak to a staff member, Michael Bonner, and study the expectations and rules of

the academy itself. RCA is one of the most prestigious schools throughout the country and when

discussing behavior, no other school has better behavior than RCA. Discipline is one of the most

treasurable characteristics of the school and each student is held at the highest expectation. Some

expectations that we have learned about that RCA requires their students to present include

making eye contact with each individual in the room while speaking, be prepared to be called on

at any moment, respect others within the classroom, etc.

In his book, Clark includes the core principles and values from the academy. Some that

stood out to me include “give all that you have to your children even though you will often

receive nothing in return, get to know your students in nonacademic settings, set the tone for a

love of learning, make learning magical, and love what your students love” (2011, p. 29-107).

All of the principles and values help to create a positive, community building, and relationship

making classroom. Educators must be willing to create relationships with their students outside

of the curriculum in order to make connections. Acknowledging what students do outside of

school not only shows that you care, but allows them to share their interests, activities, etc.
 Master Class Presentations

Various classroom management techniques were presented during a presentation made by

students in a master class via Zoom. An educational platform that is used throughout school

systems is ClassDojo. This is an application that allows educators to give or take away points to

students based on their behavior. Some of the presenters stated that they never take away points,

but only use the app as a way to track good behavior. Another technique that I can see myself

using in a future classroom is the “first, then” strategy. This strategy gives students two task they

must complete, one non-preferred task and one preferred task. In order for students to be able to

complete the preferred task, such as play on the computer for 15 minutes, they must complete the

non-preferred task first. This gives students who struggle with certain tasks a motivation to

complete their assignment. Morning meeting was another familiar technique used to create a

positive classroom of community and relationship building. The morning meeting consists of

four steps and each step allows for different exposures to classroom building exercises. Morning

meetings do not have to consist of all four steps each time one is conducted. I will definitely use

morning meetings in the future and love the idea of getting to create different ways of sharing

and classroom activities.

Sourced from:https://www.teachinglittleleaders.com/2017/11/tips-for-making-the-most-of-morning-meeting/
 Withitness

A classroom management technique that we practiced firsthand in class and studied about

was the practice of withitness. According to Jacob Kounin, “the term “withitness” describes that

teachers always know what is going on within his/her classroom. This can be done by scanning

the classroom every now and then so students will believe you are always looking at what they

are doing” (n.d., PLT Learning Content). Experiencing the practice of withitness showed how

much students can be off task and a teacher may miss that the student is off task. In my personal

experience, I caught all distractions except one student passing cards to another on the floor. I

believe that withitness is a good technique to use to make sure students are doing what is

expected of them, however, I believe there is a point where it can be too excessive.
 Self-Care Plan

Time Spent Typical Work Enjoyment Self/Other

Day/School Day
Activities
5 hours Classes 2 10%
1.5 hours Homework/Studying 1 10%
2 hours Observation 3 10%
1 hour YouTube/Netflix 4 25%
1 hour Facetiming 4 20%
family/friends
30 minutes Pampering/Relaxing 4 25%

Total number of hours spent doing things you enjoy_________

Nurturing Activities Self-Assessment:

Things I do Now:
Activity Physical Emotional Intellectual Inner Life
Morning Walks -
Talk to -
friends/family
Mind/Brain -
activities
(puzzles, apps,
sudokus,
reading, etc.)
Cleaning -
Walk in nature -
(woods, river,
marsh, etc.)
Turning off -
lights/electronics

Self-Care Plan:

Activity Physical Emotional Intellectual Inner Life

Going to sleep at -
a reasonable time
Spiritual -
time/reading
scripture
Spend time with -
friends, family,
BF
Write down a -
goal each week
to achieve
Limit amount of -
time on
phone/electronics
Read more -
Meal prep/track -
what I am
putting into my
body
Routine exercise -
practices
 First Day of School Script
Morning:
- Accompanying music will be playing in the background that allows students to relax but
also be able to concentrate on their opening assignment.
- Greet each student by standing outside of the classroom doorway.
- Student’s will then find the desk with their name and number on it.
- Once the student knows their assigned number, they will hang their bookbags on hook
associated with the number and place any other belongings in that area.
- They will then find their seats again.
- Student’s will then begin to fill out the “get to know me” sheet that will ask questions
such as: What are you most excited for this school year?, What is your favorite color?,
What is your favorite book?, etc.
- Once all students are seated and working on their information sheet, I will pause the
music and ask them to put their pencils down.
- I will begin to introduce myself to the class and greet them into whichever grade I am
placed in.
- Then I will introduce the entire class to each other and begin the day with a morning
meeting.
- The morning meeting will consists of these elements:
• A greeting activity
• A sharing activity
• An activity in which students must work together
• A morning message
- Review the classroom procedures/let students create rules that they want to follow. These
will be the rules that the students must follow in order to keep a positive and healthy
learning environment.
- The morning segment will then come to a close with a read-aloud such as First Day
Jitters by Julie Danneberg or Our Class is a Family by Shannon Olsen.

Afternoon:
- Students will line up for lunch in a line based on their numbers. Number 1 will line up
first and then 2, 3, 4, and so on. This is how students will line up to leave the cafeteria.
- After lunch, students will have another information sheet on their desks such as an
interest inventory or love language test. These can be used in the future to see how I
should interact with my students throughout the semester.
- Music will be playing in the background again.
- When all students have completed the worksheet, I will begin to assign classroom jobs to
each student. They will have a list of the jobs and an index card with a numbered list of 1,
2, and 3. Students will write which 3 jobs they would like and then I will review them
and assign each student a classroom job.
- We will then go outside for recess.
- After all instruction is completed for the day, I will play an interactive video for the
students from a platform such as Go Noodle to keep them entertained before dismissal.
- Before the students line up to either get on the bus or as a car rider, I will review what we
learned on the first day such as the procedures and rules that were created.
- I will then say goodbye to each student as they walk out of the classroom door.
 Introductory Letter

Welcome to _______ grade!

I am so excited to start a new school year with each and every one of you. I am Miss Hooker and
I am a first year teacher. This will be a new beginning for myself as well as a new beginning for
each one of your children. This year will be full of learning, growth, adventure, and creating
relationships. The most important part of our classroom will be creating a positive, encouraging,
and welcoming learning environment so that each student can thrive. I will now take the time to
introduce myself.

I am from Brunswick, GA and have lived there my entire life. I traveled three hours from home
in order to receive an educator from one of the most prestigious college’s in the state, Wesleyan
College. I am currently working on a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education and two
minors, Reading and Sport Management. I am a huge sports fan of college football, softball, and
Major League Baseball. I have grown up around sports and played college softball for two years.
I have always had a love for working with children and I hope that my students view me as a role
model, confident, and mentor throughout the school year and their educational journey.

We will be safe and cautious in the classroom and whether virtual or in person, each student will
be able to thrive in my classroom. I will push each student to try their hardest and to submit their
best work possible. Building a community will be one of my goals while working with your
students and I hope that each student comes out of _____ grade with a group of friends that they
can turn to at any point in time.

At the end of this page, I have included an information sheet that needs to be filled out and
returned on the first day of school. Please do not hesitate to contact me if there are any questions
at _________________ (email/phone number).

I cannot wait to greet each student in a couple of days. We are also in need of classroom
materials and anything is appreciated. Materials can include but are not limited to: tissues, hand
sanitizer, pencils, Clorox wipes, Lysol, snacks, etc.

Sincerely,
Miss Hooker
Sourced from: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/196047390006100491/
 Bathroom Routines

As a class, we will go to the bathroom twice a day. Students will split up into two lines

based on gender when the class arrives at the restrooms. Four students of each gender will be

allowed to go to the restroom at a time. Once a student exits the restroom, another student may

go in. Once everyone is done, we will create one line and proceed to the classroom together. If a

student has to go to the restroom during class time, they will be expected to grab the hall pass

and be gone no longer than five minutes. Students will only be allowed to go during classroom

time if a lesson is not being taught, or unless it is an emergency. Only one student of each gender

will be allowed to go to the restrooms at a time.

Hallway Expectations

Students are to be on their best behavior while walking throughout the hallway. Students

will walk in a single file line on the right side of the hall. When stopped, students will stand in

the square directly behind the classmate in front of them. Hands should remain by their sides and

there is to be no talking while in the hallway. The students are not only representing themselves,

but they are representing their class, teacher, and school.

Turning in Homework

Homework assignments will be sent home on a daily basis and will be expected to return

with the student to school the following day. Homework assignments will be graded based on

competition. There will be a designated spot for students to turn their homework in every

morning and if homework is not completed, they will spend time at recess completing it. Sight

words and reading logs will be sent home every Monday and students will be expected to turn in

their reading logs with at least two books completed on Friday. Sight words will be quizzed over

every other Friday. This gives parents the responsibility to make sure students complete their
homework so that they are able to play with their friends during recess. Our classroom is a

community and we must work together for the benefit of the students.

Managing Materials

Students will be expected to keep up with their own materials and expected to keep their

belongings in their designated areas. Only designated materials should leave the students desk

such as pencils, homework, notebooks, etc. Textbooks and other classroom materials should not

be taken home and should not leave the students desk. The student is responsible for their

belongings and should keep their desks organized and clean.

Classroom Jobs/Duties

Classroom jobs a duties will be assigned the first of every month. There will be a job for each

student and each student will have a new job each month. Students will receive a sheet of paper

with all of the available jobs and an index card. On the index card, students must write their

name and three jobs that they would like to do for the upcoming month. Students are asked to

write three options so that every student can get a job they would like. Jobs will be given out to

each student but a student’s job can be taken away for bad behavior.

Entry/Morning Routines

Students will be greeted at the classroom door each morning. Students will be welcomed

into the classroom one by one and expected to unpack their bookbags, turn in their homework,

and put their materials/belongings in the designated areas. Students will have three minutes from

the time they enter the classroom to make their lunch choices, sharpen their pencils, and get

prepared for the day. Students will then find their seats and work on the morning activity waiting

for them on their desk. Students will remain in their seats and students are allowed to whisper

amongst their groups. After the morning routines are complete, we will then begin our day.
 End of Day/Dismissal Routines

At the end of each day, I will play a series of GoNoodle videos for the students to wind

down for dismissal. During this time, I will send students by groups to gather their bookbags and

other belongings and then return to their seats. Students will make three different lines, one for

bus riders, one for car riders, and another for the after school program. Students will then be

dismissed appropriately for the day.

Lunch Procedures/Expectations

Students are expected to walk to the cafeteria using the hallway expectations. Students

are allowed to sit with each other, as long as they are behaving and the volume remains

appropriate. Students with lunch boxes will find our class table while the other students get in the

line for food. Once lunch is over, students will dispose of their lunch and line up.

School Supplies

A list of possible needed school supplies will be sent home with students during open

house/meet the teacher night. If possible, it would be helpful for parents to send students with the

needed supplies. Supplies could include but are not limited to tissues, hand sanitizer, Lysol,

pencils, erasers, etc. Thank you notes will be written to each family who sends something with

their student. Students will be expected to come to class with the needed supplies within the

second week of class. This could include but is not limited to crayons, markers, notebooks, etc.

Classroom Library

We will have a classroom library within the reading area of the classroom. Books will be

classified based on levels and most books in the library will be AR books. Students are not

allowed to take these books home and should only be used during independent reading time.
Books should be placed back where they were taken from and students can lose the privilege of

going to the classroom library if they do not follow the rules.

Snacks/Water

Water bottles are allowed in the classroom but must have a lid. Only water is allowed to

be in the bottle. We will also have a water fountain connected to our sink. Snacks will be allowed

after recess but they may not be a messy snack. We will have classroom snacks available after all

allergy sheets have been turned in and reviewed. Cupcakes and other celebratory snacks are not

allowed due to the mess they can create. Snacks should only be eaten during the designated time

and will be thrown away if this rule is not followed.

 References

Clark, R. (2011). The end of molasses classes: Getting our kids unstuck - 101 extraordinary
solutions for parents and teachers. New York: Touchstone.

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/196047390006100491/

https://www.teachinglittleleaders.com/2017/11/tips-for-making-the-most-of-morning-meeting

Jacob Kounin - PLT Learning Content. (n.d.). Retrieved from

https://sites.google.com/site/pltlearningcontent/overview-theorists/jacob-kounin

Jennings, P. A., & Siegel, D. J. (2015). Mindfulness for teachers: Simple skills for peace and
productivity in the classroom. New York: W.W. Norton & Company.

Troop443. (2014, January 17). Rafe Esquith The 6 Levels of Moral Development YouTube.
Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j81-44ADf74