Running head: CLASSROOM DEVELOPMENT PLAN 1

Kathryn Smith

Baker College

Classroom Development Plan

CLASSROOM DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2

Classroom Development Plan

Classroom Setting

The classroom setting is an 8th grade classroom, for either English or social studies, specifically American

history. Much of the setting remains the same regardless of the subject, though not the specifics in

terms of decorations.

1.

In the above diagram, the “S” is a student desk, and the “T” is the trash can. The bookshelf will be

filled with books related to the content being taught, literature for an English class or history books

for a social studies class. There is a section for the agenda and “I Can” statements, a teacher’s desk,

a whiteboard (or smartboard/projector), and a supply station. Also, there is a small station of

computers, the assumption is that students will be provided with individual laptops or tablets by the
CLASSROOM DEVELOPMENT PLAN 3

school. As for decorations, those will also vary with the content being taught. For an English class,

decorations could potentially be pictures of characters or settings that match the text being read,

posters relating to grammar, or references to authors or books related to the class. By contrast, for

a history class, decorations may include documents, pictures or paintings of historical events or

individuals, or political cartoons. Regardless of the class being taught, decorations will be changed

throughout the year in order to maintain relation to the content being taught.

2. The classroom will have a daily agenda posted on the bulletin board that is located next to the

whiteboard at the front of the classroom. This bulletin board will also contain a section for the day’s

“I Can” statement or statements, a calendar showing important dates for the week and month, and

a space for important reminders.

3. According to the IRIS Center, there are four factors to consider when determining an effective room

arrangement. These factors are: facilitating traffic, supporting frequent interaction, matching

instruction, and minimizing distractions (IRIS Center, 2020). In order to best cover these four factors
CLASSROOM DEVELOPMENT PLAN 4

in my classroom, I feel that the best arrangement is one that it set up primarily for individual work

(IRIS Center, 2020), as I have done above. The classroom that I have designed is set up in rows

facing the board at the front of the classroom. This allows traffic to flow multiple ways, enables the

teacher to interact freely throughout the room, and minimizes distractions. The students are all

facing the board for instruction, with the door and windows to the sides, placing the focal point at

the teacher and instructional materials instead of the hallway or outside. The individual rows and

desks mean that all students are facing the board and teacher, as opposed to having to turn, and

they will be less likely to be distracted by each other.

I also prefer the rows of individual desks because this arrangement is flexible. The rows as I

have placed them can easily be adjusted for paired work or group work. I feel that if desks are

always in groups or pairs it is more difficult to concentrate during lecture or individual work, but

individual desks can quickly be moved to facilitate interaction. Finally, many of my lessons involve

movement throughout the classroom, so it is important to have easy traffic movement which is

enabled by the individual set up.

Procedures

1. Attention getting procedure: Class attention will be gained using a

stoplight (Heick, unknown). There are four lights that can be hung around

the room to ensure that each student can see them. They are operated

by remote and can be changed to indicate when students can and cannot

talk. For example, green means the students can talk, yellow means they

need to start quieting down, and red means that they need to be quiet.

There is also the potential to use the thirteen other colors for different

procedures should they be needed.

CLASSROOM DEVELOPMENT PLAN 5

Rationale: The use of the lights provides students with an easy to understand procedure that is

relatable to the idea of a traffic light, familiar to every student. Additionally, the lights can be placed

strategically throughout the room to guarantee that every student can see one at all times. This

ensures that no student can claim they did not understand the procedure or that they could not see

one of the lights.

2. Entering and exiting procedures: To enter the classroom, students will follow the procedure “Enter,

Sit, Supplies, Wait” and to exit, “Wait, Supplies, Stand, Exit.” This is a middle school classroom, so

there will be bells to indicate the beginning and end of class. The goal for entering is that students

will enter the classroom, sit in their seats, prepare their supplies, and wait for the bell to ring to

indicate that class is starting. The exit procedure is basically backwards, wait for the bell to ring,

gather their supplies, stand, and then exit the classroom.

Rationale: This procedure is basic and self-explanatory, meaning that it is easily understood and

remembered by the students. By making sure that the students have all of their supplies ready

when the bell rings means that the lesson can start immediately. Additionally, by ensuring that the

students remain in their seats until the bell rings there is no risk of problems that can occur when

the students gather and wait at the door for the bell to ring.

3. Assignment and resource procedures: There will be a designated mailbox for assignments to be

turned in, labeled by grade. Any assignment placed in the mailbox by the intended due date and

time will be eligible for full credit, any placed in late will be given credit based upon my or the

school’s late work policy. Assignments for students that missed class will be available in a separate

mailbox, again labeled by hour, with their name written on it. I will place any missed assignments

given out during class into that mailbox by the end of the hour. In the back of the room there will be

a shelfing/drawer unit with extra supplies for students should they need them. These will always be
CLASSROOM DEVELOPMENT PLAN 6

available and can be retrieved during work/group times, before the bell rings, or with permission

from the teacher during lecture.

Rationale: This procedure makes sure that the classroom and students stay organized. Every

assignment has its place, and every student knows where to find and turn in their work. As for late

work, I know that students get sick, they go on trips, etc., most of which is out of their control. I do

not believe in penalizing students without giving them a reasonable amount of time to complete

their work upon their return. However, this is my personal opinion when possible, if this conflicts

with a school and/or district policy, that would have to be followed instead.

4. Obtaining permission to leave the classroom: during group or individual work time, students may

leave the room to use the restroom. There will be single pass for the class hanging in a known place,

and one student may use it at a time. Should a second student need to use the restroom, this will

be at the discretion of the teacher. The first student does not need permission during these times.

During lecture, should a student need the restroom they may raise their hand and indicate to the

teacher that they need to leave, and may once permission is given. During tests or assessments,

bathroom use will be at the discretion of the teacher and no student may leave without permission.

For reasons beyond using the bathroom, students should bring the need to the teacher’s attention

prior to class starting and a time will be set where the student may leave. If a need arises during

class, the student should wait until group or individual work time if at all possible before asking for

permission.

Rationale: My goal is to limit interruptions to the lesson as much as possible. I would expect that

students, by middle school, would be responsible enough to be able to follow a one student at a

time procedure. I feel that given a bit of leeway and responsibility, students will feel like they are

being trusted and will work to maintain that. However, should this procedure be taken advantage
CLASSROOM DEVELOPMENT PLAN 7

of, it will be adjusted so that students will need expressed permission to leave the classroom. This

could be done on a class or individual basis, depending on the extent of the problem.

5. Developing and explaining emergency procedures: It is assumed that emergency procedures will be

set by school or district policy. These policies will be explained to students thoroughly on the first

day and again prior to an emergency drill. They will be practiced when the school or district

indicates and sets a drill time.

Rationale: Emergency procedures are vital to the safety of students, teachers, school staff, etc.

They are important and will be practiced regularly; however, as these drills are generally disruptive

to the learning of the school in its entirety, practice will likely only be able to be done according to

the school’s schedule. I will make sure that every student is aware of the procedures and answer

any questions they may have. Additionally, I feel that the procedures should be posted or kept in a

place that is easily accessible and known by everyone in the room, so that in the confusion of an

emergency situation everyone will be able to know what to do.

6. Transition procedure: The transition between content subjects is done by the school bell schedule.

The students will follow the above entering and exiting procedure for transition times.

Rationale: This is a middle school classroom, with one subject per period/hour. The school sets the

schedule and operates the bells and therefore, the transitions.

Norms and Learning Agreements

Learning agreements and norms will be set on the first day of school. This will be done through

a class discussion. I will have initial basic norms that I will state, such as a no cell phone policy, the

assignment and late work policy, the entering and exiting procedures, and the use of the stoplight for

attention. For each I will then ask the students their thoughts about the norm, answer any questions,

and make adjustments if possible and necessary based upon their input. Then, for more abstract norms
CLASSROOM DEVELOPMENT PLAN 8

such as respect, I will ask the students questions like “what does respect mean to you” before explaining

my idea of respect. We can then discuss and come to an agreement about what that norm will read like.

When done, we will right out a list of norms to be posted in the room, everyone (including myself) will

sign it, and then we will post it in the room. With the norms posted, there is a reminder always available

to the norms that can be easily referenced should the need arise.

Section 4 – Assessment Procedures

1. Formative assessment strategies: I believe that formative assessments should be done often

throughout the unit being taught. Formative assessments provide an excellent opportunity to

monitor student progress towards learning goals and give me the feedback necessary to know if

I need to adjust my teaching or repeat information. Formative assessments in my classroom will

be informal and ungraded, used purely for monitoring my students’ learning progress. I will use

a variety of formative assessments, from Kahoot! quizzes to discussions. Some of my favorite

strategies that I have learned and will utilize are one-minute essays, exit tickets, journal entries,

and gallery walks (Formative Assessment, unknown). Also, from our class discussions, I think

that activities like Venn diagrams, tug-o-wars, and haikus could be used for formative

assessments.

Rationale: Formative assessments are used continuously throughout the lesson/unit. The

purpose is to be aware at all times of where the students are in terms of learning and

understanding the material, which is what formative assessments do. If I am aware of where my

students are at, I can move on, repeat information, or even teach in a new way to ensure that

they know what I want them to know.

2. Summative assessment strategies: I believe in varying summative assessments and using

strategies being multiple choice/short answer tests to assess what my students have learned. I
CLASSROOM DEVELOPMENT PLAN 9

plan to use performance assessments as much as possible, as these require students to apply

what they have learned in real-world settings as opposed to merely recalling memorized

information (Meisels, 2021). I feel that students need to be able to take what they have learned

and apply that knowledge, as this shows me their progress much better than a traditional test

does. Should I have to use a traditional test for summative assessment, I intend to write the

questions myself so that I can tailor the test to what the students have learned and the targets I

want them to have hit. However, I do prefer performance assessments, like essays, museum

exhibits, 3D timelines, etc., basically any sort of application of skills and knowledge that matches

the content learned.

Rationale: Summative assessments are used at the end of a lesson/unit to assess student

knowledge but also my own teaching practices. If most of the students do well, I know that my

practices are working. If most of the students do poorly, I know that I need to make

adjustments for future lessons. I prefer performance assessments over tests because they are

generally more ‘real world’ and do a better job of truly showing student understanding. Tests

often give students anxiety, messing with their ability to do well, and there is also the potential

for guessing, especially with multiple choice tests. Performance assessments require students

to apply their knowledge, which is a much better way to gage what they have learned.

3. Creating hope in the assessment process: There are several steps that I will take to promote

hope through assessment (Erkens, 2016):

a. Use assessment and feedback to highlight strengths instead of weaknesses.

b. My feedback will be diagnostic in that it will clarify errors and describe ways to improve.

I feel that a simple letter or point grade does nothing to help the students understand

how they can improve and move forward in their learning.

CLASSROOM DEVELOPMENT PLAN 10

c. I will never average grades across the class. This may help those struggling but it will

hurt those who excel. Instead, I might curve grades where everyone’s grades are

increased in line with the highest score. For example, if the highest score is a 90%, that

grade is bumped to 100% and every other score also increases that same 10%. I feel

that this benefits every student and also accounts for difficult or misleading questions

that I did not realize would be an issue.

d. I will give students the opportunity to defend their answers if they would like to. Just

because I did not see the answer I expected, that does not necessarily mean that it is

wrong. I feel that if a student can provide evidence that justifies their answer, then it

should be accepted.

e. Formative assessments will be done regularly, because they give me an opportunity to

intervene when a student is struggling before the problem affects their grade in a

summative assessment.

Rationale: I believe that assessment is meant to support learning, as opposed to punishing

those students that struggle. Assessment lets the students, and me, know where they are in

their learning progress. Therefore, I want to minimize anxiety and create an environment where

students feel like they will succeed, not one where they are destined to fail.

4. Data-driven instructional practices: Formative assessments will be used to inform my

instructional practices (Carnegie Mellon University, 2021). I will consider everything that I

observe and learn about my students’ progress through formative assessments and adjust my

teaching in response. If the students are doing well in their activities, I will know that I can stay

the course. However, if students are struggling or not meeting their learning targets, I will

intervene and adjust my teaching. This may mean simply repeating information in a new way,

or it may require me to change my teaching methods or strategies.

CLASSROOM DEVELOPMENT PLAN 11

Rationale: The point is for my students to learn the material and meet their targets, so I will be

flexible and willing to adjust as necessary. Formative assessments are the best way that I can

collect the data necessary to remain flexible and be sure my students are meeting their learning

targets.

5. Authentic assessment strategies: authentic assessment is “using creative learning experiences

to test students’ skills and knowledge in realistic situations” (Wiley, 2021, para. 5). I intend to

use authentic assessments as much as possible in my classroom – see #2 above – as these types

of assessments do a much better job of evaluating what the students have actually learned than

other summative assessments.

Rationale: Traditional question and answer strategies merely test memory recall, while I want

to test knowledge and skill application. By having students apply their knowledge and skills in

real-world situations, I will truly see where they are in terms of meeting their learning targets.

6. Remediation strategies: my goal is to catch struggling students and intervene before there is an

issue. However, should that not work, I will offer every opportunity I can for remediation. I will

offer before and after-school help sessions, extra assignments, make-up work, and even the

opportunity to repeat assessments. Additionally, there are several strategies that I could use in

class to help my struggling students. For example, small groups or team work, chunking skills,

peer tutors, self-grading activities, daily review, and reflections on strengths and weaknesses

(Smore, unknown).

Rationale: I want my students to succeed, so the grade they get will not be the be-all-end-all of

their learning. I am willing to work with any student that wants to improve their learning

whether that is taking time individually or working on strategies with the whole class.

7. Parent and student involvement in the assessment process: as a middle/high school teacher, I

feel that it is up to the student to do what needs to be done. I am willing to speak with parents,
CLASSROOM DEVELOPMENT PLAN 12

but I will not change my practices or grades just because they want me to. I will gladly work

with any student in any situation, as long as the student is the one seeking assistance. If the

student is willing to put forth the effort, their assessment grades will show it (Ryan, 2017). Since

I plan to use formative assessments regularly, I will know if the effort is being made even if the

summative assessment does not reflect that, as some students just test badly. Therefore, if a

student comes to me with concerns, I will listen and act.

Rationale: By middle school I feel that students should be able to take responsibility for their

effort, grades, etc. Therefore, I want the assessment process to be between the student and me

as much as possible, with their parents involved only when really necessary. I believe in working

out issues with the student and only going to the parents when I cannot come to an agreement

or plan with the student. To me, being in school is about learning the content, but also life skills

like responsibility.

8. Grading practices: I do not believe that grades should be the most important thing in a

classroom (Chau, 2019). I realize the importance of assigning letter grades, especially in high

school where GPA influences the students’ futures in terms of college. However, I am more

focused on student progress. Therefore, I believe in including things like effort in the grading

process. If I see a student making the effort to learn and participate, I do not believe that they

should be punished because they struggle in a test situation. Therefore, I plan to offer retakes

on tests, again, for students who show effort in class and in their work. I also intend to offer

options for different tests, for example writing an essay or creating a project, should a student

struggle with a traditional test.

Rationale: There are many factors to consider when determining grades beyond just a simple

number of questions that a student answered correctly. Also to be considered, are things like

effort, distractions, what is going on in their lives, learning difficulties, etc. Student progress is
CLASSROOM DEVELOPMENT PLAN 13

important, as is the determination of their knowledge. This is why I prefer performance

assessments, as they show what a student truly knows much better than a traditional test.

Additionally, I feel that if a student is having a bad day, they will not test at their best, which is

why I believe in make-ups and retakes. Grades are important, but depending on the situation

can do more harm than good to student progress overall.

Section 5 – Engaging Instruction

1. According to the University of Minnesota, the brain learns best through active learning

(University of Minnesota, 2021). This means that students need to be engaged with what the

content, their teachers, and the other students in order to learn best (University of Minnesota,

2021). Therefore, my instructional decisions and strategies will be based on creating as many

engagement opportunities as possible.

2. My philosophy centers on engaging as many of the students’ senses as possible during lessons in

order to create immersive learning experiences (Sengupta, 2019). For example, during a unit on

westward expansion and the journey West, I would have a day where the students experienced

life as a pioneer. Activities would include deciding what to bring and packing the wagon,

watching videos and learning about the different forts along the way, ‘experiencing’ some of the

dangers of the trail, and enjoying a pioneer snack. My dream is to incorporate VR technology in

order to truly experience these types of lessons.

3. In order to include cooperative learning, I will use a lot of group work. However, since not all

group work is considered cooperative learning, it is important to create groups of varying ability

that complete activities which improve understanding, instead of just completing assignments

together (USDE, unknown). Therefore, I intend to include a variety of activities, ranging from

tug-o-wars to debates, where students work together to truly learn information and then are

able to justify their learning to others.

CLASSROOM DEVELOPMENT PLAN 14

4. Cooperative learning is a great way to get the students engaged because they get to learn the

material together instead of as individuals. Through cooperative learning, students learn

important collaborative skills for the future. Additionally, often students learn material better

from their peers, as the material comes in a form that they understand and can relate to (USDE,

unknown). Cooperative learning (USDE, unknown):

a. Improves academic achievement

b. Improves behavior and attendance

c. Increases self-confidence

d. Increases motivation

e. Increases interpersonal communication

5. Interdisciplinary connections can be created through authentic assessment (Weller, 2021).

Since skills are applied to real-world situations, science can be connected to math, history to

English, etc. The benefits to creating interdisciplinary connections are numerous, including

(Weller, 2021):

a. Increased motivation due to the availability of more topics of student interest.

b. Increased depth of learning due to varied perspectives.

c. Increased critical thinking, research, and synthesis skills.

d. Increased creativity.

Section 6 – Responses to Behavioral Issues

1. There are a number of behavioral issues that can arise in classrooms. For example (Carnegie

Mellon University, 2021):

a. Tardiness

b. Cellphone use
CLASSROOM DEVELOPMENT PLAN 15

c. Side conversations

d. Continuous late and/or missing work

e. Fighting or harassment

f. Cheating

g. Disrespect

2. Responsive strategies: The best strategy for controlling behavior is to set firm expectations and

consequences from the beginning (Carnegie Mellon University, 2021). This lets students know,

without question, what is expected of them and what will occur should they not follow those

expectations. The next strategy is to decrease anonymity in the classroom (Carnegie Mellon

University, 2021). Especially in large classrooms, if a student feels like they can get away with

something because the teacher will not know who did it, they will try. Therefore, it is essential

to learn the students’ names, interact with them individually and often, and build a relationship

with each student. If the student is aware that the teacher knows who they are, they are less

likely to attempt to get away with things. Additionally, consistency and follow-through are key

(Carnegie Mellon University, 2021). If a teacher sets a consequence for breaking a procedure,

then the teacher needs to give the student that consequence if they break a procedure.

3. Aberrant behavior will not be tolerated from anyone at anytime. Each incidence of aberrant

behavior will be dealt with quickly and appropriately (Carnegie Mellon University, 2021). It is

important that behavior is dealt with in the moment, because if it is allowed to continue it may

worsen or spread amongst the students. Also, if a student sees another get away with a

behavior, even it is dealt with later, that student will think that they can also get away with that

behavior. As for appropriateness, this means making sure the ‘punishment fits the crime.’ For

example, talking with a friend during class does not warrant a suspension, while violence needs

more than a stern talking to.

CLASSROOM DEVELOPMENT PLAN 16

4. Behavioral motivations: There are a number of factors that can motivate student behavior.

These include (Carnegie Mellon University, 2021):

a. Outside factors such as health, personal, family, or developmental problems. These

types of issues may be difficult for teachers to become aware of, and can be even more

difficult to address. The best way to address these issues is to enlist the help of

professionals available through the school or district, such as the school nurse,

counselor, psychologist, or the dean of student affairs.

b. Cultural issues such as language barriers or conflicting customs (Carnegie Mellon

University, 2021). The student may not even be aware that the behavior they are doing

is wrong, because in their culture it may not be. Additionally, if there is a language

barrier, explaining expectations and consequences will be difficult. Therefore, a teacher

needs to become aware of the cultures of their students, can speak to the student’s

parents, seek help from others familiar with the culture and/or language, etc.

c. Teacher behavior can also be a factor (Carnegie Mellon University, 2021). Teachers can

potentially model bad behaviors to their students without even knowing it. For

example, if a teacher is disorganized, late for class, uses bad language, etc., their

students will think that is how they are supposed to behave. We need to remember to

model the behaviors that we want to see from our students.

d. Peer pressure and group dynamics (Carnegie Mellon University, 2021). Many students

will behave badly as a way to be accepted by their peers. If a student thinks that they

will be liked by their peers by misbehaving or being the clown, that is what they will do.

We need to be aware of these pressures and step in if it is occurring in our classroom.

5. Mistakes should be a learning experience, not a source of punishment or shame. In order to

turn mistakes into learning opportunities (TeachThought, unknown):

CLASSROOM DEVELOPMENT PLAN 17

a. Do not just correct a mistake, instead make sure that the student understands the

reason that a mistake was made, turning the mistake into a source of understanding.

b. Encouraging students when they make mistakes by helping them to successfully fix it

grows motivation and self-esteem.

c. Do not punish mistakes, instead make them a part of the learning process. Teach

students that mistakes are an opportunity for learning.

d. Allow students to make a variety of mistakes. For example, in a class discussion, do not

give the right answer after the first mistake. Instead, try to let the students work their

way to the right answer on their own.

e. Provide constructive feedback quickly after a mistake is made. This helps students

understand where they went wrong and the steps that they can take to fix it.

f. Over time students will learn to find their own mistakes and correct them without

intervention. The more they are able to do this, the more motivation they will have to

learn.

Section 7 – Responding to Diversity

1. Strategies to recognize diversity: There are a number of strategies that I would like to include in

my classroom to recognize diversity:

a. Give opportunities for students to share their cultures and backgrounds (GoGuardian,

2019). Sort of like an opportunity for show and tell, students could share traditions,

languages, activities, etc., whatever they would like that would show their unique

backgrounds.

b. Group students for collaboration (GoGuardian, 2019). For group work, I will at times

create the groups myself so that students work with others that they do not normally.
CLASSROOM DEVELOPMENT PLAN 18

This gives them the opportunity to learn from and collaborate with students that are not

in their normal social circle.

c. Include diversity in lessons (GoGuardian, 2019). This could be including a range of

authors in English, story problems featuring different cultures in math, or examples of

the different laws, traditions, economies, etc. in social studies.

2. ELL students: Like recognizing diversity, there are a number of strategies that I will include in my

classroom when I have ELL students:

a. Utilizing a buddy system can help to make ELL students more comfortable in the

classroom (Kaplan, 2019). Sitting an ELL student next to a friend that they are

comfortable with will give them someone they can ask questions or work collaboratively

with without worrying about being excluded or ignored.

b. No matter the subject, vocabulary is important (Kaplan, 2019). ELL students need

language practice throughout the day, not just in their English or ELL classroom. I will

stress the vocabulary of the subject to my ELL students, to all my students, so that they

understand the language along with the skills.

c. For ELL students it is important to speak more slowly and wait longer for responses

(Kaplan, 2019). ELL students need more time to process the information being given or

question being asked, as well as more time to formulate an answer in an unfamiliar

language.

d. Differentiation through multiple learning avenues (Kaplan, 2019). An ELL student may

not understand my words, but they will often understand pictures or videos because

visual representations are often universal. For example, a ball looks like a ball no matter

where a person is from. Also, some ELL students may read English better or understand

spoken English better, so including both can be helpful.

CLASSROOM DEVELOPMENT PLAN 19

3. Being the minority: The key to handling being the minority in a situation, especially as the

teacher, is to learn as much as you can about the racial, ethnic, or cultural majority without

making assumptions (Harvard University, 2003). We are all aware of racial stereotypes, so as

the minority in an unfamiliar situation, it is important to learn about that race or culture as well

as each student individually (Harvard University, 2003). Developing relationships with each

student individually is important. Also, while the temptation is to teach subjects that appeal to

that race or culture, we have to remember that doing it all the time may seem like we are trying

to hard to appeal or fit in. For example, teaching through hip hop to an African American

majority may seem like a great way to reach the students, it is also a stereotype and may

unintentionally offend them or make them feel as if we are trying to appropriate their culture as

our own. Therefore, again, it is best to make those individual connections, then we can work to

blend our cultures.

4. Differentiation: My two favorite differentiation strategies are student ownership and student

choice:

a. Student ownership (Usher, 2019) – I will do this most often through jigsaws during

learning. Many different strategies can incorporate jigsaws, which are when students

are assigned a portion of a text or assignment then teach the rest of the group what

they have learned. This gives students ownership of the material and turns them into

the teacher for that portion of the activity.

b. Student choice (Usher, 2019) – I feel that as long as a student is able to demonstrate

their knowledge or a skill, it generally does not matter how they do that. Therefore, I

like to let students choose as much as possible. This could be giving a few options for

reading, letting them choose between a test, writing assignment, or project, etc.

Student choice increases interest and motivation, and then success.

CLASSROOM DEVELOPMENT PLAN 20

5. The best way to learn about students’ funds of knowledge is through preassessment (English

Teaching 101, 2019). Preassessment takes a variety of forms, including formal preassessment

tests. However, I prefer activities and discussions that show my students’ prior knowledge, such

as KWL charts, anticipatory guides, WordArt, concept maps, etc. I feel that these allow me to

assess knowledge in a more natural and less stressful way than a formal test. Once I know

where my students are at, then I can design my lesson plans around their prior knowledge. If all

of the students know something, I know that I can gloss over that with a simple review before

moving on. However, if my students lack knowledge that I thought they would have, I would

know to spend extra time on the foundational knowledge or skills before moving on to more

complex concepts.
CLASSROOM DEVELOPMENT PLAN 21

References

Carnegie Mellon University. (2021). Address problematic student behavior. Retrieved from

https://www.cmu.edu/teaching/designteach/teach/problemstudent.html

Carnegie Mellon University. (2021). What is the difference between formative and summative

assessment?. Retrieved from https://www.cmu.edu/teaching/assessment/basics/formative-

summative.html

Chau, D. (2019, March 10). Grades must reflect mastery, not just effort. Retrieved from

https://edsource.org/2019/grades-must-reflect-mastery-not-just-effort/609236

English Teaching 101. (2019). 3 reasons why pre-assessment is important. Retrieved from

https://englishteaching101.com/reasons-why-pre-assessment-is-important/

Erkens, C. (2016, January 4). Assessments as hope. Retrieved from

https://allthingsassessment.info/2016/01/04/assessments-as-hope/

Formative Assessment. (unknown). Tools for formative assessment. Retrieved from

https://baker.instructure.com/courses/43749/files/4030483/download?download_frd=1

GoGuardian. (2019, November 17). Diversity in K-12 classrooms. Retrieved from

https://www.goguardian.com/blog/diversity-in-the-classroom

Harvard University. (2003, September 2). Encouraging students in a racially diverse classroom. Retrieved

from

https://www.butte.edu/diversity/documents/pdfs/diversity/teaching/Teaching%20tips%20race

%20in%20the%20classroom.PDF
CLASSROOM DEVELOPMENT PLAN 22

Heick, T. (unknown). 20 ways to get a noisy classroom’s attention. TeachThought. Retrieved from

https://www.teachthought.com/pedagogy/20-ways-quiet-noisy-students/

IRIS Center. (2020). Effective room arrangement. Retrieved from

https://baker.instructure.com/courses/53926/files/4664067?module_item_id=3475319

Kaplan, E. (2019, April 12). 6 essential strategies for teaching English language learners. Retrieved from

https://www.edutopia.org/article/6-essential-strategies-teaching-english-language-learners

Meisels, S. J. (2021). Performance assessment. Retrieved from

http://teacher.scholastic.com/professional/assessment/perfassess.htm

Ryan, E. (2019, July 11). Three ways to better engage students to get the most from educational

assessments. Retrieved from https://www.nwea.org/blog/2019/three-ways-to-better-engage-

students-to-get-the-most-from-educational-assessments/

Sengupta, D. (2019, November 13). How to incorporate immersive learning into your digital learning

program. Retrieved from https://elearningindustry.com/incorporate-immersive-learning-

experiences-digital-program

Smore. (unknown). Remediation strategies. Retrieved from https://www.smore.com/qabb9-

remediation-strategies

TeachThought. (unknown). 9 ways to help students learn through their mistakes. Retrieved from

https://www.teachthought.com/pedagogy/9-ways-help-students-learn-mistakes/

University of Minnesota. (2021). Active learning. Retrieved from https://cei.umn.edu/active-learning

CLASSROOM DEVELOPMENT PLAN 23

USDE. (unknown). Cooperative learning. Retrieved from

https://www2.ed.gov/pubs/OR/ConsumerGuides/cooplear.html#:~:text=Cooperative%20learni

ng%20is%20a%20successful,their%20understanding%20of%20a%20subject.

Usher, K. (2019, April 10). Differentiating by offering choices. Retrieved from

https://www.edutopia.org/article/differentiating-offering-choices

Weller, M. (2021, October 14). What are the benefits of interdisciplinary study?. Retrieved from

https://www.open.edu/openlearn/education/what-are-the-benefits-interdisciplinary-study

Wiley. (2021). Authentic assessment in the online classroom. Retrieved from

https://ctl.wiley.com/authentic-assessment-in-the-online-classroom/