Classroom Management Plan

Michael Behnke
 Classroom Management Plan

For a learning environment to function smoothly and effectively, a set of rules,

procedures, and organization strategies needs to be established. It not only needs to be presented
to the students from the first day of school, teachers need to build a mindset that they also need
to adhere to the plan. When tasked will dealing with behavioral issues, teachers that have a clear
classroom management plan will be able to reference it immediately and efficiently, leaving
more time for students to engage in learning.

Rules of the Classroom

Students should follow these rules as soon as they enter the classroom.

1. Always show respect to your peers, teachers, and personal belongings.

2. Keep your hands and feet to yourself.
3. If you have something to say, raise your hand.
4. Come to class with necessary supplies, papers, and instruments.

Procedures

The following procedures demonstrate the expectations of daily activities once students have
entered the classroom.
1. When the bell rings, students will be quiet and be ready for instruction from the teacher.
2. Instruments will not be opened and put together until the teacher has stated the time to do
so.
3. If a bathroom break is needed, students should fill out the bathroom pass, raise their hand,
and wait until the teacher has signed their pass.
4. If students need to retrieve something from their locker, they must first fill out their hall
pass, raise their hand, and the teacher will decide an appropriate time for their departure.
5. Homework assigned the day before should be placed on their desk at the beginning of the
lesson.
6. At the time of dismissal, students are not to leave their seats until I dismiss them.
7. During class change, recess, or lunch, students are to line up at the door in a single file.
This will be practiced over time to make sure students understand the importance of
safety when leaving the classroom.
8. If students come across an issue with their instrument, they are to bring them to the
teacher at the beginning of the school day or class, or at the end of the day. Parents may
also email the teacher will instrument concerns.
 Classroom Layout

The follow diagram shows the proper setup of the classroom during band class. This is the
traditional setup of a band classroom and so I believe it best to introduce students to the
placements they will likely be in throughout their future music classes. During sectionals
however, students should sit in the seats closest to the front of the class.

Back of Class

Percussion
Trumpets Trombones
and Tuba

Clarinets Saxophones Flutes

Teacher’s
Stand

Front of Class

Disciplinary Interventions

In dealing with behavioral issues with students, I believe it ineffective to yell and/or
argue with students over their actions. I also find it ineffective to send students to the counselor
or the office for their actions right away. This tends to keep students away from the content at
hand longer and sets them up for failure when they return to class. This method should only be
necessary in the worst circumstances or when it is felt that additional support is needed.
I believe in the method of proximity with students. As students begin to misbehave or
break classroom rules, it is highly effective to approach them and either stand near them or
gently ask them to be respectful of their peers. I also believe it to be very effective to build
relationships with students from day-one. When presented with behavioral issues then, teachers
and students will feel more comfortable talking with each other about why they are having
trouble following classroom rules. In the same way, I seek opportunities to find intuitive
solutions to these problems. One method I have seen work well is to create a signal with a
student who may have behavioral issues, so that the problem is quietly and quickly addressed.
These methods are each built on the idea of keeping students comfortable while
addressing the issue. By not yelling or calling students out, you reduce the stress or future social
interactions they may find uncomfortable. Especially in a music classroom, students need to feel
attached the music they are making as a class, and so finding less confrontational ways at
keeping behavioral problems at bay is a priority of mine.

Teacher-Student Relationship

One of the first and most important steps a teacher should take in creating a healthy
classroom environment is to build a relationship which each student that enters the classroom.
The teacher-student relationship should resemble a developed version of a friend-to-friend
relationship. This begins by calling each student by their name, a crucial step that many teachers
may overlook. I also strive to learn about student’s lives outside of school and take interest in
what they have to share. The personal connections student and teachers make with each other
help to form a bond that make teaching and learning exponentially easier. This relationship still
must maintain a sense of respect each way. The act of teaching stretches further than the content
deemed fit for teaching. The content taught also fits into the subject of guiding students to
become kind, organized, and thoughtful individuals, and should connect to further aspects of
their lives that can only be learned from a relationship built with each student.