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Benchmark – Academic Success Plan

Marcy L. Johnson

College of Education, Grand Canyon University: ELM 590

Dr. Gwen Dickey

September 28, 2022

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Classroom Management Plan

An effective classroom management plan considers the classroom layout, a behavior

management plan, engagement strategies, clear rules, and procedures for students to follow.

Classroom management also includes noise control, how to get the attention of the class, and

being consistent. “One of the most important gifts we can give to our students is to be consistent

and predictable” (Wong, Wong, Rogers & Brook, 2012, p.61).

Classroom Layout

Having enough spacing between seats, grouping desks for teamwork, and having

designated spaces for small groups, and technology are all things to consider for flow and

function of a classroom. I have 31 students, so I chose tables rather than desks. Trying to space

desk with walking room proved to be difficult. With my current class profile, I would seat my

three students with IEPs near students that were at level or above. I have two more students in

the beginning stages of the IEP process. One of them needs extra help, the other does not.

Having a buddy to explain the assignment helps these student when I am unavailable.

Additionally, asking students to repeat the directions to classmates helps them to construct an

explanation. This helps both students by hearing the directions again and formulating the

instructions into their own words (Evertson & Emmer, 2013).

This class has two students that possibly need glasses. I am seating them near the front

until they get a vision exam and can get glasses. Additionally, there are two emotionally

challenged students. These students are seated at a desk with a good view of the teacher. Both for

the student’s reassurance and for the teacher to keep an eye on potential triggers that can set the

student into destructive behaviors (Evertson & Emmer, 2013). One of these students needs to
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have a seat where he can stand up as needed. He has little body impulse control and seating him

on the fringe of the classroom creates less of a distraction.

Engagement Strategies

I have tables that seat four students. In each corner there is a colored dot. It makes it easy

to give instructions like “brown dot collect papers and turn them in” or “pink dot pick up books

for your table”. I can also give commands like “turn to your elbow partner” or “tell the person

across from you” to give students a chance to talk to different classmates. Asking students to

repeat the directions to classmates helps them to construct an explanation. This helps both

students by hearing the directions again and formulating the instructions into their own words

(Evertson & Emmer, 2013).

Small homogenous groups work well for specialized instruction. Lower-level students

benefit as they are more likely to participate when everyone in the group is at the same level.

Likewise, higher-level students benefit by not having to wait for students to catch up (Mugabi,

2019). Group projects not based on level are useful for projects. Collaboration skills are

necessary in today’s students (Quinn, 2012). Putting varying levels into a group teaches students

how to “deal with the challenges of working with others” (Quinn, 2012, p. 48).

For small group instruction I have 3 aids. Two of them are required to work only on

reading skills and the third can do anything. Typically I am running the group with the lowest

level students while two of the aids run the mid- and higher-level groups. My third aid walks

through the room helping students not in a group with seat work. I try to rotate through the

groups, so I hear the students reading for myself. I currently do not have the staff to run

differentiated math groups, but I do an aid that can help with math seat work while I work with

the lower-level students.

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Students should be monitored for engagement, allowing for brain breaks as needed. To

get the class to focus a procedure was set up on the first day. Sometimes I say, “class, class” and

the class replies “yes, yes”, but mostly I clap a rhythm that the class will repeat.

Behavior Management

A functioning learning environment is established by teaching the procedures and rules

and then practicing those daily. Procedures and rules should be posted and reviewed in all

languages spoken in the classroom. We discussed rules in the community our first week and I let

the students decide the rules. Then I showed how those rules all fit into the 4 core rules of the

school and the class made posters for me to hang in the room. They are clearly defined with

positive language like “listen when the teacher is talking” rather than “no talking”. Procedures

were established in the first week for entering the classroom, where to place homework folders,

backpacks, and completed work.

I have individual and classroom goals the students are working towards. I show their

improvement rather than celebrate perfection. For instance, the benchmark to meet is 20 correct

addition problems. If a student gets only 4 correct one day, and then gets 5 correct the next day,

that student gets a small piece of candy. In my room there is a giant poster of a donut with 100

sprinkles. As individuals pass computerized lessons, they sign a sprinkle. When all the sprinkles

are full the class gets donuts.

For the infraction of rules, a paper trail is required. A “tracker” for minor offenses and a

“referral” for more serious offenses are used in schools. Trackers can also be used for

information only (no punishment). For instance, when a student is exhibiting signs of a disability

like ADHD or Autism Spectrum, a tracker can be used to document specific instances so the
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school can get the appropriate help needed. Copies of the trackers are placed in the student's file

that follows the student to the next grade.

Social and Emotional Learning techniques are taught weekly and reinforced during story time as

well as when incidents occur. Private conferences are held with students that break the rules to

discuss how to handle things better in the future.

Social and Emotional Learning techniques are taught weekly and reinforced during story

time as well as when incidents occur. Private conferences are held with students that break the

rules to discuss how to handle things better in the future.

Communication Management Plan

An effective communication management plan is considerate of family’s time and

background. It provides multiple methods of communication. It relies on the teacher’s

willingness to learn communication skills and collaborate with colleagues, families, and the

community. My district has opted to use Parent Square as the main method of communication.

Some parents prefer phone calls or emails. I communicate the good behavior as well as the

negative.

The beginning of school

An effective plan of communication starts before school begins. A letter to each student

was mailed out with a brief introduction, and an invitation to sign up for a parent/teacher meeting

during the first week of school. Considering that some families may be without internet, multiple

methods may be necessary to disseminate the information. The first week of school will consist

of 5 half days for the students. The second half of the day is for parent/teacher conferences. One

evening will be available for families that work during the days. There will also be an early
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morning time slot each day. Conferences will be offered in person or on zoom. Translators are

available upon request.

At these conferences curriculum is not discussed. Getting to know the student and parents

is the priority. Things like allergies, name preference, likes/dislikes, dispositions, family

dynamics, and communication preferences are discussed. A copy of the school handbook along

with the technology agreement is given out. In the event of the school being shut down and

students going to on-line learning procedures are explained at this time (the school would be

distributing chrome books to be returned after the school reopens). These parent interviews have

proven to be invaluable.

Mid-year parent teacher conferences

Before parent-teacher conferences a communication will be sent out in the daily

homework folder, text, and email messages. Sign-ups are on a computer system or can be called

in. Availability starts at 7:00 am and extends until 7:00pm. The same set up and allowances are

followed as for the beginning of the year conferences.

During these conferences teachers should express appreciation for the parents’ efforts and

time, be prepared for the discussion, and monitor families body language for reactions (Evertson

& Emmer, 2013). Remembering that teachers are talking about someone’s child, being sensitive

to wording and tone is essential. Learning how to harness the parents to become a team is

essential. Discussing only negative attributes of a student rather than acknowledging their

strengths, will “discourage parent involvement by making parents feel they cannot effectively

help their children” (American Federation of Teachers, n.d., para. 1). Getting the parents

involved has proven to have many benefits including higher academic achievement (American

Federation of Teachers, n.d.).

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To discuss the strengths and areas of improvement a teacher needs to be a skilled

communicator. A teacher should be prepared with documentation and to listen to the parents.

Asking follow up questions to ensure understanding, taking notes when necessary, and asking

how the teacher can support the family more (Evertson & Emmer, 2013). Be honest and

forthright but tactful. “Building a solid relationship with a family member hinges on that person

feeling respected, having a voice, and experiencing a sense of equality” (Evertson & Emmer,

2013, p. 178). For some teachers that is a gift, for most it is a skill that must be practiced and

honed.

All other communications

Future communication options are generally phone calls, emails, text messages, or

homework folders. If parents do not have a phone or computer, all communications are sent

through the student’s homework folder. Otherwise, a variety of methods are used to

communicate with the family. For instance, I might send a flier home in the folder and follow up

with a reminder email or text the next week.

Our school has a system that allows the parents to sign up for either email or text

messages and sends the messages at the parent’s preferred time. According to the principal, since

using this technology parent correspondence is at an all-time high.

Sending out positive emails is an effective relationship builder. Making a goal to send out

three positive comments to parents a week is a good start. Pick a student and report all the good

things he/she is doing. For poor behavior leave a paper trail using “trackers” and “referrals”. It

may be necessary to call or email the parent to clarify the behavior, especially if it is

uncharacteristic of their student. Trackers allow for only one offense to be marked, so sometimes

clarification is warranted.
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Trackers can also be used for “information only” as mentioned earlier in this essay. This

information is valuable for IPM’s and other parent meetings. Rather than relying on memory,

this documentation provides dated details of behavior.

Building relationships beyond the student and families

The building of relationships with colleagues is also important. Having a team to

collaborate with where each member contributes and takes constructive suggestions only helps

the team to grow. Having a working relationship with the IEP and RTI members acts as a bridge

between the team and the families while decisions are being made. Parents are often left

wondering what the status of assessments are, or what the progress is on the IEP meeting. The

teacher can help follow up with that. IEP teams are often backlogged and unable to communicate

with parents on how long it takes to get the meeting set.

Decisions made by the district or school board often affects families negatively. For

instance, last month my school district wanted to give the teachers an extra day without students

to complete tasks. This left many families without childcare with only two weeks to plan

childcare for that day. The details were not explained to the families. It was left to the teachers to

explain why the decision was made and be the listening ear of family’s hardships.

It is also important to have communication with the community. I am thinking

specifically of my students with low socioeconomic backgrounds. I have often referred the

parents to free counseling, social services, rent help, food banks, and places for clothing. My ties

in the community are important for my students.

Conclusion

There are multiple considerations to make when planning a classroom and

communication. With all the research and reading I have done it seems to come down to two
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things. First, relationships are key. The relationships between the teacher and student, and

between the teacher and parent. The second is getting to know the student’s profile so that

informed decisions can be made whether to play from a student’s strengths or shore up their

weaknesses (Driscoll, 2014).

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References

American Federation of Teachers. (n.d.). Building Parent-Teacher Relationships. Reading

Rockets. https://readingrockets.org/article/building-parent-teacher-relationships.

Driscoll, M. P. (2014). Pearson New International Edition. Psychology of Learning for

Instruction. Third Edition. Pearson Education Limited.

Evertson, C. M. & Emmer, E. T. (2013). Classroom Management for Elementary Teachers.

Ninth Edition. Pearson.

Mugabi, T. (2019). Heterogeneous vs. homogeneous grouping: What’s the best way to group

students? Classcraft. Retrieved February 3, 2022, at 12:20 from https://classcraft.com/

blog/heterogeneous-vs-homogeneous-grouping-whats-the-best-way-to-group-students.

Quinn, T. (2012). G-R-O-U-P W-O-R-K doesn’t spell collaboration. Phi Delta Kappan, 94(4).

46-48. https://doi-org.lopes.idm.oclc.org/10.1177/003173171209400412

Wong, H., Wong, R., Rogers, K. Brook, A. (2012). Managing Your Classroom for Success.

Science of Children. 49(9). Ppgs. 60-64