Madalyn Groft - Math Classroom

Classroom Management Key Components

Area #1: Procedures/Structures/Routines
● Beginning Routine/Start of Class - Students will enter class quietly, place their bag
and other materials on the inside of the row to decrease people from tripping on
bags, and get out materials needed for the class period, such as their computer,
textbook, calculator, pen/pencil, homework assignment, and notebook paper. We
will begin class together, once the bell has rung and attendance has been taken.
● Quiet/Attention Signals - I will clap once to get students’ attention, and to get
confirmation the students heard me, they will clap back. We will repeat this process
as many times as necessary until all students are clapping their hands back with me
and the rest of the class.
● Physical Transitions (groups, pairs, labs, activities, carpet) - Students will be put in
pairs or groups consistently throughout the year because I believe students can
learn from their peers, and students can learn by explaining their understanding to
someone else. Thus, I will give instructions of the activity, put students in pairs or
groups randomly, and then tell them they may move and begin the activity. They
may not move until I tell them to do so. Students may also be called to grab
materials for their table, row, or group as an attempt to increase efficiency.
● Dismissal or Lining Up - Students will work until there is 30 seconds remaining in
class. Then, they may begin to put their items away. I will tell them when they may
do so by saying “Time to put your things away.” This will give them time to get
prepared to leave to avoid a cluster with the new class coming in for the next period.
However, they will remain seated in their chair until the bell has rung.
● Non-Verbal Cues (visuals, hand gestures, music) - Visuals will be placed around the
room with expected behavior, like how they should look when they first enter the
room and seat themselves, appropriate behavior, and class rules.
● Giving Directions - I will expect students to provide me with their full attention while I
am giving directions. I will explain clearly twice, model the behavior, and provide
them with time to practice the behavior, while reminding students of the directions
as they complete the activity. Students may not move to complete the activity until I
say “Begin” or “You may move by your partner.”
● Checking for Understanding - I will check for understanding in a number of ways.
Firstly, I may walk around the room to look at students' papers and screens or ask
them how they are doing with the problem. I will also have students fill out exit
tickets about concepts covered during the lesson. Next, students will write down
 three things they learned, two things they are interested in, and one more question
they have. Lastly, I may also have students hold up one to three fingers with how
confident they feel they understand the concept, where three means very confident,
two means they are getting there but need more practice, and one means not very
confident on the concepts. Otherwise, I may simply ask students how they feel
about the concepts, their understanding, and their ability to complete the problems,
possibly asking if they need more time to practice.
● Holding Ground/No Arguing - I will not raise my voice at students, as this typically
creates more tension. I will remind students that I am here to work with them and
help them to succeed. However, I will also hold them accountable while doing so, in
regards to my expectations and their behavior. If I see something I do not or will not
tolerate and do not want the behavior repeated, I will speak with the student about
the behavior in a calm tone. I will do so while assuming the best of the student and
considering that there may be other things going on.
● Raising Hands to Speak - There will be times when hand raising is and is not
required during my class. I will have a sign with two sides on the wall next to the
whiteboard, which will indicate if students are in a time period where they do or do
not need to raise their hand. I believe that students not raising their hands during
lessons allows for a more collaborative approach to learning. However, there are
times where it will be more productive and efficient to have students raise their
hand. I will consistently remind them of the sign on the wall before each activity
begins.

Procedures, structures, and routines are highly important in keeping the classroom running
smoothly. Procedures must be taught with clear directions, by the teacher modeling the
procedure, and providing the students with tons of practice, along with meaningful
feedback on that practice. Thus, teachers will “use auditory (tell you), visual (show you),
and kinesthetic (you do it)” to teach and practice procedures (Smith, 2016, p. 103).
Procedures must still be practiced and taught throughout the school year to assure that
students maintain their understanding to complete the procedure. Student understanding
can be checked through asking them to explain the procedure, complete the procedure, or
even explain the procedure to someone next to them. Students can also check if they have
completed the procedure correctly by looking at a visual of the procedure that the teacher
has posted on the wall or board.
Area #2: Engagement & Participation
● Variety (three or more activities per hour) - Students will have routine and structure
to feel at ease in the classroom. However, it is also important to have some variety
in activities, such as different types of warm-up and review games and ways to
complete homework at the end of class, and I will teach each hour and utilize new
resources for students to use, such as Desmos.
● Collaboration (Students Talking/Peer Discussions) - Students are expected to
collaborate with their peers, and this is something I strongly believe in! Students
may be asked to explain their strategy to a peer, compare their process of arriving at
the answer, explain a problem to the class on the board, and talk to a partner about
how they might solve a problem. Discussing with peers can be an effective tool for
students to collaborate, ask a peer for guidance on a problem if they are stuck, and
learn from one another. This is a skill that must be practiced and used consistently
to reach high effectiveness, while reinforcing our expectations and telling students
what we liked about their conversations.
● Movement (two or more times per hour) - Students will complete activities that allow
them to move around the room, like completing problems on the wall or board. I
may tell students to get up and stretch, or students may move around the room to
work with a partner. This will give them the opportunity to receive a “brain break” or
keep them engaged.
● Total Participation (all students think, write, share, or answer simultaneously) - All
students must participate to engage with the content and learn. I will reinforce the
expectation that all students need to engage in class or group discussion and write
problems down, even if we are doing partner work.
● Rigor (higher order thinking and tasks required) - Students must engage with high
order thinking to discover new ideas and understanding. Rigor may differ based on
the activity. However, the main goal is to include high order thinking and tasks in
each lesson, whether that be in a few homework problems or the entire class period
being spent discovering new ideas.
● Instruction (explain, model, guided practice, independent practice) - Students may
be asked to productively struggle on their own or with a peer to engage with the
content before I tell them what it means. Then, they will discover information and
remember it long-term, instead of memorizing vocabulary words and steps to
complete a problem. However, there will also be opportunities for students to
receive an explanation, model, guided practice, and independent practice. Students
need a few minutes of productive struggle to persevere and engage with the content
to increase engagement and knowledge. However, I will continually guide and
 support them in their learning during each class activity.
● Questioning/Probing - Students will be asked guiding questions versus instantly
telling them step-by-step how to complete problems because this will allow them to
explore and increase their confidence in the classroom, if done productively.
Students will also be asked questions, such as the following: What do you notice, do
you agree or disagree, how is this similar and/or different to what we did in the
previous example, and why did you do that step?
● Group Work (roles and productivity) - Students will work with a partner or in a group
in most class periods. Working with a partner or in a group will build their ability to
collaborate and communicate with others, as well as learning from others and being
respectful of their opinions and perspectives. Students may complete homework
assignments and review games with a partner or in a group to learn from one
another, and it is extremely beneficial to explain your own thinking and strategy to
someone else, as that is how we can learn and assess our own understanding!
When working in a group, each student is still expected to write on their paper,
discuss the problem, and explain the problem to someone else or the class.

Providing students with multiple ways to engage during class and a variety of class
activities will allow for more engagement, while still providing organization to the classroom
activities. Students will work with a partner or in groups during most class periods in my
classroom, as I believe we can learn from others and learn by explaining a concept to
someone else. Even when working in groups, each student will still be expected to write
down necessary information and explain their process of solving the problem. Students will
be asked questions to guide their thinking and have some amount of productive struggle
before being told step-by-step how to solve a problem. Then, students are really doing the
thinking and reaching that high order of thinking. Students will also be guided through
questions like the following: What do you notice, do you agree or disagree, how is this
similar and/or different to what we did in the previous example, and why did you do that
step? Additionally, students will be guided and supported in their learning to not reach too
much frustration. They will explore concepts and discover new ideas and understanding!
Then, I will explain the concept, model it, provide guided practice, and provide independent
practice. However, a deeper level of learning and understanding occurs when students are
engaging with the content themselves.
Area #3: Rapport/Connection
● Teacher Warmth/Friendliness/Approachability - I will treat students with respect and
care, and I will share stories about myself, when appropriate, to let students get to
know me as a person and as a teacher.
● Teacher Enthusiasm/Energy/Excitement/Joy - Students will be greeted at the door,
saying “Good morning,” “Good afternoon,” or “Hello.” At the beginning of class,
students will again be greeted as an entire class, and I might say “Hello, it is good to
see you all here today, and I am happy to have you here in class.” My enthusiasm
for math will be shared with students, and I will bring energy and joy, to hopefully
reach toward receiving the same from students.
● Teacher Humor/Laughter - I may make jokes, where it is appropriate, or I may even
put one humorous option on a multiple choice question that is clearly not the answer
to allow for an opportunity of humor.
● Teacher Knowledge of individual students’ interests - Students will be given two
minutes at the beginning of class to talk to a peer and the teacher about something
they did over the weekend, after school, that they enjoy doing, etc. This will help
students get to know one another, too, especially at the beginning of the school
year. If this is feeling repeated, the time may be cut down, done before class, or
used to do something else productive. On the first day of class, students will also be
given an introduction survey, so that I can get to know them.
● Teacher Respect and Appreciation for students - To more likely receive respect back
from students, it is important to show respect, appreciation, and care for students,
too. We can do this by showing we care about them and their interests, as well as
their individual and academic success.
● Teacher Encouragement of students - Math may be challenging for some students.
However, I believe that all students can achieve in the math classroom and gain
confidence through support and practice. Mistakes are okay and can be used to
learn from! We may experience frustration, but it is an important life skill to be able
to push through that frustration in a respectful manner. I will encourage students by
saying “Good job on the problem,” “That step was great. Try this step next,” or
“Thank you for sharing your explanation.”
● Teacher sensitivity to student cultures and backgrounds - I will consistently work to
educate myself on students’ cultures and backgrounds, while providing a safe space
for them to share about their own experiences if they feel comfortable doing so. The
classroom as a whole needs to be respectful of others’ experiences because
students need to feel respected among their peers, too. Additionally, I will find ways
to incorporate their culture and backgrounds into the classroom, even by finding
 examples of math problems that include their cultures and backgrounds.

Building positive relationships with each student is one of the most important things we will
do as teachers. If students know we care about them, they are more likely to feel motivated
to behave and show motivation to learn in our classroom. We can start to build positive
relationships with students by having conversations with them that do not revolve around
what happens at school. This could be asking them about their weekend, their job, their
extracurricular activity, or other interests they have. We can then also share stories about
ourselves because it shows students a different side to us that allows them to get to know
us, and students start to feel more comfortable to share their own interests and stories,
which only allows for further connections to be made. We can then show we care about
students and learn about their experiences and backgrounds, leading to a safe and
positive classroom environment where students are treated “fairly and with high
expectations,” and “let your students teach you what their lens looks like, so that your
ability to reach them is enhanced” (Smith, 2016, p. 98). Overall, creating positive
relationships with students and building trust allows for students “to thrive more if they feel
a positive connection to their teachers. Teachers tend to enjoy teaching more if they feel
positively connected to their students. The class environment tends to blossom if all
students of all cultures feel respected and welcomed” (Smith, 2016, p. 100). Thus, positive
relationships between the student and teacher will be a priority, along with assuming the
best of students.

Area #4: Behavior Intervention/Consequences

● Regular use of gentle redirects (proximity, warnings, the look) - Students will receive
opportunities of gentle redirects before moving into more severe consequences.
See below for examples of gentle redirects I will use, like standing closer to the
student or making eye contact with the student, and more severe consequences to
use, when needed.
● Consequences are reasonable and equitable - Consequences may differ based on
the situation, and students will be informed of this, as well as noting that I will do my
best to make them reasonable and equitable. However, there will be general
consequences for classroom behavior, such as the ones listed below.
● Consequences are given as choices (you have a choice right now...) - Students may
choose to continue to misbehave and deal with a more severe consequence or stop
and receive with the less severe consequence. They are choosing to do one or the
other and their next steps of behavior.
 ● Teacher uses soft eyes, soft voice during conflicts - Soft eyes may also lead to a
soft voice, and vice versa. The two work together to assure that students know we
are on their side and want to help them get to the reason behind the behavior and
support them in working on it!
● Teacher is firm, but also calm and compassionate (doesn’t yell or intimidate) - I will
not yell at students. I will still speak to them in a calm voice when I am speaking to
them about behavioral issues or other topics to let them know I care about them.
● Consistent follow through with consequences once they are earned (doesn’t make
the same request over and over) - Consequences must be consistently enforced to
be effective and to decrease the likelihood the behavior will continue.
● Arguments/debates are delayed, done in private - Speaking with a student in private
will assure that I do not want to embarrass them in front of their peers and that I
care for them.
● Progression up hierarchy is swift but fair - Students will be aware that
consequences may differ based upon circumstance. However, they will have a
consequence if they misbehave, and I will do my best to assure that consequences
are reasonable.

My hierarchy of consequences is as follows:

Tier 1/ Gentle Re-Directs:

● Teacher stands by the student.

● Teacher asks the student to provide an explanation and answer for the problem.
● Teacher makes eye contact with the student.
● Teacher re-states what they want the students to be doing and the proper behavior.
● Teacher redirects the student by stating what they need to change.

Tier 2/ Mild Consequences:

● Teacher has a private discussion with the student, while other students are working.
● Student adds a classroom responsibility, like collecting papers, cleaning desks,
putting items away, etc., for a day or two.
● Teacher warns the student that they may call their parents/home if the behavior
continues.
● Teacher asks the student to come back at the end of the day or class period to
discuss behavior.
● Student moves to the seat at the front of the room.
Tier 3/ Moderate Consequences:

● Student adds an additional classroom responsibility, to what they had previously

and for additional time.
● Student is asked to step outside to cool down.
● Teacher calls parents/home because the behavior continued.
● Teacher removes a privilege of the student, like having their phone, getting candy
from teacher, or going on field trips.
● Teacher gives student a sheet of paper with behavioral improvements to focus on
for the rest of the week.

Tier 4/ Firm Consequences:

● Student is put on a behavioral plan.

● Student sent out of the room and to have a discussion of behavior with the
administration.
● Student writes and speaks an apology to the class and teacher.

Appropriate and expected behavior must be taught in the classroom in order for teachers
to have time to teach content. We will have more time to teach content if we focus on
teaching and reinforcing behavioral expectations consistently, because there will be less
misbehavior. Teaching students appropriate and expected behavior is necessary, and
students must be held accountable. “Ideally, assuming the best about students, thorough
preparation, authentic caring, teaching procedures, being consistent, creating positive
connections with students, and developing our inner authority are a recipe which makes a
true difference in the classroom and in our students’ lives” (Smith, 2016, p. 201). It is
important to be consistent in how we work with misbehavior and give consequences, as it
provides structure to the classroom. Consequences should be clear, and students should
view consequences as a choice. Students may discuss misbehavior and consequences
privately while other students are working or at the end of class, or the teacher may ask a
student to come back at the end of the day for both the student and teacher to have time to
reflect and make a productive decision. Students can also help build classroom behavior
rules, making them more accountable to follow them. However, we should also include
what we need for rules, and let students know that not every situation is the same. Thus,
the consequences may differ, but we are doing our best to provide a reasonable
consequence for each situation. Students want to behave, and we should build trust with
them, show them how to behave, and hold them accountable to behave.
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Resource:
Smith, R. (2016). Conscious classroom management: Unlocking the secrets of great teaching
(2nd ed.). San Rafael, CA: Conscious Teaching Publications.