Classroom Management Key Components

Area #1: Procedures/Structures/Routines

● Beginning Routine/Start of Class
○ I will have a visual display on the board that shows the arrival routine.
Students will start by putting their backpacks and any outdoor gear in their
locker. They will then put their folders in their mailboxes and grab a morning
manipulatives bin to begin working on at their desk. This will be done quietly
so that I can talk with students about any beginning of the day's business.
We will then do lunch count which I will do verbally while they are working
quietly and this will also serve as attendance taking.
● Quiet/Attention Signals
○ When I want my students' attention I will say Ba Da Bup Bup and they will
reply Bup Bup while they are giving me their eyes and ears. This will be
taught at the beginning of the year and used regularly.
● Physical Transitions (groups, pairs, labs, activities, carpet)
○ Students will be called by their number, which they will have at the start of the
year, to transition. It will sound something like, “When I say go numbers 1-5
can line up for art class.”
● Dismissal or Lining Up
○ Students will be given a visual display on the board for dismissal, similar to
the morning routine. They will get their materials put away, space cleaned up
including their desk and the floor around their desk. They will then get their
folders and any papers put together at their desk. Following this they will get
their backpacks packed and any outdoor gear on. I will then call students to
line up according to how they are getting home.
● Non-Verbal Cues (visuals, hand gestures, music)
○ I will use lots of visuals to show steps of what we are doing. As a class we
will also make anchor charts showing procedures, routines, and
expectations. To promote things like raising their hands or sharing an answer
I will raise my hand when I ask for answers that they need to raise their
hands. On the other hand, I will put my hand behind my ear if I want answers
immediately such as sentence finishers.During independent work time I will
use calm gentle music to set the scene for calm behavior.
 ● Giving Directions
○ When giving directions I will explain them and have students repeat steps
back to me. For more complex and lengthy directions I will provide a visual
display on the board for students to follow along with.
● Checking for Understanding
○ When checking for understanding I will ask for a thumbs up or down to
measure how confident students are about the concepts. If I want to check
for deep understanding we will do a think pair share. This promotes a deep
level of understanding as I will often ask students to repeat what their partner
shared.
● Holding Ground/No Arguing
○ I will put emphasis on the fact that we do things in class to learn. If the
students disagree with something we can talk about it privately at a later
time. I want them to feel heard but not be under the assumption that
expectations are negotiable.
● Raising Hands to Speak
○ I will teach whole body listening, also known as active listening. We will
discuss why it is important to listen with not only our ears but also our eyes,
hands, feet, brains, heart, and mouth. I will read picture books that
emphasize this to put blurting into perspective on why it is not acceptable.
From there we will make a poster as a class that shows what this looks and
sounds like, which I will refer to when students are not following the
expectation.

Area #2: Engagement & Participation

● Variety (three or more activities per hour)
○ Keeping students engaged can be difficult if lessons aren’t set up to
maximize engagement. To ensure I hold the focus of students I will use a mix
of whole group direct instruction with partner discussions throughout, hands
on activities, centers with small groups, and independent work time in all my
lessons.
● Collaboration (Students Talking/Peer Discussions)
○ I feel that collaboration is crucial to not only the social development of
students, but also to their ability to deepen their thinking. Peer discussions
promote students to be able to receive ideas that are different from their own,
and when done correctly helps them to reflect and adapt their thinking.
● Movement (two or more times per hour)
○ I will use movement during transition points between subjects to help break
 up the day and get students’ minds active. The correlation between
movement and heightened brain activity is so important to take note of. For
this reason I will also use movement within activities, inturn also promoting
engagement.
● Total Participation (all students think, write, share, or answer simultaneously)
○ I will create a positive social environment by guiding math talk procedures in
which everyone explains their ideas and can question safely. This will
promote a learning environment in which students understand that everyone
shares and we aren’t focusing on right or wrong, but rather on having a
conversation in which we grow and learn. I will utilize the Think-Pair-Share
and Jigsaw Methods to work with this.
● Rigor (higher order thinking and tasks required)
○ In my class we will regularly have discussions surrounding videos, books, or
activities that I bring to the class. Within these conversions I will encourage
questioning and curiosity to promote higher order thinking. I will reference
Bloom’s Taxonomy to guide the level of rigor in my lessons. Beyond this I will
facilitate project based learning to develop important skills such as problem
solving and critical thinking.
● Instruction (explain, model, guided practice, independent practice)
○ The gradual release of responsibility is the ideal class structure. The “I Do”
and “We Do” stages give students real examples of how the concept that is
being taught is to be used. This gives students the tools to succeed on their
own during independent work.This progression also helps learners build
confidence and competence while receiving appropriate support along the
way.
● Questioning/Probing
○ I will use many of the methods we will use in math talk throughout our school
days. This includes asking students to rephrase what they mean or explain
what someone else said. Along with that I will also give students wait time so
they can think without feeling pressured or rushed.
● Group Work (roles and productivity)
○ Group work is important to develop the life long skill of collaborating. With
that I will have students assigned a role in their group to ensure everyone is
an equal participant and that no students take control or step to the side.
Area #3: Rapport/Connection
● Teacher Warmth/Friendliness/Approachability
○ I firmly believe that a warm and trusting relationship is the foundation for a
student’s growth in my class. Forming and maintaining good relationships
with students is a very important component in a student feeling safe so they
are able to take responsible risks for the sake of their learning.
● Teacher Enthusiasm/Energy/Excitement/Joy
○ I understand that the energy of a teacher greatly impacts the energy of the
students. For this sake I will show excitement and interest with my voice
tone, word usage, body language and facial reactions when that is how I
want my students to receive the material. On the other hand I will show
peace and calmness when I want my students to work independently with
focus.
● Teacher Humor/Laughter
○ I believe that it is important for my students to recognize that I am human and
I can laugh and make mistakes. When it comes down to humor it is
situational and must happen at the right time. When it is time to work the
focus needs to be turned on.
● Teacher Knowledge of individual students’ interests
○ I plan to show students that I care enough to learn about them and then
remember their interests and facts about their life. In doing so I will make
them feel a part of our class family and they will feel important and cared for.
● Teacher Respect and Show Appreciation for students
○ I believe that if teachers show respect to students, they will receive respect
back. Respect is earned no matter how old a person is, and this is the case
even with young children. I will respect the abilities of my students and
appreciate their strengths.
● Teacher Encouragement of students
○ As a person, I am a cheerleader for those in my life. The same will go in my
classroom as I believe that others having confidence in us helps to make us
believe in ourselves as well. I will show my support and display my
confidence in my students to help them to believe in themselves even when
things are difficult.
● Teacher sensitivity to student cultures and backgrounds
○ I will show sensitivity to my students by respecting their cultures and
backgrounds. I will make this a reality by working to understand them,
their cultures, and their backgrounds.
Area #4: Behavior Intervention/Consequences
● Regular use of gentle redirects (proximity, warnings, the look)
○ I will have cue words in place that I use often enough after teaching skills and
expectations. By doing the front load of teaching the expectations I will be
able to reference them with simple warnings. I will also be observant of the
classroom environment so that I can redirect with proximity and give students
a look of acknowledgement and redirection.
● Consequences are reasonable and equitable
○ I believe that consequences are most effective when they are logical to
students. By this I mean that there should be a correlation between the
unacceptable behavior and the consequence that follows it. Teaching
students that there are natural consequences for decisions is an important
life skill.
● Consequences are given as choices (you have a choice right now...)
○ Giving students choices gives them a sense of control that can escalate
them. I believe that instead of bargaining, teachers can set up the choices to
get done what needs to get done while giving options on how that will
happen.
● Teacher uses soft eyes, soft voice during conflicts
○ I feel that conflicts can appear scary to kids and are a time for teachers to
model peaceful resolution. Being a gentle presence in a hectic time can bring
a sense of calmness to students. This also shows them that conflict does not
need to be a high energy, negative experience.
● Teacher is firm, but also calm and compassionate (doesn’t yell or intimidate)
○ A lot of teaching is finding a balance such as discovering the perfect
instructional level for a student when it comes to reading. That balance is
also extremely relevant to the demeanor of a teacher. I will set clear
expectations in a firm tone that does not allow noncompliance. At the same
time I will show compassion for my students by being understanding and
calm.
● Consistent follow through with consequences once they are earned (doesn’t make
the same request over and over)
○ I will show consistency because oftentimes students are wanting that
consistency to feel safe in their learning environment. I will do this by being
clear and concise about consequences for behavior and then following
through when expectations are ignored.
● Arguments/debates are delayed, done in private
 ○ As I mentioned before, I will stand my ground with my students. Arguments
and debates will be framed as wanting to hear the thoughts of students but at
an appropriate time. I will discuss disagreements with students during
independent or group work time to ensure they are done in private.
● Progression of hierarchy is swift but fair
○ Having equal opportunities is important to students and they really notice
when situations are unfair. For this reason I will have systems in place
throughout lessons to ensure everyone has equal opportunities.

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