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Classroom Management Plan

Abigail Schwendeman

EDUC-351: Classroom Management and Conflict Resolution

November 21, 2011

Classroom Management Plan 2

Descriptive Statement:

This document is a classroom management plan to address how I would run my

classroom and deal with disciplinary issues should they arise. I believe that the most important

aspects when trying to create a community of learning are respect, responsibilities, and

relationships with one another (not only teacher-to-student, but also student-to-student). My

classroom management plan supports these beliefs and supports them with theories and practices

that have been found to be beneficial and effective in the education field.

Philosophy of Classroom Management:

I believe that an effective and inviting classroom needs to be built on the foundation of

mutual respect between the students and the teacher. Students should feel like their teacher is

not only their teacher, but also their friend. Students should be responsible for their own actions

and should want to do well in the classroom to please the teacher and show respect. While I

realize that all students do not have this intrinsic motivation—I feel like there are certain things

that teachers can do to help students build this motivation. My “Top Ten Beliefs” will help me

to create a respectful environment in my future classroom.

Like Spencer Kagan, I believe that teachers need to be aware positions that students may

be in that predispose them to misbehaviors. Instead of punishing for the misbehavior, teachers

need to evaluate why the student misbehaved in the way that they did and address the root cause

of the behavior. Kagan identifies seven student positions that predispose students to behave in

certain ways. He says that students may be attention-seeking, avoiding failure or embarrassment,

angry, control seeking, energetic, bored and uninformed. I feel that it is imperative that


educator’s identify which position the student is and address that—rather than only addressing

the misbehavior. If we do not address the root of the problem, the problem will happen again.

Kagan’s method of having students create their own personal improvement plans is

another idea that I plan on implementing in my classroom. I feel that these self-created plans

will help students to own their behaviors and by having them create the ideas of what they need

to do better gives them a sense of responsibility. I would keep these personal improvement plans

in the students’ files so that we could refer back to them if needed. I feel that this individualized

and personalized way of behavior intervention will help students to understand that I value their

imput and that we need to work as a team to make our classroom the best that it can be.

I also agree with Fritz Redl and William Wattenberg’s idea of group dynamics. When

different combinations of students are put together, you will see different behaviors out of the

students. As a future special educator, it is very important for me to consider group dynamics in

my classroom because students may have behaviors that bother other students and will make for

an ineffective classroom. I also see value in the idea that students may act differently when they

are in groups than when they are acting as an individual. That is important to note because some

students may be able to learn better when they are placed in cooperative groups, and others may

learn better when in an individual setting.

Rudolph Dreikurs believes that all students have the genuine goal of belonging. I

completely agree that many behaviors that students display in the classroom are for the benefit of

their peers. In working with older children and adolescents, I definitely can see the students

trying desperately to fit in. Dreikurs says that students mistakenly go about trying to belong by

displaying the behaviors of attention-seeking, power-seeking, revenge-seeking, and inadequacy.

He believes that you need to identify why the student is acting the way that they are and then


provide them with logical consequences. I completely agree with logical consequences to a

behavior, rather than less effective and unrelated punishments.

Similar to students to wanting to fit in, students also wish to be treated with respect and

dignity. Curwin and Mendler have a theory of “Disciplining with Dignity”—allowing the

students to maintain their dignity and asking the teachers to help students do so by dealing with

misbehaviors in privacy and being careful about what is being said. I believe that it is extremely

important for students to have their privacy and that it is important to take time to calm down and

reflect on the situation before taking any actions. I plan on implementing this idea of

disciplining with dignity by allowing my students to have as much privacy as possible when

dealing with disciplinary measures and I will also make sure that I am calm and collected before

I speak to a student so that I am not offensive and I can make the best decision possible for the

student.

Similar to the idea of disciplining with dignity, one of my top ten beliefs shows educators

how to respect students through their choices of words. Haim Ginott says that educators should

use “congruent language” to help develop respectful relationships with students. The idea of

congruent language means language that addresses the situations rather than the student’s

character. It asks that teachers don’t label students, don’t use rhetorical questions, don’t give

moralistic lectures and especially don’t make sarcastic comments to students. I see this all as

important in forming good relationships with students and I think that by setting this model for

my students, I can also teach them to use “congruent language” with each other—bettering their

peer relationships.

I also feel that it is extremely important that students take responsibility for their actions

and misbehaviors and correct themselves in order to become a better individual. For this reason,


I strongly agree with Diane Gossen’s theory of self-restitution. Self-restitution is a three step

process in which students: (1) reflect on their misbehavior, (2) identify the need of condition that

prompted it and (3) create new ways of behaving that are in keeping with the kinds of persons

they want to be. I like that this process does not focus or dwell on what was done wrong—

rather, it asks students to think about what they could do differently to become a better person. It

also helps students to understand that they need to “right what they have done wrong” and work

better to behave in a way that they would be proud of. Her visual representation of the

restitution process, known as the Restitution Triangle, is something that I would consider

hanging in my classroom for students so that they have a visual reminder as to how to deal with

misbehaviors as they occur. A sample of what Diane Gossen’s Restitution Triangle looks like is

provided below. I would simplify the triangle based on my students’ needs and level.

Diane Gossen also writes about “Following the Least Coercive Road”, which includes

four phases. I especially connected to the first stage, which she labeled “Opening up the


Territory” or “Maximizing Freedom”. There are two driving ideas with in this phase: “Does it

really matter?” and “Yes, if…”. The idea of “Does it really matter?” is based on prioritizing

what is important to you as a classroom teacher. For instance, does it really matter that your

student is chewing gum if they are effectively and quietly doing their work? I see this as a very

important thing for teachers to consider, because I feel like a lot of instructional time is wasted

on telling students to stop doing something, when it really has no impact on the student’s

learning and shouldn’t really matter. The “Yes, if...” belief says that teachers should use positive

terms to set parameters in the classroom. For example, if a student asks if they can go to the

restroom during the middle of the lesson, a teacher’s first reaction might be to say: “No, I’m

teaching a lesson right now.” Gossen suggests putting a more positive spin on it by saying, “Yes

you may, but please wait until I am finished teaching this lesson.” This allows students to feel

like they have more freedom in the classroom as well as fosters a positive relationship between

students and teacher. I definitely will implement this positive approach to guiding a student’s

behavior in my own classroom and will try to keep my classroom as least restrictive as possible.

As a future classroom educator, I value the idea of moral intelligence and hope to instill

good character within my students. Michele Borba believes that teachers are responsible in

helping students to develop moral intelligence and should help students to uphold the seven

virtues of goodness. Borba describes the seven virtues of goodness as: empathy, conscience,

self-control, respect, kindness, tolerance, and fairness. I feel that all of these virtues match with

my classroom management plan and are goals that I have for myself and my students. I plan on

implementing her idea of moral intelligence and the seven virtues of goodness in my classroom

by explaining them to my students and posting the virtues as a visual reminder of what I expect

of and hope for my students.


Harry and Rosemary Wong believe that “the main problem in teaching is not poor

discipline, but poor classroom management.” I agree with this idea wholly and agree with their

solution of classroom procedures. They believe that a procedure should be created for every

time you want a student to do something. While it may seem a little extreme—it will cut down

on the confusion in the classroom that can lead to unwanted behaviors. I also think that it is

extremely important to explain, rehearse and reinforce all of the procedures at the beginning of

the school year. While it may seem like a waste of time that could be spent on academics at the

beginning of the year, it should be noted that it will save a huge amount of wasted time later if

the students can follow the procedures correctly from the beginning of the year. I plan on

implementing important procedures in my classroom and implementing them from the very first

day on. I also feel that they should be posted in the classroom so that students have visual

reminders about what is expected of them.

Going along with my top ten beliefs, and especially with my belief in strong procedures

in place in the classroom, I have compiled a partial list of procedures that I have created that I

feel would work best in my classroom and with my classroom management style. I feel that my

procedures will help me to create a learning community that values my main ideas of respect,

relationships and responsibility. These aspects have shaped my classroom management plan, as

well as my philosophy about how a classroom should operate and function.

Procedures and Routines:

Procedures and routines are imperative to making a classroom run smoothly. They

confusion that students may have about what is expected of them and give them the specific

guidelines and steps that so many students need to be successful. Procedures help lead to


consistency in the classroom, making the classroom effective and eliminating wasted time.

Below I have outlined procedures and routines that I would use in my own classroom that will

help my classroom operate effortlessly.

One of the most important procedures that a teacher can put in place is a routine for the

beginning of the day. This will help students to start off the day on the right foot and will set the

tone for the way that the rest of the day will go. I believe that students should be engaged the

moment that they come into the door of the classroom. I will use morning messages on the

board to provide my students with instructions and a journaling prompt. Journaling will not only

help the students settle in for a day of academics, but it will also help with their reading and

writing skills. Journaling can also be used to communicate with the teacher and the teacher can

write individual responses to entries. This will help students form relationships with the teacher

and will lead to a mutual respect, which is one of the overriding concepts of my classroom

management plan.

Another important procedure that I would have in place in my classroom is calling to

order or signaling for the students to be quiet. Because I am not a naturally boisterous or

aggressive person, I feel that a chime or xylophone would be the easiest way for me to command

my students’ attention. I have seen success with the chime method in classrooms and it is a lot

more respectful of the students than hollering at them to quiet down and listen to instructions. I

feel like this non-verbal reminder to stay quiet will help me to keep my students on task and

make sure they have vital information that they need when working in cooperative groups which

tend to get noisy. For instance, when I ring the bell or sound the chimes, all students should put

down what they are working on (including their pencil) and look at me. I will not give

instructions or speak until every student is looking at me and is paying close attention to what I


am saying. Hopefully this will help reduce the amount of times I have to repeat directions or

reiterate things that I have already said.

It’s important to establish a procedure for lining up and exiting the classroom as well.

This will cut down on transition times between activities and going to special classes. I think the

easiest way to have students line up is by alphabetical order—because that way, all students

know their place in line and do not have to push and shove to jockey for a “better spot.” To

reduce chance of injury that may occur during mass movement to the door, I also would dismiss

students by creative groups (such as: “If you are wearing blue today, you may line up” or “If

you have an ‘A’ in your name, you may go get in line.”). This also makes the students stay

engaged with the teacher, rather than having separate conversations and missing important

directions that the teacher may give to the line.

Going to the restroom is another important procedure to establish in the classroom,

especially if one is lucky enough to have their own restroom inside of their classroom because

that can cause a major distraction to other students who are trying to work. My procedure would

be for students to raise their hand and politely ask to use the restroom. They should exit and

enter the restroom/classroom quietly and with purpose. The student also should remember to use

manners and procedures when in the restroom—such as flushing the toilet, washing their hands,

and making sure that trash ends up in the trashcan, not on the floor. This shows a respect for

themselves (with the proper hygiene) as well as other people (with keeping the bathroom clean

and staying quiet as to not disturb others).

Because of the rise of the use of technology in the classroom, I feel like it would be

extremely important that I set up procedures for when using the classroom computers. First off,

so that students do not spread germs, I would ask that all students please wash their hands or use


hand sanitizer before working on the classroom computers. I would also ask that students ask

before getting on a computer and then specify what they are going to do on the computer and

only work on what they have asked permission to do. I also would ask that no more than two

people are working on a computer at a time, to reduce overcrowding and noise at the computer

stations. After the students are done at the computer session, it would be procedure for them to

log out of the computer and leave the computer as they found it. Nothing should be left on the

computer desk and the computer should be ready for the next student who needs to use it.

Communication with parents is also a vital procedure to establish in a classroom. I plan

on using a weekly newsletter to help keep my parents informed on what is happening each week

in my classroom. I also would use a “take home” folder to communicate with parents—one side

being homework that their student needs to complete, and the other side would be for

newsletters, flyers from the school, and personalized notes home (if needed). I feel that this is

the least invasive mode to communicate with parents, but if needed I would call parents for

significant situations or misbehaviors.

All of the above procedures will help me in managing my classroom and setting up a

cohesive and consistent learning environment for my students. The procedures also all

emphasize respect and relationships which is in tune with my top ten beliefs about classroom

management. I feel that these procedures will help me to become and strong and effective

teacher because they will help me cut down on time that I need to spend disciplining or

correcting students’ behaviors. The focus can simply be on learning.


Implementation of Classroom Management Practices:

Classroom Rules/Expectations:

An important part of implementing my classroom philosophy into my classroom is my

classroom expectations (rules) that I will enforce in my classroom. I plan on having my students

help me create guidelines and expectations for what we as a class need to do to have an optimum

learning environment. I believe that allowing students to have ownership in the rules that are in

the classroom will help my students to feel more of a responsibility to follow them. Although

the students will technically be creating the rules, I will guide them with my overriding beliefs

of: respect, relationships, and responsibilities in the classroom. I feel that the rules should be

posted in a prominent spot in the classroom to serve as a reminder to students and so that they

can be referred to when one of the guidelines is “broken.”

Engaging Students:

Another important aspect in implementing my classroom management plan is engaging

students with interesting and rich curriculum that will help to reduce the opportunities that the

students have to misbehaviors. Fred Jones also gives ideas to structure classrooms so that

teachers can encourage student attention, active involvement, and responsibility. He suggests

“working the crowd” rather than standing up at the front of the classroom when teaching, or just

sitting at a desk, because this will also help students to stay on task and will also help the teacher

to monitor and assess students learning.

Classroom Management Styles Present:

There are aspects to my classroom management plan that are supportive, corrective, and

preventative in nature in respects to my students’ behaviors.


Supportive: It is supportive in nature because I will play a supportive role to my

students and will help scaffold expectations that I have for them as students to set them

up for success. I also will be supportive in helping them create personalized behavioral

plans and contracts should they need more support to behave properly in the classroom.

The visual representations of some of my top ten beliefs, such as the Restitution Triangle

and the 7 Virtues of Goodness, will also support my students in behaving appropriately

because it will remind them without me having to do so.

Corrective: My classroom management plan allows students to be self-corrective and

monitor their own behavior. This helps students to have a greater sense of responsibility

in the classroom, as well as take responsibility for their own actions and behaviors. This

will help them in the future and in becoming productive citizens in society.

Preventative: It is also preventative because I try to prevent issues from arising not

only through my curriculum and forming strong and respectful relationships with my

students. I feel that by having an engaging curriculum, I will not provide my students

with as many opportunities to misbehave. Also, by forming a bond with my students, I

feel that they will want to make good decisions to respect me and the relationship that we

have formed. My classroom management plan is also preventive how I plan to set up my

classroom physically.

Classroom Arrangement:

A sample of how I would arrange a special education classroom is found below. I

believe in having students work in cooperative teams to maximize learning opportunities,

therefore, I have placed my students into groups of five. I also made sure to keep the students’

groups so that all students could see the blackboard (or whiteboard, as it may be). I placed a


horseshow desk in the back of the room so that I can work with small groups who may need

additional assistance/guidance, and also have placed three computers in my classroom for

student use. I placed my teacher desk in the upper right-hand corner so that I had a little nook of

the room that was my personal space, but also so that I would be able to see all that was

happening in the classroom while I was working at my desk.

Parent Letter:

Attached is a letter that I would send to the parent/guardian before the school year begins so they are aware of my policies.


Reference

Charles, C. M., and Gail W. Senter. Building classroom discipline. 10th ed. Boston: Pearson, 2011. Print.


Dear Parents and Guardians,

I am very excited for the upcoming school year and cannot wait to have your child in class this fall. Before the school year begins, I would like to take a few minutes to go over my classroom expectations with you so that the year can go as smoothly as possible. I am sending these to you before our Open House night in hopes that we can discuss any concerns or questions that you may have at that time.

My classroom management plan is based on 3 R’s—respect, responsibility, and relationships:

Respect: I ask that all students show respect for me as the teacher, their peers, and most importantly themselves.

Responsibility: I think that a student’s behavior needs to be their responsibility—not the teacher’s. This makes it so that my responsibility can be to teach, not discipline.

Relationships: I seek to form positive relationships with all of my students and to help them form positive and friendly relationships with their peers.

At the beginning of the year, the students will help me to form the classroom rules and expectations for an optimum learning community. Students will also be informed of the consequences for breaking the rules:

1st Offense—teacher/student conference 2nd Offense—individualize behavioral contract and plan created 3rd Offense—letter home to parents 4th Offense—phone call home to parents 5th Offense—office referral

Thank you for taking the time to read over my expectations and my consequences for misbehaviors. I look forward to meeting with you during Open House night on _______________________. Please contact me with any pressing questions or concerns you may have before that time.

Looking forward to working with you this school year,

Ms. Abby Schwendeman

School Number: 555-555-5555Cell/Home Number: 574-253-3331

Email: [email protected]

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