1
Classroom Management Plan (CMP)
1. Positive Environment
a. Introduction – Education is a highly important aspect of modern life. A good
education can provide a level playing field for any person, but a sub-par education
can make disparities that may never be overcome. Teachers must provide a
quality education to all students and strive to help every student reach his or her
potential.
Education must be provided to all students in a way that will provide a
variety of options after primary and secondary schooling. Students will be diverse
with a wide range of learning styles, abilities, and cultures. Even with these
differences, students should receive equal educations that prepare them for their
futures. In order to effectively guide these students, I will accurately teach my
content and diversify my methods in order to reach every student and allow them
to learn.
A quality education will allow students to grow emotionally and socially
as well as academically. I will facilitate my classroom to be safe and inclusive so
that all students feel comfortable when learning. I will also conduct my classroom
in a way that builds relationships and community. My classroom will solve our
problems through conversation whenever possible, and build a sense of
community through our problem solving.
My classroom must feel like a safe place to learn. I will talk with my
students to find out what makes them comfortable in the classroom and how we
can work together to improve the classroom. Students will need to be comfortable
2
in order to fully focus on learning, and by building relationships and
communicating with my students I will be able to mold the classroom style to
their needs.
b. Positive Classroom Environment: provides information about creating a
positive classroom environment
i. My classroom will be a welcoming environment and conducive to learning
because I will implement restorative practices in order to build
relationships with my students and make them feel comfortable. I will also
strive to provide quality instruction which will motivate students to learn
and capture their interest. I will consistently review content and make sure
that I understand the content before I present it to my students. I will also
seek out new information and changes in order to keep my instruction up
to date and grasp the attention of my students with current events in the
world of science.
ii. I will make students feel comfortable and welcome in the classroom by
developing relationships with them and learning about each of my
students. I will take ten minutes a week to talk with my students in each
class, and I will learn about their interests, cultures, and anything else they
want to talk to me about during these allotted times. My classroom will be
one that does not dole out punishments lightly. My class will talk about
behaviors and the reasons behind those behaviors, as well as talk about
how to reconcile afterward with each other.
3
iii. At the start of the school year, I will outline to my students that my class
may not be like their other classes. I will explain that we will talk out our
problems rather than immediately facing discipline. I will explain that we
should respect ourselves and our classmates. I will also explain to my
students that we are here to work hard and learn, but that we are ALL
going to learn. No one will be left behind in my classroom, and if they feel
like they are falling behind they can talk with me about it and we will
work to fix the issues. The ten minute allotted time to speak with my
students will be a crucial time slot in order to model behaviors for my
students, as well as explain and have a conversation about the behaviors
we all want to have in the classroom. These weekly ten minutes will be a
great reminder for the conversations that took place at the beginning the
school year.
iv. The ten minutes a week will be a good start to establish a sense of
community between my students and myself. The ability to hear about
their classmates’ personal interests and lives will let them have insight to
what that person is besides a student. My students will all have the
opportunity to talk during those periods and engage one another about
topics other than schoolwork. The ability to just talk to one another will
allow my students to feel comfortable in that classroom because they
know they get a chance to be heard by their classmates. I will also do my
best to encourage the cultures of each of my students by observing
important days, events, or people in their respective cultures. I will also try
4
to include any relevant people in the world of science that belong to the
same culture as my students.
v. I will build relationships with my students by constantly pushing them to
succeed and working through any obstacles with them along the way. I
will also get to know my students and talk with them about their interests
and find out what makes each of my students tick. I will be sure to show
my students that every one of them has the capability to succeed in school
and beyond. I will show my students that they have this capability by
working with them on each of their levels. I will expect the most out of my
students, but I will help them to get to that point as well. I will employ
different teaching strategies to find out what works best for that group of
students and keep my instruction intensive and appropriate for their level.
c. Diversity: provides information about meeting the needs of a diverse classroom
population
i. My class will have opportunities to share with their classmates about their
culture. I will allow one student every week or two to share with the class
about their culture and someone from their culture that is relevant to
something we are or have been learning about. Sharing every now and
then will promote the students to become interested in each other’s culture
and give them another link to that culture by connecting it to some kind of
content in our class. My class will learn about any important days that are
relevant to a student in my class, and we will be able to discuss any
questions that they have about different cultures during our weekly
5
discussion. As a teacher, I will attempt to incorporate my student’s culture
in my teaching by presenting relevant research from different cultures, or
the origin of a certain discovery, etc. I will be tolerant and understanding
of any accommodations that I need to make for my students if their culture
calls for something out of the ordinary. Most importantly, I will
encourage my students to accept that people are from different cultures
and backgrounds, and we will learn about those cultures together in order
to fully understand and respect our classmates.
ii. Describe what you will do to accommodate a student from each of the
following groups: low SES, ESL, and LGBTQ students.
1. For a student from low SES, I will first ensure that they are getting
everything they need in terms of essentials like food. I would then
be sure to supply them with anything they need in class such as
pencils, or paper if possible. If they are unable to get supplies and I
am not able to provide them either, then I will modify the lesson or
content in a way that will allow them to still experience the
content.
2. For a student that is an ESL learner, I will be sure to manage the
vocabulary that I use to facilitate a lesson. I will supplement
wherever necessary with words that are less technical and continue
to explain if that student does not understand. I will find a student
that is willing to help me work with the ESL learner and have the
students work together. Having a student that is a native English
6
speaker and an ESL student work together will allow the native
speaker to learn the content because they may have to think about
how to explain things in the lesson, and it will allow the ESL
student to improve their English while also learning from a peer
and still having interaction with their classmates instead of 1-on-1
with an instructor all the time.
3. For an LGBTQ student, I will talk with the student and let them
know that my classroom is a safe place where they will not be
judged. I will speak with them about how they want to be treated in
the classroom and if they want their classmates to be aware of their
particular situation. I will pay close attention to this student in
order to be aware of the behavior of their classmates and the
interactions between them. I will be sure to work with the LGBTQ
student in order to make sure they are comfortable in how they are
addressed by myself and by their classmates.
d. Teacher-Student/Student-Student Interactions: provides a structure that
ensures polite, respectful, and cooperative interactions
i. I will ensure polite, respectful, and cooperative interactions by building
relationships with my students from the beginning of the year. I will treat
my students with the same manner that I expect them to treat me. My
students will have their own voice and will hopefully not feel like they are
being silenced in my classroom. I hope to encourage polite, respectful, and
7
cooperative interactions with my students by doing the same for them as
well as allowing them a voice to express their grievances, as well.
ii. The interactions between students in my classroom will be underlined by
the principle of respecting ourselves and one another. The interactions that
I have with students will be the same ones that I expect students to have
with each other. I will work with students that have an issue and we will
talk about the issue both privately and with the students together, then we
will pursue solutions or conclusions in a respectful manner. Hopefully my
students will follow that example and know that they will not be instantly
punished and will be more likely to work out their problems instead of
lashing out or being stealthy with a misbehavior.
iii. I will try to encourage apathetic students by engaging their personal
interests in the topic. I will talk with them to figure out what they enjoy
and what they are interested in in the realm of science. If the student does
not display any interest in science, then I will search for things that are
relevant to their everyday life as well as things that are interesting to me. I
will work with the student in order to find something that will draw their
attention and try to incorporate that idea or method into my lessons or
during times when I can have one-on-one with that student.
e. Active Engagement in Learning: establishes a positive classroom climate that
fosters active engagement in learning.
i. Firstly, I will diversify the methods that I use to deliver instruction.
Students will be bored if I continually give lecture after lecture, so I plan
8
to use small group discussions and lab lessons as often as possible so that
the students are engaged with each other and physically involved in the
content. I will also try to gauge the interest of the class on topics and judge
how to deliver that lesson. If students are not giving much interest in
something, I may have to relate the lesson to something they had
previously shown interest in or make it relevant to their personal lives. I
will also show the students that I am interested in the content, because if I
teach the material lethargically then they will not be interested either.
ii. I will use diversification of teaching styles primarily to engage my
students in the classroom. Students will quickly bore and zone out if I
continually give the same type of lesson each class period. The ability to
find what works for a given class and also keep that style fresh will be key
to engaging my students. I intend to use cooperative learning and hands-on
lab activities extensively in my classroom. Science is a subject that goes
well with discussion and allows students to think critically about what is
going to happen in the experiment, etc. I also will incorporate my
students’ personal interests into lessons, or make the lessons relevant to
their current experiences or personal lives. Overall, engagement of my
students will be achieved through the variation of my teaching styles and
incorporation of their personal interests and experiences.
2. Organizing Classroom Space
9
a. Introduction – Classroom space is important because it facilitates the learning of
the students and the teacher at all points throughout the day. Space can affect how
few distractions you will have, ease of student movement, and safety procedures.
b. Safety: Describe procedures you will have in place to ensure student safety.
i. Standard safety / emergency procedures will be posted in the lab and at the
front of the classroom as well as the agenda bulletin board. Exit
procedures will be posted near the door.
ii. Electrical hazards
iii. The teacher will give time and not punish students for being late to their
seats when there is mass traffic as to not cause students to rush/panic. The
high traffic areas also are to be as free of clutter as possible to avoid
tripping hazards or breaking hazards.
iv. Resources to students are located on the outskirts of the classroom in order
to avoid clutter and crowds.
c. Arrangement of Furniture: Describe how the furniture in your classroom will
be arranged to promote student safety and learning.
i. The furniture arrangement does not block any pathways to exits, and
maintains fast access to leave the room in a safety situation.
ii. Students are not constricted in their seating and have room to breathe.
iii. The floor of the classroom would all be tiled because it is a science
lab/lecture room and it is best for safety and cleanliness.
iv. The bookshelf is located behind the students as to avoid distraction
10
v. Storage areas for common supplies are located at the front of the
classroom to allow for teacher sight and ease of movement. There is also a
common supplies storage for the lab which allows teacher sight as well as
ease of movement.
vi. Storage of sensitive lab equipment is kept in teacher line of sight/would be
in a closet if that is provided.
vii. Lab desks may or may not have drawers located inside the desk for
common tools to be used in the lab.
viii. Student desks are arranged in groups of four to facilitate discussions or
small group work. Lab desks are arranged for groups of four to easily
transition to lab activities.
ix. A lab demonstration table is at the front of the classroom in the group
instruction area so all students can see the table and the projector/board.
d. Areas of distraction:
i. The pencil sharpener is located to the side of the classroom that is further
from the group instruction area. It is located here as the student will be
further away and reduce the immediate sound and visual distraction from
the sharpener.
ii. Computers are located in the same area of the pencil sharpener, but further
behind the regular desks of the students to avoid visual distractions. The
computers are also located in a way that allows the teacher to maintain
visual at all times. The computers also allow students ease of access
during lab times if we incorporate the computers with the lab activity.
11
iii. Displays are located in the back of the classroom in the lab area, and
students will not be able to see the distraction during group instruction.
e. Accessibility to Learning and Use of Physical Resources:
i. The arrangement supports the learning of all students because it will allow
me to group students depending on their success throughout the year. I can
group students to allow for some excelling students and some that are
struggling in order to form groups that will challenge their peers in
different ways.
ii. The walls are not cluttered and usually will only offer relevant information
based on the days/weeks/months activities, classroom
guidelines/procedures, and lesson information. The floor space is clear of
obstacles and hazards, and the ceiling will usually have no distractions or
hazards on it.
iii. The students’ desks are arranged in a manner that will encourage group
work and discussion, as well as give them the ability to pay attention when
I am presenting something at the front of the class. The lab tables are an
open layout which will allow the groups of students to work with each
other as well as with the other groups in the class to discuss the lab lesson.
iv. Any bookcases/Learning centers will be situated behind the view of the
students’ regular desks. The bookcases will be accessible, but not
distracting. Learning centers will most likely be temporary fixtures that
will be set up in the lab area.
12
v. Small group or individual instruction will take place in the lab area of the
room or potentially at the front demonstration desk. The lab area allows
for the distraction to be behind the rest of the students and also allows me
to keep an eye on the rest of the class if I am with the small group.
Individual re-teaching could take place in the lab as it would give the
student more space to relax and think, or it could take place at my
desk/demonstration desk if the re-teaching is not going to be too intensive.
vi. Large group instruction will take place at the students’ desks and I will be
at the demonstration lab table in the front of the classroom. This allows for
all students to be able to see me, and it will also allow me to ask them to
consult with their small group during large group instruction as well, if I
chose to incorporate that into the lesson.
vii. Any lab equipment will be in shelves/cabinets at the back of the classroom
in the lab area, if not in a storage closet. Any personal storage of mine will
be behind my desk away from students so that I can access it without it
being a distraction. Common supplies will be in cabinets at the side of the
room opposite of my desk. Any supplies that are relevant to the lesson
may be on the demonstration desk or already on the students’ desks.
viii. There will be a designated cabinet where students will be allowed to store
any backpacks, jackets, instruments, etc. If something is particularly
fragile, then I will allow students to store them behind my desk or
demonstration desk.
13
ix. Students will store frequently used supplies and materials in a cabinet(s)
which will be available for regular and free use from the students. It will
be located to the side of the room away from my desk (but with a clear
line of sight) and slightly behind the desks of the students as to avoid
distraction and tight spaces.
3. Communicating with Guardians
a. Introduction – This section is important because parents want their students to
succeed and can help in accomplishing that goal. Parents involved in their
students schooling will help the student keep on top of their work and motivate
them to work harder because they have their parents supporting and being
interested in what they are doing.
b. Information about the Instructional Program: Describe in detail methods used
to inform families/caregivers about the instructional program and how students
will participate in this
i. I will give the students a sheet of paper with my contact information on it
to give to their parents if I have not already met them myself. I will
include my email and phone number, as well as how to locate me on
campus. I will use primarily email, but be sure to find out if some parents
have trouble with using email and try to accommodate that student
through telephone or written messages to send home with the student.
ii. Daily issues will be dealt with through email or phone call. If the situation
is urgent and sudden, then I will attempt to get into contact with parents or
guardians through the phone as to have a clear conversation with no
14
latency in response. I will also send out email reminders on days that have
homework to reinforce the weekly emails that I will send.
iii. I will send out weekly emails that will outline the general plan for the
week and any homework that is going to be sent home for the students. I
will also include reminders of any projects, special events, or upcoming
tests in these emails.
iv. I will call each parent at least one time a month, and have a conversation
about their student and their progress since the last update. I will let them
know of any issues that we’ve been having as well as any positive
developments that have been made.
v. As I develop my own comfort and confidence as a teacher, I may make
myself available personally through my personal phone for students and
parents alike so that they are able to get in touch with me whenever there
are issues. This will be a work in progress as I work to find my footing
and confidence as a new teacher.
c. Preparing for the Substitute Teacher:
i. I will include lesson plans, as well as step by step instructions to teach the
lesson. I will include some questions that they should ask the students to
check for understanding, and give a little context on why the answers are
what they are. I will give them the necessary worksheet/discussion topic,
etc., and give them some instructions on how to introduce the work itself. I
will also give a few examples of common questions that pertain to the
15
lesson and a sheet for students to write their questions down if they cannot
come to an explanation so that I can address it when I return to the class.
d. Engagement of Families/Caregivers in the Instructional Program: Describe in
detail methods and activities used to involve families / caregivers in your
instructional program and/or classroom activities.
i. I will find out how to get families involved by talking with
parents/guardians at the beginning of the year, and during conferences
throughout the year. I will ask parents or guardians if they have the time
and ability to be involved in our classroom, as well as if they have any
particular interests in a subject we will cover. I will try to suggest ways
that parents can get involved such as giving the class some extra
information on something they are familiar with because of their career,
etc.
ii. Families can be involved on a daily basis by helping their students with
daily work they may bring home, coming into the classroom and helping
students individually as a tutor, or helping me with clerical things such as
running copies, etc.
iii. Parents may be able to help out on a weekly basis by coming to class
discussions where we get to know each other and our cultures. Parents
may also be able to come help with various classroom
projects/experiments that need extra involvement.
iv. Parents can be involved on a monthly basis by helping with any
experiments that involve going outside of the classroom, accompanying
16
the class on field trips, and any other duties that require extra supervision
that I may not be able to completely manage.
v. I will talk to the parents of my students during conferences to find out
what they would be interested in based off of my curriculum for the
students. I will take those interests and invite them to learn about that
particular topic and create presentations for the class with their child so
that they can jointly present those topics. Families could also help with an
efficient communication system, the class website, supplies, and many
other things that can be accomplished without having to be in the class
during school hours.
vi. I will first try to find out why these families are not involved in the
classroom, because it could be due to multiple jobs and schedules that do
not work with school hours. I will try to find out what interests the
families of the students and the student themselves, and then I will
encourage the family and student to work together on that topic and create
some type of project to present to the class. I will try to meet with families
on hours that work for them if at all possible and figure out a way that they
can be involved even if they cannot make it into the classroom, such as
video presentations or something their student can present for them.
I will work with ESL resources in order to communicate with families that do not speak English.
I will not leave these families out, and I will encourage them to teach us about their cultures and
anything they know about the science that has come out of their cultures.
17
4. Procedures
a. Introduction – Classroom procedures are important because they bring stability
and routine to a classroom. Stability and routine will help students feel
comfortable in the classroom and reduce student stress because they will know
the procedure for whatever they want to do instead of having to guess or ask me
every time they need something. For example, if there was no procedure to turn
in homework, then students could easily put the paper in a place where it could
get lost. Procedures provide organization, routine, and overall comfort to the
classroom.
b. Transitions: Describe how transitions in learning are organized into efficient
procedures that will result in maximum use of instructional time and promote
student responsibility
i. I will always give my students a verbal transition between sections of the
lesson, and an overview of the lesson before I begin teaching it. I am an
instructor that is straightforward and will, for example, tell the students
that I will first model how to do a particular problem, but I will ask the
students to do some after I finish. After the students would finish the
problems as a class activity, then I would review the information covered
so far and then inform the students that we will move on to independent
work. I think that verbally communicating the transitions will let students
know ahead of time and give them expectations about what the lesson
will entail.
18
ii. Students will enter my classroom freely while I am standing next to the
door to greet and keep an eye on the hallway. When the students enter
the class, they will read the agenda/objective in order to figure out what
they need for the class period. The students will then get the relevant
materials from their locker/backpack prepared on the desk for the class
period. When leaving my classroom, students will have two minutes at
the end of class (adjustable depending on lesson/class) in order to clean
up their area and gather their things. The students will be allowed to
leave whenever they have satisfactorily cleaned up their work space and
made sure they have all their belongings.
iii. I will begin the school day (or each class period) by covering our objective
for the day, and going over the agenda for the day. I will also preview the
remainder of the week in order to give my students an expectation for
what they will need to do over the rest of the week. I will also make sure
that each student has what they need for the lesson (worksheet,
manipulative, writing utensil, equipment, etc.).
iv. Students will be able to use the restroom whenever they need to, but we
will have a system of restroom passes which will keep track of who is
gone in the room. I will have a general bathroom pass (or two) and the
students will sign a log-sheet which will have their name and the time at
which they go to the restroom. I will pay attention to any patterns that
develop if a student is taking advantage of the restroom passes and talk
19
with that student to determine if it is necessary that they go to the
restroom so often, or to develop a more strict system.
v. The students will be able to walk without having to be in a line, but we
will still be silent in the hallways. We will discuss where we are going
before we leave the classroom and I will remind the students that we all
need to be quiet in the hallways so that we do not infringe on other
people’s learning. If the class repeatedly has issues with walking to other
locations in the school, then I will change my procedure to walking in a
line, or accordingly otherwise. If the students need to get anything from
their desks or lockers before we leave the classroom, then they will be
reminded to check that we have everything we need for where we are
going.
vi. At the end of the school day, I will remind students that we are not going
to pack up early before the bell. I will also remind students that they will
have three minutes in order to clean up their work spaces and help me
with the rest of the classroom and if necessary may have more time to
clean up. They will have this time at the end of class to pick up their work
spaces and gather their personal belongings from my class. I will also
have students on a rotation who will help me pick up any extra
equipment, paper, manipulatives, etc. that have been left out from this
class or previous classes. They will be given extra time in order to do this
so that I do not keep them after class.
20
c. Routines and procedures: Describe the procedures you will establish that will
result in positive instructional time and promote student responsibility for
materials and supplies
i. My desk will be off limits to students other than designated helpers who
have a reason to be at the desk. I will have storage cabinets that contain
lab equipment, little used materials, and safety equipment toward the
back of the class. If there is a lab area contained inside the classroom,
then the lab and safety equipment will be stored in cabinets in the lab
area. Any personal belongings of mine will be stored in a file cabinet and
storage cabinet which will form an L-shape with my desk. My desk will
have a computer on it which will face away from the students.
ii. Students will gather the necessary materials for the class after they enter
the classroom and read the agenda/objective. The students will also be
allowed to go to their locker if they did not bring something that will be
needed. If the campus does not have lockers, then the students will keep
their backpacks in a designated area in the classroom so that they are not
distracted with other materials that they do not need. This area in the
classroom will be at the front so they can see their things and not be
worried about someone taking them, and so that their bags will be out of
the way of any foot traffic and risk a tripping hazard.
iii. Common materials will be kept in cabinets on the side of the classroom
toward the front near the teacher’s desk. Students will be able to access
21
these materials at any time that they need them, but they will sign a
sheet that will say what they took and on what day. The students will
mark a check box for in/out for whenever they take the item and again
when they put it back.
iv. I will rotationally assign a different student every week that will help me
distribute lesson materials at the beginning of the class. That student will
come in and situate themselves in the classroom, then they will come to
the front demonstration desk/table and find any papers or materials that
need to be distributed to the class as a whole. The student will pass out
the materials and place any extras back onto the front desk.
v. Student homework will be collected in a tray at the front of the
classroom near the teacher’s desk in order to discourage anyone from
taking someone else’s paper and reassure students that their work will
not go missing. Homework will be turned in at the beginning of the class
period and I will remind students as they walk in the classroom.
vi. Equipment usage will mainly concern a science lab or demonstration
station. Students will not be allowed to take out equipment on their own
without consulting me first. If there is a demonstration table set up, the
students will be able to interact with the equipment as it will not be
dangerous if I leave it to the side of the classroom. Students will not be
allowed to interact with any equipment that is on the front
demonstration desk when I am not present at the desk. If students are
22
working on a make-up lab, or a special project, then they will need to see
me and ask for the equipment necessary to complete that lab or project.
vii. Computer station usage will be on a need basis. Students will not be
allowed to freely interact with the computer stations unless they have a
valid reason such as working on a computer based lesson, or if they need
extra resources to help them learn effectively. Students may make a
request to use the computer station by submitting a slip of paper found
next to the computer station which will have their name and their reason
for requesting computer time. I will get back to the student and either
decline or allow their usage of the computer station and give them a
certain time that they are allowed to use the computer for their work.
viii. I will have an absent student binder with a folder for each class period
and those folders will be maintained by an absentee helper in each
respective class period. The absentee helper will be responsible for
writing the agenda, collecting the relevant materials, and placing those
things into the correct periods absent folder. If there is more than one
student absent, then the absentee helper will be responsible for
gathering multiple copies of materials, but they only need one copy of
the agenda. Absent students will collect the work from the absent folder
and copy down the agenda in their journal on the day that they return to
school. The absent student will also need to check with me or the
23
absentee helper for any further clarification on what they missed the day
that they were absent.
5. Managing Behaviors
a. Introduction – This section is important because it is the key to the rest of your
classroom experiences. If you cannot manage behaviors and have trusting
relationships with your students, then you will not be able to maintain an
effective learning environment.
b. Expectations: I expect students and myself to have mutual respect. In my
classroom, we will work together to solve any conflicts, issues with
rules/procedures, or any other issues that arises between student and
student/student and teacher/ or student and self. I will work to build
relationships with my students in order to facilitate discussion and conversation,
opposed to simple disciplinary consequences stemming from strict rules.
i. My classroom rules will be simple and concise.
1. Respect each other.
2. Respect our classroom
3. Learn every day.
I think with these rules my classroom will realize that it is not about
punishing them for bad behaviors or anything of that sort, but simply
about learning and interacting with each other.
ii. My attention grabbing mechanism will be some version of holding up 1
finger, 2 fingers, or three fingers. One finger raised will be a signal to
24
focus our attention on the speaker at the front of the classroom, two
fingers will signal that we are being too loud and need to quiet down, and
three fingers will signal that we need to be silent. I believe that having a
small variety of attention grabbers will keep the meaning of the signals
intact and effective.
iii. I will encourage my students to actively participate in class by asking
them questions and making sure each of my students has the opportunity
to speak. I will pay attention to patterns of who does and does not
answer, and I will use that information to encourage students who do not
participate to join in on the discussions. If the students who do not
participate feel uncomfortable, then we will talk and figure out a way to
let them feel comfortable during discussions or group instruction such as
asking simpler questions, telling the student they are “on deck”, etc.
iv. I want students to feel comfortable in my classroom, and I plan on
allowing a low level of conversation when it is feasible. When we are
running ahead of schedule and the class is getting their work done, then I
will let my students have a bit more leniency in their ability to talk to one
another during independent practice and extra time. If we are stressed
for time, then the circumstance may change and demand that I cut down
on any wasted time in order to finish our lesson and get the work done.
v. I will encourage my students to first ask for help from their partner if the
questions arise during independent practice. I want my students to learn
25
cooperatively and I think that peers teaching each other is an effective
method of instruction. If the problem cannot be addressed by their
partner, then I will ask the students to move on until I can get to their
problem, or come to my desk for help. I will never be too busy to help my
students learn.
vi. Small group and cooperative learning will be a sizeable portion of my
classroom. I believe that cooperative learning and small group styles of
instruction are very effective and will increase the learning effectiveness
of my classroom. I will arrange my desks in a way that will be conducive
to at least partner work, but preferably in groups of four. I will routinely
swap around seating charts in order to put students who are excelling
with students who are struggling in order to boost all students’
achievement.
vii. I will prepare my students for small group activities by writing on the
agenda, and verbally addressing the fact that we are working
cooperatively on the lesson that day. I will give them an overview of how
we are going to work in groups on this lesson, and I will ask them about
our rules for small group work which will be simply the classroom rules.
viii. Students will not need to move in and out of groups because they will be
seated in their small groups at their normal desks. If we are working in a
lab, then they will work with that same group that is at their normal
seating.
26
ix. Expected behavior in group work will be the same behaviors I expect
outside of group work. We will respect each other, our class, and we will
do our best to learn.
x. For any type of helper that I have in my classroom, it will always be on a
rotation through all of my students. If there is a particular job that
requires a certain skillset, then I will find students that are capable of that
job and rotate them as well. I do not want to have any singular
permanent helpers because it may feel like too much for that student or
that they do not get a break, etc.
xi. I will always remind my students that I expect them to respect others and
themselves when they are outside of my classroom. I will remind them
before we leave as a class that we are going to be respectful and quiet in
the hallways, then remind them of the rules of our destination whether it
be a computer lab, science lab, or some sort of assembly.
c. Monitoring of Student Behavior: Describe in detail how student behavior will be
monitored
i. During lessons, I will be sure to walk around my classroom during
instruction. I will frequently have students at the front during guided
practice, and I will take that opportunity to meander and make sure that
my students are on task.
ii. During student independent work I will also be walking the room in order
to help students with any questions on their work. I will closely listen for
27
anything that sounds like it is too off-topic, or disrupting other students,
and address it before I continue helping students on their work. When we
are moving along without any students needing help, then I will be at the
front of the room taking care of anything that I can do in short bursts, so
that I will be able to take a lap around the room every few minutes in
order to re-check that my students do not need assistance, as well as
monitor behavior.
iii. While I am working with small groups, I will be sure to position myself to
a point where I am able to see the rest of my classroom in my field of
view. I will be sure to never have my back turned as it could encourage
my students to get off-task as they will think that I am not paying
attention to them.
iv. I will have my students write a reflection on the week every week about
our class behavior, their personal behavior, and our classroom activities.
It will be a short passage which can outline what they thought was good
or bad, and what they liked and did not like in the class that week. I will
read these entries at least bi-weekly and encourage my students to talk
to me if they have any pressing issues they need to talk about.
d. Response to Student Behavior: Methods for responding to student behavior are
appropriate.
i. The most prominent method that I will use for inattention will be my
proximity to the student. I will simply move closer to the student while
28
continuing with the lesson in order to show them that I know they are
not paying attention, but not call them out directly. If the problem
persists, I will emphasize to the class that I need everyone’s attention.
After those not working, I will say the individual’s name and ask them to
stay focused on the lesson. If it gets to the point of these repeated
measures, then I will make a note about the student’s inattention and
talk with them if it becomes a pattern.
ii. Again, I will use proximity to primarily stop off-task behavior. By
physically moving closer to the student, they will not think they are being
sneaky with their off-task behavior, and instead will pay attention to the
lesson. I will otherwise address it by calling their name and ask if they are
finished with their current work.
iii. I will respond to disruptive behavior by asking the disruptive student(s) to
remember our classroom rules and tell them to me. I will reiterate that
we are not being respectful to others if we are impeding their learning,
and we are not being respectful to ourselves by impeding our own
learning. If the behavior continues, then I will move students away from
each other if it is multiple students talking, or I will ask them to come talk
to me at my desk (or after the lesson is over) and we can figure out why
this behavior is cropping up. I will take note of any disruptive behavior
that is developing as a pattern.
29
e. Discipline Plan: Describe your plan in detail. It will include your classroom rules,
a description of your discipline plan and how it works, consequences and
rewards, based on accepted behavioral theory.
i. The objective of my discipline plan is to create an environment that will
foster learning for all of my students. I am making a classroom that will
let students have the ability to make up for their mistakes and correct
their mistakes, rather than being dealt a punishment. My expectations
will be that my class will respect each other and strive to learn each day.
ii. I will have three simple class rules: Respect yourself, Respect Each Other,
Learn Every Day. I believe that these rules are concise and easy to
understand. I will explain to my class that if we all work together then we
will learn more each day.
iii. My discipline plan consists of building relationships with my students and
showing them that I want them to grow and learn. I will not use strict
rules and punishments in order to maintain my authority. I will talk with
my students about our discipline system in the classroom, and explain
that we will follow logical consequences from our actions. I will keep
track of any behaviors that seem to be repetitive and forming patterns,
and I will talk with those students to figure out why it is reoccurring, or
encourage them if it is a positive thing. I aim to have my students learn
from their behaviors, whether they are good or not so good.
30
iv. Warnings that I use will be short for the most part, or nonverbal
completely. I will be sure to use my proximity to any disruptive student in
order to stop the behavior, and I will also use eye contact to warn
students that their behavior is not appropriate. I will also use verbal
warnings such as saying the student’s name, asking the student if they
have all their work completed, or potentially remind them about our
classroom rules if they are being disruptive to the class.
v. I will first move in proximity to the student while continuing to teach the
lesson. If I have to walk by the student more than two times, then I will
ask the entire class to be sure to pay attention during the lesson. If the
behavior persists, then I will call out the student’s name. If the behavior
still continues, then I will remind the student of our classroom rules of
respecting each other and learning every day. I will make note of the
behavior at that point, and continue to watch for a pattern of behavior
developing. If it is a one-time occurrence I will move on, but if it is
reoccurring disruption from a singular student then I will have an
individual talk either at my desk or in the hall for privacy.
vi. I will strive to have logical consequences in my classroom. I will have a
separate desk and seat students there that are being disruptive, need to
cool down, or are having a bad day and want to be left alone. I will also
have positive consequences for classes that have good behavior. For
example, a class with good behavior may have more interactive lessons
31
and lab lessons, because I am able to execute those lessons without
being disrupted, as well as avoiding the safety issues that arise with
disruptive behavior in a science lab. The consequences could also be as
simple as having to apologize for some grievance they caused another
student, or having to have a discussion with myself about the behavior
they are exhibiting in the classroom. I want my class to have logical
consequences that the students think are fair and appropriate, as well as
giving them the ability to learn from those consequences.
vii. I will largely avoid punishments or rewards in my classroom. One critical
point is that I will never use homework as a punishment, or take away
homework as a reward. Otherwise, I might use them sparingly and
situationally, depending on the activity. Overall, I believe punishments
and rewards to be a method that does not let students grow as people
with their mistakes, and it also does not encourage students to learn for
the sake of learning.