Veronica Snyder
October 17, 2013
Professor Ramer
Behavior Management Plan
Purpose: To provide, in writing, a comprehensive management plan for classroom organization
and discipline that facilitates learning in a safe classroom environment.
Section One: Physical Classroom Layout and Learning Accessibility
I plan to create a classroom layout that is fun, inviting, and imaginative to promote
student learning. In order to accomplish this, I plan to decorate my walls with posters that
highlight the relevance of science (specifically biology) to the lives of my students. Symbolic
identification, the information that an environment communicates about the people who inhabit
it, is important to students and creates a sense of belonging and community within the classroom
(Weinstein & Novodvorsky, 2011). My classroom will feature a space (bulletin board or
something similar) where student work will be displayed, so that my students become an integral
part in making up the environment in which they learn. I also plan to include some items that tell
a little about who I am as a person (perhaps a William and Mary flag or a picture of my family
on my desk). I would like my classroom to be colorful, as well as well-lit to accommodate
students with disabilities.
Although my classroom will undoubtedly be a fun and welcoming environment, it will
also contain features that will help to minimize distractions to the learning process. Student desks
will face away from the windows (if possible), and windows may be partially covered to avoid
distraction and/or glare. Desks will be situated such that all students can remain a part of the
action zone, meaning that engagement in classroom instruction and activity will be spatially
possible (Weinstein & Novodvorsky, 2011). On a day-to-day basis, where direct whole-group
instruction is likely to take place, I would like to arrange desks in rows. This will allow students
access to presentation media, and allow easy circulation throughout the room so that I can
monitor student progress and disciplinary needs (Sprick, 2013). My teaching style tends to favor
small-group activities such as “think-pair-share,” and a row arrangement would be very easily
converted into paired desks without usurping class time for transitions. As a science teacher, it is
also very important to me that my students are able to move away from volatile situations if they
were to occur during a lab exercise. In most classrooms, lab stations are found lining the walls,
so placing desks in rows would provide multiple exit options should the need arise. In
considering a testing environment, desks in rows would also prevent unwanted “collaboration”
on individual tasks. I hope to place my desk in the back of the room (behind student desks) so
that I can monitor progress and minimize the chance that I would serve as a distraction. I will
make my desk area accessible to students during testing so that they feel comfortable
approaching me with questions. On days that my classroom may require a different setup (e.g. a
modified U-shape for a Socratic seminar), I will attempt to set up desks and materials ahead of
time.
To make the environment safe for lab exercises, I will prominently display fire
extinguisher, fire blanket, and eye wash, so that students do not have to search for them in case
of emergency. I will also have emergency procedures posted on the wall for emergency
circumstances, such as fire drill, tornado drill, or lock down. Classroom rules will also be
displayed prominently.
In designing my classroom layout, I will also consider the unique needs of my students.
For students with disabilities that affect their abilities to learn or concentrate on schoolwork, I
will allow them a place in the classroom that is designed to enhance their learning and
accommodate special needs. For example, if a child with Attention Deficit Disorder finds it hard
to concentrate when he or she is seated near his or her peers or other sources of distractions, I
will provide a seat that is not near distractions, yet still allows full participation in the classroom.
For students with physical impairments that impede their ability to access and interact with
classroom material, I will ensure that materials are presented in an accessible way and allow for
multiple forms of representation of, expression of, and engagement with content as current
principles under Universal Design for Learning specify. Students’ emotional needs will also be
considered when creating a seating chart and classroom setup. Classroom layout will adhere to
guidelines and accommodations specified in students’ Individualized Education Programs or 504
Plans.
I will also consider students’ individual needs when assigning them partners for
groupwork (e.g. lab partners), and will pair students in ways that do not impede instruction and
learning. I plan to offer my students some choice in these matters as long as rules and
expectations are followed.
Diversity is also something to be celebrated and welcomed in the classroom. All too
often, students in science classroom celebrate only the achievements of the dominant culture—
largely, males of European descent. I would love for my classroom to feature a bulletin board of
scientists from many cultural backgrounds, and for the class to be able to discuss their
contributions to science.
Section Two: Communicating Rules and Expectations
I believe that the key to an efficient and effective learning environment lies in letting
students know what is to be expected of them. The first step I would take in communicating rules
to my students is to create and display three to six positively stated classroom rules (Sprick,
2013). These rules would be created by me, prior to the first day of school, and would be a
reflection of what I believe must occur in my classroom to make the most of the learning
experience. I realize that these rules may vary from teacher to teacher (and that they must not
conflict with school or district-wide rules, but mine (as it stands) would probably resemble:
1. Be respectful to others in your words and actions.
2. Come prepared for class by bringing appropriate materials each day
3. Arrive on time for class and quietly begin warm-up activity upon arrival
4. Stay on task to help minimize distractions in the classroom
I would communicate these rules to students and their parents in a letter at the beginning of the
school year, and would make them visible all year long both in the classroom and on the class
website. Taking time to communicate and model rules to students is important in preventing
misbehavior and avoiding miscommunication (Sprick, 2013), so I would like to set aside class
time to go over and model rules as well as answer any questions students may have.
Expectations in my classroom will most likely vary dependent upon the nature of the
activity that is taking place in the classroom. They are also to be communicated clearly to
students before the activity takes place, especially if the activity is new or infrequently used in
the classroom. To me, successful communication of expectations begins long before the
expectations even exist. In designing expectations for activities in my classroom, I need to start
by looking over my lesson plan and considering what is important for student success in each
individual activity. Sprick proposes two helpful acronyms “CHAMPS and ACHIEVE” that I
hope to use in both creating expectations for my students, and in communicating these
expectations. CHAMPS takes into account the expectations associated with Conversation, Help,
Activity, Movement, Participation, and Success during an activity, while ACHIEVE similarly
incorporates Activity, Conversation, Help, Integrity, Effort, Value, and Efficiency (Sprick,
2013). I plan to use this framework to think about expectations, and to present them to my
students in the classroom. I would also like to communicate appropriate behavior by modeling
expectations and providing specific examples and non-examples. I plan to place emphasis on
how we as a class will transition from activity to activity to maintain order in the classroom. In
addition to communicating expectations to students, I, as the teacher, should monitor progress
and provide feedback to my students throughout the activity so that they know whether or not
expectations are being met (Sprick, 2013).
Students will also need to be aware of commonplace procedures in the classroom.
Picking up and turning in assignments and materials will occur according to a routine that I will
take time to establish with my students at the start of school. I plan to greet my students at the
door in order to show them I care, and to check in with how they are doing. This will also allow
me to easily give instructions should the routine change. Normally, I would like to have students
complete a “while you wait” activity on that will more than likely be on the projection screen as
they walk in. Any handouts they will need will be available at the front of the room. Whether
they are to work alone or in pairs/groups will be specified on the board and they will have been
previously briefed on expectations of individual and groupwork. I will provide a bin or tray for
homework to be collected as students come in, so that they are unlikely to forget during the
duration of the class period.
Transitions in and out of the classroom during the period will be handled via selfmonitored hall pass, with only one student permitted out of the room for restroom/water at a
time. I would like my students to raise their hands and ask permission during times of quiet
work, or walk up and ask me if we are doing something where the noise and movement levels
are a bit more permitting. As long as they try not to interrupt instruction, I do not mind students
leaving class for restroom/water breaks, but I will communicate to them that these breaks are to
be used sparingly. I will allow a certain number of breaks per nine weeks, and because I want my
students to practice self-regulation and autonomy, I want them to be the ones to keep track of
their times out of class. I plan to model self-regulation through my own personal organization
and readiness.
If there are students in my classroom who will need to be pulled out of the general
education classroom from time to time to receive special education or other services, I would like
this to be arranged on a case-by-case basis, and dealt with privately to avoid calling attention to
or singling out students. For example, if I know that I have a student who has to see the reading
specialist at 11:30 every other day, I will most likely have a private conversation with that
student and tell him/her that he/she is welcome to leave by quietly slipping out the door at the
appropriate time. I would remind the student to have picked up all handouts and turned in
homework. If the student had to wait for another person (such as the resource teacher) to
accompany him/her, I would make sure the student knew to wait before heading out alone. If reentry into my classroom was to occur within the same class period, I would tell the student to
slip in quietly. During group activity, I might choose to use the time to help the student catch up
on material he/she had missed.
Section Three: Student Motivation and Engagement
Much of students’ successes and motivations in the classroom can be adequately
evaluated using the expectancy-times-value model. This model supposes that the amount of
motivation students have to complete a task is a product of the amount of value they place on the
task and what they perceive to be their chances of success (Brophy, 2004). As a teacher, this
means that I must teach and inspire students in ways that increase both their expectancy to do
well and their value assigned to a task. To increase expectations for success, I will provide
multiple opportunities for low-stakes feedback and self-assessment throughout a task, as well as
provide positive encouragement through praise in ways that are specific, relevant, and
appropriate for the context (Weinstein & Novodvorsky, 2011). Praise is an effective way to
increase motivation and to strengthen the relationship between teacher and student. Sprick
suggests having at least three positive interactions to every one negative interaction with a
student (Sprick, 2013). I hope to exceed this baseline in my own teaching. To increase the value
of the task, I hope to make it interesting so that students can see the relevance within their own
lives. Biology means the study of life, so making things relatable should not be too much of a
stretch for most topics. I would also like to implement some form of extrinsic reward system for
students, as use of some extrinsic reinforcement strategies have been shown to increase
motivation (Boniecki & Moore, 2003). I would like to implement a token economy with a
rewards menu in order to encourage my students to value tasks and participate in them. This will
allow for fairness and autonomy in choosing a reward.
Section Four: Instances of Discipline
My philosophy of discipline is based in prevention and early detection of problems. I
have already stated that I would like to greet my students at the door in order to ask about their
days and get a feel for their mood. If I sense that a student is not as talkative as usual, or that
there might be something going on, I will give that student some space during instructional time
and ask about how they are doing in a more private manner. I hope to get to know my students,
so that I can tell when things are different, and when there might be a problem. Withitness, a
term coined by educational theorist Jacob Kounin, denotes an almost subconscious ability to
constantly maintain awareness of the happenings in one’s classroom (Kounin, 1977). With more
experience as a classroom teacher, my withitness will play a large role in minimizing discipline
problems, and, in conjunction with clear rules and expectations, will hopefully allow me to stop
many of them in their tracks. When problems do arise, I hope to deal with them in the least
invasive way possible.
Just as I intend for all of my rules and expectations to be congruent with school policy, I
will structure my disciplinary consequences in such a way that they do not conflict with the
school.
In the instance of minor misbehaviors, I have observed that less invasive interventions
seem to work well in most cases. For example, if two students began socializing (a minor
misbehavior) about their favorite thing to eat at Taco Bell during instructional time, I could
handle the behavior a few different ways. The first thing I would try would be handling the
misbehavior using the proximity technique and put my hand on the corner of one of the desks. If
this failed to stop the behavior, I might have thought to incorporate their names into my lecture
to get their attention without detracting from instructional time. In terms of consequences for
something like this, I think the slight embarrassment of having one’s name incorporated into the
lesson or being made uncomfortable through proximity makes most students shape up. If the
behavior persisted, I would probably use the “owed time” strategy to deliver a consequence that
was behaviorally relevant, and to hopefully nip the behavior in the bud before it became chronic.
According to the results of a student interest and reinforcement preference survey that I
conducted in one of my classes, students value free time in class and in-between classes, so the
“owed time” consequence would definitely be a deterrent while still sticking with the severity
and remaining relative to the misbehavior.
To provide another example of how I would respond to another minor misbehavior, let’s
consider texting. I could nip problems in the bud and confiscate cell phones on the first offense,
but I personally think this is a little harsh, and I do not think that good family-school relations are
maintained when busy parents have to come down to the school just to pick up their child’s cell
phone. For first-time offenders, I would like to simply make eye contact or knock on a desk and
ask the offending student, “Do I see a cell phone? If I do, next time it’s mine.” Hopefully, the
student will put it away, and it would not present further issues. Handling it this way gives me a
way out of jumping to severe punishments, BUT if the cell phone were to be seen again I would
keep with my word of taking it away because that is what I said I would do. I would more than
likely give the phone back at the end of the period if the student behaved appropriately, and
would only consider calling a parent to come and pick up the phone if it became a habitual
problem. I think this is a good way to exercise autonomy and attempt to curb severe unrelated
consequences. I definitely would not do this for something more serious for something like
weapons or drugs. In instances where school systems have zero tolerance policies for technology
such as cell phones, I would have to comply with whatever the school’s rules happened to be, but
I would make it clear to my students that those would be the exact consequences in place.
In the case of more serious misbehaviors, I believe a more direct approach to behavior
management is appropriate. As a scientist, I consider horseplay in the lab a serious misbehavior,
simply because of the great potential for harm to students. For example, if a student began to
throw petri dishes onto his desk from the lab counter as though they were Frisbees, I would call
the student over to me and have a private conference in the hallway. I would give the student the
opportunity to tell me what he/she thought went wrong in the classroom (and why it mattered),
and come to an agreement that there would be no more horseplay. As a consequence, I would
make the student pick up and clean the mess he/she had made on the floor and on the desk, even
if it meant staying a few seconds after the bell. This would hopefully prompt the student to think
that the misbehavior was not worth the trouble of being held responsible for a mess. If the
behavior was an escape from being on task, then being asked to complete the additional task of
cleaning up the mess would hopefully deter the student from repeat offenses.
Another serious misbehavior is failing to respond to group directives. Let’s suppose that
during my 9th grade biology class, there was a fire drill and I told my students to calmly exit the
building with me and stand outside as a group while I took roll, as we had previously practiced
successfully. Fred, one of my students has instead chosen to go see his girlfriend in another
teacher’s class. I see him chatting with her, and motion him to come back to the group and he
complies. Because this was a safety hazard, I want Fred to learn a lesson, even if the behavior
was a one-time offense, and even though he willingly came back to the group. After the drill, I
would have a private conference with Fred in the hallway. I would ask him calmly what might
have happened if I had not caught him and had instead reported him missing. To avoid taking up
more class time, I would ask him to write a short reflection on what he would do next time, and
why it was important in the event of a fire alarm. Weinstein uses this strategy as a consequence
in the event of cheating, saying that cheating is more complex, so it requires reflection
(Weinstein & Novodvorsky, 2011). I think this strategy is also appropriate in the scenario I
posed, not only because it is more complex than the student initially realized, but because asking
the student to reflect is a good way to communicate the seriousness of the situation without
having to make a negative call home.
In the case of chronic misbehaviors, I’d like to consider constantly using class time to use
the restroom as a form of misbehavior, especially because many students use the time to go out
in the hallways and socialize during class. This is a huge problem I have observed during my
field experiences and during my own time as a high school student. I know this is not a typical
misbehavior, but it is a chronic one that I will have to address that has the potential to detract so
much from instruction. To address the problem, I would define the situation to my students and
explain that it uses up class time. Then I would implement a system of self-monitoring, asking
the students to keep track of how many times they used the restroom during class. I would allow
perhaps four times per semester, and using the monitoring sheet as a hall pass. Doing this would
teach my students self-regulation (Weinstein & Novodvorksy, 2011), and allow them autonomy
and respect in choosing when to leave the room. Assuming that these superfluous bathroom
breaks stem from a desire to break away from the typical lecture style class (that many students
seemed to dislike according to my reinforcement survey), I would have to be careful to positively
reinforce my students in a different way than bathroom breaks. With my system of selfmonitoring (a consequence put in place due to a chronic problem), I would vary my lesson plans,
allowing for discussion and group-work to fulfill the need to socialize in a more constructive
way. If I had a student who still insisted on leaving class regularly, I would talk to him/her to
make sure there was not some sort of underlying issue that I was not made aware of. After the
four semesterly passes were used up, I would make it clear to my students that “owed time”
would be a consequence for taking more breaks.
Another (more individual) chronic misbehavior occurs when a student is consistently off
task and fails to get work done after using many of the verbal and non-verbal interventions
previously mentioned. For something like this a problem-solving approach in which the teacher
and student sit down to determine what the problem is and how they will work together to solve
it (Weinstein & Novodvorsky, 2011). Curwin and colleagues write that chronically misbehaving
students often continue to misbehave because they have lost hope of succeeding in school due to
lack of motivation (Curwin et al, 2008). After talking about the problem and redefining
expectations with the student in question, I would like to make sure that the student has positive
reinforcement to continue to behave appropriately and regain motivation. If I find that the
student was misbehaving because of difficulty with content, I would want to make sure that the
student receives extra help, and that I use praise when he/she makes effort or progress (even if
the outcome is not perfect at first). If the student has lost motivation due to lack of support from
home or feels the no one cares, two-by-ten interactions would help the student regain hope and a
sense of worth in order to succeed (Wlodkowski, 1983). Another way I could deal with chronic
problems is to conduct a functional-behavioral analysis (Sprick, 2013) to try and determine the
causes and effects of a particular misbehavior and design consequences that fit the reason for the
behavior. Another way to analyze chronic behavioral problems that seem to present a constant
problem would be to look at them through the lens of the IRIS Acting Out Module. Using this
tool, I could see where my own attempts at intervention have been falling within the cycle of
acting out (IRIS). I may find that all I need to do to stop a seemingly chronic problem is avoid a
trigger behavior, or I may find that I am attempting to address the problem with the student
before the student has had time to digest the entire process. The IRIS Module would hopefully
provide me with some insight on when would be an appropriate time to intervene and impart
consequences.
Now to venture into more acute “thorny problems.” Let’s say a student flips over a desk
in defiance and refuses to write a mini-essay that I have assigned in class. I’ll be honest and say
that when this happens, it will probably unnerve me a little bit, but I would try my best not to let
this show and to remain calm. I would ask the student to come with me to the hall, and buzz the
main office on the way out (it’s now a safety issue—unfortunately I cannot handle it alone). As
Weinstein suggests, I would acknowledge the student’s emotions, and avoid a confrontation
because things need to cool off first (Weinstein & Novodvorsky, 2011). After the administration
had come to get him/her, I would go back into my classroom and make sure my class knew that
the incident was under control and to keep working. When the misbehaving student rejoined the
class the following period, I would speak to him/her briefly in private to discuss how we might
handle situations of anger in the future, but that we would be starting with a clean slate from here
on out. In instances of potential violence such as this one, the important thing was that I would
know enough to recognize when things got out of control, and who to call when they did. If this
were an altercation between two students, I would not physically intervene, but I would be
verbally assertive in trying to gain their attention and get one of them to come with me out into
the hallway or a similar space. Another essential thing in responding to violence is reassuring my
students of their safety after the conflict has occurred (Weinstein & Novodvorsky, 2011).
Cheating is another “thorny problem.” My initial reaction to responding to cheating was
to assign a zero on the assignment in question. For example, let’s say a student plagiarized an
essay. I initially thought to give a zero and then start with a clean plate from there, hoping that
the student learned a lesson. Upon reading the Weistein text, my opinion changed. Giving a zero
does not allow me to assess the student’s content mastery, which defeats the purpose of the
assignment (Weistein & Novodvorsky, 2011). In light of the Sprick text, giving a zero as a
consequence is not directly related to the behavior, and therefore, might not be as effective in
extinguishing future problems as I might hope (Sprick, 2013). I like Weinstein’s advice of
making the student redo the assignment under more controlled circumstances (Weinstein &
Novodvorsky, 2011). It lets the student show me what he/she has learned, and also lets him/her
know that cheating is unacceptable and still did not allow for escaping the learning process in the
long run. After the whole incident, I would make sure the student knew that we would be starting
over and that this isolated incidence would not affect other assignments. On subsequent (honestly
completed) work, I would be sure to write positive comments to reassure the student.
Overall, I will work very hard to ensure that the interactions that I have in the classroom
are far more often positive than negative. During negative exchanges, I will work to ensure that
relevant and appropriate consequences are in place as opposed to punishment.
I also realize that students come from diverse backgrounds and may not understand the
rationale for some classroom rules, expectations, and procedures. Other students may have
disabilities that affect how they behave in a classroom setting, including their behavior. For these
students, I will be extra careful to have many positive interactions, and to allow them to see the
discipline plan as something that is relevant and beneficial to them. I will provide all of my
students with the opportunity to ask questions about their behavior or my own expectations of
them. I will also give everyone ample opportunity to communicate what they would like to see
from me as a teacher. The entire classroom environment is to be built upon a sense of mutual
respect in order for this discipline plan to work.
Section Five: Parental Involvement
I wanted to include a section on parental involvement in the classroom community
because I truly believe that schools and families should have every opportunity to work together
with each other to strive for the success of students. Families and teachers can provide insight to
each other when it comes to student behavior and academics.
I would like to be aware of my students’ circumstances at home. I would like to
use an information sheet in which I take the time to collect information about my students
ranging from what their favorite hobbies are to who they live with at home (mother, father,
siblings, etc…). This would be a great tool for incorporating families with diverse backgrounds.
When I call home, I want to know something about the students and their families to make the
interactions more meaningful and respectful. Ideally, I would like to be able to reach out to
families to inform them of both struggles and triumphs in the classroom. In order to do this, I
need to be aware of obstacles that families face, and assist them in accessing resources that they
may need to overcome these obstacles and better assist the school in helping their child succeed.
Some schools offer programs for families such as adult literacy classes or parenthood preparation
classes (Barrera & Warner, 2006), and as a teacher, I may need to inform families of these
opportunities if they are in need.
I would like to communicate to all families the idea that my door is always open, and I
will be sure to reach out in multiple ways (phone, letters, email, etc…) so that I can reach as
many families as possible. I am the type of person that will be bothered if I feel that I have not
done enough to reach out to a family. I also realize that some families will be more open than
others to communication, but I will not judge them, and I will not stop trying to reach out. I look
forward to welcoming families at back to school night, and will do my part to communicate a
school-wide goal of working as a team for the benefit of the child. I will participate in activities
such as Back to School Night and parent teacher conferences, and make every effort to help my
students’ families feel welcomed by the school. In the long run, support from home is far worth
the effort and can assist in many aspects of classroom and behavior management.
References:
Barrera, J. M., & Warner, L. (2006). Involving Families in School Events. Kappa Delta
Pi Record, 42(2), 72-75.
Boniecki, K. & Moore, S. (2003). Breaking the Silence: Using a Token Economy to Reinforce
Classroom Participation. Teaching Of Psychology, 30(3), 224.
Brophy, J. (2004). Motivating students to learn. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Curwin, R.L., Mendler, A.N., & Mendler, B.D. (2008). Discipline with Dignity: New
Challenges, New Solutions. Alexandria: Association for Supervision and Curriculum
Development.
IRIS | Addressing Disruptive and Noncompliant Behaviors (Part 1): Understanding the Acting-Out
Cycle . (n.d.). IRIS. Retrieved October 16, 2013, from
http://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/module/bi1/
Kounin, J. (1977). Discipline and group management in classrooms. New York: Holt,
Rinehart, and Winston.
Sprick, R.S. (2013). Discipline in the Secondary Classroom: A Positive Approach to
Behavior Management (3rd ed). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Weinstein, C.S. & Novodvorsky, I. (2011). Middle and Secondary Classroom Management
(4th ed). New York: McGraw-Hill.
Wlodkowski, R. J. (1983). Motivational opportunities for successful teaching [Leader's
Guide]. Phoenix, AZ: Universal Dimensions.