Rationale Classroom management is essential for effective instruction in any classroom.

If the teacher is not in control of the classroom, the students will be. Teachers must have an effective management plan in place in order to teach the intended objectives in the core curriculum. Without a management plan, an unnecessary amount of instructional time will be spent attaining and maintaining control of the students (Charles, 2011). Theories Rules and Procedures: Classroom management techniques should be established from day one. Harry Wong emphasizes that there should be procedures for everything in the classroom, and I completely agree (Charles, 2011). On the first day of school, I will discuss the rules and procedures for each task or activity they will encounter during their time in school. Each procedure will be explicitly taught, practiced, and retaught throughout the year. The school and classroom rules will be posted in a clear and visible area in my classroom. The classroom environment: My classroom will be neat and organized, with materials labeled and desks arranged in an even flow throughout the room. My daily schedule will also be posted at the students eye level so students know what to expect throughout the day. I will create a positive atmosphere where students feel safe, comfortable, and respectedthis includes always maintaining a positive attitude. I will praise positive group behavior rather than focus on negative individual behavior. I will work hard to build positive relationships with my students, and I will continue to develop this positive relationship throughout the year. Through building these relationships, I will be able to modify my teaching strategies to meet the needs of each individual student. If needed, I can create an individualized, intensive behavior intervention plan for students who need extra support in this area.

Management Practices Preparation: I can prevent misbehavior in the classroom by preparing engaging lessons. My lessons will be interesting, relevant, quick-paced, and appropriately challenging. My objectives will be clearly stated in each lesson. My students will know what they are expected to learn and why it is important. My instruction will be differentiated to meet the needs of all my students. Students get off-task the most when they are either bored or frustrated with the lesson. This is why I believe lesson preparation is a vital part of any classroom management plan. The Big 8: I will establish rules and procedures for transitioning between tasks, and make behavioral expectations in the classroom clear from the beginning. I will also set realistic time limits for students to begin and complete tasks. My cueing and attention prompts will be friendly, yet direct, and stimulate a variety of senses. I am constantly aware of my proximity to the students, and this often allows me to catch potential misbehavior throughout the classroom. Finally, I will use an authoritative, yet welcoming voice in my classroom. With the implementation of The Big 8 into my classroom management plan, I feel I will prevent a lot of behavior problems (Brinkman, Forlini, and Williams, The Big 8, 2010). Management Systems The card-pull system: I believe negative behaviors should elicit negative consequences and desirable behavior should be rewarded. Therefore, in my classroom I will implement a card-pull system for undesirable behavior. Students will start each day on green. The first card pull to yellow is a warning with no other consequence. The next card pull is to red, and the student will miss five minutes of recess. Card pulls to orange involves think-time in another teachers room and missing all of recess. The final consequence for being on blue will be visiting the principals

office. I will ensure the principal is aware of this plan and approves it before the school year begins. Positive rewards system: If any school positive reward systems are available to me, I will utilize them. If not, I will implement individual and group reward systems in my classroom. Students can individually earn tokens to purchase something from the teachers treasury for outstanding positive behavior. Students can also earn table points if an entire group (or table) of students is modeling examples of desirable behavior consistently throughout the day. The table with the highest amount of points will get raffle tickets for a drawing each Friday. Finally the entire class can earn money towards an incentive of their choosing by adding up everyones table points each day and by receiving a compliment from another teacher. Caveat Different students bring different challenges. What may work one year for a group of students may not be the best practice for the next years group. My management plan establishes guidelines, but I am also prepared to be flexible. However, no matter what improvements are made to my plan, I will remain consistent to my established rules. Classroom management plans are only effective if the teacher is consistent and follows through with her rewards and consequences. References Brinkman, Forlini, and Williams (2010). "The Big 8." Facilitations for Administrators Teachers, Coaches and Mentors. Web. 28 Nov. 2012. <http://brinkman-forliniwilliams.com/facilitations.html>. Charles, C. M (2011). Building Classroom Discipline. 10th ed. Boston: Pearson.