Brittany Moore

Classroom Management Plan

Context

My name is Brittany Moore, and all my life Ive dreamed of being an Elementary School teacher. In an ideal world, I would love to have a general education 2nd or 3rd grade classroom, where a variety of backgrounds are represented. With my background in Spanish and ESL, I think that all learners could feel comfortable in a classroom with me. A diverse student background is much more interesting for both student and teacher, because were all learning from one another every day.

Physical Design of a Classroom

When students walk into my classroom, I really want them to feel like its a comfortable place that represents them! Throughout the space, I want to hang the students work and even include pictures of the students themselves. Classrooms are not one size fits all. My classroom will be catered to my specific class, with lots of symbolic identification throughout. Task instrumentality is another thing that will add to the flow of my classroom. There are pathways for students to get around, the back of the room will have everything appropriately labeled for students to find the right places for things, and like areas are close to one another. The less conflict and confusion, the better!

Class Rules

Classroom rules will be generated by the teacher prior to the students entering the classroom, but once students get there it is important that they feel somewhat responsible for them as well and know what is expected of them. As a class, students and teacher can go over the rules together (practicing and demonstrating what each of them mean) and decide if they are reasonable expectations to be upheld throughout the year. Teacher generated rules can be adapted based on student feedback. After any adjustments are made, the students can each get a copy of the class rules for their desk, signed by both teacher and student in addition to the rules being posted in the class.

Routines

There are various routines that need to be established at the beginning of the school year in order to ensure that the class runs smoothly. Routines should be emphasized just as much as content, because the better established routines are the more time you get in for learning!

Sharpening Pencils
Given the disruptive nature of sharpening pencils, there will be a take one leave one system implemented for students and their pencils. When students break their pencil point, they must leave their unsharpened pencil in the allocated bin and take a sharpened one out of the adjacent bin. It will be one students job to sharpen all the pencils.

Class Running Routines

Attendance

Bathroom Breaks

When students enter the classroom, it will be their responsibility to circle/highlight/underline (depending on the day) their name on an attendance list that will be posted on the board so that with one glance I can tell who is present for the day.

When students need to go to the bathroom, they

will place the designated hand sanitizer on their

desk before leaving. Upon their arrival back in the classroom, students need to return the pass to its allocated spot and use the hand sanitizer. By having the students place the hand sanitizer on their desk, I know a) who is out of the room and b) that their hands are actually clean when they

come back,

Handing in Assignments

Lesson Running Routines

As students complete their work, as long as it is not to going to be immediately reviewed collectively, students will drop their papers off in a Finished Work! bin located on the teachers desk.

Returning Homework

Constant Questioning

Homework will be returned to students in their mailboxes. They can pick up their homework and any other papers that need to be sent home (handouts, field trip forms, Scholastic Book orders, etc) before they pack up for the day.

To eliminate the constant off topic questioning about when certain specials are (recess, lunch, gym, etc.), clocks that dictate those times will be placed near the main clock. That way students can just look and compare instead of asking!

Calling out vs Raising Hand

While teaching, I will prompt my students with the appropriate way to answer a question. If I want students to call out answers I will cup my hand around my ear. If I want students to raise their hand with an answer, I will raise my hand.

During Conferening
During 1-on-1 conferencing at the teachers desk, I will have a large strip of paper that will let other students know if its okay to ask questions. On one side, the strip will be red and say Please ask a classmate!. On the green side, it will say Please ask me questions!

Interaction Routines

Building Relationships

In order for learning to be able to take place, students need to feel comfortable enough to take the risks necessary in order to learn. To create a safe environment in which students feel comfortable enough to take risks, it is crucial to build relations between not only student and teacher, but also amongst the students themselves.

Teacher & Student Relationships

Become an active listener
Encouraging, clarifying, restating, reflecting, summarizing and validating points that students make as to allow them to come to conclusions on their own instead of the me trying to figure out all the answers for them. This will (hopefully!) empower students, and allow them to see that I dont doubt their ability to problem solve.

Give genuine feedback/praise

By holding high expectations for ALL students, it will show them that I really care about each one of them academically and personally. Praise and acknowledgement of progress is essential for students, in addition to giving recommendations for how to improve.

Be warm & welcoming

When students the classroom, they should not be met by a yelling mad woman but rather a smiling, positive teacher. Being warm and welcoming is very inviting for students, and will allow them to feel comfortable in the classroom.

Student & Student Relationships

Best & Worst Compliment Jar Class Dictionary

At the beginning of each week, students will be able to share the best thing that has happened to them and the worst thing that has happened to them. This activity will really bring the students together and keep them in tune with what is happening in each others lives.

Too often students are focused on tattling on one another and not focused on the good that people do one for another. Throughout the day, students will be encouraged to write compliments about their classmates and place them in the jar for the class to read out loud later on.

Students can create 3 part definitions of themselves (physical characteristics, personality traits, and hobbies) along with a pronunciation key for their first and last names. This is fun way to create a class atmosphere and get to know one another.

Addressing Discipline
Chronic Misbehaviors: Being as good behavior is essential in all setting and not just the classroom, it is important that students are able to self monitor the amount of times that they complete a desired task. Knowing how often students do (or do not) complete a task can inspire a change.

More Serious Issues: With more bothersome and repeated offenses, appropriate consequences for the specific misbehaviors need to be in place that can be implemented quietly and calmly.

Minor Occurrences: For minor occurrences, a technique to implement would be proximity. While not disruptive to the rest of the class, it communicates my awareness of the misbehavior to the child in question.